University of Alberta’s Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS) has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating from the Canada Green Building Council. The designation was awarded to the project for its high-performance in human and environmental health.

CCIS was completed in the summer of 2011, and brings together five research groups within the faculty of science across the University of Alberta (U of A) campus. The building is designed to bring natural light into the interiors, while reducing energy consumption. It’s also meant to reflect and enhance communications among its users.

“To facilitate the interdisciplinary nature of the building, we incorporated breakout spaces, social spaces and multi-functional spaces to encourage conversation and the mingling of students and researchers,” says Ben Louie, university architect and director of facilities and operations at the U of A. “I think the building accomplishes this goal through good architectural design.”

The building site itself was a sustainable choice because it is an infill site that uses existing services such as utilities, access to transit and parking facilities. Other green features of the project include on-site bicycle storage with change rooms and showers for cyclists, low-flow fume hoods in labs, high-efficiency heat recovery, access to regional building materials and a green housekeeping program.