It’s not easy being green. Unless you live in the City of Cambridge. The city’s new Civic Administration Building will be a one-of-a-kind environmental marvel. The building will position Cambridge as an environmentally friendly and sustainable community. It will also leave other Canadian cities “green” with envy.

The new building is being constructed with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design in mind. LEED is a nationally recognized roadmap established by the U.S. Green Building Council. This roadmap “guides the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.” (Source: U.S. Green Building Council)

If successful, the building would be the first city hall in Canada with Gold LEED certification.

“I think it shows that Cambridge is a forward-thinking community,” says Stephen Carpenter, a sustainability consultant. “It shows the city is willing to think outside the box.”

The new building will have numerous cutting-edge environmental features affecting lighting, heating, air and water recycling. The most visible and impressive feature of the building will be the four-storey high “living wall.” This eight-metre wall of vines and plants will act as a natural air purifier, cleaning and re-circulating air throughout the building.

“Last year, we had to send people home because the air was awful,” says Slobodanka Lekic of the city’s Community Services Department.

“We are sure now that we will cut down on absent time, sickness and improve people’s health.”

“It’s a workplace health and safety issue,” says City Councillor Ben Tucci, whose ward will be home to the new building. He says the previous workplace for many civic employees “was not an environment to get 100% out of your people.”

Workplace quality issues and increased productivity aren’t the only benefits of the new building. The new administration headquarters will also save the city money. A portion of the roof will be made up of plants, grass and shrubs, rather than asphalt or other granular substances. This “green roof” will retain heat in the winter and cool things off in summer, cutting down on the need for heating and air conditioning. That shows that energy-efficiency also saves money.

“It’s a really good thing. You save on the environment and with money,” says Lekic. “And it’s good for people’s health.”

All rainwater that falls on the new building will be collected in a massive, 10, 000 litre tank. This water will be used to flush toilets throughout the building. Energy-efficient lighting will be used in all offices, again using less electricity and saving money. Motion sensors will also turn off the lights at night, when the building isn’t being used.

Glass panels in the building will be specially designed to allow light to flow through, but not heat. All carpets, ceiling tiles, paint and other materials will be made from organically produced materials - no volatile organic materials, meaning chemicals, will be allowed. Recyclable materials will be used as often as possible, while all materials will be supplied by local companies.

The new building will also encourage employees to leave their cars at home. Bicycle storage and change rooms will be available for riders. Employees who want to drive will be encouraged to ride in together, thanks to car pool only spots in the parking lot.

The new building’s construction process is also being undertaken with an eye to the environment. All materials from construction site will be sorted and recycled. Dust has been limited and all fill is being cleaned up and reused. Even previous buildings that have been taken down are contributing to the environmental process.

“Seventy-five percent of the previous buildings destroyed have been recycled,” says Lekic. “Almost nothing is being wasted.”

All of these environmental initiatives, and others, are being fully documented for LEED certification.

The city is hoping that Cambridge residents will get the message and be proud of their new building. And other cities will be envious of its environmental features.

“Everybody’s talking about global warming, climate change and saving our world,” says Tucci. “I think we’re showing leadership and that we’re concerned about these issues.”

“It really does have a ripple effect,” says Carpenter. “Other communities will follow suit.”