Campus Planning, Building Design and Construction
Carleton University has committed to ensuring that all new construction and major renovations achieve a minimum rating of 3 out of 5 globes with the Green Globes Rating system.
The Campus Master Plan reinforces many aspects of sustainability, including:
- Green spaces are to be maintained and highlighted through careful planning.
- Growth will be achieved through densification of the existing property and – for the first time – the Campus Master Plan notes that replacement of existing buildings will be considered so that more efficient use can be made of a building footprint.
- A network of safe, navigable paths for pedestrians and cyclists will be enhanced.
- A decrease in per capita parking over several years, as more transportation alternatives are promoted and developed.
Carleton University has committed to ensuring that all new construction and major renovations achieve a minimum rating of 3 out of 5 globes with the Green Globes Rating system. To date, 8 buildings on campus have been rated. The case study for each building is outlined below:
- Canal Building – 5 Green Globes
- Frontenac Residence – 3 Green Globes
- Herzberg Laboratory Addition – 4 Green Globes
- Lennox-Addington – 3 Green Globes
- MacOdrum Library – 3 Green Globes
- Residence Commons Addition – 4 Green Globes
- River Building – 4 Green Globes
- Russell-Grenville – 4 Green Globes
The first major renovation to be assessed was the renovation of Russell-Grenville houses in the summer of 2010. As an example of the positive impact – there has been a 69 per cent drop in the water consumption in those two residences. Going forward, as more buildings are renovated and new buildings added, the overall impact of the built environment will continue to be reduced.
In 2009, Carleton University also conducted a pilot project with Green Globes to develop an Environmental Assessment tool for university campuses. The result was a detailed report for each of all the buildings at Carleton University, identifying such things as water consumption, energy usage, electricity usage, and waste management. The report also provided a list of recommendations for improvements that would result in a more sustainable operation.