Sustainability is a foundational part of every design solution – as essential as structure or envelope – ensuring the future health, wellbeing, and financial viability of the building, its users, and our environment. Passive and common sense design decisions inform every design solution from the outset. On every project we will work closely with our client and trusted consultants to identify and deliver on each standard and unique opportunity presented to reduce and improve the building's function while also validating and delivering value.
The relationship between the constructed and natural environment has been an ongoing focus for the firm since its inception. Social and financial aspects of these facilities and wellness for their users has also been part of the firm’s thinking. The Governor General Award winning Rotary Park Pool, developed in 1996, was conceived from greenhouse glass technology and is pioneering; entirely passively ventilated and naturally daylit within a holistically sustainable site. The work on accessible design in the Brampton Soccer Centre set city-wide accessible standards. And the work at Regent Park Aquatic Centre in developing the first all gender-neutral Universal Changeroom facility in Canada, addressed concerns of privacy, culture, and gender identity and has set the new standard for the City of Toronto and is an international benchmark.
MJMA strives to deliver a bespoke and well-considered sustainable solution for each project while also investing in academic and industry research. MJMA authored, ‘Sustainable Design of Recreation Facilities,’ for SAB Magazine describing the firm’s leading approach to sustainable design for this building type. The approach on the University of British Columbia Aquatic and Wellness Centre has set the high water bar for aquatic design internationally. The response explores innovative water, air, and daylight solutions, employing a campus regenerative neighborhood strategy. MJMA is collaborating with the UBC Engineering Department in PhD level NSERC research exploring design and management of healthy aquatic air environments. This unique research will impact the future of energy conservation and healthy aquatic environments across the country.