University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)’s Environmental Science and Chemistry Building (ESCB) has been awarded LEED Gold by the Canada Green Building Council. The 10,220-square-metre building, which is used for research on important environmental issues, officially opened in January 2016.

“It’s a tremendous source of pride that our building dedicated to research on the physical environment has achieved LEED Gold,” U of T Scarborough Principal Bruce Kidd told U of T News. “The ESCB represents our commitment to the environment and to the benefits of using sustainable design elements.”

Some of the ESCB’s sustainable design features include an earth tube system that uses air from outside to ventilate the building; a geothermal heat pump system to help cool and heat the building; exterior glazing that uses thermal breaks to reduce solar heat gain; a roof that is designed to recycle rainwater to be used to irrigate the landscape; LED light fixtures throughout the building; a high performance lab ventilation system that monitors air quality and equipment energy consumption; and low-flow plumbing to reduce water consumption throughout the building.

All of these features result in a building that will reduce energy consumption by 54 per cent annually, compared to standard buildings.

When the $65-million facility was completed, it added 1,838 square metres of research laboratories and 1,052 square metres of teaching laboratories to the U of T Scarborough campus. It houses faculty, students and staff of the Environmental Science and Chemistry programs.

The facility, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and built by EllisDon, is the second new building on the UTSC campus, following the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, to be awarded LEED Gold.