According to the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) is a rating system that is recognised as the international mark of excellence for green building in 150 countries. LEED® certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting the highest performance standards for design, construction and operation." LEED® Gold® certification is the second highest attainable level, reflecting best-in-class green building strategies, practices and materials. It requires a LEED score of 60 - 79 points. The ROXUL head office received a score of 65, with high marks in all categories, including Energy and Atmosphere, Water Efficiency, and Innovation and Design (a perfect point score was achieved in the latter two categories).
"As a global leader in sustainability and environmental responsibility, it was of paramount importance to ensure that our North American headquarters stands as an example of excellence in sustainable building practices and energy efficiency," says Trent Ogilvie, President of the ROCKWOOL Group's subsidiary in North America, ROXUL Inc.
The ROXUL Inc. headquarters was built with over 86,000 square feet of its own stone wool insulation products, proven to reduce energy consumption and minimise the impacts of climate change.
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ROCKFON ceiling systems - also a solution from the ROCKWOOL Group – have been installed to enhance the visual and acoustic work environment.
"Living with these products every day, we truly see, hear and feel how they improve the workplace – our workplace. We more deeply appreciate the comfort, health, safety and environmental qualities that they bring to every building project," says Chris Marshall, ROCKFON North America vice president of marketing and business development.
The head office is modelled to use 100 kWh per day of energy, whereas the average building uses 300 to 400 Kw/m2. Its open-concept floor plan maximises natural lighting throughout the entire office and also includes motion-sensor lights and HVAC systems, drought resistant landscaping, rain water harvesting and grey water reuse. ROXUL commissioned SRM Architects Inc. and Stahle Construction to design and build its Milton office because of the firms' longstanding commitment to energy-efficient design and construction, as well as healthy and sustainable building practices.
The ROXUL 'Energy Design Center'––a resource and education hub for architects, designers and specifiers –was involved in the building envelope design and energy modelling to ensure its headquarters would integrate advanced green features to far exceed building code and achieve superior performance. The Energy Design Center team will continue to measure the building envelope to fulfil future plans to showcase a live feed of the building's performance. Thermal couples, relative-humidity sensors and heat-flux meters were installed in the roof, walls and below-grade insulation to monitor the in-situ performance of the ROXUL insulation. Decibel meters were also installed to measure the variation in sound between the exterior and interior of the building. The data captured is recorded and uploaded to a third-party system. The data will underscore the long-term performance of the building's green construction and act as a real-time case study and education tool.
"For many years, the ROXUL company has played an integral role in championing the energy efficiency message across North America," notes Trent Ogilvie. "Our operations, from our manufacturing facilities to our production processes - and now our LEED® Gold® certified head office - demonstrate that environmental sustainability is very much woven into the fabric of our organisation."
Further information
Leslie McLaren
ROXUL Inc.
1-800-265-6878, Ext 4307
leslie.mclaren@roxul.com
