Touting lower power consumption, water savings and lower rent for tenants to boot, Ottawa’s greenest building officially opened in the downtown core yesterday.
Ontario’s first commercial multi-tenant office building to apply for LEED gold certification, Minto’s 180 Kent St. building — 19-storeys high and running a full square block — measures 370,000 square feet and has 258 parking spots, said Minto Group CEO Roger Greenberg.
During construction, the building produced about one-third less waste than other projects of its size, he said.
When possible, building materials came from 100 miles or less from Ottawa, added Minto executive vice-president Greg Rogers.
Now built, the building consumes 54.8 per cent less power than traditional office buildings and 50 per cent less water, thanks to waterless urinals, low-flush toilets and electric faucets.
“And all this is coming about with tenants paying less in total rent than before,” Greenberg said. “All of this shows that green doesn’t have to cost more.”
The total rent is a combination of basic rent, taxes and operational costs, which is where the savings come in, said Rogers.
The building also features energy-saving equipment like the lighting — which needs less energy because it uses dimmers, Rogers said — and a green roof measuring approximately half an acre.
It also has a rainwater-storage system in the basement and reuses water for plants, Rogers said.
