The Canmore Civic Centre was designed as a sustainable building with assistance from the Green Municipal Enabling Fund (GMEF), and has been awarded the Silver LEED^TM accreditation (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The environmental impact, ranging from the construction to the air quality of the finished building, has added many new challenges to the project. The Town is very proud that it is helping bring the construction industry into a higher awareness of the impact on the environment which construction creates.

The green design challenge included:

• Provision of systems that would meet the comfort, health and safety expectations of staff and public while integrating maximum green engineering features.
• Building solutions which are energy effective, efficient, simple and innovative.
• Implementation of sustainable features that have an economic payback within a reasonable time period.

• Construction waste management organization
• Water efficient landscape design
• Building Massing and orientation to maximize natural daylghting and passive solar initiatives. The building is orientated on an east-west axis to minimize heat gain from low east/west sun angles and to mazimize passive solar heating through south facing glazing. The south glazing is protected from high summer heat gains by specifically designed external shading devices. The glazing on each facade was carefully selected with respect to heat loss, heat gain and visible light transmission for both vision and daylighting applications.
• Energy efficient HVAC and electrical systems including:
  • Ventilation. Heat reclaimed from the exhaust air is transferred to the incoming cold fresh air. High efficiency condesing type boilers are used as the main heating source for the building. All occupied spaces are ventilated by means of an underfloor air supply system. The low level supply of fresh air into the spaces provides a superior air quality when compared to traditional overhead supply systems. Fan coils loacted in the underfloor plenum respond to local heating/cooling needs.
  • Energy efficient lighting
  • Monitoring and control systems
  • Use of dual flush toilets and waterless urinals
• Integration of recycled and regional construction materials and products
• High-performance glazing operable windows and a thermal ventilation 'stack effect' interior street. Openable windows throughout the building provide a natural ventilation mode of operation. Architecturally desiged lighshelves enhance available daylighting, thereby reducing dependency on artifical lighting.
  
  A "minimally conditioned" atrium space provides a transition between outside ad the occupied spaces. This atrium space can be fully opened to the outside to enhance natural ventilation capabilities.

For further details on the above initiatives please refer to the following Keen Engineering presentation: Canmore Civic Centre

The building meets the Federal Government's Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP) requirements being 40.4% more efficient than an equivalent building designed in accordance with the Canadian Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB).
For these environmental efforts the building will be recognized as a leader in the province as the first Silver LEED^TM project. This certification not only signifies an exhaustive number of controls in the use of materials, but also proclaims that the building will have a lower impact on the environment when it is operating. Occupants working in the building will appreciate the higher quality of air and comfort.

Download the LEED Presentation - January 2007