WATERLOO, ONT. — The Cora Group has been awarded the first Zero Carbon Building — Design certification by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) for evolv1, a new commercial multi-tenant office building currently under construction in Waterloo, Ont.
The building is one of 16 projects across Canada to be selected by the CaGBC to participate in a two-year pilot of its new Zero Carbon Building Standard.
According to a release issued by the CaGBC, in order to receive this certification, evolv1 had to demonstrate zero carbon design excellence, showing it has modelled a zero carbon balance for future operations, incorporated a highly efficient envelope and ventilation system to meet a defined threshold for thermal energy demand intensity, and designed onsite renewable energy systems capable of providing a minimum of five per cent of building energy consumption.
The three-storey, 110,000-square-foot evolv1 project is being built in the David Johnston Research + Technology Park in Waterloo. Slated for completion this summer, evolv1 will become home to Waterloo tech company, TextNow.
“CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard is an innovative made-in-Canada solution that supports industry efforts to reduce GHG emissions and grow the low-carbon economy,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC, in a statement. “It is setting a tangible example for building owners and policymakers across the country that zero carbon buildings are technically feasible and economically viable right now. The shift to zero carbon buildings is a critical step in reaching our climate change goals in Canada. Through innovative projects like evolv1 the building industry can lead the way in the fight against climate change.”
The evolv1 vision is a collaboration between The Cora Group, Sustainable Waterloo Region, the David Johnston Research + Technology Park and anchor tenant E&Y. The building, designed and engineered by Stantec and constructed by Melloul-Blamey, is also targeting LEED Platinum certification and will produce more energy than it consumes when complete, states the release.
Stantec’s integrated design process incorporates active and passive systems to optimize value against construction cost.
The high-performance building envelope incorporates triple glazing, a solar wall for preheated ventilation, a geo-exchange/VRF HVAC system, three-storey green wall and a combination of photovoltaics.
Over the course of the first 12 months of operation, evolv1 will monitor performance to demonstrate that it has achieved a zero emissions balance in order to earn Zero Carbon Building — Performance certification.
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