The Radiance @ MintoGardens building is the first residential high-rise condominium to receive LEED-Canada certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), issued by the Canada Green Building Council.
The 33-storey Radiance @ MintoGardens, located in Toronto on Sheppard Avenue near Yonge Street, has received the advanced rating of LEED Silver for achieving high standards of environmental sustainability, energy and water-use efficiency and building practices for healthy living.
Completed in 2004, Radiance is also certified by the Commercial Building Incentive Program, run by Natural Resources Canada, for being 33 percent more energy efficient compared to the standards of the Model National Energy Code for Buildings.
This one-third reduction in energy use saved Radiance residents $200,000 in common-area costs during the building’s first year of occupancy. Innovations such as the Minto All-Off Switch which turns off all suite lights and exhaust fans with the flick of one switch have reduced in-suite electricity consumption by an average 10 per cent, providing additional financial savings for residents.
With the installation of hot and cold water meters in each of the building’s 377 suites, water consumption in Radiance has been reduced by 55 percent annually equal to 30 million litres compared to similarly sized condominiums that aren’t metered on a per suite basis. Lower water use is saving residents approximately $55,000 a year.
When planning and building Radiance, Minto worked with manufacturers to develop a custom-built, stacked fan coil which gives residents the means to control heating and cooling in their own suite. The MintoInspired HRV (heat recovery ventilator) fan coil delivers fresh, filtered air to each suite and circulates fresh air throughout the suites for improved ventilation and living comfort. The HRV fan coil also exhausts air from the suite and transfers energy from the outgoing to the incoming air for increased energy efficiency.
The environmental merits of Radiance @ MintoGardens include, among others: reduction of greenhouse gas production by 3.6 tonnes per suite annually; encouraging use of public transit by being located 20 metres from two subway lines; installation of a recycling chute accessible on all floors for a 70 percent reduction of waste volume sent to landfills; secure indoor storage for 200 bicycles; and waste management and recycling programs during construction.
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) was incorporated in December 2002 to promote the design and construction of green buildings across Canada. The CaGBC’s LEED-Canada (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program is designed to accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable design and green building practices. The national LEED rating system recognizes leading edge buildings that incorporate environmentally friendly design and construction practices to achieve healthy, high-quality and high-performance buildings with reduced environmental impacts.