The Lower Canada College (LCC) community is thrilled to announce that the Assaly Arts Centre received the LEED Canada Gold rating for its sustainable building design. The LEED Canada Gold rating was awarded on April 7, 2015. The building was given an official LEED score of 40, graded according to six categories, including Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation and Design. It scored highest out of the possible points available in the last two categories (11/15 for Indoor Environmental Quality and 5/5 for Innovation and Design).
"It was a great experience to be involved in the process, and we are very excited about this achievement. In fact, we thought we would receive silver," says Nicole Simard-Laurin, Assistant Head, Finance and Administration at LCC. "We are beginning to work on a special display of the LEED elements of the building to educate our future students and visitors. The entire process has been educational, especially for our students. They had the opportunity to learn all about the certification process when the LEED consultant (Lyse M. Tremblay) gave a presentation."
The Assaly Arts Centre officially opened its doors January 2014. The architect who designed the building is Brian Burrows of Le Groupe Architex and the LEED consultant is Lyse M. Tremblay of ecoArchitecture Inc., which specializes in green buildings and sustainable development.
"As a result of implementing the LEED certification requirements, the new Assaly Arts Centre is a very efficient, comfortable, and ecological building, achieving the enviable reduction of over 50 per cent for energy consumption, and 45 per cent for water consumption, while also providing ample daylight and premium air quality. This is an excellent example of what all schools should aim for to demonstrate sustainable building practices in action that will enhance the learning experience," says Lyse M. Tremblay.
The space itself is enriching minds as much as it is building a more sustainable future. For instance, the Saputo Auditorium, housed within the Assaly Arts Centre and seating 540, has elevated LCC's music and dramatic arts programmes and has taken student assemblies and conferences to new heights; the physical alignment of the science and math departments allows for cross-curricular collaboration; and the art department has provided budding artists with an inspiring setting.
