Ontario's 1st LEED Platinum Green Building

• Architect: Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc.
• located in Vaughan, Ontario
• 2-storey, 1095 m2 building: office space for 25 occupants and a works garage
• construction is engineered wood framing with brick and wood siding
• cost premium aprox 10%
• expected to achieve a 66 % annual energy savings
• heating: heat pump system with a slinky ground source loop
• cooling: chilled water fan coils supplimented by cooled floor, using the same tubing as the radiant heating system
• concrete “earth tube” delivers outdoor air to the basement mechanical equipment
• 2 heat-recovery ventilators deliver 100 % outside air to the offices via displacement ventilation
• power: partly by photovoltaic system and remaining needs buying electrical power from a supplier of green (renewable) power—Bullfrog Power
• composting toilets (rarely used in offices) and waterless urinals means that the centre uses no water for wastewater conveyance, , together with low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout the building conserve 80% of the potable indoor water normally used in a building of this size
• 95 % of regularly occupied spaces have an abundance of daylighting and 90 % of these spaces have a view to the outdoors
• furniture is certified as “low off-gassing.”

Source: http://www.trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/website.nsf/frmNewsArticleDisplay?OpenForm&NoteID=NT0001A1E6

Changi "green" Airport, Singapore

Features:

• designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and CPG Corporation
• began in 1999, at an estimated cost of about S$1.75 billion
• 380,000 square meters (4 million sq ft)
• natural lighting from the 919 skylights
• positioning air-conditioners nearer to floor-level
• 5-storey high wall of hanging plants to regulate the internal temperature of the terminal with the occasional misting
• a butterfly garden
• koi ponds dotted throughout
  

Sources:
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/28926
http://www.changiairport.com/changi/en/airport_guide/exp_changi/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Changi_Airport

(WBCSD) report - "Green" Construction Costs Lower Than Believed

World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Respondents to a 1400 person global survey estimated the additional cost of building green at 17 percent above conventional construction, more than triple the true cost difference of about 5 percent. At the same time, survey respondents put greenhouse gas emissions by buildings at 19 percent of world total, while the actual number of 40 percent is double this.

“Life cycle analysis shows that 80% to 85% of the total energy consumption and CO 2 emissions of a building comes from occupancy through heating, cooling, ventilation, and hot water use. If we want to make an impact on climate change, we therefore need to tackle this challenge. Combining the right materials when designing a building envelope can greatly reduce a building's energy requirements, increase its life span and ensure consistent performance over time,” he said.

The Report - Energy Efficiencies in Buildings: Business realities and opportunities (pdf doc)

India Tower (South Mumbai, India)

- LEED Gold-rated project
- expected to be completed in 2010
- mixed-use program that changes with each rotation
- least possible impact on the environment
- integrate current innovative sustainable systems and technologies – solar shading, natural ventilation, daylighting, rainwater harvesting, and green interior finishes and materials
– one of the greenest skyscrapers in India

Source:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/08/23/
india-tower-indias-greenest-skyscraper/

Airdrie Environmental Education Centre (Alberta)

Check out the cost breakdown here.
Building features:

• Straw bale, tight envelope construction solar radiant in-floor heating system
• Photovoltaic electrical
• Potable water collection and filtration system
• Environmentally sound and healthy construction materials including paints & wood treatments
• Energy efficient windows
• Recycled materials throughout
• Solar wall used to warm the fresh air for the “Life Breath” heat recovery ventilator
• Naturalized and xeriscaped green spaces

"LED City" program - Raleigh & Toronto

"Canada's largest metropolitan area has joined Raleigh, NC in fostering a city-wide program to use and evaluate LED lighting. [LEDCity] initiative fosters collaboration among municipalities as they deploy energy-efficient lighting to deliver cost savings and environmental benefits. LEDs appearing throughout parks, parking garages and in architectural lighting over the coming months. Toronto already hosts a number of high profile LED installations, including LED streetlights at Exhibition Place, the Harbinger color-changing installation, and of course the CN Tower (CN Tower ... LED lighting... is designed to use 60% less energy than the Tower's lighting did in the 1990s). LEDs provide an energy-efficient, mercury- free solution helping to preserve the environment, while delivering more- flexible and longer-lasting lighting than traditional
lighting technologies."

Source: http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/4/7/9

Gaia Napa Valley Hotel (CA)

"World's First and Only" - Gold LEED Certified- Hotel
Also... you'll find a copy of Al Gore's book, "An Inconvenient Truth", in each of the rooms for your reading pleasure."

See features at: http://www.gaianapavalleyhotel.com/html/green-lodging.asp#americancanyon-ca-feature

Google Campus - Solar panels

"It’s a good time to be green, and Google is leading the way. Last year, the search giant Google announced that their installation of the solar panels on their campus, which are expected to provide around 1,600 kw/h. And keeping with their green commitment, they recently launched the Google solar panel project webpage which will help anyone track how much power their solar panels are generating. And now, their newest green initiatives include everything from plug-in hybrids and car-powered homes to carbon neutrality. And to top it off, Google has just announced that it expects to become carbon neutral by 2007. They will do this via a mixture of energy consumption reduction, carbon offsets, and use of renewable resources. They will also be submitting themselves to an independent audit to make sure that they meet this goal every year."

Bank of America's new headquarters - One Bryant Park

Interview by:
Matthew Wheeland
"will be the first LEED Platinum skyscraper in the country, and it's been called the world's "most sustainable skyscraper." The project's architects, Cook+Fox, have incorporated the most cutting-edge green technologies:

• 2.2 million square feet
  
• cost of water has gone up 40 % since we started the project
• waterless urinals will save 3 million gallons of potable water a year
• collecting rainwater ...to reuse ...for landscaping and washing the sidewalks, but we're really using it for flushing the toilets and for the cooling tower
• the cost of energy is not going to go down
• 5.1 megawatt cogen plant ...use that energy to make ice at night... melting ice in the middle of the day... less energy to create the air conditioning"

Burj al-Taqa ("Energy Tower")

A Zero-Energy Tower in the Desert
Sarah Rich
June 21, 2007 3:04 PM

German architect, Eckhard Gerber, who currently holds CAD drawings for the tallest zero-emissions, zero-energy skyscraper in the world.
"a giant 68-story building projected to rise to a lofty height of 322 meters (1,056 feet), which would make it number 22 on the list of the world's tallest buildings."

"Green" Credit Union ranch (Kitchener, ON)

"This is Libro's third "green" branch. Its design has received 4 out
of 5 Green Globes, a third party environmental building rating system. The
designation showcases Libro's leadership in energy efficient and environmental
design practices," says Jack Smit, President and CEO, Libro. "We are committed
to building "green" when we can. We know the importance of reducing our impact
on the environment. We may be new to the Williamsburg neighbourhood but we're
committed to its sustainability!"

See complete list of green features in the article at: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/19/c6518.html

AccessOn: Built Environment

OK... so apparently slightly off-topic but since this is the area of my paid consulting work and the "Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act" now requires all public buildings to be accessible (green or not) this new AccessON web site created by the Ontario Government might be of some assistance to those of you not as well informed about the subject or simply used to following the minimums in the OBC (Ontario Building Code).

Oh... and the 2006 OBC code is in many ways just as inaccessible as the 1997 version. Go to most cities in Ontario and see how much higher their accessibility standards are (we were/are actually involved with writing many of them which is really cool).

And if you think about it... how "sustainable" can a building be if people as they get older can't use it (often the forgotten aspect of accessibility).

Read about province wide progress: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/12/c3699.html

Ontario Gov't - LEED for New Buildings and Green Roof Pilot

June 1, 2007
"LEED certified buildings have energy consumption 25 to 60 % less than ones built to the Canada’s Model National Energy Building Code standard.

The province will also be piloting a green roof project to cut costs for heating and cooling, reduce the heat island effect of cities in summer time, help clean the air and prevent rain water runoff. This will help reduce the government’s carbon footprint."

Ontario's RE Feed-in Tariff - Progress Report

"It's been 6 months since ... Ontario started its Standard Offer Program (SOP), which created the first feed-in tariff (FIT) in North America for renewable energy in over 20 years.

Since last November (2006), OPA has received applications under the new FIT for 65 wind, solar, biomass and hydropower projects totaling roughly 330 megawatts (MW) of capacity.

... a FIT sets a price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of generated renewable energy that is high enough to properly compensate the generator and make a project profitable."

Source: http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48565

Ontario Power Authority - Ontario's Standard Offer Program

• Solar PV Projects - 42 cent/kWh
• Waterpower Projects - 11 cent/kWh
• Wind Projects - 11 cent/kWh
• Biomass Projects - 11 cent/kWh

Foster + Partners Winery - Ribera del Duero, Spain

"The building is partially buried in the landscape, hiding itself around the natural topography of the site. That design choice allows, for instance, for the grapes to be poured straight down into the beginning of the wine production process. The different volumes of the building relate to the specific stages of wine making, with the areas that are sunken into the ground providing the best conditions for the fermentation process.

...diminish the impact on the environment... partial burial of the building thermal combined with a green roof on top to control the temperature, and photovoltaics on the roof seal the deal."

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/05/29/foster-partners-spanish-winery/

GM 1st LEED-Gold for Auto Manufacturing Facility

"August 3, 2006) — General Motors’ new Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant has received a gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The building is the only automotive manufacturing plant in the world – as well as the largest facility and the most complex manufacturing site -- to ever receive any level of LEED certification.

Over the first ten years of operations, the facility is expected to save over 40 million gallons of water and 30 million kwh of electricity.

Rainwater from the 1.5 million square foot is collected in cisterns above rest rooms and is used to flush toilets at the new GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant."

Source: http://www.acppubs.com/article/CA6447615.html

Toronto's CNE Hydrogen Village

I don't usually go to the EX but I guess I will be this year!

More information:

• http://keetsa.com/blog/eco-friendly/torontos-hydrogen-village-at-the-ex/
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070526.wxhydrogenvillage26/BNStory/Front
  

Cornwall, Ontario - First Green/Sustainable Facility

Local News - Friday, May 25, 2007
by Elisabeth Johns

Ron Chenier joined with Chris Markell (LEED accredited builder), of Bourgon and Associates, to develop Place Dominion Place Inc., a nearly 54,000 square-foot, four-storey building that will incorporate initiatives like: wood from sustainable forests, low flow toilets and in-door bike racks for commuters, complete with change rooms and showers.

The cost for the state-of-the-art building is an estimated $5 million, which will account for a number of green building supplies that will cost more initially, but reduce energy costs, Chenier said. They hope to attain a silver rating for Dominion Place, Markell said.

In five years, all buildings -- new and existing -- will be green

May 23, 2007
by Randyl Drummer

"The takeaway from the (Chicago 2007) ULI conference was that we’re at a tipping point," Lord said. "In five years, all buildings -- new and existing -- will be green. Unlike new construction, the greening of existing buildings has to be implemented by the building property management team. New green buildings are about design and construction. Existing green buildings are about operations."

The average building certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program uses 32% less electricity, 26% less natural gas and 36% less total energy. LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. are reducing CO2 emissions by 150,000 metric tons each year -- equal to taking 30,000 passenger cars off the road. Yet the vast majority of the 715 buildings and tenant spaces certified under the LEED program in the U.S. are new construction. Only about 50 are existing buildings.

Source: http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=59F5177C83639C28FF1697AF358BE671

Doors Open Toronto (May 26/27, 2007) - The Green List

Free admission to all sites. Some only Saturday, some only Sunday, and some have photograph restrictions (wow) so check before you go.

From the 150 buildings participating, here's a list of all those showcasing green/sustainable design ideas or principles:

• Beach Solar Laundromat
• Bloorview Kids Rehab
• Cecelia Murphy Building
• Design Exchange
• Eco-suite at Tridel's Element Condominium
• HOK
• Horse Palace: Green Roof
• Levitt Goodman House
• Mountain Equipment Co-op
• Ravina Project
• Robertson Building
• SAS Building
• St. Gabriel's Passionist Parish
• Thomas L. Wells Public School
• University of Guelph-Humber
• University of Toronto: BCIT
• University of Toronto: Multi-faith Centre - Koffler Institute
• Zeidler Partnership Architects Building

Maybe I'll see you at one or two! Can't wait.