As the old saying goes: "Some people like to talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk. One visit to Honda's Markham, Ontario campus is all it takes to realize the great importance Honda places on respecting and protecting the environment, and that here, the country's environmental sustainability is taken very seriously.
The Honda campus comprises three buildings: the 138,000-square-foot, four-storey head office; the 71,000-square-foot R&D, engineering and technical center; and the 224,000-square-foot parts distribution center. Each of these buildings was designed to meet the rigorous standards of the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. The head office building has been awarded LEED® Gold certification.
Achieving LEED® certification requires rigorous planning, unwavering commitment and flawless execution. Here are just a few of the innovations at the Honda campus:
- The orientation of each building optimizes energy efficiency to reduce heating needs in winter and cooling needs in summer.
- The heating source is located under a raised floor for better heat distribution and reduced energy consumption.
- The lighting system automatically adjusts to the amount of natural light entering the building. The lighting also switches off when no-one is in certain areas of the floors.
- Rainwater running off the roof of the warehouse is collected and stored in underground basins for irrigation purposes.
Rainwater accumulated on parking surfaces is collected and biofiltered, before being channelled into the public sewer system.