The Leaf is an incredible space that brings people together with beautiful plants, calming atmosphere, and opportunities to help us learn more about our world. What makes The Leaf even more remarkable is the building received a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Standard certification, globally recognizing it as a symbol of sustainability achievement.
This is a big deal. The Leaf’s design is helping pave the way toward a more sustainable future with healthier infrastructure for the planet and those visiting.
But how did The Leaf achieve this high standard of excellence in sustainability? Here are just a few sustainability features of The Leaf that make it a special place to visit.
Heating and Cooling Systems
Between Winnipeg’s cold winters and hot summers, how we heat and cool The Leaf inside is important. Between passive ventilation, the sun’s heat, the geothermal system, and so much more, various systems within the building are working together to create a comfortable experience for all our visitors and plants!
Fun Fact: Ever notice the misting fans in the Grand Alleé? It helps provide evaporative cooling! By drawing in warm air and adding misted water, cooler air sinks to the pedestrian level to ensure everyone feels more comfortable! The misting fans are more environmentally friendly than traditional air conditioning, which emits harmful gases into the atmosphere.
Lighting the Biomes
Did you know that the biomes in The Leaf are lit using a system of LED lights and reflector mirrors? This lighting system allows light to diffuse naturally – think moonlight more than the sun’s light! The LED lights are in the Diagrid (the geometric steel pole in the middle of the building holding The Leaf up), and they project upward to the mirrors, which send the diffused light downward.
Recycling The Old for The New
Recycling old and new materials was incredibly important during the construction of The Leaf. Through recycling and diversion efforts, during the construction process, we saved…
- 514,871 kW hours of electricity, enough to power 515 homes for a month
- 34 barrels of oil, enough energy to heat or cool 86 homes for a month
- 1,018,037 litres of water, enough to meet the water needs of 13,574 people
… and so much more!
Fun Fact: After demolishing the 100-year-old Assiniboine Park Conservatory in 2018, we saved glass from the building to allow its legacy to live on within The Leaf. Head up to the second floor of The Leaf on your next visit and look on the ground. If you see a special sparkle shining through, that’s light reflecting from the small pieces of glass of the old Conservatory we embedded into the concrete floor!
There’s so much more to learn about how The Leaf continues to support the environment through its sustainability features.
- Join our Sustainability Tour at The Leaf, where we dive into more features that helped The Leaf receive its LEED Gold Standard. (Tours run year-round but spots are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. No indoor biome admission required.)
- Check out our newest display at The Leaf – Green Thumbs, Green Future: The Sustainable Garden until June 1! This display invites visitors to learn more about sustainable gardening and the sustainability features of The Leaf. (Biome admission required.)
