CISC Ontario Awards 2007

The Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute, completed in January 2007, is the GTAA's first LEED (silver) project and steel has played a major rote in this application. It contributes to the building’s energy savings, reduces the building's reliance on virgin construction materials and reduces the project's material transportation requirements because of the steel industry's local recycling and manufacturing presence. Perforated steel cladding on the south elevation has been designed to form a solar air heating plenum, which can preheat incoming air by up to 17 degrees C above outdoor temperatures. This is reducing the building's energy use, which is more than 30% less than a building built to the Model National Energy Code. As construction figures are being finalized, the whole project is documenting in excess of 15% of construction material value representing recycled materials, for which LEED will award 2 points. Steel has played a large role in this achievement.