Shaw Centre

SHAWCENTRE Gold certified.What types of sustainable practices are ongoing in your operations? Briard: “With our leadership in energy and envi- ronmental design, the ShawCentre uses 30 percent less energy than most conventional buildings of its size. During redevelopment, 90 percent of the materials from the demolished Ottawa Congress Centre were recycled or re-used in the new building. One of our best features is ‘The Wall of Three Rivers’ made entirely of reclaimed heritage wood retrieved from the bottom of our local Rideau,Ottawa, and Gatineau Rivers. “Our number-one feature is the glass façade at the front of our building. It’s double-glazed glass that’s low e-coated and argon filled. Being thermally treated, it saves energy by letting natural light in. Quick Fact: There are 1084 triangular panels that make up the glass wall. Each panel weighs 800 pounds, and none are the same size. “From a food service perspective,we have a waste management system in the kitchen called ORCA that uses a micro-organism digestive process to break down organic waste and convert it to envi- ronmentally safe water.We divert about 132,000 pounds of waste per year from the landfill by using ORCA to process food waste that comes back from food service and prep. “In operations and housekeeping, all the cleaning products are eco-friendly, Green Seal certified. Daylight sensors on pre-function space ceilings on all levels automatically dim the artificial light, de- pending on how bright the natural light is from outside.Our recycling program includes a bailer that allows us to recycle cardboard. In our loading dock,we have a recycling wall which we’re quite excit- ed about, for collecting lightbulbs, cans, glass, bottles,waste, organics, and card- board.We also have a complete on-site waste program and low-flow plumbing that reduces water consumption, and minimizes the impact on water and sew- age treatment plants. “We’ve purchased over one million kilowatts for certified renewable ener- gy sources, and a lot of materials used during the redevelopment, such as paint and carpets, contain lowVOCs.We also have a cistern that collects rain water, which is used in our toilets.” BVM: How do partnerships contribute to upgrading and enhancing the facility? Kressler: “From a capital perspec- tive,we don’t have anymajor upgrades planned, but we do invest in new furni- ture, fixtures, and equipment on an an- nual basis,where needed.Also, décor, to make sure our food stations and meeting rooms are modern and relevant.” Forbes: “We have a partnership with the Ottawa Art Gallery and display a lot