Sustainability - Build Toronto

Commitment to Environmental Sustainability

Build Toronto's Green Roof Initiative
At Build Toronto, we are committed to building in an environmentally responsible manner and demonstrating leadership in environmentally sustainable development. Not only is this part of our Shareholder Direction, it is integral in helping us achieve the City of Toronto’s public policy objectives and realize our vision for City Building.

Furthering sustainable building practices within the City of Toronto starts with Build Toronto’s Demonstration Green Roof at King St. West and University Ave. Green Roofs offer important technologies that combat the many environmental and energy efficiency challenges buildings face today. Build Toronto hopes that this demonstration will help create awareness for initiatives that make buildings more environmentally sustainable.

Build Toronto Demonstration Green Roof Photos
Before: Flat concrete tiled second floor set back roof at 200 King St. West. Research shows that a flat paved roof in the city tends to store more heat from the sun and threaten water quality. These surfaces also represent a missed opportunity to increase roof longevity, building longevity and useable space.

After: Build Toronto’s new demonstration Green Roof on the second floor set back roof at 200 King St. West. The 4” depth, 8” depth and 18” depth layers of specifically selected foliage such as white barked-birch trees, daylily flowers, perennial red switch grass and evergreen shrubs help heat the building in the winter and cool the building in the summer.

Partners: Bentall Kennedy, Flynn Canada Ltd., Halsall and Janet Rosenberg + Associates.

Before

After

Green Roof Benefits:

Storm Water Management - By detaining water before slowly releasing it into the sewage system, the Green Roof helps to improve the quality of the water and reduce the usage of municipal sewage infrastructure.
Urban Heat Island Reduction – Naturally helping to cool the roof, the vegetation on the Green Roof targets the hottest surfaces in urban areas.
Improved Air Quality – Helping to capture airborne particulate matter on leaf surface, the Green Roof helps to reduce ambient temperature and filter noxious gases.
Energy Efficiency – Moderating the heat loss and gain of a building the Green Roof helps to reduce the demand on energy for climate control.
Protection of Roof membranes – Helping to protect the roof’s waterproofing membrane which is usually exposed to wind, rain, solar radiation and fluctuations in temperature.

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