Canadian Program Discovers that Design Process is Key

A government program to promote high-performance commercial buildings in Canada now has three buildings under construction. In two of these cases, program administrators were surprised to discover that their stringent criteria are being met using only conventional technologies, with little or no increase in building costs. They credit this achievement to the integrated process by which these buildings were designed, a process which they mandated in the program.

The C-2000 Program of Advanced Commercial Buildings is sponsored by the CANMET arm of Natural Resources Canada. The program’s whole-building performance requirements include an energy budget of 50% of the ASHRAE 90.1 standard, reduced overall environmental impact, high indoor air quality, adaptability, durability of components, and facilitation of future maintenance. The program is designed to provide guidance and assistance during design, and to monitor performance for three years following completion. Program costs are shared between CANMET, participating local utilities, and the developer.

The first building, dubbed “Green on the Grand,” is nearing completion in Kitchener, Ontario. Developer and project manager is Ian Cook Construction, while Enermodal Engineering Ltd. is providing engineering and C-2000 compliance services. Enermodal will also be the 22,000 ft2 (2,000 m2) building’s first tenant.