Photo © Paul Casselman Photography

Toronto's MintoMidtown Condominiums is the largest LEED-certified multi-residential building in North America.

MintoMidtown Condominiums in Toronto has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, making it the largest certified multi-residential building in North America.

The 83,131-m² (894,815-sf) two-tower complex—designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill—has many green features. It boasts an 'all-off' switch in each suite that turns off lighting, exhaust fans, and sets back the thermostat. The condos also have heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) to circulate filtered air from the outside, as well as a bike-share program and a rainwater-fed fountain with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in the courtyard. Each suite is individually metered for hot- and cold-water use to reduce water consumption by more than 50 per cent. The windows are made with low-emissivity (low-e) thermal glass to maximize natural light and ventilation.

In terms of garbage and recycling, there is a two-chute garbage disposal system allowing for easy recycling on every floor. The building also uses dual-flush toilets to reduce water consumption by an additional 32 per cent. Environmentally responsible underlays, hardwood, ceramic flooring, and low-toxicity paints were used to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Most of the construction materials were locally produced and 85 per cent of the waste was diverted from landfill.

The various features reduce monthly homeowner costs for energy and water by an average of $90, collectively saving over $1 million.