Project Profile

Goodes Hall

Project
In order to accommodate the growing Queen’s University School of Business, Goodes Hall Expansion is a 10,200 square meter addition to the existing restored 120-year old building at 145 Union Street in Kingston, Ontario. The project includes several new state-of-the-art classrooms, student breakout rooms, additional faculty office and many enhanced features for students, all to support the School of Business in enhancing and expanding existing programs, accommodating new graduate programs and fostering research excellence. Promoting sustainability and reducing energy consumption was considered an integral element of the new addition.

Client
Mulvey & Banani International Inc. (MBII), Partnering with mechanical consulting engineering firm The Mitchell Partnership, MBII was responsible for ensuring an energy-efficient and sustainable, LEED Silver certified expansion building was created. Green Reason was engaged by MBII’s sustainability division to take on the LEED consulting portion of the project.

Green Reason’s Role
Green Reason was engaged as LEED consultant late in the project. To overcome the challenge of joining a project in the later stages, Green Reason immediately embarked on a comprehensive review of the design and all LEED documentation.

With the majority of LEED credits largely undocumented, Green Reason’s role was to work with the team to ensure credit requirements were met, required documentation was completed and the project’s target of LEED Silver certification was achieved.

What Was Done
To promote sustainability and energy efficiency the following features were incorporated into the design and construction of the building:

  • Built on a former parking lot, the building’s parking was relocated underground which allowed for expanded green space
  • No new parking was added due to Queen’s University’s transportation management plan that encourages the use of public transportation and carpooling
  • Bicycle racks are provided for staff and students as well as showers for staff commuters
  • Site lighting was thoughtfully designed to ensure safety without contributing to light pollution
  • Erosion and sedimentation control measures were maintained throughout the construction phase
  • Permanent irrigation is not installed, instead of native and adaptive plant species have been planted that can survive dry conditions without irrigation
  • Water-efficient fixtures were installed to attain a greater than 40% reduction in water use over conventional fixtures
  • Demand controlled ventilation, connection to a central campus district steam plant, high-efficiency chillers and variable speed pumping and fans reduce the building’s energy consumption
  • Occupancy lighting sensors in enclosed rooms reduce energy consumption for lighting
  • The result of incorporating energy-efficient measures is a modelled energy savings of 36.6% and a cost savings of 47.6% relative to the MNECB baseline
  • Operable windows provided to allow for occupant control over thermal conditions
  • HVAC system is designed to maintain thermal comfort ranges that comply with ASHRAE 55-2004, which supports the health and comfort of the staff and students in the learning environment
  • Recycling stations located throughout the building provide staff and students with easily accessible bins for diverting recyclables
  • Over 99% of construction waste was diverted from landfill including metal, drywall, cardboard, and wood
  • New construction materials such as masonry, structural steel, carpet, drywall, insulation were chosen to maximize recycled content
  • Over 20% of construction materials used on the project were extracted and manufactured in or near Southern Ontario which reduces the environmental impact of shipping long distances
  • Over 95% of the wood products installed in the building are Forest Stewardship Council Certified products
  • To ensure a high level of indoor air quality, only low-VOC paints, primers, adhesives and urea formaldehyde-free wood products were used during construction and all carpets installed in the building are Green Label Plus certified products
  • All systems furniture and task chairs purchased are GreenGuard certified
  • An Indoor Air Quality Test was completed before the building was occupied to confirm that measures implemented during construction successfully protected the indoor air quality
  • A Green Building Education program including an electronic kiosk allows building occupants and visitors to learn more about the sustainable features of the building

Results Speak for Themselves
Though the Goodes Hall Expansion was targeted to achieve LEED Silver, the project was awarded the remarkable achievement of LEED Gold for New Construction.

Award, the Magazine of Sustainable Architecture, Construction & Interior Design featured the building in its April 2013 issue.

What They Are Saying
“This world-class facility will enable us to…continue to deliver an exceptional experience to our students.”
David Saunders, Dean of Queen’s School of Business