Doors Open Ontario 2015:
Defining green building
sites
Green buildings, whether newly constructed or retrofitted, have a significant role to play in
making Ontario more sustainable. They demonstrate the social, economic and environmental
benefits that energy conservation and “green” design can offer. Access to green buildings,
both in person and online, helps to develop and expand conventional ideas about what makes
a building functional and affordable.
While there is no one definition for a “green” building, Doors Open Ontario sites can be
labelled as “green” if they are:
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Recognized through LEED or another high-performance building certification program;
OR feature at least two of the following design objectives:
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Sustainability: use of strategies that minimize impact on ecosystems and water
resources.
May include: Green roofs, living walls, landscape practices that minimize hard
surfaces, maximize summer shade, utilize native plant species, create swales or
wetlands for capture of stormwater, xeriscaping, and/or a focus on creating habitat
for native wildlife;
Also: Intentionally sustainable transportation options, such as location along transit
routes, arrangements for car-sharing among building occupants, and convenient and
secure bicycle storage for occupants;
Also: Reuse of older buildings for new purposes (i.e., conserving the energy
embodied in existing buildings and minimizing the need for new building materials);
Water efficiency: promotes smarter use of water, inside and out.
May include: Water efficient systems and appliances, capture and reuse of
rainwater, grey water, etc;
Energy conservation: promotes better energy performance.
May include: conservation through high R-value insulation, energy-efficient windows,
solar orientation, shading, energy efficient lighting systems, appliances, heating and
ventilation, and heat-recovery systems;
Also: Incorporation of geothermal, solar and other renewable energy systems to
provide energy for the building and/or supply energy to the grid;
Material and resource conservation: uses sustainable building materials and reduces
waste.
May include: materials that are produced locally, sustainably, incorporate recycled
material, and are non-toxic;
Also: Waste management practices that encourage re-use, recycling, and on-site
composting.
Indoor environmental quality: promotes better air quality and access to daylight and
views.
Ontario Heritage Trust | 10 Adelaide Street East | Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3
Telephone: 416-325-5000 | Fax: 416-325-5071 | Email: doorsopenontario@heritagetrust.on.ca
www.heritagetrust.on.ca | www.doorsopenontario.on.ca