Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Restoration Services Centre earns LEED Platinum

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) new Restoration Services Centre has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification by the Canada Green Building Council.

Building sets “benchmark” for future Ontario projects by earning 56 LEED points

TORONTO

This is the highest level of environmental certification available and reportedly a first for an Ontario building.

The two-storey, 1,095-square-metre building, which won a 2007 Ontario Wood WORKS Award in the green design category, is considered a showcase of sustainable design. It houses staff from the TRCA’s restoration services and parks and facilities divisions in support of TRCA’s resource management, archaeology and conservation area recreation programs.

“We are proud to say this achievement has generated interest from international groups to build similar structures and sets a benchmark for future LEED-certified buildings in Ontario, across the country and around the world,” said Dave Rogalsky, manager, resource management projects for TRCA.

Currently there are only four other structures in Canada with the LEED Platinum designation, the TRCA said in a release. The building was awarded 56 LEED points, the second highest score among all four buildings.

LEED credits are awarded for meeting specific requirements in key categories including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality.

Features that earned TRCA the Platinum certification include:

Reducing indoor potable water-use by 80 per cent through composting toilets, waterless urinals and low-flow faucets;

Optimizing energy cost performance by using ground-source heat pumps and heat recovery ventilators to reclaim the heat of the air being exhausted, transferring it to the incoming fresh air stream; and

Using recycled materials including reclaimed brick, recycled crushed concrete instead of asphalt and materials with a high recycled content.

The building was a collaborative project between a team that included TRCA, Montgomery Sisam Architects, Enermodal Engineering and Percon Construction Inc. that began in April 2006.

TRCA said the incremental cost to construct the environmentally friendly building was 9.3 per cent more than it would have been to develop a non-environmental structure.

“Inspired by TRCA’s vision for The Living City, where human settlement can flourish forever as part of nature’s beauty and diversity, the building has been designed to have a symbiotic relationship with its natural surroundings,” said Santiago Künzle, an architect with Montgomery Sisam Architects.

“The building harvests natural light and ventilation, geothermal energy and directs all rain water to replenish wetlands that provide habitat for birds, turtles and insects. The design focuses on using simple, low-cost solutions to drive high performance sustainability outcomes while creating a comfortable and inspiring environment for the client. Superior indoor environment quality is achieved through extensive natural light and ventilation, low emitting finishes and low velocity fresh air supply.”

The project was completed last April.