Media Release: Mohawk’s David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre achieves LEED® Gold certification
Mohawk College's David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre (DBARC) achieved LEED Gold Certification in November. The DBARC is the second building at the College's Fennell Campus to receive the GOLD certification from the Canada Green Building Council.
Mohawk's David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre opened in the Fall of 2013.
HAMILTON (Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015) – Mohawk’s David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre has received LEED® Gold certification from the Canada Green Building Council.
The 7,143 square metre centre opened in the fall of 2013, making it the newest addition to the College’s flagship campus in Hamilton. The centre features three gymnasiums, a multi-purpose studio, a fitness centre and an indoor track. Outside the building are basketball courts, a beach volleyball court, an outdoor movie screen and a large pedestrian plaza.
The David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre is the second building to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification at the Fennell Campus. The first was the Learning Exchange and Cummings Library which opened in 2011. Sustainable development is one of the priorities identified in the College’s Environmental Management Plan. LEED is the global standard for green buildings in over 130 countries.
From the ground up, the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre was built with sustainability in mind. The building uses 31% less energy than an equivalent building based on the Model National Energy Code for Buildings. This translates to a 41% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or a carbon reduction of 249 tonnes.
“Mohawk is committed to being a leader in sustainability. We were one of the first colleges in Ontario to adopt a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan five years ago and we’ve made astonishing progress on achieving the targets identified in that plan. We’re proud to add this second LEED Gold certification to this growing list of achievements.”
“I’d like to congratulate Mohawk’s David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre on their LEED Gold certification. Demonstrating sustainability leadership on a college campus is not only great for the environment but as a teaching tool: professors can point to the building’s many green features in order to highlight sustainability to those who could be the green builders of tomorrow. Being a recreational centre, this LEED certification also lends itself to a more naturally healthy environment, with better indoor air quality for athletes, among its many benefits.”
Fast Facts:
- The building is surrounded only by native/adaptive drought resistant plants that survive on rainwater alone and do not need watering. Together with efficient plumbing systems and other water conservation features this results in the building using 40% less water than a building of comparable size.
- Permeable concrete surrounding the facility allows water to flow through, minimizing runoff resulting in groundwater recharge.
- More than 30% of the construction materials used were sourced within 800 kilometers of the Fennell Campus.
- More than 20% of the construction materials used are made from recycled material, including recycled glass paving used at the entrance to the building.
- Products with low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde were used within this building to reduce indoor air quality problems for the construction workers as well as the occupants.
- The floor systems used all meet either the Green Label Plus and FloorScore Certification and/or meet the California Department of Public Health Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers.
- All major building systems are monitored and controlled including heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. Lighting can be programmed based on an established occupancy schedule.
- A flat-plate solar collector and reflective rooftop features reduce the amount of non-renewable energy required to heat water used in the building and helps to reduce the ‘heat island effect’ created similar structures.
- Mohawk developed a self-guided tour for each of its LEED certified buildings. The tour showcases the sustainable features that contribute to the building’s LEED certification.
- Since implementing its Environmental Management Plan five years ago, Mohawk has achieved a 24% reduction in Greenhouse gas emissions. The College is committed to achieving a 30% reduction by 2020.
Mohawk College educates and serves more than 29,500 full-time, part-time, apprenticeship and international students at three main campuses in Hamilton, Ontario and learning hubs across Hamilton through City School by Mohawk, and at the College’s Centre for Aviation Technology at the Hamilton International Airport. Mohawk is among the top five colleges for applied research in Canada. It has been named one of Canada’s greenest employers seven years in a row, holds a GOLD STARS rating from AASHE for sustainability achievements and is home to the country’s largest and first institutional building to receive dual certification for Zero Carbon Building Framework design and performance for The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation. More than 135,000 people have graduated from Mohawk since it was founded.
For more information, contact:
Alan Griffiths
Manager, Sustainability Office,
905-575-1212, ext. 4168
alan.griffiths@mohawkcollege.ca
Jay Robb
Director of Communications,
905.979.8893
jay.robb@mohawkcollege.ca