Honeywell will be the primary tenant in the first LEED®-registered commercial space in downtown Markham, which combines residential, retail and commercial properties, and is North America’s largest LEED-registered, mixed-use development.
The consolidation project will bring together about 325 Honeywell employees from two existing Toronto-area locations. The new facility will serve as the Canadian headquarters for Honeywell’s Automation and Control Solutions (ACS) business group.
“This project is a great example of our commitment to environmental and energy conservation. And, it is a terrific opportunity for us to bring teams together in a new-generation workspace,” said Luis Rodrigues, vice president of energy solutions for Honeywell Building Solutions, Canada. “Our new office in downtown Markham will be a showcase for Honeywell and will provide our employees with a more modern, wholesome work environment.”
The new building, which will incorporate Honeywell building automation technology, will be built to LEED standards to help promote human and environmental health. The LEED rating system is the recognized benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. The Remington Group and Honeywell are targeting the building for LEED Silver certification.
Developed by the USGBC and adapted by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas: sustainable site development, energy efficiency, water savings, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Remington Group and Honeywell identified building enhancements in each of these areas to help the facility meet LEED standards. Examples include:
- Site lighting will minimize "light pollution" of the night sky. Special fixtures will be used to ensure no light spills upwards.
- A rainwater cistern will collect water from the roof, which will be used to flush toilets and urinals. This drastically reduces the amount of treated water required to remove wastewater from the building.
- Cooling equipment will not contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are known to cause ozone depletion.
- Architectural, mechanical and electrical systems will be designed to minimize energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Materials with high-recycled content values will be used to construct the building.
- Ventilation air delivered to the space will meet the most recent building requirements.
- Carbon dioxide sensors will ensure that ventilation requirements are satisfied and prevent spaces from being over ventilated, which reduces energy consumption.
Downtown Markham construction is underway and Honeywell expects to move into the office building in May 2008. The consolidation includes Honeywell employees at two leased locations - 300 Yorkland Boulevard and 155 Gordon Baker Road, both in North York, Ontario. The employees work for Honeywell Building Solutions and Process Solutions, which are part of the ACS group. The consolidation does not affect other Honeywell locations in the Toronto area.
