Moncton, the largest city in New Brunswick, Canada, is unlike any city in the nation. It features the bustling city life of Toronto or Vancouver, while surrounded by large waterways and coniferous landscapes. It truly is a one-of-a-kind city filled with artistry; some created by humans and others carved into existence by nature (like the Hopewell Rocks just 30 minutes from the city). Additionally, the maritime province is an excellent place to enjoy fresh seafood thanks to the large bodies of water that flow to Moncton’s shores from the North Atlantic Ocean. Known as the “Hub City” to locals, the area is centrally located to some of Canada’s best sights throughout the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia provinces.
On the northwest end of Moncton, and just off Route 126 highway is North Point Estates, a 150-unit apartment complex. The construction of the complex was done in two phases: Phase 1 was completed in late 2021 and Phase 2 in December of 2022. The two buildings face one another at 2251 and 2261 Mountain Road. Property amenities include underground and outdoor parking, elevators, storage lockers, and nearby access to public transit, shopping centers, and parks.
Construction was subcontracted to Patton Construction Ltd, and they ensured prompt and safe construction for both phase 1 and 2 of the apartment complex. As with any new build in Moncton, the team at Patton Construction had to ensure all subcontractors abided by the 2010 National Building Code (NBC) of Canada. If they did not, Moncton’s fire chief may not have allowed the building to open until all discrepancies were fixed.
Since 2011, the province of New Brunswick has adopted the 2010 NBC as Law when designing new buildings. The 2010 Code requires new buildings to be designed with a certain level of outdoor air introduction.
As a result of the 2010 NBC requirements, each residential dwelling needed its own ventilation system to satisfy the Code. Specifically, section 6.2.2.1.2 of the NBC, which reads,
“… the rates at which outdoor air is supplied in buildings by ventilation systems shall not be less than the rates required by ANSI/ASHRAE 62, “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality...”
Table 4.1a of ASHRAE 62.2 tells us all dwelling units with less than 1,500 sq. ft. of indoor space require an outdoor airflow rate of at least 45 CFM for 2-3 bedroom apartments. At North Point Estates, there are only 2-bedroom units; each unit ranges in size from 1,050–1,220 sq. ft.
Consequently, each 2-bedroom apartment would require at least 45 CFM of outdoor air brought into applicable dwelling spaces. To accomplish this without losing too much energy would be of key importance. Therefore, Multi-Unit (MU) Property Management recruited the necessary people to design the ventilation system to optimize the energy required to heat and cool each apartment unit.
The design team decided to use Fantech FLEX® 100H Fresh Air Appliances (one for each apartment unit) and employed Premier Plumbing and Heating to install them. These appliances supply airflow to each of the main living areas within each apartment.
They also remove stale air from odorous and humid spaces like the kitchen and bathroom areas. All-in-all, these appliances help keep the intended air pressure scheme intact: ensuring tenants breathe fresh air while also receiving equal amounts of conditioned air from the main HVAC system.
