Better Buildings Breakfast Ottawa
Ottawa Green Building Showcase Opens at City Hall new
The green real estate sector in Canada experienced a 'first-of-its-kind' on November 10th with the opening of the Ottawa Green Building Showcase at a Better Buildings Breakfast.
The Showcase is a display of the 16 buildings in Ottawa that have received a LEED rating by the Canada Green Building Council as well as one BOMA BESt building. A series of trade show like banners, each one describing a different building in English and French make up the showcase (see images below).
To the best of our knowledge it is the only display of its kind in the country.
Producing the showcase panels and organizing The Breakfast event was a collaboration between the City of Ottawa, the Ottawa Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, RENX and the Cushman & Wakefield Green Real Estate Practice Group. The Breakfast was held in the Jean Pigott Place in Ottawa City Hall where the Showcase was on display with presentations held in the adjacent Council Chambers.
Over 160 people including architects, engineers, designers and developers employed in the building industry, many who had worked on the buildings in the showcase, comprised about half the audience. The other attendees were green buildings enthusiasts and others who came to learn about sustainable real estate. Two Ottawa city councilors David Chernushenko and Marianne Wilkinson as well as Sylvie Goneau a councilor with the Ville de Gatineau were in the audience.
As well as being a Showcase of buildings, speakers at The Breakfast presentation emphasized that it was also to honor the vision, contribution and efforts of the people who have pioneered green building construction in Ottawa. Lan Chi Nguyuen Weekes, Chair of the local chapter of the Ottawa Green Building Council, Teresa Hanna its Executive Director and Ann White Publisher of the Real Estate News Exchange all applauded the leaders in the industry.
Franklin Holtforster, CEO of MHPM Project Leaders, the keynote speaker at The Breakfast gave an engaging presentation about the private sectors leadership role in the delivery of the green buildings in Canada and other places around the World. Sustainable buildings are growing in numbers because it is ‘good business’ according to Holtforster. MHPM who has been retained on more than 200 green projects is testament to the philosophy.
The contribution that green buildings are making and will make to the local economy was underscored by other presentations at The Breakfast. James McNeil, with the Cushman and Wakefield Green Real Estate Practice Group described how most existing buildings owners in Ottawa (75%) are still not committed to green. As the valuation of ‘brown’ buildings is increasingly negatively impacted by the factors driving the green market we can expect these owners to take a greater interest in a sustainable approach to their properties.
Marco Manconi, Manager of Design and Construction, Buildings and Parks Branch and Paul Hussar, Program Manager of Design and Construction, Architecture Unit both with the City of Ottawa described green building plans that are either underway or planned for 38 buildings in the Corporations real estate portfolio.
A schedule for the displays to be moved to other locations is being finalized however Ben Franklin Place in the Centrepoite area of Ottawa and the Goulbourn Recreation Centre in Stittsville are being targeted as the first stops for the showcase outside City Hall. Some panels will remain on display on the fourth floor of City Hall in the Development Review lobby.
Response to the breakfast has been overwhelmingly positive and planning is already underway for new additions to the Showcase at a Better Buildings Breakfast that may be held in conjunction with the Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada’s annual convention that is scheduled for September 2012 in Ottawa.
The Ottawa Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council is selling full-sized banners of all the showcase buildings. Contact Executive Director Teresa Hanna to order.
