222 Jarvis

Location: City of Toronto

Project type: Retrofit and modernization

Construction Manager: URBACON

Project cost: $100 million

About 222 Jarvis:

The retrofit and modernization of the 455,000 square foot government building located at 222 Jarvis Street in Toronto, Ontario is one of North America’s largest ‘green’ building retrofit projects and will transform the iconic 222 Jarvis Street building into a state-of-the-art energy efficient, environmentally-sustainable LEED® certified 'green' building.

Project Status

Base building completion:

October 2011

Project Accomplished

Leasehold improvements:

March – December 2012

Green Features

Use of regional materials to reduce emissions from shipping resources over long distances
Use of low-emitting materials, including adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpet, which reduce the emission of indoor air pollutants
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and controls upgrades
State-of-the-art IT infrastructure, including wireless technology to reduce the need to travel to meetings
Daylight and occupancy sensors which optimize energy performance
Power demand monitoring and reporting
Rain water harvesting to reduce water usage and minimize demand on municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities
Grey water recovery to conserve fresh water supply (Involves the reuse, treatment, filtration, or irrigation of water from building systems to reduce fresh water usage)
Upgrades to the exterior of the building, including installation of thermally-sealed windows
Limited parking capacity, access to public transit, bicycle storage and changing rooms to encourage use of alternative modes of transportation

Use of regional materials to reduce emissions from shipping resources over long distances
Use of low-emitting materials, including adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpet, which reduce the emission of indoor air pollutants
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and controls upgrades
State-of-the-art IT infrastructure, including wireless technology to reduce the need to travel to meetings
Daylight and occupancy sensors which optimize energy performance
Power demand monitoring and reporting
Rain water harvesting to reduce water usage and minimize demand on municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities
Grey water recovery to conserve fresh water supply (Involves the reuse, treatment, filtration, or irrigation of water from building systems to reduce fresh water usage)
Upgrades to the exterior of the building, including installation of thermally-sealed windows
Limited parking capacity, access to public transit, bicycle storage and changing rooms to encourage use of alternative modes of transportation

Accessibility Features

Exterior and interior access ramps
Power door operators on accessibility routes
Barrier-free washrooms available on all floors
Accessible washrooms available on all program floors
Widened circulation in common spaces and corridors for ease of wheelchair access
Widened primary and secondary corridors
Colour and textural contrasting for persons with vision disabilities
Tactile signage
Barrier-free elevators which will allow access to each floor

Exterior and interior access ramps
Power door operators on accessibility routes
Barrier-free washrooms available on all floors
Accessible washrooms available on all program floors
Widened circulation in common spaces and corridors for ease of wheelchair access
Widened primary and secondary corridors
Colour and textural contrasting for persons with vision disabilities
Tactile signage
Barrier-free elevators which will allow access to each floor

Community Features

The retrofit of 222 Jarvis Street will help revitalize this historic downtown neighbourhood by creating just over 1,000 jobs during its duration. Ontario is getting its house in order by greening this Ontario government building which will help create green jobs, build a sustainable workplace for the future and fuel a green economy. The influx of government employees in the area will also benefit local businesses, stimulate the local economy and contribute to a sustainable community.