5 Ingenious Sustainable Buildings in Canada

Bibliothèque du boisé - ingenious sustainable buildings in canada

As societies become increasingly conscious of climate change and environmental concerns, issues such as sustainability are being brought to the fore in the minds of consumers as well as businesses.

The demand for industries to take greater accountability for their actions and to adopt greener practices is reflected across the board ranging from ethical retail to more sustainable banking.

And that has resulted in greater corporate transparency that makes it easier for home buyers, builders and renovators to source more climate-friendly building products, whether that’s high-efficiency windows for your home in Edmonton or materials for a mass-timber project in Halifax.

Sustainable architecture practices are a key part of this trend. They seek to promote the design and development of buildings which take into account their relationship with the natural world, thereby minimizing their negative effects on the environment.

This is achieved in a number of ways, including greater attention to energy efficient design, the use of sustainable  materials and reduced waste.

As a result, architects in Canada are shifting their focus onto sustainability and designing smart buildings which have the environment in mind. In this article, we will look further into just a few of the neatest sustainable buildings in Canada.

1.       Bibliothèque du Boisé


Winner of the 2017 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Green Building Award, Bibliothèque du Boisé is located in Montreal’s largest borough, Saint-Laurent.

Achieving the highest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, winning Platinum for its sustainable design and construction and high-performing green building materials and techniques, this Montreal library has been built in such a way as to minimize its adverse effects on the environment while promoting the health and wellbeing of the people who use its facilities.

This 6000-square-metre building is made from certified wood and other low-emitting materials, as well as features such as a vegetative roof, and manages to seamlessly integrate its interior with its natural surroundings. With minimal disruption to its existing trees, architects also ensured 100 more trees were planted to replace any lost during construction.

Other sustainable design features include a passive heating system which traps heat from the sun to warm the building as well as ensure maximum exposure to natural light within the entire building. With views that make the most of natural elements such as wood, the health and wellbeing of users is also enhanced.

2.       BC Passive House Factory


This eco-friendly factory situated in Pemberton, British Columbia is constructed entirely of wood, thereby reducing its carbon emissions by 971 tonnes compared to the use of concrete. Carbon emissions are also lowered due to its energy-efficient heat-recovery ventilation system.

The building is also fitted with high-performing wood windows that allow sunlight and heat entering the building to meet most of the building’s heating requirements.

The 1,500-square-metre structure is designed to manufacture prefabricated ‘passive house’ panels. It contains clerestory windows which provide natural daylight and 360-degree views that include a spectacular mountain range.

The influx of natural light combined with the factory’s wooden interior creates a warm and inspiring work environment.

The company’s architectural photography captures how aesthetically pleasing the building is. It’s a real testament to why architecture firms should invest in architectural photography.

3.  Windsor Park Net Zero House


This private property situated in Edmonton, Alberta was designed for a family of four.  Winning the Technical category in the 2017 Canadian Green Building Awards, the main highlight of this residence is its ability to produce all of its own energy, which it achieves through its green design.

This includes features such as photovoltaic power generation, efficient water conservation design, passive solar orientation, airtight construction and high-performance insulation.

The combination of these design features and mechanical systems results in a fully airtight, well-insulated building that creates a net-zero home, as the amount of energy it uses is equal to the amount of energy it generates through renewable sources, boasting an EnerGuide rating of 100

The house is built using locally sourced materials which were installed by local tradespeople, and some of its high performance building materials includes low-VOC paints, fibreglass framed windows, formaldehyde-free MDF and engineered hardwood floors.

In the interests of site ecology, where possible, existing trees were left untouched and their seeds were also planted alongside those of native plants. Flowers, plants and bushes were removed on site and temporarily planted elsewhere until they could be returned once construction was complete. 

The expansive windows function to heat the home as well as bring in light and a feeling of connectedness to nature. All of the lighting is LED and all of the plumbing fixtures within the house are low-flow. 

4.      MEC Head Office 


Bird's eye view of vancouver - 5 ingenious sustainable buildings in canada

The head office of Mountain Equipment Co-operative, located in British Columbia, is a high-performing green building that offers environmental benefits to the lives of those who work there.

The 12,100-square-metre building, constructed of wooden components, can be taken apart and reused at the end of its useful life. Receiving ample daylight, the building only requires artificial light for a few hours each work day and operates on a lighting schedule, ensuring maximum efficiency.

Other green features include a series of geothermal wells which heat and cool the building through a ground source heat pump (GSHP) system. To cool the building, its wind towers draw in air from outside, directing it into fans within the structure.

Water conservation methods include low and no-flow plumbing fixtures and a rainwater harvesting system that collects water for irrigation and landscaping purposes. The building’s accessible green roof offers panoramic views of the mountains and city helping to promote the wellbeing of its occupants.

5.  The Mona Campbell Building


In 2012 the Mona Campbell building, situated in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was the first university building in Canada to receive LEED Gold certification.

The building used Bubbledeck technology in its construction, which involves using hollow plastic balls enforced with steel to allow for less concrete usage in slabs that support the structural weight of the building. 90% of the waste materials produced in construction were also reused or recycled rather than sent to landfill sites. 

Other sustainability features include a rainwater harvesting system for toilets and exterior use, low-flow plumbing fixtures, a drought-resistant green roof, SolarWall technology to heat ventilation air and OptiNet sensors which improve energy efficiency through monitoring indoor air quality.

Conclusion


These buildings are important to the green building industry, not just because of their reduced environmental impact, but because of the ways their cutting-edge designs will inspire and influence future architects.

As this article has outlined, environmental concerns are a major design consideration within the field of architecture, and these buildings prove that architects can design sustainable buildings that are easier on the earth, as well as beautiful.

Feature image: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf; Image 1: Matt Wang

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Green Building Canada