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In April, the Green Building Council of Canada awarded Montreal's Centre for Sustainable Development (better known by its official name, Maison du développement durable) a LEED® Platinum NC rating. The Maison, which is home to Equiterre's headquarters, is the first new construction in Quebec to obtain Platinum status, i.e., the highest possible distinction in this internationally recognized rating system for green buildings.
To achieve Platinum status, the Maison only needed 52 points, but it did better than that, earning an impressive 59 points out of a possible 70.
LEED® certification recognizes performance in five main areas of human and environmental health:
- sustainable site development
- water conservation
- energy efficiency
- choice of materials
- indoor environmental quality
The team behind the Maison du développement durable was able to surpass the LEED® Platinum requirements by:
- adding a five-storey tall living wall to act as a natural indoor air filter
- using a social insertion company to build kitchen cabinets and some furniture
- using century-old logs recovered from riverbottoms on stairway and walkway railings
The building also has a strong educational component. It is a resource and gathering place for people and organizations with an interest in learning more about sustainable development.
Discover the secrets of this green building
Normand Roy of Equiterre will be giving public talks at the Maison du développement durable on the technical aspects of the building (in French only):
- Geothermal heating and cooling system, Wednesday, May 8, at 7 p.m.
- Raised floors, Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m.
- Thermal envelope, Wednesday, June 5, at 7 p.m.
