The Town of Okotoks, in partnership with Pomerleau and NORR Architecture, is pleased to announce that the Operations Administration and Fleet buildings have recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification. The certification, from the Canada Green Building Council, comes after several years of working toward achieving the status.
“We are thrilled to receive this certification and are very proud of our continued commitment to sustainability and green building practices,” said Mayor Bill Robertson.
LEED®, a third-party rating system, is recognized as the international mark of excellence for green building.
“In alignment with Council’s Strategic Plan, as well as the Environmental Master Plan, LEED® Gold is the standard for all Town buildings. The first Town facility to receive the status was the Southridge Emergency Services building in 2015 and the new Arts and Learning Campus will be built to a minimum LEED® Gold standard,” said Robertson.
Green buildings create a healthier environment for occupants through better indoor air quality, less harmful products, and more natural daylight. They also reduce waste, conserve energy, decrease water consumption, and drive innovation.
Some features of the buildings include:
- water-efficient low-flow toilets and faucets
- energy-efficient high-performance triple glazed windows, LED lighting, Night Sky compliant exterior lighting, increased insulation, and efficient boilers/water heaters
- three-stream waste diversion program: organics, recycling and garbage
- constructed using low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) content ensuring less chemicals released into the air creating a safer/healthier environment
- storm water managed through green instead of traditional grey infrastructure
As a combined result from efficiency upgrades, water conservation measures, material sourcing and waste diversion programs, the buildings have reduced energy costs by 43% and water use by 37%. There was 84% waste diversion of construction and demolition waste and 12% of construction materials used in the project contained recycled content.
The Operations Centre, open since October 2016, was designed to accommodate future needs as Okotoks’ population grows and services expand over the next 20 years.