November 8th, 2019

Green building leaders

Our workspace in Westinghouse HQ has won the Excellence in Green Building – Tenant Improvement category of the Canadian Green Building Council Ontario Green Building Excellence and Leadership Awards!

Originally constructed in 1917, Westinghouse HQ has sat derelict since the 1980s. In 2019, our integrated design firm retrofitted and moved into the building. We designed our workplace as a reflection of our entrepreneurial spirit, combining sustainability and heritage design within a neglected but iconic Hamilton building.

Compared with a more traditional office environment, the design of our workspace has resulted in projected energy savings of over 59% and energy cost savings of 28%. Our team, together with RDH Building Science, completed an energy consumption, cost and Net Present Value (NPV) analysis which evaluated each mechanical concept in the categories of energy efficiency, GHG emissions, annual energy costs, capital costs, and NPV savings, taking into account assumed escalating utility rates over a 10 year period.

Using the latest sustainable technology and our experience in workplace design, we’ve created a modern space that reflects our understanding of how productivity and teamwork have evolved. Our office is organized into zones offering maximum flexibility. At one end of the expansive, light-filled environment, are collaborative zones where teams can discuss, debate and share ideas. At the other, we included quiet, focused zones and calming library space.

The design pays tribute to our founding principle, sustainability. We’ve created a teaching tool in a heritage property that demonstrates how innovative design results in a high performance, efficient and healthy place to work.

Not only is the office designed to accommodate a collaborative and changing workspace, but further demonstrates that aesthetics and comfort do not need to be compromised while completing a green interior renovation in an existing heritage building.

The winner was announced at the CaGBC Ontario Awards Night on November 7, at Arcadian Court in Toronto.