"The 186,260-square-foot office is designed to exemplify sustainable design principles, while combining a sense of open public access with high security."

"To address the security issue, the Jean Canfield Building is designed with a central atrium. Public access is restricted to the ground floor, but visitors see open mezzanine levels above them. The atrium also allows for maximal daylighting, which not only reduces long-term energy costs, but contributes to a more pleasant working environment. Indoor environmental quality, a key LEED consideration, has demonstrable impact on productivity."

"The building uses low-flow fixtures and collects rainwater to flush toilets. 'We're using 80% less potable water than an equivalent office building,' says Richard Williams, vice president and practice leader of architecture and sustainability for HOK. HVAC features include giant concrete floor slabs for cooling, a tie-in to Charlottetown's existing District Energy System for warming, and a separate ventilation system that exhausts office air into the atrium after it passes through a heat exchanger to conserve energy. These features use about 54% less energy than average, and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions significantly."

Completion is expected in spring of 2007.

Source: "Built-in Climate Control," Canadian Business, April 24, 2006, by Sarah B. Hood.