In the summer of 2008, Synergy at Dockside Green in Victoria, BC, received a LEED Platinum rating from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). Phase I of the residential complex earned 63 out of a possible 70 points on the CaGBC’s LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) 1.0 checklist — the highest-scoring LEED Platinum project on record. Synergy earned the maximum available points in five of the six areas assessed in the LEED-NC checklist: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation & Design Process. The residential facility earned seven out of 14 points in Materials & Resources. During the construction process, sorting bins were set up on site, which allowed the builders to divert more than 75% of construction waste from local landfills through reuse and recycling. This earned Synergy two of the seven points in Materials & Resources. Synergy earned two more points in the Materials & Resources category for using products with recycled content, including the bedroom carpeting. Synergy’s green design was also recognized by the American Institute of Architects as one of the Top 10 Green Projects of 2009.

In order to not only achieve Platinum-level certification, but also to set the record as the highest-scoring LEED-certified building, Synergy had to implement a variety of green design features. One example is the wood used in Synergy’s 95 residential suites. Dockside Green and Triton Logging joined forces to harvest the wood used on site from underwater. Triton Logging prides itself on recovering wood from underwater forests created by dams. These forests lie underneath reservoirs across the world and are generally an untapped resource. Understanding that blue is the new green, Dockside Green also features an on-site sewage treatment process. The treatment process allows Dockside Green to treat 100% of the sewage on site, which could save up to 70 million gallons of water each year. Of course, the design team behind Dockside Green also focused on energy efficiency. All of the buildings in the entire project, including Synergy, are at least 48% more efficient than the Canadian Model National Energy Code. This is achieved through the use of Energy Star appliances, motion-sensitive lighting and individual carbon footprint monitors in all the residential suites. In addition to the green elements implemented during the design and construction process, there are also environmentally friendly community amenities. Residents of Synergy at Dockside Green can participate in a car-share program, take advantage of subsidized mass transit passes and utilize the bike and pedestrian paths that connect the community to downtown Victoria. Synergy at Dockside Green offers a unique green-living opportunity to residents of Victoria. For more information about Synergy, contact the Dockside Green Presentation Centre at (877) 382-7278.