Photos courtesy Enermodal Engineering

The Activa Group Sportsplex in Kitchener, Ont., is the first ice rink in the country to earn LEED Gold.

Kitchener, Ont.'s Activa Group Sportsplex has received the highest LEED Canada rating of all sports facilities in the country. Also the first ice rink in the country to earn Gold under the Canada Green Building Council's (CaGBC's) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, the 10,250-m² (110,330-sf) building features a twin pad arena and boxing facilities.

Enermodal Engineering, the project's LEED consultant, worked with PBK Architects to meet the city's goal of innovative green design with this project.

"Rinks are difficult to 'green' because a significant amount of energy is needed to create and maintain ice while also keeping the arena temperature warm enough for spectators," Stephen Carpenter, Enermodal president, told Construction Canada Online. "However, the design team was able to reuse the heat generated during ice-making to radiantly heat the stands, as well as heat change rooms and indoor water."

The building's unique HVAC system also uses this waste heat to warm the facility, preheat water for ice resurfacing, and heat the snow melting pit—which helps offset the energy-intensive requirements of the ice rink.

Expected to achieve a 72 per cent energy cost savings, the facility includes other sustainable elements, such as:
• energy recovery ventilators (ERVs);
• occupancy sensors for lighting;
• energy-efficient lighting fixtures;
• carbon dioxide sensors for building ventilation; and
• a reflective ceiling in the rink area to help keep the ice cool.

Additionally, the facility annually saves 1.2 million L (0.3 million gal) of potable water, due to low-flow fixtures, no-irrigation landscaping, and a 30-m³ (1060-cu ft) cistern that provides water for ice resurfacing and toilet flushing. To top it all off, the sportsplex has a green roof.

The 10,250-m² (110,330-sf) sportsplex includes a twin-pad arena and boxing facilities.