MacEwan University celebrates the Gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) awarded to the Students’ Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) Building.

LEED Gold certification from the Canada Green Building Council recognizes building design and construction in terms of accessibility, location, sustainable site practices, materials used, energy efficiency, water usage and air quality.

"Earning the LEED Gold certification is about honouring our place in O'day-min, the heart of Edmonton," says Robert Sabulka, MacEwan's vice-president, Infrastructure Planning and Management. "We are being mindful of our ecological footprint and the longevity of our campus, while also ensuring our growth, our perpetual motion, is viable over the long term."

In 2006, the provincial government committed to achieving a minimum of LEED Silver for any grant-funded or government projects. Since then, MacEwan has achieved that rating with both its Robbins Health Learning Centre and the University Service Centre.

MacEwan has a history of ensuring a sustainable campus. In early 2020, the Facilities team became ISO 50001:2018 certified, a global recognition of the team's efforts to improve energy efficiency on campus. The Robbins Health Learning Centre's roof is home to a solar array pilot project that allows the campus to access a renewable source of energy. And over the past two years, the Facilities team has performed equipment upgrades and lighting retrofits to ensure ongoing efficiency.

"We really are thinking long term," Sabulka says. "We're in the middle of our 50th anniversary and we'd like to continue to have these buildings in place for the next 100 years, if possible. That's really what we're thinking about when we talk about the long-term value of our buildings and LEED helps us with that by providing a framework."