Although towers of ilium has little competency in mechanical engineering or environmental design, we are intrigued by this diagram of the Manitoba Hydro Building in Winnipeg. It has all of the usual LEED credentials and that sort of thing. It represents the "all-in" approach to enclosure design and energy/ventilation management. Most of the exterior is a double skin curtain wall that acts as an air tempering device. Air flow is enhanced by a "solar tower" that maintains a constant stack effect to draw air across the floors of the building. I like to think of the structure as a greenhouse turned on its side, which is appropriate for the latitude of its location. I suppose that a building like this is an example of "active" energy/air management design in contrast to a "passive" design that would have a lower glazing ratio and more discrete heating and ventilation systems.
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