Toronto’s George Brown College officially opened its new Green Building Centre on November 10. The applied research facility will train students in green energy, advanced construction systems and computer-enabled, efficient buildings. It will also create space for industry partners to conduct full-scale development projects focused on construction practices that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient.
Located within George Brown’s Centre for Construction and Engineering Technologies, the facility will allow for 160 research projects with industry partners in its first five years, and has already created nearly 60 jobs. The building is supported by a $6.6-million Federal Economic Development Agency (FedDev) for Southern Ontario contribution, matched by George Brown’s own investment of $6.8 million.
The centre includes a number of innovative labs for students to work alongside industry partners on projects throughout a building’s life cycle – from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and demolition.
These spaces include:
- Building Materials Lab: A test site and demonstration space to refine prototypes and test innovative green building systems, materials and technologies in a realistic setting.
- Building Automation Lab: To test products to make buildings smarter and more energy efficient.
- Building Information Modeling Lab: Equipped with LiDAR scanners, allowing for more accurate 3D scans of buildings and sites which can be applied to the full life cycle of buildings.
- Advanced Prototyping Lab: Outfitted with leading edge rapid prototyping tools including laser and water jet cutters and 3D printer, used to prototype and iterate sustainable new technologies.
- Building Sciences lab: Equipped with humidity and temperature chambers, a specimen convection oven and a rooftop test hut structure for research on materials used to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.
- Business Accelerator and Entrepreneurship Space: Provides industry partners with space and facilities to work alongside George Brown faculty and students to develop and monitor projects and track emerging international trends.
