23-09-2019

Lemay Net Positive: The Phenix

Lemay,

Adrien Williams,

Montreal, Canada,

Headquarters, Commercial Buildings,

LEED, Refurbishment, Sustainable Architecture,

With the transformation of an abandoned warehouse in Montreal into their own offices, Lemay, one of Canada’s leading architecture, planning and design firms, has developed the Phenix as a testing ground for new best practices in sustainable architecture. It is already Fitwel-certified and is also targeting LEED-Platinum and Zero Carbon certification.



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Lemay Net Positive: The Phenix The Canadian firm Lemay has been pursuing a rigorous Net Positive framework for years to maximize the firm’s considerable influence on the key determining factor in human health: the built environment. Addressing the urgency of climate change, Lemay’s Net Positive approach proposes sustainable strategies and metrics at every stage of the firm’s projects. Going beyond traditional environmental certifications, it aims to transform urban environments to the benefit of their users and the community. 
The Phenix, Lemay’s new offices in Montreal are a virtual, tangible example showcasing the modus operandi of this multidisciplinary firm that focuses on three critical areas in its Net Positive approach: promotion of user health with eco-friendly materials, maximizing indoor air quality and natural light, integrating biophilic and active design; environmental protection managing stormwater responsibly, reducing heat islands, protecting green spaces and developing biodiversity; and carbon emissions reduction performing carbon quantification and life-cycle assessments, reducing carbon footprint, increasing resiliency, adapting design to climate change.
The embodiment of Lemay’s brand is the transformation of an abandoned warehouse located at the heart of a neighbourhood with strong working-class roots. Their project has revitalized the surrounding community and avoided some 12,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions that would have been generated by the construction of a new building.
The Phenix at 3500 Saint-Jacques St. in Montreal, is, therefore, a testing ground for new best practices in sustainable architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, interior design and urban planning. Already Fitwel-certified and aiming for LEED-Platinum and Zero Carbon certification, the building hosts some 300 employees as a living lab incorporating wellness strategies including biophilic design, active transport, flexible workspaces and healthy nutrition. As the company’s president, Louis T. Lemay, explains, “Protecting the environment doesn’t have to cost more.  Our projects are proof that they can be sustainably developed for the same capital costs as comparable projects.  The Net Positive approach also gives projects greater social acceptability, which generates more ROI and boosts market value.”
With its new head office, Lemay is setting a positive example and inspiring environmental leadership for the building industry, whose greenhouse gas emissions amount to one-third of the world’s total, meaning they have a huge impact on the environment, so judicious choices can make a difference. As part of the World Green Building Week 2019, the company is hosting a one-day only Net Positive conference on September 25th, featuring a roundtable, seminars and personalized tours of Lemay’s award-winning office The Phenix in Montreal.  World Green Building Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of green buildings as one the most effective means to achieving a range of global goals, such as addressing climate change, creating sustainable and thriving communities, and driving economic growth.
 
Project: Lemay
Location: Montreal, Canada
Year: 2019
Images: Adrien Williams
Find out more: https://lemay.com/en/collective/lemay-net-positive-ambitious-yet-flexible-approach
https://www.worldgbc.org/calendar/world-green-building-week-2019

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