Located in Nunavut’s capital city of Iqaluit, the Aqsarniit Hotel and Conference Centre is a one-of-a-kind hospitality and conference hub for Canada’s Arctic region. The hotel features standard, deluxe and executive suite options, and offers a unique, northern-inspired take on hospitality and comfort, complete with various onsite amenities and services. Amongst these amenities is the Aqsarniit Restaurant and Lounge, offering guests locally sourced and sustainably made meals with a signature Iqaluit flair. With over 6,300 square feet of large, divisible ballrooms and meeting rooms, the Aqsarniit Hotel and Conference Centre is a premium choice for local and international conferences alike.
As the mechanical and electrical sub-consultants on this design-build project, Williams Engineering (WE) focused on minimizing energy and water usage. In addition, keeping the building systems simple and maintainable was essential while developing a collaborative design that draws guests into the hotel and maintaining capital costs for the owner. A schematic design report was provided describing the mechanical and electrical system options, including HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, LED and motion detection lighting, general power and emergency generators, life safety and communication systems. After a thorough assessment of energy efficiency and renewable systems, WE provided a design development package including major equipment systems while ensuring the budget, constructability and quality of the design were maintained.
WE also provided energy modelling services for this project, completing energy estimates of the hotel system and comparing the current system to the National Energy Code equivalent. A benchmark energy model was prepared to guide the design of the hotel by producing schematic-level references and proposed building models to accurately compare energy performance of the anticipated design against the National Energy Code. After concise recommendations for energy efficiency measures were made, WE completed the final energy model based on the as-built designs demonstrating energy model performance.
This newly constructed Hotel and Conference Centre embraces a warm, welcoming guest experience deeply rooted within the Inuit community, creating a new exceptional standard of Canadian hospitality. The sustainable design approach to this project ensured the building met the highest energy efficiency targets possible in one of the coldest, most remote regions of Canada.
