Robinson Place an Environmental Leader

Robinson Place, downtown Peterborough. Courtesy: Wikimedia

Peterborough’s Robinson Place, home to employees of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, is officially one of Canada’s most eco-friendly buildings.

Announced last week, the downtown landmark achieved LEED EBOM Platinum status. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and EBOM refers to its designation in the category of Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance.  The building is one of only 12 in Canada to reach the LEED EBOM status and the first government facility to do so.

“The LEED Platinum designation is rare, even in new construction, so this conversion is something Peterborough can be very proud of, said Bert Clark, President and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario.  “IO began this process several years ago in cooperation with our ministry partners and service providers.  We’re excited to see everyone’s hard work recognized for an initiative that will have benefits for many years to come,” he continued.

What makes Robinson Place meet the criteria for LEED EBOM certification? Here are a few highlights:

• The building has a rainwater collection system, allowing natural water to be used in restrooms
• Energy efficient chillers provide optimum performance during the cooling season
• The building automation system was upgraded to meet LEED standards for efficiency and client comfort
• There are numerous policies that offer a green approach to building management

Robinson Place also has strong recycling programs, an environmental approach to procurement of materials and development of a community garden above a parking structure on site.