Laurentian Living With Lakes

This award winning, LEED Platinum Certified project, involved the construction of a new educational facility for Laurentian University which supports marine research for Northern Ontario. Two buildings were constructed, the 28,000 SF Living With Lakes Centre, a two-level structure dedicated to supporting the research of freshwater restoration, and the 10,000 SF single-level building which encloses operational offices and control systems.

This new facility was designed to help restore its surrounding ecology and tackle the prominent environmental issues of the 21st century. Due to the location of the project site, a significant challenge that was encountered was ensuring all environmental requirements of the conservation authorities were satisfied. Our project team implemented several plans to address these environmental risks.

The project utilized a combination of strategies and components to contribute to its low environmental footprint. Geothermal Heating is supplied by 40 geo-exchange wells drilled beneath the parking lot. Wood / Timber was used as the primary building material, solar Panels helped offset the power demand and provide air / water heating. The main building also uses a Green Roof to sustain blueberry growth. Additionally, a half-acre of land was dedicated to a grey water pond.