Fredericton  - The Fredericton Convention Centre announced today that the facility in downtown Fredericton has been awarded LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). The Fredericton Convention Centre is the first public assembly building in Fredericton to achieve this certification.

From site selection through the construction phase and during daily operations, the FCC considered every option to ensure maximum efficiency and adherence to responsible and sustainable green practices.  With the Convention Centre as the core of the LEED® project, the base building of the attached office building was also designed to achieve LEED® (Silver).

“It was a goal of the project from the beginning to create a building to be an example of excellence in Fredericton ,” says Greg Cook, Executive Director, Special Capital Projects,  City of Fredericton, “We focussed on ensuring it was not only functional for clients, but also bright and beautiful and as environmentally sustainable as possible in every aspect.”

LEED® is a voluntary rating system based on 5 main categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality, with a supplemental category called Innovation in Design.

The Fredericton Convention Centre achieved credits in all categories, achieving the maximum possible in Innovation in Design.  A few highlights that contributed to this achievement are:

Waste Diversion:

• During construction, 50% of waste was diverted from the landfill, and more than 15% of materials used  during construction contain post-consumer and/or post-industrial recycled materials
• 20% of materials used in the construction of the FCC were extracted and manufactured regionally
• During construction, and on-going via maintenance, all paints, glues, carpeting and other materials are guaranteed low VOC, ensuring high air quality for building residents and visitors

 Water Use Efficiency:

• Storm, rainwater and snow melt are diverted from the roof to a 106,000 cubic litre cistern, and used to function 118 toilets and urinals in the complex.  This innovative water diversion system reduces the Convention Centre’s demand on the City of Fredericton’s fresh, treated water system by 75.75%. This translates to a water savings (comparing the designed building to a baseline) of 5,304,233 litres every year. As a point of comparison, this is almost 8 times the amount of water it takes to fill the Fredericton Indoor Pool.
• All washrooms in the complex have been equipped with low-flow toilets and carefully calibrated  automatic faucets for optimal performance

 Optimized Energy Performance:

• The building’s high albedo white roofing reflects, rather than absorbs, heat thus lowering air conditioning costs, reducing energy consumption and  alleviating rather than contributing to the heat island effect of the downtown core
• Heating and ventilation systems are optimized for maximum energy performance, calibrated to assess factors such as occupancy, outside temperature and humidity.  For example, cooler outside air will be captured and circulated  to cool a room when possible, while  maintaining comfort for building occupants
• The FCC is an active participant in ensuring green energy development
• The location of the building, access to public transportation, amenities within walking distance combined with features such as secure bike racks and changing areas are factors that contribute to efficient energy use by building occupants

 “LEED®  Certification is not something we achieve and then forget about” says Fredericton Convention Centre General Manager Cathy Pugh. “We live and breathe our commitment to green policies and operational management every day. Finding ways to reduce energy consumption and waste is an ingrained part of culture and approach to work.”

Construction and Project Management services were delivered by ADI Atlantic Inc. from Fredericton NB. Building design and LEED® facilitator program were administered by Exp. Services out of their Fredericton office.

 To learn more about the Fredericton Convention Centre’s commitment to LEED and green meeting practices please visit www.frederictonconventions.ca.   

-30-

About the Fredericton Convention Centre

The Fredericton Convention Centre, located in downtown Fredericton, features a 1,159-square-metre (12,480 square foot) ballroom, which can accommodate a dinner for 1000 people or a stand-up event for 1,300.  The facility includes an additional 799-square-metres (8,600 square feet) of flexible meeting space, ideal for breakout sessions, executive board meetings and special events. 

The facility features a high definition video conference room, complimentary high-speed wireless and wired internet, and programmable digital signage.  It is connected to the 709-seat Fredericton Playhouse and Chancery Place.  Delegates are within walking distance of the many cultural attractions, shops, boutiques and restaurants of New Brunswick’s Capital City. www.frederictonconventions.ca

About LEED®
LEED® is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. As an internationally recognized mark of excellence, LEED® provides building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings' performance.

About the Canada Green Building Council
The CaGBC is the leading national industry organization advancing green building and sustainable community development practices. It works closely with member organizations who are involved in the design, construction and operation of buildings and homes in an effort to make every building greener. The CaGBC is the license holder for the LEED green building rating system in Canada. In addition to LEED and the new GREEN UP Building Performance Program, the CaGBC also supports the Living Building Challenge, Passive House Standard and EcoDistricts in Canada.  www.cagbc.org

About ADI Atlantic

ADI Atlantic Inc., formerly ADI International Inc. provides design build, construction and project management services to commercial, institutional and industrial clients all over Atlantic Canada. An employee owned company proudly headquartered in Fredericton NB, ADI has successfully delivered many building projects in the Fredericton area.  www.adiatlantic.ca

About Exp.

With a mission to understand, innovate, partner and deliver, exp provides professional, technical and strategic services related to the world’s built and natural environments in six key practice areas: Buildings, Earth & Environment, Energy, Industrial, Infrastructure, and Sustainability. Our heritage dates back to 1906, when the earliest of exp’s predecessor companies started its engineering infrastructure practice in northern Ontario. Today, close to 3,000 creative exp professionals across North America and around the globe provide the expertise and experience needed to deliver successful projects for clients. For more information, visit www.exp.com.