Artscape Wychwood Barns Green Design
The Artscape Wychwood Barns were envisioned as an environmentally sustainable facility and achieved a LEED gold standard in 2010. Any adaptive re-use project is by definition more sustainable than new construction, however, several innovative design and construction techniques made this development unique.
What is LEED?
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Canada rating system, overseen by the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC), helps identify and develop improved standards of practice in building design and construction. It has become the most recognized method of certifying the health and environmental merits of commercial and institutional buildings.
The LEED Rating System awards points for meeting specific criteria that surpass typical standard building and design practices. The criteria for points are defined within a number of prerequisites and credits. A rating of Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum is awarded based on the total number of points earned by a project.
The Artscape Wychwood Barns project embraces environmentally sustainable design by responding imaginatively to the issues of brownfield redevelopment, water/energy conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the first designated heritage site in Canada to seek LEED Gold certification.
Some of the Artscape Wychwood Barns’ LEED features include a geothermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning system with ground source heat pumps, a stormwater harvesting and re-use system, energy-efficient lighting and appliances and water-conserving plumbing fixtures.
Through the use of green energy and energy-efficient resources, Artscape Wychwood Barns is an environmental quality improvement project that provides significant and positive contributions toward improving the environment in the community, helping to improve air quality and championing clean water initiatives. Not-for-profit environmental organizations with new homes in the Artscape Wychwood Barns provide thousands of schoolchildren, adults and area residents with environmental programming, such as naturalization and monitoring projects.
You can read more about the design, construction and operational features that focus on making the Artscape Wychwood Barns as environmentally sustainable as possible in a fully illustrated guide.
Click here to download the Artscape Wychwood Barns LEED Components.