The city’s administrative centre recently got some positive news about its impact on the environment.
The structure and its energy utilization methods scored enough to earn it a Gold level certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Canada. This is the second-highest level that the organization awards, the highest being Platinum. It’s a widely recognized scoring system for ‘green’ structures, and one that building designers and managers strive to follow.
The six categories that the City Hall was rated in were water efficiency, materials and resources, sustainable sites, energy atmosphere, innovation in design process, and indoor environmental quality. It did best in the innovation and design, and also the indoor environmental quality areas. The facility didn’t do as well in the others, but its overall score was enough to gain the certification.
The building opened in 2011, and it was hoped, at the time, that it would be the largest structure in the country to achieve LEED Gold certification. The inclusion of sustainable design elements by its designers and architects – and using the latest in technology and materials during construction – has allowed the site to meet its goals
Receiving the LEED Gold certification sets an example for other building designers and developers. Brochure printers can create pamphlets that give all the details of how this was achieved, so others can follow.
