Abbotsford, British Columbia’s latest open-air shopping mall was designed for both sustainability and efficiency. Highstreet Mall aimed to become one of the first LEED certified shopping centers in Canada. With a desire to provide a unique green, urban shopping experience for their environmentally conscious shoppers, a unique shopping experience for Fraser Valley residents, Highstreet was developed. Set on 20 acres, the mall provides three levels and 600,000 square-feet of shopping options for guests, going the extra mile with EV chargers for electric cars and abundant landscaping.

The Optimo Smooth, Optimo Embossed, and Micro Rib insulated metal panels were specified for this project using four different colors. Most of these panels were installed horizontally with trim-less ends and fabricated corners. Combining these three insulated panel products with different colors and finishes, in a horizontal orientation, culminated in great architectural flare— appropriately akin to the Regional Urban Lifestyle Centre style of development.

Highstreet Mall exhibits its commitment to detail. “Highstreet staff members provide the kind of attentive customer service you’re more likely to find at a five-star hotel. We call it “HELLO,” whether it’s a simple greeting, help with WIFI, or giving directions to a favorite store. We keep it interesting in our community plaza and pedestrian streets with entertainment, street festivals, seasonal and community events.”

The anchor tenants, Wal-Mart Supercenter, London Drugs, Marshalls and a Cineplex VIP Cinema were on a tight schedule, so quick construction time was essential to success. The first phase: open the Wal-Mart Supercenter by January of 2014. The architect, Musson Cattell Mackey, and the construction manager, Graham Construction, took advantage of Kingspan’s insulated metal panels to achieve the goal.

The single-component nature of the product panels enabled faster on-site installation compared to other multi-part options. They are an easy choice for those wishing to minimize construction delays. The insulated metal panels also contributed to high performance building. High R-value, superior airtightness, and low thermal bridging combined can result in 30 percent energy savings over the life of the building.

The Highstreet project team was very pleased with the end result. “They have metal on both sides enabling larger spacing on stock framing. The panels up to 12 feet result in the fastest installation time. The joint and corner designs also result in the fastest installation because you don’t have to add additional metal,” said Kate Larson of Flynn Canada Ltd., building envelope trade contractor.

The Highstreet project exhibits the versatility and practicality of using Kingspan to achieve energy efficiency. The panel’s high performance allowed Highstreet to achieve LEED certification and reduce their carbon footprint, in keeping with the shopping centers overall mission. The single-component design allowed fast installation to please their anchor tenants. High performance and aesthetics could be combined without compromise.

Challenges

To achieve LEED certification, Highstreet Mall planned to create a green, urban shopping experience for Fraser Valley residents. Strict construction deadlines given by anchor tenants had to be followed.

Solutions

The project design team chose products: Optimo Smooth, Optimo Embossed and Micro Rib insulated metal panels, and installed them horizontally to achieve architectural flare.

A single-component design was required to achieve the fastest possible on-site installation, as well as a high R-value, superior airtightness, and low thermal bridging to assist with achievement for LEED certification.