Strategies to reuse and recycle construction waste diverted 94.3 per cent of its excess materials away from landfills, and enabled the OCC to reuse major building elements such as the steel from the previous building in the roof of Canada Hall – the OCC’s 55,000 square foot multipurpose event space.
The building’s white roof reflects heat instead of absorbing it, lowering air conditioning costs and reducing energy consumption.
The wood wall that extends through all four floors is made from existing logs that sunk to the bottom of local rivers during the logging era of the 1800s.
A Green Housekeeping Program consists of an underground cistern which allows the use of rainwater in place of potable water for toilets and irrigation. This has resulted in 67 per cent less indoor water use and 71 per cent less outdoor water use compared to a conventional building, according to the OCC. That amounts to the conservation of over 3.6 million litres of water each year.
“The building functions as a green meeting facility providing a healthy and invigorating environment for our delegates’ meetings and conventions, while minimizing our eco footprint in the local community,” stated OCC president and CEO Pat Kelly in a company release.
The convention centre first opened in April 2011 with 28 meeting rooms and 192,000 square feet of usable space. It opened its doors to the public with an opening gala event that month.
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