Infrastructure Ontario has accepted the Innovation in LEED: Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance award by the Canada Green Building Council – Greater Toronto Chapter. The award was presented to Infrastructure Ontario for the Ontario government building, Robinson Place, located at 300 Water St. in Peterborough on Oct. 22, 2015.
The annual awards program celebrates projects and people that demonstrate advancement in Southern Ontario’s green building industry. The Ontario government building was designated as LEED EB: O&M Platinum in February 2015 by the Canada Green Building Council.
“We congratulate Infrastructure Ontario on this outstanding achievement,” said Hazel Farley of Canada Green Building Council – Greater Toronto Chapter, in a press release. “Not only did Robinson Place achieve LEED Platinum for EB: O&M, but also became the first and only government building in the country to reach that level of certification. We hope they will serve as a shining example of what can be achieved when a level of government has a commitment to sustainability.”
The seven-storey Robinson Place, located in downtown Peterborough, accommodates over 1,000 government employees in seven ministries. It is the provincial headquarters for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
“Innovation is something Infrastructure Ontario strives for in everything we do, so we’re very proud of the recognition from Canada Green Building Council – Greater Toronto Chapter,” said Bert Clark, president and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, in a press release. “The award highlights the hard work and dedication of staff at IO and our ministry partners and service providers.”
The building achieved this level of sustainability with help from government ministries through participation in strong recycling programs, a green approach to procurement of materials and development of a community garden above a parking structure. The facility is fully metered, uses rainwater and has sophisticated energy-efficient chillers to provide optimum performance during the cooling season. The facility’s automation system was upgraded to meet LEED standards for efficiency and client comfort.
