In a world where environmental awareness has reached a peak, the pressure for companies and offices to ‘go green’ has never been higher. One of the latest buzz words in the construction world is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The LEED system was adopted by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) from the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) system of the same name.
Essentially the council reviews building projects against a series of criteria that earn ‘points’ for the building. The number of points the building receives determines the project’s level of certification - anywhere from Certified to Platinum. Many companies are choosing to have their offices built or remodelled to fulfill LEED standards, and if you are thinking of doing the same, how do you navigate the often murky waters of LEED construction?
There are many different types of LEED products, two of which will be addressed here: LEED EB (Existing Building) and LEED NC (New Construction). It is important to note that the NC classification not only applies to brand new buildings, but also to any building undergoing major renovations. The CaGBC and USGBC have guidelines to help you determine whether your renovation project qualifies as EB or NC. The easiest guideline to use is to determine how many occupants will be able to remain in the building while it is undergoing construction. If 50% or more of the occupants remain in the building during construction, then the project falls under the EB category; if less than 50% of the occupants remain, the project is considered NC. The CaGBC administers all NC projects throughout Canada but they do not, at the moment, have a version of EB tailored specifically for Canada. Subsequently, all EB projects must currently be registered through the USGBC.
Many of the ‘credits’ or ‘point’ values for EB and NC are very similar, although certain allowances are made for EB projects in recognition of the fact that performance levels are much more difficult to achieve in an existing building than a new building. There are five credit categories that the LEED system focuses on: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality. EB projects approach each category from an operation and maintenance perspective. For the initial certification for an EB project, the applicant maintains a ‘performance period’ in which they document how they operate the building. This can last anywhere from three months to two years. After this period the USGBC reviews the documentation and determines whether or not the building earned enough credits to earn LEED status. After the initial certification period, EB projects can apply for ongoing certification. Ongoing certification can be reviewed annually but it can also be delayed up to a maximum of five years. Examples of possible EB projects include Harbour Centre and AXA Place in Vancouver. The existing owner is committed to sustainability and has certified both buildings under BOMA’s (Building Owners and Managers Association) Go Green program. The owner wanted to take their commitment a step further and asked Omicron to review their buildings for LEED EB applicability. As neither building is undergoing any renovations and the owners have documented operations and maintenance procedures, these buildings are prime candidates for EB certification.
NC certification is a somewhat different process. While NC projects must follow the same five credit categories as EB projects, NC projects approach certification from a construction standpoint. The CaGBC reviews the construction process as well as the finished product to determine the number of points in each category the building should be awarded. If the Council believes that the building has achieved a high enough construction standard, they will award the building a one-time certification rather than the ongoing certification process that comes with an EB project.
As previously mentioned, NC projects do not only include entirely new buildings but also major renovations on existing buildings. An excellent example of this is the Evergreen Building on West Pender Street in Vancouver. Evergreen is an Arthur Erickson-designed, existing heritage office building which was recently acquired by Bentall Capital on behalf of bcIMC Realty Corporation. As the building was in disrepair and office space is at a premium in Vancouver, the new owners knew that they wanted to renovate the building and convert it into Class A office space. The new owners also knew they wanted to be leaders in sustainability so they approached Omicron to assist with the LEED certification of their project, in addition to design and construction management services.
The big question was whether they should apply for EB or NC certification. There were two major considerations that went into the decision to apply for the appropriate LEED certification. Firstly, the EB standards are based on operations and maintenance procedures. Since the owners of the Evergreen Building are new, not only did they not have the appropriate amount of documentation, but they were also planning on modifying previous procedures. Secondly, in order to completely upgrade the building and ensure that it runs as efficiently as possible, the renovation process will be quite extensive. New mechanical and electrical systems will have to be installed as well as a new envelope (glazing). This means that only approximately 30% of the building can be occupied while construction is taking place and subsequently categorizes this as a ‘major renovation’ project. Taking those two factors into account left only one certification choice: NC.
As more and more companies become environmentally friendly, the demand for LEED certification will continue to grow. If you are thinking of updating your current office space, do not be daunted by the seemingly complex LEED certification process. By determining which certification is most appropriate for your building, you’ve taken the first step in the right direction.
For more information, contact:
Rod Yeoh, P.Eng., LEED® AP
Associate
Omicron
604 632 3364
ryeoh@omicronaec.com
