Richardson College at U of W earns LEED Gold certification

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/9/2015 (690 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The University of Winnipeg’s Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex is the latest Manitoba building to achieve LEED Gold certification.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Gold status is the program’s second highest level of certification after platinum.

Richardson College is one of 75 buildings in Manitoba that have achieved LEED certification, and one of only 25 that have attained gold status.

Some of the energy-efficient and sustainability features of the building, which is located at 599 Portage Ave., include a computer-programmed air-flow system, a heat-recovery system which cleans and filters lab air and allows warm air to be recirculated, and extensive use of natural daylight. Reclaimed wood was also used in the construction of the complex, and about 80 per cent of all construction waste was diverted from landfill, the university said.

Richardson College provides more than 30 state of the art labs and classroom space for research in areas such as biology, chemistry, environmental studies and sciences, indigenous science, urban planning and the social sciences. Approximately 2,000 faculty, students and visitors inhabit the building daily.

Earlier this month, the building also received first place in the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ Technology Awards for North America.