The new Quinte Courthouse was designed and built to meet the Canada Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards, incorporating environmentally sustainable construction practices and energy-efficient design.
For the first time, a green roof has been incorporated into the design of a new provincial courthouse. Quinte Courthouse's green roof is comprised of moss and 12 species of plants that require minimal maintenance. The vegetation absorbs rainwater and provides insulation that reduces energy costs by helping to keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer.
The 360 square-metre green roof is located on the east end of the building and is visible through the windows of courtrooms on the 2nd, 4th and 5th floors. The green roof is a natural foreground when viewing the historic city hall across the Moira River from the courthouse.
Other green features of the Quinte Courthouse include:
- a system which modulates and measures airflow to keep the temperature and humidity levels in the building consistent and comfortable
- a design that takes advantage of natural light wherever possible to reduce electricity use
- low-flow water fixtures and green housekeeping practices that reduce water consumption
- the use of low-emitting building and construction materials.
- motion-sensitive lights in courtrooms, interview rooms, meeting rooms, training rooms, and boardrooms that lower energy costs by ensuring that lights are only on when the rooms are in use
- motorized blinds that lower automatically as the sunlight increases to reduce cooling costs
Contacts:
Jennifer Asals
Infrastructure Ontario
416-326-9357
Brendan Crawley
Ministry of the Attorney General
Communications Branch
416 326-2210