| Material selection and installation
play a large role in defining the environmental impact of
buildings. Important considerations during material selection
include salvaged and recycled content, embodied energy,
off-gassing, local availability, and durability.
For the past 20 years, Enermodal has advised clients
on material selection for sustainability. In 1991, Enermodal
designed the
Waterloo Region Green Home (PDF) a home design
which used one-third less materials and embodied energy
than standard construction, eliminated the use of ozone-depleting
chemicals, achieved air quality 300% better than the most
stringent standards and generated only one garbage bag of
construction waste.
Enermodal maintains an extensive list of suitable materials
with assessments based on first-hand experience in their
application. Enermodal also uses the ATHENA software to
aid in material selection. ATHENA estimates the embodied
energy and environmental impacts of materials. With this
information, materials can be selected to maximize
LEED Green Building Rating
System credits.
Enermodal develops and implements construction and operational
waste management plans. These plans typically result in
over 90% waste diversion and achieve both LEED credits for
waste management. Recent waste management projects include
Regent Park Redevelopment (Toronto) and and renovation of
the 70,000m2 former Nortel offices for Agriculture
Canada.
|
