ROXUL Inc., a subsidiary of Rockwool International, the world’s largest producer of stone wool insulation, is celebrating its recently designated LEED Gold North American head office in Milton, Ontario.

“In achieving this certification, we have become a prime case study highlighting the great possibilities and benefits of integrating green construction into commercial spaces,” says Trent Ogilvie, president of ROXUL Inc. “We know that our choices make a positive difference, reducing our carbon footprint and protecting the delicate environment.”

SRM Architects Inc. and Stahle Construction were commissioned to design and build the office, which used more than 86,000 square feet of ROXUL’s own stone wool insulation products, proven to reduce energy consumption and minimize the impacts of climate change.

The building is modelled to use 100 kWh per day of energy, as opposed to the average building that uses 300 to 400 Kw/m2. Other sustainable features include, an open-concept floor plan to maximize natural lighting throughout the entire office, motion-sensor lights and HVAC systems, drought resistant landscaping, rain water harvesting and grey water reuse.

ROXUL’s own Energy Design Center––a resource and education hub for architects, designers and specifiers­­­­––was involved in the building envelope design and energy modelling to ensure its headquarters would integrate advanced green features. The Energy Design Center team will continue to measure the building envelope to one day showcase a live feed of the building’s performance.

Thermal couples, relative-humidity sensors and heat-flux meters were installed in the roof, walls and below-grade insulation to monitor the in-situ performance of the ROXUL insulation. Decibel meters were also installed to measure the variation in sound between the exterior and interior of the building. The data captured is recorded and uploaded to a third-party system.