The Waterfront Campus

Last fall NSCC opened the Waterfront Campus in Dartmouth, featuring five stories of glass, light and open space, the size of five "stacked" football fields. Designed using whole-building "green" design practices, NSCC is working toward receiving a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designation, an international standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

Going Green at NSCC

NSCC is now starting construction on a second building dedicated to trades and technology called the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE). Opening in 2010, the new building will link Pleasant Street with the existing building at the Waterfront.

The CBE will look and feel unlike any other trades and technology building in Nova Scotia, or the rest of Canada. In addition to its minimal ecological footprint, the CBE will provide a unique learning experience for students in 13 programs within the School of Trades & Technology, representing a huge step forward in sustainable design. Embedded in the curricula will be the ecological theme that goes hand-in-hand with the College's environmental goals.

The Greening of NSCC

"NSCC is committed to taking a leadership role as the College continues its journey toward environmental sustainability for the benefit of all Nova Scotians," says NSCC President Joan McArthur-Blair. "In addition to learning in a building that is itself environmentally sustainable; graduates of the facility will be prepared to take a leadership role in helping future employers develop more environmentally sustainable practices within the Trades & Technology sector."

Facts about CBE

• The CBE will act as the focal point, around which the N.S. construction industry can develop leading-edge environmental knowledge and sustainable practices that are in growing demand worldwide.
• At 120,000 square feet including an outdoor construction pavilion, the light-filled CBE features programs like Electrical Engineering, HVAC and Microelectronics.
• Large operable doors will create flexible work spaces, allowing various trades to work together
• Environmental features include solar thermal panels, planted rooftops and biowalls
• Designed as a living test bed - the CBE will grow and evolve as new technologies are developed, tested and proven.
• A Geothermal system will meet the cooling needs of the building and provide approximately 50 per cent of heating requirements.
• The building is being designed with the capacity for rooftop photovoltaic panels (using solar energy) to generate some of the energy requirements
• Shop facilities and public spaces will use natural ventilation
• Solar wall cladding will naturally preheat ventilation air that is supplied to the building
• The CBE will feature interior biowalls, planted from floor-to-ceiling with plants that act as natural air filters
• Plans also include planted green roofs that will reduce heating and cooling costs, and storm water runoff, as well as increasing roof life
• The intent with the CBE is to maximize the use of renewable alternative energy sources to meet its energy needs

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