Improving Industrial Spaces for People & Performance
Spanning more than 1.1 million square feet across four industrial buildings in Surrey, British Columbia, South Surrey Business Park, Buildings 1, 2, 3 & 4, presented an opportunity to improve the performance of an existing warehouse portfolio while creating a healthier indoor environment for the people who work there.
A key focus of the project was upgrading ventilation within the warehouse areas. Retrofitting ventilation equipment into existing large-volume industrial spaces presented its own set of challenges, requiring the systems to be integrated into the existing buildings while accommodating their operational requirements. The upgrades provide increased outdoor air ventilation and support improved indoor air quality for warehouse employees, helping create a more comfortable working environment.
The buildings also pursued LEED Gold & Silver certification under the Operations & Maintenance (O+M) rating system. Achieving a high level of LEED performance within an existing industrial portfolio requires a different approach than designing a new building, with certification dependent on both the physical characteristics of the facilities and how they are operated and maintained over time. Energy performance, water use, waste management, sustainable purchasing, indoor environmental quality, and ongoing operational practices were all considered as part of the process.
With relatively few industrial warehouse facilities achieving LEED O+M Gold certification in Canada, the project presented a meaningful challenge and required close coordination between engineering, building operations, and sustainability objectives.
The completed retrofit demonstrates how existing industrial buildings can be thoughtfully upgraded to address both environmental performance and the day-to-day experience of the people who occupy them. By combining targeted ventilation improvements with a comprehensive LEED O+M strategy, South Surrey Business Park provides a practical example of advancing sustainability within an existing warehouse portfolio.
