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Sustainable Buildings
Sustainable Buildings
Sustainable Buildings
As part of our commitment to becoming a low-carbon campus, Western has embedded sustainable design into new construction and major renovation projects on campus.
The objective of Western's Sustainable Design Guidelines is to establish minimum performance criteria for buildings and sites, strengthen best practices of sustainable design, and encourage advanced building performance over time.
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®)
The use of external certification programs, such as LEED®, not only helps showcase our commitment to sustainable buildings, but also complies with internationally-recognized standards and performance measurements.
LEED®-certified buildings create a better indoor environment for occupants, and consume less energy and water than traditional buildings. These outcomes are aligned with Western's long-term sustainability goals and help create a greener campus.
Our campus currently has 14 LEED® certified buildings, and include features such as: bird-safe windows, native plant and no-irrigation landscaping, low-flow water fixtures, EV charging stations, green roofs, rooftop solar, local building materials, high-efficient LED and occupancy-sensor lighting, and high performance windows.
Western currently has 14 LEED® buildings:
- Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (SEI) - LEED® Gold (2026)
- Amit Chakma Engineering Building (ACEB) - LEED® Platinum (2020)
- Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB) - LEED® Gold (2018)
- Delaware Hall Residence -LEED® Silver (2018)
- Music Building - LEED® Gold (2017)
- The Collider - LEED® Silver (2016)
- Physics and Astronomy Building - LEED® Certified (2015)
- Ivey Business School - LEED® Gold (2015)
- Western Centre for Public Health & Family Medicine - LEED® Silver (2015)
- Ontario Hall Residence - LEED® Silver (2015)
- WINDEEE - LEED® Silver (2015)
- Stevenson Hall and Lawson Hall - LEED® Silver (2014)
- McIntosh Gallery - LEED® Silver (2012)
- Claudette MacKay Lassonde Pavillion - LEED® Gold (2010)
Bird Friendly Windows
Bird friendly window film has been applied to numerous buildings across Western’s campus to help prevent bird‑window strikes. By making glass visible to birds, these treatments reduce collisions in areas where buildings intersect with migratory routes and naturalized spaces.
This approach reflects a commitment to campus operations that protect and enhance biodiversity, demonstrating how everyday infrastructure decisions can contribute to a healthier, more resilient relationship between the built environment and the natural world and advance Western’s vision of a regenerative campus.
Applications can be found on several buildings, including the Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Collip Building, International and Graduate Affairs Building, Ivey Business School, Music Building, Visual Arts Centre, and the Western Interdisciplinary Research Building.
Renewable Energy
The Amit Chakma Engineering Building (ACEB) features a 120kW solar photovoltaic (PV) array designed to offset the building's electricity needs.
The Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (SEI) has ground-source geothermal heating and cooling. Along with triple glazed windows and an efficient building envelope, the renewable geothermal energy has enabled this building to operate without steam or natural gas for heating, since its opening in 2024.
Open-loop geothermal is also being explored for other projects such as the New Engineering Building.
