As demand for environmentally responsible buildings increases, so too does the need to make compliance with green building certification schemes such as Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED) and others simpler and easier, and Canada is no exception.
Toward this end, the Green Building Council of Canada (CaGBC) has been undertaking a number of measures which it says will simplify processes and reduce red tape.
Last May for instance, the council undertook a number of measures to streamline compliance with regard to Regional Priority Credits (RPCs).
Then, earlier this month, the CaGBC announced two new certification options which it says will provide greater flexibility to applicants.
The first such option concerns the LEED Canada for New Construction (NC) and LEED Canada for Core & Shell (CA) 1.0 certifications, with projects for these certifications now having the option of a two-stage certification review process similar to that already in place for Canada NC and CS 2009 projects.
The second option, referred to as the Design and Construction Split Review, will allow a project’s design to be reviewed separately from its construction.
CaGBC says both options, which follow its stated intention to streamline certification processes as of late last year, will make LEED certification simpler and easier for applicants. By eliminating one round of review, the Council says, the two-stage review option for NC and CA projects will provide for a faster process, though applicants will need to provide greater detail in the initial stages of the application.
With regard to the split review, CaGBC says this will enable project teams to address design issues while the design team is still actively working with the project team.
Oxford Properties Group Director of Sustainability Darryl Neat says the new split option will allow project teams to ascertain whether or not they are on track with regard to sustainability certification immediately following the design phases.
“Having a check point following design will not only speed up the review of design issues, but will tell us if we are on track or not, and allow us to adjust if necessary so that we can better ensure we achieve the outcomes we are aiming for,” he says. “We’re looking forward to this new option.”
