Earlier this week, a media contact asked just what that I meant when I said that were shooting to be one of the greenest buildings in Canada. Just how “Green” will the Field Station be? Well, we are designing and building to attempt to join a pretty exclusive club in seeking LEEDTM Platinum Certification.
Our intent is to support sustainability in the coastal environment (land, estuary and sea) and educate about coastal sustainability issues. In coastal systems bivalve shellfish are the ecosystem engineers of bays and estuaries, creating the enabling conditions for many other species as well as providing important services to people. Not so fun fact: Globally, 85 percent of oyster reefs have been lost, making these the most severely impacted marine habitat on the planet.
We originally set out to “walk the talk” in our own development at the Field Station, but that has really grown into being part of a much larger VIU initiative about demonstrating, educating and providing sustainability leadership.
Seeking Platinum LEED Certification is how we will prove just how “Green” we are. Read on to learn about The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ and just how exclusive this club is. Read the rest of this entry »
