The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) office in Vancouver has just become the first structure in the country to obtain this certification.

“Our goal with this office was to set an example by achieving the most rigorous level of certification under Leed, and to do so by highlighting the innovation and capabilities that CaGBC has fostered over the past decade,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC. CaGBC is the leading national organization dedicated to promoting the design and construction of healthy and sustainable buildings.

Launched last fall, version 4 of the Leed Platinum certification includes a greater emphasis on water and energy metering requirements. One of the factors that helped CaGBC’s Vancouver office earn this certification was the choice of building materials, which play an important role in mitigating carbon emissions. In addition, 80% of the furniture comes from refurbished, reused or recycled sources. The decision to lease space in a tower that is itself a Leed Gold certified building, located downtown, was another key factor in obtaining this certification. The central location provides easy access to many amenities, including cycling paths and public transportation. Employee well-being was also taken into consideration, with an open-office design, various types of workstations and sit-stand desks to optimize ergonomics.

All of these factors will enable the CaGBC’s Vancouver office to achieve energy cost savings of 25% and a 39% reduction in indoor water use. “Mitigating climate change through green building first requires improving building performance as much as possible. This project demonstrates how we can reduce carbon impact, improve efficiency and eliminate toxicity while stimulating innovation,” added Mueller. The space will also serve as a learning tool for CaGBC employees, visitors and the project team.