The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has announced that 16 Canadian projects have been chosen to participate in a two-year pilot of CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard. The Standard, which assesses the carbon performance of commercial, institutional and multi-family buildings in Canada, was formally released on May 29 in Vancouver.
Spanning the length of the country from Dartmouth to Kelowna, the diversity of these 16 pilot projects demonstrates the broad applicability of the program with sizes ranging from 20,000 to 1.3 million sq.ft, representing both new and existing buildings. Project types include institutional buildings, offices, multi-unit residential and warehouses. This group of projects were chosen for their ambitious environmental leadership, and potential to aggressively raise the bar for carbon emissions reduction in Canada. The experience from these projects will help refine the Standard for full market deployment.
The Zero Carbon Building Standard is part of a larger CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Initiative that was created to champion the move to lower-carbon commercial, institutional and high-rise residential buildings in support of Canada’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.
It was developed by CaGBC and Integral Group, in extensive consultation with representatives from over 50 industry organizations, utilities, governments and companies across Canada. CaGBC is also working with 16 of Canada’s most sustainable projects in the Zero Carbon Building Pilot Program. The participating projects will inform further development of the Standard and accompanying resources and education.
“The CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Pilot Program was designed to recognize leadership excellence in Canada’s building industry, and these projects meet that ideal. We have great diversity in these pilot projects, demonstrating that zero carbon buildings are achievable in all regions across Canada,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC. “It is the combination of innovation and the broad adaptability of this Standard that will contribute to the shift to a low-carbon economy.”
The CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Pilot Program projects are listed below, with the exception of those who wish to remain confidential at this time.
Project Name | Owner | Location |
Zero Emission Fire Hall | City of Vancouver | Vancouver, BC |
Wilkinson Avenue Net-Zero Heating Energy Warehouse | East Port Properties | Dartmouth, NS |
EcoLock, Carbon Capture Mini Storage | EcoLock | Kelowna, BC |
Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation | Mohawk College | Hamilton, ON |
Health Sciences Centre (HSC) Okanagan College | Okanagan College | Kelowna, BC |
30 Bay Street | Oxford Properties Group | Toronto, ON |
1133 Melville | Oxford Properties Group | Vancouver, BC |
Confidential Mixed-Use Development | Perkins+Will | Vancouver, BC |
Arthur Meighen Building, 22-55 St. Claire Avenue East | Public Service and Procurement Canada | Toronto, ON |
New Curé-Paquin Elementary School | Seigneurie-des-Mille-Îles School Board | Saint-Eustache, QC |
NiMa Trails – Residential, Commercial Net Zero Building | TerraView Homes & Newton Group | Guelph, ON |
evolv1 | The Cora Group | Waterloo, ON |
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) New Headquarters | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority | Toronto, ON |
MacKimmie Complex Redevelopment | University of Calgary | Calgary, AB |
Through the Pilot Program, participants will gain access to a group of leading professionals for advice and guidance. CaGBC will also be convening quarterly in-depth technical sessions with the pilots in order to provide networking and learning opportunities for them, as well as a platform in which to discuss the challenges and possible solutions involved in reaching net zero carbon.
To view project profiles, renderings and other details on the Pilot Projects, visit cagbc.org/zerocarbonpilots. For ongoing updates about the CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Initiative and Standard as it becomes available, visit cagbc.org/zerocarbon.