Provided by the City of Calgary

The City of Calgary is proving it is possible to build large-scale buildings in an environmentally conscious manner.

By implementing a Sustainable Building Policy in 2003, where all new city buildings must be designed to meet or exceed the LEED (Leadership in Energy or Environmental Design) gold level designation, Calgary has become a national leader in building green with its new, one-of-a-kind Water Centre.

Completed in June 2008, the Water Centre, the city’s largest green office building to date, stands as an example to Calgary’s corporate community that building sustainable can and should be done.

The finished building has surpassed its original goal of LEED Silver and achieved LEED Gold. The building conserves water, reduces energy and is home to 800 field and professional Water Services and Resources staff. Its design, inspired by natural elements and sustainable technology, challenges traditional buildings with unique architecture and water-themed artwork that raises awareness to water as a critical and finite resource.

Rising four stories like a giant wave and curving 200 feet along the roadway, the aluminum “woof”, as it’s referred to for serving as both wall and roof, shades the building and is part of a bioswale system that collects rainwater runoff and directs it into the wetlands and then into underground cisterns. This water is then collected and used to irrigate the landscape.

The narrow and long design ensures natural light reaches most workstations, reducing the need for electric lighting and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 1,100 tons per year.

Beyond that, the Water Centre’s design is intended to improve the health and comfort of employees. The raised floors and high ceilings improve air flow and quality, and workers can control the flow and direction of air in their workspaces. The Water Centre also takes advantage of a new building trend — operable windows. This, combined with 91 percent natural lighting, results in a more comfortable work environment.

The building was not only intended to be environmentally friendly, but to be economical as well. Costing only 2 percent more than similar, traditional office buildings, the Water Centre is projected to reduce water usage by 59 percent and wastewater by 72 percent. The building is expected to pay for itself within 15 years.

It’s safe to say that Calgary is leading the way for cities to recognize the benefits of building green and is an example of how to build and operate green from start to finish.