Case study: Building serves as showcase for green development
Montreal, QC
ENERGY
Centre for Sustainable Development: A Green Demonstration Building
The City of Montreal and Équiterre, an agency that promotes environmental and social responsibility, designed and built the first Quebec building to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification.
The Centre for Sustainable Development is a 65,000-square-foot green building in downtown Montreal's entertainment district that houses Équiterre and several sustainable-development organizations. In addition to offices, the building has a sustainable development interpretative centre.
Planners brought together city and Hydro-Québec officials, architects, builders and other stakeholders to design the centre. Geothermal heating and other energy-efficiency measures were incorporated to help cut energy consumption. A fresh-air ventilation system and a wall covered with plants provides first-rate air quality.
Results
| Environmental | Economic | Social |
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Challenges
- Coordinating a diverse group of project participants.
- Incorporating a significant amount of recovered, reused and recycled material into the building's construction.
- Modifying designs to keep construction costs on budget.
Lessons learned
- Employ an integrated team that can meet regularly to solve planning and design questions.
- Involve municipal and public utility officials to facilitate regulatory and other public aspects of the process.
- Make public education a part of the project to foster awareness of sustainable development.
Resources
Partners and Collaborators
- Équiterre
- Hydro-Québec
- École de technologie supérieure
- Menkes Shooner Dagenais Letourneux Architectes
- Pasquin St-Jean and Associates
- Pomerleau
- Services CGP
- Design + Communication
- Pageau Morel and Associates
Project Contact
Normand Roy
Équiterre
Montreal, QC
T. 514-214-3375
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