May 2007 ISSUE
awards
Speaker Tells Architects,
Engineers to Take the LEED
Alberta professionals get it right whenever they put energy efficiency into the buildings they create, said the keynote speaker at the 2007 Alberta Steel Design Awards of Excellence.
“Achieving energy efficiencies in all built environments is critical,” said Stephani Carter. “Buildings account for 46 per cent of global energy consumption annually, whereas transportation accounts for 22 per cent,” she added, citing figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Ms. Carter, the owner and founder of EcoAmmo in Edmonton, challenged engineers, architects, builders and others to go green, and promoted the use of LEED criteria in all design, building and demolition processes.
Of the 29 projects nominated for a 2007 Alberta Steel Design Award of Excellence, three are LEED-certified and one is expected to soon achieve certification. LEED, a registered trademark, refers to a points-based standard or rating system for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.
“We need to be more energy efficient with all of our buildings, new and old, in order to more significantly and effectively reduce consumption and air emissions. This is vital, if we are serious about reducing the amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere,” said Ms. Carter, a LEED-accredited professional.
The LEED standard promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability, recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health – sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
The LEED brand is a registered trademark of the United States Green Building Council. In Canada, the brand and certification are administered by the Canada Green Building Council, or CaGBC.
The more projects and buildings that are fully in line with LEED criteria, the closer society gets to the overall goal of carbon-neutral built environments, said Ms. Carter. “Architects and engineers are in a powerful position to help because they are involved in such a high percentage of projects across all sectors, including commercial, industrial and residential.”
Ms. Carter noted that steel is recyclable and reusable, and could be used in more projects to help achieve more environmentally friendly and sustainable built environments.
She also offered a partial to-do list, suggesting that purchasers and other decision makers
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use recyclable products and materials for interior, structural and exterior components
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use “low-toxicity” materials, particularly for interiors
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work more with products and companies that use recycled content (the higher the content, the better)
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take a crash course on “the built environment and climate change,” by visiting the website run by renowned architect Edward Mazria.
As of March, there are 84 LEED-certified buildings and 323 LEED-accredited professionals
in Alberta, says the CaGBC website. The first step toward certification is registering
a project with the Canada Green Building Council.