Corporate Knights has recently released its 2016 Green Buildings Review, which sorted through 200 of the leading green buildings across Canada to select the top 12, including universities and colleges, hospitals, office buildings and other public buildings.
The top buildings were selected because they encourage the trend of building facilities with higher construction standards as more data is released on energy efficiency, health and wellness and better operating costs. They also include green features such as living walls and garden spaces, solar and geothermal systems, use of reclaimed materials and rainwater capture and recycling for grey water and irrigation, among other highlights.
Corporate Knights staff first narrowed down the list of 200 to a shortlist of 22 buildings. A panel of building industry experts, including Michael Brooks, CEO of REALpac, Randal Froebelius, past Chair of BOMA Canada and Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), then selected the top three buildings in each category.
“CaGBC has seen impressive market information across the country in the green building and sustainability industries, something that was further proven by these winning projects,” said Mueller in a press release. “The evidence to us is clear: there is significant environmental, but also economic and societal value in building green, with the commercial and industrial sectors leading the way. Projects like these winners allow us to see the potential for all types of buildings to go greener as we strive toward a sustainable future.”
Corporate Knights’ greenest university and college buildings in the country are Okanagan College’s Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Kelowna, B.C.; UBC’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability in Vancouver, B.C.; and Dalhousie University’s Mona Campbell Building in Halifax, N.S.
Canada’s greenest hospital facilities include St. Mary’s Hospital in Sechelt, B.C.; St. Joseph’s Healthcare West 5th Campus in Hamilton, Ont.; and Bridgepoint Hospital in Toronto, Ont.
The greenest office buildings across the country are TELUS Garden in Vancouver, B.C.; MEC Head Office in Vancouver B.C.; and A Grander View in Kitchener, Ont.
The other public buildings that were listed as the greenest in Canada include the VanDusen Botanical Garden & Visitor Centre in Vancouver, B.C.; Bibliotheque du Boise in Montreal, Que.; and the Centre for Green Cities at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, Ont.
“The 12 buildings selected this year show that smart, clean, efficient design and construction can be done today,” said Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights. “With the right incentives, reporting and permitting standards, the stock of green buildings could grow rapidly and simultaneously take a big bite out of energy costs and Canada’s annual carbon emissions.”
Data on these buildings was collected from public architectural and construction industry sources including the CaGBC and LEED Platinum certifications, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). More information on the review can be found at www.corporateknights.com/reports/2016-green-buildings-review.
