The Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project is officially Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) - DesignStandard™certified! This exciting milestone marks a significant step forward in sustainable healthcare infrastructure and another major win in EllisDon’s ongoing commitment to decarbonize the construction and buildings industry. 

Slated to be British Columbia’s first all-electric hospital, the new building will be three times larger than the existing facility. The hospital is being built by the Nuts’a’maat Alliance comprised of Island Health, EllisDon, Parkin Architects, BC Infrastructure Benefits, and Infrastructure BC.

Nailing Carbon-Neutral

Zero Carbon Building– Design is a made-in-Canada framework that emphasizes the importance of reducing building emissions in reaching our national climate commitments. Developed by the Canada Green Building Council, the ZCB-Design certification acknowledges the impact of integrating zero-carbon objectives into projects early in the initial design phase.

To achieve ZCB-Design certification, the team used:

• Low carbon concrete and mass timber elements. 
• A high-performance building envelope to improve energy efficiency and minimize heat loss.
• Heat recovery chillers, air sourced heat pumps, and electric boilers in the hospital’s heating and cooling plant. 
• PV (solar) array providing 2.5% of annual energy demands.
• Low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, which further reduce the hospital’s environmental impact. 
• Advanced water conservation and waste reduction strategies.

Going Above and Beyond

This project not only met but exceeded its main sustainability goals of maximizing energy efficiency, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, and lowering its overall carbon footprint. By the numbers:

• 38% reduction in embodied carbon from the baseline model
• Energy Use Intensity (or EUI) of 331 ekWh/m²/year, significantly lower than the target of 391 ekWh/m²/year

This project is more than a testament to EllisDon’s commitment to sustainable construction – it embodies our drive to lead change in the industry. For us, it is never simply about today; it’s about building a better tomorrow and shaping the future for years to come.

Thank you to the Nuts’a’maat Alliance team for this exceptional result and leading the way for sustainability in Canadian healthcare.