Time & Location

May 28, 2025, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ADT

Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS B3J 1E9, Canada

About the event
The new Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre (ASEC) will be a world class research facility located in Moncton, New Brunswick. It will provide federal scientists and partners with state-of-the-art space and equipment to collaborate on research opportunities, and to understand, protect and sustain Atlantic freshwater and coastal ecosystems. The vision for ASEC is to create an innovation platform that facilitates scientific excellence, fosters partnerships and collaboration and creates opportunities for engagement with local Indigenous groups and the broader local community to contribute to inclusive growth for Canadians.
 

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has committed to achieving a carbon neutral portfolio by 2050. In this presentation we will discuss the a wide range of ambitious sustainability targets the ASEC project is pursuing in response. These include Zero Carbon and Net-Zero Energy ready, using Lab Canada’s Zero Carbon Study tool to guide the process, LEED Gold certification, and FitWel certification and we will discuss PSPC’s process for establishing and tracking these sustainability targets.

Laboratory buildings in Canada present unique challenges, but with a collaborative team effort, these obstacles can be overcome. This project has a focus on embodied carbon and material selections, and procurement practices which prioritize low-impact alternatives. We will share our team approach which involves architects, engineers, scientists, and sustainability experts, to develop integrated and innovative design solutions and discuss how collaboration fosters the identification and implementation of sustainable technologies, optimized operations, and the development of best practices for sustainable research facilities in Canada.

We will also discuss how the impact of these ambitious sustainability goals for the project extend beyond the laboratories themselves and align with the broader project objectives to create a unique and culturally significant facility that demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and wellness.

You can register for the event at the following link or by visiting the SLCan website and looking under the Events tab for the Chapter. 

Register Here

Presenters:

Mrigesh Roy, CEM, CEA, LEED AP BD+C, LEED AP ID+C, RESET AP, BEMP

Mrigesh Roy has over twelve years of experience and specializes in sustainable and high‐performance building design using advanced computation methods. He has been part of teams for many high-profile sustainability projects, including sports facilities, airports, Laboratories, universities, multifamily, and commercial offices which are LEED Gold or Platinum certified. 

Mrigesh is passionate about sustainability and has dedicated himself to this field, promoting green building strategies by working with communities to reduce carbon emissions and has a well-rounded background which utilizes a collaborative and practical approach to guide project teams to reach their sustainability, health and wellness initiatives.

Sarah Low, RIBA, LEED AP, Senior Associate, Diamond Schmitt Architects

Sarah has extensive experience in academic and institutional projects, and projects with a strong sustainable design component, targeting LEED Gold and Platinum, Net Zero energy, and Living Building Challenge, and incorporating mass timber, and urban agriculture. She is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Sarah’s architectural work with the firm has focused on the design of complex projects with numerous stakeholders that include academic facilities for universities and colleges including laboratory buildings, classroom and office buildings for arts and science faculties, trades schools, libraries, sports facilities, and an innovation centre. As Project Architect, Sarah’s completed projects include the Okanagan College Trades Renewal and Expansion Project, which achieved the ambitious sustainability target of Net Zero Energy ready and LEED Platinum, and the DARE District project at Algonquin College in Ottawa, a new LEED Gold Innovation Centre which includes a mass timber addition, and the Social Sciences Building at the University of Ottawa, a LEED Gold 25,000m2, 15-storey new academic building. She is currently working on the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre, a 40,000m2 federal government research facility. The project is targeting Net Zero Carbon, LEED Gold and Fitwel. 

Sarah is a team leader who listens carefully and thoughtfully and approaches each project with attention to detail and the inclusion of all voices.

Julia Beresford, Senior Environmental Specialist, Public Services Procurement Canada

Julia is a Senior Environmental Specialist with Public Works and Services Canada. She has a background ranging from corporate sustainability work, GHG verification of international projects as well as her current role working on Sustainable Design projects providing advice and guidance to ensure the projects compliance with the governments priorities. She also manages climate risk and vulnerability assessments, helping create a more resilient public service for Canadians.

Julia has been presenting on Sustainability and Climate Change related topics for over 17 years with extensive speaking experience ranging from international conferences to presentation to government colleagues on sustainable buildings and climate change risk and vulnerability.