PAGE B2 – January 2009 – The GTA Construction Report
Jacques Whitford
was to achieve LEED
®
Silver certification
(33 to 38 points), during the process it was
Continued from page B1
determined they could possibly achieve
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Gold certification (39 to 51 points).
“There was a conscious effort to make The entire project crew is eagerly wait-
sure the construction waste from this proj- ing to hear from the Canada Green Building
ect was diverted away from landfills and Council (CaGBC) to see whether or not
was sent to re-use and recycle options.” they achieved the Gold certification. Re-
Eric Yorath, project manager and senior gardless, as per the client’s mandate, the
team leader with figure3, said designing the project is expected to achieve, at minimum,
$1.5 million, 7,800 sq.-ft. showroom was a Silver rating. The process is such that the
well worth the challenge. CaGBC audits all documentation in order
“It was a very good project,” he said. “It to prove the LEED
®
CI initiatives were
was very challenging, but very good. It’s completed properly.
probably one of the most interesting proj- While figure3 has done work with
ects I’ve ever worked on. To be doing a Jacques Whitford before, it was Yorath’s
LEED
®
project in a listed heritage building first time collaborating with the firm.
was really something else.” “It was a very good experience working
Although the mandate from the client with Jacques Whitford,” he said. “It was a
very invested effort. I think they took a lot teresting, challenging and fun right now to
of interest in this project because it was be on that front end wave of the whole
fairly unique. I don’t know that there’s a lot adoption of the LEED
®
framework.”
of historic buildings that go LEED
®
.” Although there are still challenges out
Yorath said the company went beyond there, Brown said this project should help
the call of duty on this project. dispel the notion that older structures can’t
“It set itself up as being a challenge they fit LEED
®
standards.
wanted to rise to. They put a lot of attention Jacques Whitford’s commitment to
into it. I think they far exceeded their fee.” meeting those challenges head on has
But the team at Jacques Whitford didn’t helped them gather some of the best and
see it that way, exactly. brightest employees under their banner. For
“It really didn’t have challenges, it had the third consecutive year, the company has
more unique opportunities,” Brown said. been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Em-
“From a visual perspective, the space is ployers by Maclean’s magazine for both
unique and has features to start with. They their progressive and industry-leading
(figure3) were able to make a display area human resources policies, and belief that it
out of the old chimney from the boiler.” takes the best people to come up with the
Being able to turn this unique, historical best solutions.
building into a LEED
®
certified space is With such a strong team working to im-
something Brown is very proud of. prove the way we build in our environment,
“It is very rewarding,” she said. “It is in- no challenge seems insurmountable.
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