BUILDING GREEN in the PCL family of companies means developing and implementing cost-effective sustainable solutions with our customers that add real business value to their projects. This real business value translates into a higher return-on-investment using construction methods and materials that minimize harmful effects to people and the environment while reducing long-term maintenance costs. That’s what BUILDING GREEN at PCL is all about.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

The PCL family of companies is growing its commitment to sustainability by building green inside and out. We are expanding our green programs and practices internally to demonstrate this commitment and enhancing our green building expertise to serve our customers with the latest in sustainable construction solutions.

Our LEED Accredited Professionals

There are more than one hundred LEED Accredited Professionals in PCL’s independent operations across North America who know what it takes to build green. And… more than another 150 PCL employees are in the process of receiving this designation.

Our LEED Accredited Professionals have a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles including the LEED Rating System. Their knowledge and skills in sustainable construction helps them steward our customers through the process of what building green is in detail including how it can help add business value to a project. Our professionals provide expert advice if our customers choose to use the LEED rating system, other sustainable building systems, or any other green building techniques.

PCL Now Sixth on Top Green Contractors List 

PCL has jumped to sixth place in Engineering News-Record’s 2008 ranking of the Top 100 Green Contractors in the United States – up thirty-five places from 2007! Sub-rankings of the 2008 list place PCL second in retail and fourth in health care. 

What’s Involved?

PCL's team approach involves working with the design team and client to determine overall long-term cost benefits to incorporating sustainable practices, starting with design through construction and life of the facility. Our professionals help take our customers through the systems that take advantage of natural energy (e.g., solar chimneys, remote air intake systems) and incorporate construction materials with low toxic emissions or a high-recycled content. For example, in the case of the demolition and construction of new facilities, we can recycle construction waste materials by using them on our projects (e.g., use excavated material for backfill and road-building use), or to recycling facilities in the region. These are just examples of what we do to help our customers build green.

The PCL family of companies is a corporate member of the United States Green Building Council who developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) with their own evaluation standard (LEED Canada) adapted and modified from the USGBC standard.

Projects

The PCL family of companies demonstrates our commitment to building green by construction of our own sustainable training and professional development centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The Centennial Learning Centre (CLC) at PCL's North American Headquarters in Edmonton achieved a LEED Gold certification, the first private building in Alberta to receive this designation. The CLC opened in 2006 to commemorate 100 years of construction excellence at PCL. Read more about the CLC.

For more information on building green with PCL, contact Joe Watson in Canada at 905-276-7600 or Dale Kain in the United States at 303-365-6475.

Visit our What We Do/Buildings/Specialized Expertise/Building Green page for information on some of our green projects.