With the opening of the Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion, Western has taken a step towards a greener community.
Opened on Saturday, the building — a 45,000-square-foot, four-storey home to newer and greener technological equipment — is the product of various donations from the London area.
“This is a great accomplishment for us,” said Hugo De Lasa, professor in the department of chemical and biochemical engineering at Western. “We are really concerned about clean energy and green technology for the future.”
Labelled the “Green” building, the Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion will be the first building at Western to be constructed under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification standard.
The building’s extensive research facility will include solar panels and a heating and cooling system powered by thermal energy. It will also allow research and teaching to be integrated into the buildings operations.
“Its important to have support in our activities and public awareness in the Western community is a great start,” De Lasa added. “Our main focus is to analyze the overall impact with respect to the environmental scene.”
— Jessica Gibbens