In The News
Brunswick House moves into class of its own
Brunswick House at the corner of King Street and Chipman Hill, the city's first high-rise office, now has another first. It is the first privately owned, existing structure to go green.
"It started about three years ago," said Mark McGraw, project manager. "We conducted an energy audit in 2007, so that was the beginning."
Owned by development and management firm Commercial Properties Limited, Brunswick House has received the BOMA BESt Level 3 certification for environmental stewardship.
BOMA is the Building Owners and Managers Association, an international group that sets standards for best practices in commercial real estate.
"We pursued the BOMA BESt certification because we believe in sustainable development practices and improving the environmental performance of the buildings we manage," he said. "We updated our water and energy fixtures to reduce usage and have started purchasing eco-friendly products. We also offer a voluntary on-site recycling and composting program for our tenants."
BOMA BESt certification ranges from level 1 to 4. Level 3 is awarded to buildings that meet all of the BOMA Go Green Best Practices and 80 to 90 per cent on the Go Green Plus assessment.
The environmental standards look at everything from energy consumption, to water usage and the products consumed in the building. Even the copier paper used in an office has an impact on the certification.
"We now buy high yield Xerox recycled copy paper," McGraw said.
Part of the building has a new Mitsubishi heating and ventilating system, that reduced energy consumption through a series of air to air heat pumps, he said.
"We have this on four floors now, and over the next several years we will be expanding the system to accommodate the whole building," he said.
The new system has provided better air quality and comfort, so some tenants are volunteering to move out for the couple of months it takes to install.
Attaining the green certification also required participation from the building's tenants, said Jeff Yerxa, property manager.
"For things like composting and recycling, you need the buy-in of your tenants," he said.
A survey last year found that everybody was willing to take part in recycling but there were some concerns about composting, he said.
No one was forced to do composting but once the non-composting tenants heard how it was working for those who opted in, everyone decided to participate, he said.
"I make an effort to incorporate sustainable habits into my day-to-day life, so it's great to know that I work in a building that is doing the same," said Alanna Waberski, a lawyer with Stewart McKelvey whose offices are located in the building.
Another big project helping to reduce energy consumption is still ongoing. The windows are in the midst of a four-year process of being re-caulked and resealed.
"It was one of the areas pointed out in our energy audit, where we could save energy, and we have implemented it and have completed two sides of the building," McGraw said.
In addition to the BOMA BESt certification, Commercial Properties Limited's newest building, Somerset Square, is on track to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status. Located in the north end, it will be the first privately owned building to achieve this mark in Atlantic Canada.
"Commercial Properties is proud to take part in a program that is nationally recognized as a way to effectively manage buildings in an environmentally sustainable way," president John Irving said. "Our goal is to challenge the status quo with both our existing properties and our new developments. Saint John is our home, and we are proud to do our part for a better future."
Commercial Properties Limited has been developing and or managing properties in Eastern Canada for over 40 years and owns or manages over 40 properties, specializing in office, retail, commercial and industrial structures.
© 2009 Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick)
