Recognizing the importance of green features in IO buildings
Delivering healthy, safe and sustainable infrastructure projects is an important part of IO’s work. Many of our major projects and the buildings we manage were designed and built to help create sustainable spaces for building occupants and improve the surrounding communities. The Canada Green Building Council highlights the importance of green environments in buildings that promote a healthier lifestyle at the workplace. Take a look at some buildings that feature green initiatives from IO’s portfolio:
Government Buildings
Ontario’s FSCC
Ontario’s Forensic Services and Coroner’s Complex at the Province’s Downsview Complex in Toronto houses the Office of the Chief Coroner, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, Centre of Forensic Sciences, Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Ontario. The building became LEED® certified in 2022. Currently home to living walls, an aquarium, honeybee hives and so much more, Ontario’s FSCC is not short on incorporating green features and ensuring a healthy workplace for its occupants.
"It is remarkable to work with the team at Dexterra to bring these sustainability initiatives to Ontario’s FSCC. These green initiatives in an indoor space are not only beneficial to the building but to the occupants. It provides them with the opportunity to visit these areas, take a break and enjoy the green space, especially in the winter months.” Christina Lukasik – P3 Asset Manager, Infrastructure Ontario
300 Water St.
The Ontario Government building at 300 Water Street in Peterborough is locally known as “Robinson Place.” The seven-storey facility provides plenty of natural light to its building occupants which reduces the need for electricity. The building has been designated as LEED®EBOM* Platinum by the Green Building Council of Canada, and was Canada's first existing government building to achieve this designation. When you think about how long the average employee spends indoors, the utilization of natural light in a building is vital to improving their wellbeing and increase productivity.
Hospitals
CHEO Integrated Treatment Centre
The CHEO Integrated Treatment Centre is currently under construction in Ottawa. This project will offer services for kids and youth living with complex medical, developmental, behavioural and mental health needs. The new site will include multi-use clinic space, a physiotherapy rehab gym, expanded mental health clinics, indoor and outdoor space where teachers and therapists combine education and therapy.
Once complete, the new facility will improve comfort, convenience, privacy, safety and accessibility through intelligent, purpose-built design targeting LEED® Silver certification.
West Park Healthcare Centre
West Park Healthcare Centre was completed in November 2023, and has achieved LEED® Silver certification. The new six-storey hospital building enhances specialized rehabilitation and complex continuing care by integrating indoor and outdoor therapeutic environments. Features such as green roofs, outdoor therapeutic spaces, and terraces on every floor offer opportunity for gardening and easy access to nature.
The facility includes solar shading, high-efficiency appliances, and occupancy sensors. Water conservation measures, top-tier ventilation systems that provide 100% fresh air, and green roofs covering over 50% of available roof space help reduce urban heat island effects and minimize water usage.
South Niagara Hospital
Currently under construction in Niagara Falls, the South Niagara Hospital project is on track to be the first WELL Certified™ hospital in Canada. The project recently reached an important milestone on this by achieving WELL Precertification, which recognizes that the project is prioritizing the health and wellbeing of the people who will use the building. Features that will meet WELL standards include improved air and water quality, encouraged walkability within the building, and more nutritional food offerings. But the emphasis on nature and access to natural daylight incorporated in the hospital’s design is key, as connecting people to nature has been shown to help improve overall health and wellbeing.
Quinte Health – Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital
Currently under construction, the new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital will be a leading-edge health care facility designed to meet the current and future capacity needs of the local community. Some green benefits the new hospital will incorporate include natural light in the atrium, energy-efficient windows throughout and the use of sustainable materials wherever possible.
Once completed, this will also be the first acute care hospital in North America with an all-mass timber structure, setting an industry precedent for healthcare design. Mass timber is a sustainable, engineered, wood-based structural building material that sequesters carbon, unlike emission-intensive conventional structural materials, such as steel and concrete. By integrating sustainable building practices with advanced medical technology, the new hospital intends to reduce its carbon footprint and optimize energy use.
Justice
Ontario Court of Justice – Toronto
The Ontario Court of Justice – Toronto, completed in 2023, was built with an environmental focus in mind. The new courthouse achieved LEED®Gold in early 2024, which speaks to the project’s commitment to energy-efficient design and renewable energy. A key green feature includes an expansive photovoltaic installation on the rooftop, which produces energy that can be used by the courthouse directly. The project was recognized by the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships in 2024 with an Award of Merit in the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) category.
IO remains committed to delivering infrastructure throughout the province of Ontario that fosters sustainability and helps promote healthy environments for building users.
What is LEED®?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) is the world's most widely used green building rating system.
- LEED® certification recognizes buildings with reduced environmental impacts, including sustainable building design, construction, and operation.
- The overall goal is to create high-performing, resilient buildings that reduce carbon emissions, save water, conserve energy and reduce waste, all while improving people’s quality of life.
What is WELL Certified™?
WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being.
- The certification is organized around various concepts of building performance such as air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.
- WELL Certified™ spaces can help create a built environment that improves the nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns and performance of its occupants.