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SJCG Receives LEED Gold Certification
LEED Gold Certification
Date: 2012-03-08
St. Joseph's Care Group is proud to announce that Sister Margaret Smith Centre (SMSC) received LEED Canada for New Construction Gold certification for its performance as a sustainable building. This is the first Thunder Bay project to receive the Gold Certification, adding to the significance of this achievement.
Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council is pleased to see more healthcare facilities taking an interest in sustainability. "Providing environmentally responsible and healthy conditions is important for all new buildings, but it is certainly a natural fit for a building like the Sister Margaret Smith Centre," he says. "Studies have shown that green buildings with clean indoor air, natural light and healthy materials benefit clients and health care workers. I congratulate everyone involved in this project on their LEED Gold certification and hope that their success will encourage others to do the same."
The certification was awarded under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system overseen by the Canada Green Building Council. LEED promotes an overall buildings approach to sustainability in five key areas: sustainable site development, water and energy efficiencies, material selection and indoor environmental quality. The goal of a sustainable building is to reduce the financial costs and increase performance. This means healthier and more productive employees, lower operating costs and reduced impact on the environment. The certification is based on a scoring system where projects receive a credit for obtaining a certain threshold of achievement. SMSC had originally targeted the Silver level; however, as the project progressed it was able to obtain a Gold level standing.
"Achieving LEED Gold certification for SMSC is a major milestone for FORM Architecture Engineering and a demonstration of our dedication to sustainable design and construction practices." stated John Stephenson, partner of the firm and Lead Architect for the project. "We and our partner in this project, Montgomery Sisam Architects, are very proud of the entire design and construction teams who have all worked closely together to make this building a better place for people."
"St. Joseph's Care Group is very proud to receive this prestigious award," says Tracy Buckler, President and CEO, SJCG. "As one of the larger organizations in Northwestern Ontario, we have an obligation to take our environmental responsibility seriously. We must consider "green" design and construction for all of our capital projects in order to best serve our clients and support our staff, both now and in the future."
Sister Margaret Smith Centre has been operating for two years in the new facility offering residential and non-residential services for addictions treatment for the community and region. The architectural and interior design of the space provides a homelike atmosphere with emphasis on a safe, secure and comfortable living environment. SMSC was designed to support St Joseph's Care Group's core values of Care, Compassionate and Commitment.
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