Buildings and Energy

Joyce centre for partnership and innovation roof

Building the future

Mohawk College is home to Hamilton's first Zero Carbon institutional building.

Explore The Joyce Centre

Building Green

As part of the Mohawk's plan to reduce carbon emissions, the College is committed to building new developments to recognized environmental standards.

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation was one of the first institutional buildings in Canada to be awarded the new Zero Carbon Building – Design certification from the Canada Green Building Council. The Fennell Campus also features two LEED® Gold certified buildings. LEED® – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the global standard for green buildings in over 132 countries.

For more information about these standards, visit the Canadian Green Building Council website.

Explore Mohawk's LEED® Buildings

David Braley Athletic & Recreation Centre

David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre (DBARC) at Mohawk College offers 64,000 square feet of state-of-the-art fitness amenities for students, staff, faculty and the community, and event space for college and community events. The facility opened in Fall 2013 and features a number of innovative environmental features to help reduce its environmental impact and reflect Mohawk's commitment to environmental sustainability. Mohawk’s David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre (DBARC) has received LEED Gold certification from the Canadian Green Building Council (opens new window) – meeting the global standard for green buildings in more than 132 countries.

Features include:

  • Rooftop solar panels which help to heat the water used in the facility. The rooftop is also "solar ready" allowing for the solar facility to be expanded to accommodate additional panels;
  • An energy management system which results in the building being 34% more efficient than conventional ones. This prevents the release of 249 tonnes of CO2 per year;
  • Convenient access to cycling, transit, walking, carpooling and car sharing infrastructure and services to encourage facility users to leave their car at home or ride in with a friend

Learning Exchange and Cummings Library (H-Wing)

Contemporary architecture meets smart classrooms with the latest technologies, minimal finishes and industry-leading energy upgrades. The H-Wing is a 40,000 square foot space with sustainability at the core of its design and day-to-day operation.

The H-Wing was constructed to LEED® Gold standards, where materials used and systems implemented are helping to reduce the building’s environmental impact. The building lives as a living lab for Engineering Technology students, with nearly 75% of the space is usable for academic programs. This compares to the industry average of between 40-50%. Features of this building include:

  • Clean energy features, including exterior lights powered by wind and solar, in-floor heating, and interior lights equipped with automatic sensors

  • A green roof and living wall made up of over 2,000 plants

  • A rooftop pollinator garden

 

LEED® Tours

Mohawk Sustainability created LEED® Tours to introduce students and visitors to the many design components within both facilities and to highlight the LEED® Gold certification awarded to the buildings. The tours are an opportunity to explore and interact with the features of this space.

Take the Tours

There are two ways to take the tours:

  • Self-guided: Stop by H-Wing (entrance facing Fennell Ave) or the David Braley Atheltic & Recreation Centre (main-floor under the bridge) to take the self-guided tour and experience the features in-person. Mounted plaques contain information about the design features in each facility;
  • Online: Click on the links below to visit a digital version of the tour.
david braley athletics and recreation centre
View the Tour PDF
the library
View the Tour PDF

 

Green Energy Projects

solar car park at mohawk college

In 2018, Mohawk College received a $10.8-million grant from the Province of Ontario’s Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofit Program for a number of energy retrofit projects. The projects included:

  • Replacing an existing natural gas-fired boiler with an electric boiler
  • Additional boiler upgrades on two natural gas-powered units
  • Introducing a trailer-sized battery storage system, capable of powering up to 1000 homes
  • Building a solar carport over 200 parking spaces, generating enough power for about 400 homes
  • Sixteen new electric vehicle charging stations at the Fennell and Stoney Creek campuses

These retrofits are estimated to reduce Mohawk’s annual emissions by 617 tonnes of CO2. That is equivalent to taking 154 cars off the road.