09 Interior Arrangement

Parliamentary Library Annex (Former Bank of Nova Scotia), Ottawa

Large central skylight in a banking hall. The skylight provides natural light to the hall, which is located mid-block with limited access to street front windows. The skylight was uncovered during rehabilitation of the former Bank of Nova Scotia, Ottawa, ON. Source: TRACE

All Components

General Guidelines

This section provides direction in conducting sustainability modifications for interior arrangements, especially when they are identified as character-defining elements of a heritage building. It also gives direction on how to minimize the impact of introducing new elements and intervening in non-character-defining interior arrangements in a heritage building.

Interior arrangement refers to the overall layout and the relationships between a building’s interior spaces. Critical characteristics of interior spaces include scale, proportion, and architectural detailing/finishes (refer to Interior Features). Relationships between spaces can be impacted by functional relationships and adjacencies, circulation routes, and spatial hierarchies.

Interior arrangements are directly related to exterior form, fenestration placement, circulation, and entries. Sustainability-related upgrades affecting interior arrangement will typically focus on space programming, which ensures that characteristics and access to natural light, passive ventilation, and existing mechanical and electrical system layouts are used to maximum benefit for the selected use. All modifications to interior arrangements must be considered carefully and evaluated based on their impact on spatial relationships, hierarchies, and exterior form vis-à-vis a building’s heritage character and other project goals.

Place St Henri Station in Montreal

Place St Henri Station in Montreal, QC with its multi-height and overlapping vertical spaces. Source: TRACE

Light wells and light courts, such as this one at the Roslyn Courts National Historic Site, Winnipeg, MB, are an effective means to provide natural light and ventilation in a multi-storey building. The light coloured walls are highly reflective which encourages more efficient use of natural light. Source: Shelley Bruce

Sustainable Rehabilitation Project Guidelines for Interior Arrangement

Recommended
1 Grouping similar uses to maximize HVAC and electrical distribution efficiency.
2 Limiting interior material loss when altering interior arrangements. Excessive alterations and material loss may make an adaptive reuse strategy unsustainable due to significant waste generation.
3 Constructing modifications using sustainable materials where impact on character-defining elements is limited.

Sustainability Challenges

Sustainability challenges for exterior walls in existing buildings, particularly heritage buildings, include:

  • The expense and difficulty of reconfiguring plumbing and HVAC layouts.
  • The reconfiguration of interior spaces with terra cotta block or plaster lath partitions, which is more difficult than contemporary gypsum board partitions with metal or wood studs;
  • The modification of relationships between interior spaces, which can be challenging where the relationships are considered character-defining.
Sir John Macdonald Building

Sir John A Macdonald Building in Ottawa, ON with repurposed hall. The space retains relationships to surrounding spaces along with accommodating a range of upgrades to improve sustainability. Source: Doublespace

Interrelationships

Select examples of interrelationships between different building elements with respect to interior arrangements include:

  • Interior arrangements are directly related to the placement of windows, doors, and storefronts. Placement of these items affects a space’s functionality and relationships as access and natural light dictate how a space is used.

View Component

  • Transparent exterior curtain walls make interiors and exteriors mutually dependent. Interior arrangements become a significant element in the perception of the exterior form. The depth and detailing of perimeter interior spaces can directly impact the exterior form.

View Component

  • Interior arrangements rely on entrances and porches as the starting point for users entering a building. As such, moving an entrance will affect a number of relationships in an interior arrangement;
  • Balconies extend interior spaces into exterior spaces, and modifications to balconies will affect the interior arrangement of adjacent spaces, especially for residential uses and communal spaces in commercial and institutional buildings.

View Component

  • Arranging interior uses, including kitchens, electrical/server rooms, heat-generating equipment, heat generating operations, and typically occupied spaces with thermal comfort requirements, creates opportunities for mechanical and electrical system efficiencies and potential energy and heat recovery unit use.

View Component

  • Interior features provide convenience, aesthetics, finish, scale, proportion, and articulation for interior arrangements. As such, changes in interior arrangements requiring wall location modifications will affect interior features;
  • Changes in interior arrangements may also result in increased traffic exposure to interior features, such as stairs and finishes, which may not be designed to accommodate the increase, leading to accelerated material degradation.

View Component

Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada Sustainability Considerations (Page 137)

Recommended Not Recommended
22 Adding new features to meet sustainability requirements in a manner that respects the interior arrangement and minimizes impact on character-defining elements. Adding a new feature to meet sustainability requirements in a location that obscures, damages, or destroys character-defining elements.
23 Working with sustainability and conservation specialists to determine the most appropriate solution to sustainability requirements with the least impact on the character-defining elements and overall heritage value of the historic building. Making changes to the interior arrangement, without first exploring alternative sustainability solutions that may be less damaging to the character-defining elements and overall heritage value of the historic building.
24 Retaining or reinstating character-defining aspects of the interior arrangement which contribute to the historic building’s inherent sustainability, such as natural daylight and ventilation. Destroying character-defining interior arrangements to introduce daylight or ventilation into a space where it never existed.
25 Accommodating equipment designed to increase energy efficiency in secondary, non-character-defining spaces, such as service areas.