The Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence has officially received LEED Platinum certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). Opened on Algonquin College’s Woodroffe Campus in September 2011, the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence (ACCE) brings the next generation of carpenters, plumbers, civil engineering technologists, interior designers, and many other trades and professions under a single, green roof. ACCE offers over 190,000 square feet of inter-professional space designed to encourage collaboration between disciplines, and offers many integrated and cross-program learning opportunities for students.
The architecture, structural elements, construction methods and craftsmanship, finishes, and building systems inside ACCE have been designed to maximize applied learning opportunities for Algonquin College students. Some systems have been left exposed so the students are able to closely examine the facility’s construction and further their knowledge about green building practices. Monitored building performance, and data from thousands of networked sensors, provides the students with real-time and historic information about building system performance for educational and research purposes. With its open demonstration spaces and many design and sustainability features, ACCE is a natural hub for the entire trades and design industry as well as its associations. Bringing together students, professors, and researchers with local builders and tradespeople will create synergies, increase industry awareness, and produce highly-skilled graduates who are familiar with the collaboration requirements of today’s construction and design sectors.
“I am very pleased to congratulate the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence for earning LEED Platinum status,” says CaGBC president and CEO Thomas Mueller. “It is a truly remarkable building not just for its environmental achievements, but as a tangible example to the students who learn within its walls. Through this building, Algonquin College champions sustainability on campus and shows leadership to the surrounding community.”
A five-storey bio wall made up of living plants filters the air, providing oxygen to the atrium space and all five connected floors. The ACCE building’s design also includes features like the green roof, solar panels, a storm water recovery system, and many other green innovations incorporated into the building’s design.
