British Columbia is home to six of the 12 greenest buildings in Canada according to the 2016 Green Buildings Review by Corporate Knights. The review identifies the top 12 greenest buildings in Canada. Ontario has four buildings with Quebec and Nova Scotia housing one each.
These buildings mark a trend toward higher construction standards as data on energy efficiency, human wellness and better operating costs continues to mount.
From a shortlist of 22 buildings, a panel of building industry experts – Michael Brooks, CEO, REALpac, Randal Froebelius, Past Chair, Boma Canada and Thomas Mueller, President & CEO, Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) – selected the top three green buildings in each of four categories.
“CaGBC has seen impressive market transformation across the country in the green building and sustainability industries, something that was further proven by these winning projects,” says Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the CaGBC.
“The evidence to us is clear: there is significant environmental, but also economic and societal value in building green, with the commercial and industrial sectors leading the way. Projects like these winners allow us to see the potential for all types of buildings to go greener as we strive toward a sustainable future.”
The universities and colleges, hospitals, office buildings and other public buildings in this year’s review reflect a range of ambitious goals.
St. Mary’s Hospital on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast was designed to be North America’s first carbon-neutral hospital. VanDusen Botanical Garden and Visitor Centre aims to achieve net zero standards for water and energy use. The Jim Pattison Center of Excellence is powered with photovoltaic solar panels.
TELUS Garden (pictured above) has fully integrated smart building program controls, while MEC Head Office took a Lego-like construction approach with an eye to ease of disassembly at the end of building life. All were built to the LEED Platinum or LEED Gold standard.
“The 12 buildings selected this year show that smart, clean, efficient design and construction can be done today,” says Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights. “With the right incentives, reporting and permitting standards, the stock of green buildings could grow rapidly and, simultaneously, take a big bite out of energy costs and Canada’s annual carbon emissions.”
Building data was gathered from public architectural and construction industry sources including Canada Green Building Council and LEED Platinum Certifications, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC).
Featuring prominently in their design and construction were living walls and garden spaces, solar and geothermal systems, use of reclaimed materials, and rainwater capture and recycling for grey water and irrigation.
For full list of buildings, visit: www.corporateknights.com/reports/2016-green-buildings-review.
