LEED Spotlight: Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montreal earns LEED Platinum

LEED certification supports Space for Life mission

The mission of Space for Life is this: through its dissemination, conservation, education and research, Space for Life supports and encourages humans to live with and support nature. This mission is also furthered through new construction or renovation projects in the City of Montreal, where they are aiming for the highest energy efficiency standards.

LEED certification gave the Planetarium a solid foundation on which to build this mission, as it effects a multitude of components (energy, ventilation, water harvesting, brightness, welfare of occupants, etc.), and allowed for an all-around more efficient building. This choice also met with Montréal’s policy on sustainable development for municipal buildings.

The human impact

The benefits that this certification has brought to the City of Montreal and the Space for Life program include providing a brighter, more inviting space for visitors and on-site staff. The brighter space has had a particularly positive impact on visitors, who often express their enthusiasm while walking through the building.

A significant reduction of greenhouse gases was possible with the use of geothermal energy and natural ventilation, which also had a positive impact on the VOC management and control of sources of pollutants. A MERV-13 fine filtration was applied to the fresh air, and a MERV 9-fine filtration for the recirculation sub-systems – all of this contributing to fresher, cleaner air for visitors and staff.

Additionally, almost all light fixtures used to illuminate the building and outer landscaping are equipped with LED lamps. These fixtures are of the “full cutoff” (light beam directed downwards only) or completely oriented towards the ground to minimize light pollution. This was paired with lighting sources that contain little or no mercury.

Having met with employees many times since the project was completed, Pierre says “We’ve heard from them on numerous occasions that they are very happy with the space, and feel that the quality of the work and its positive impact on the environment, including its design features, are a real highlight to working in the space. In addition, compared to the old Planetarium, they have been given access to a locker room and showers which encourages health and fitness.”

Lastly, in terms of heating and cooling for the building, a cooled water loop transfers cool in summer and heat in winter. In summer, the heat used to perform the dehumidification cycles is recovered 100 per cent by condenser cooling. Using the energy model simulation, the Planetarium surpasses the economic performance of a 90.1-1999 ASHRAE reference building, with 47.9 per cent regulated energy and reaches 7 points out of a possible 10 on the LEED checklist.

Additional sustainability features round out Platinum certification

Water reduction was another big part of the strategy to lessen the environmental impact of the building. The strategy involved a greywater system which is fed into a tank for the use of scientific devices in the Planetarium. Rainwater is collected in retention basins and used for the partial irrigation of landscaping; a strategy that reduces municipal sewage dump by 60 per cent, and has reduced potable water consumption by 50 per cent. The landscaping also includes plants resistant to drought, and a vegetated roof surface to reduce the heat island effect.

During construction, special attention was also paid to the recovery of materials. More than 75 per cent of existing structures were recovered. Thus, some 2,630,200 kg of concrete was broken (1143 m3) and recycled. This construction waste management plan led to an 85 per cent re-use of material. The majority of demolition concrete was also used as backfill. Additionally, the surplus and reinforcing steel were transported to recycling centers.