"One of the major aims during construction was to make Place Riel as environmentally friendly as possible," said Caroline Cottrell, USSU general manager, in a release announcing the certification. The silver designation recognizes the organization's efforts to construct "the most sustainable building possible."
LEED is a third-party program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
Place Riel expansion LEEDing the way
Construction waste diversion, sustainable building materials, removing an escalator in favour of stairs and tree replacement were all factors that helped earn the U of S Students’ Union (USSU) a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification for its Place Riel expansion project.