Inside Manitoba Hydro Place: Building Systems, Commissioning, and Performance in Action
Join YCLM for an engaging educational session at Manitoba Hydro Place, one of the most energy-efficient office towers in North America. Led by Mark Pauls, Building Energy Manager, this session will explore how integrated building systems, thorough commissioning, and ongoing operations come together to deliver exceptional energy performance and occupant comfort.
Date: Thursday, November 20
Time: Session to take place from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m., networking portion immediately to follow
Location: Manitoba Hydro Building, 360 Portage Avenue. Networking portion to take place at Rudy’s (inside the MB Hydro Building)
Price: $25, includes appetizers and one drink at networking event
Manitoba Hydro Place is a landmark 22-storey office tower recognized internationally for its energy efficiency and high-performance design. The building consumes approximately 60% less energy than similar office towers and is LEED Platinum certified. The building’s innovative double-skin façade and 115-foot solar chimney harness natural ventilation and daylight while reducing heating and cooling demands. Triangular floor plans, south-facing wings, and atrium “winter gardens” provide daylighting, thermal comfort, and indoor environmental quality throughout the workspace. Manitoba Hydro Place exemplifies how thoughtful design strategies, building systems and continuous performance optimization can combine to create a truly sustainable and functional workplace. It’s a global example of high-performance architecture in a northern climate, inspiring both designers and construction professionals alike.
What to expect
Go beyond the surface to understand how Manitoba Hydro Place continues to perform at the highest level more than a decade after opening.
● Building Systems in Action: Learn how the building’s mechanical, electrical, and automation systems interact to achieve comfort and efficiency.
● Commissioning and Optimization: Hear how thorough commissioning and continuous monitoring ensure systems perform as designed, and how performance data informs ongoing operations.
● Operational Lessons: Mark Pauls will share insights from managing one of Canada’s most complex building systems—highlighting what’s worked, what’s evolved, and what lessons can be applied across other projects.
● Bridging Design and Operation: Discuss how construction, design, and facility management teams can collaborate to achieve sustained building performance.
This session offers a valuable opportunity to connect technical concepts with practical experience. Whether you work in construction, engineering, design, or facilities management, you’ll gain actionable insights into how integrated systems thinking and energy management drive long-term success in high-performance buildings.
About the speaker:
Mark Pauls is the Building Energy Management Engineer for Manitoba Hydro. He was responsible for implementing a Measurement and Verification Plan and optimizing the systems at Manitoba Hydro Place for maximum comfort and energy efficiency. Mark currently oversees the design and construction of new facilities at Manitoba Hydro. He has a Master of Science in Climate Engineering from Danube University Krems in Austria.
