Built environment
With 14 campuses totaling over 3 million square feet of indoor space located in communities across our province, thousands of people interact with our buildings every day.
The energy used to power and heat our buildings has a direct impact on our greenhouse gas emissions, and our infrastructure can also have hidden impacts on both natural ecosystems and social equity.
To embrace this broader definition of sustainable development, we follow industry-leading operations and maintenance practices at our facilities, and we employ sustainable design and construction principles in our new construction projects.
Our goals include reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, making our facilities more accessible, and creating more community supports as we expand our on-campus housing solutions.
Goals for 2022/23
- Continue to advance sustainability agenda in our three new student housing projects, as well as our new campus in downtown Sydney.
Recap of 2021/22
- Kicked off new student housing projects at Akerley, Ivany, and Pictou Campuses to assist in tackling the housing crisis.
New Sydney waterfront campus
Construction of NSCC’s newest campus is well underway, and it will demonstrate how NSCC Strives to be a leader in terms of sustainability in the built environment. The 305,000 sq. ft. Campus in Sydney, Nova Scotia’s downtown core is being built to withstand forecasted sea level rise for the next 100 years.
The street-spanning facility is also equipped with geothermal heating and cooling systems and will have a pathway to net zero performance with the future addition of solar panels on its roof. As the province works to increase its reliance on affordable, renewable energy sources, the new campus will be ready to lead the way.
Student housing projects
With housing occupancy and cost at an all-time high in Nova Scotia, some students have struggled to secure sustainable housing arrangements. To help address this, NSCC is currently building student housing at Akerley, Ivany, and Pictou Campuses in partnership with the Provincial Government. These three buildings will provide 350 additional beds and a total of 168,000 square feet with the objective of providing safe, affordable, accessible and inclusive housing options on campus.
NSCC is also using this opportunity to see through its commitment to sustainable buildings. These projects will achieve the latest standards in environmental sustainability and carbon reduction with goals to attain LEED v4.1, and Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certifications. This will further advance resilient infrastructure and climate action at the College while enriching life on campus and providing increased opportunities for individuals to access quality education.
Student housing highlights
- 350 additional beds
- 168,000 square feet
- Safe, affordable, accessible and inclusive housing
Project renderings and photos
Akerley Campus student housing rendering
Ivany Campus student housing rendering
Pictou Campus student housing rendering
Drone photo of Truro Campus
Accessibility
In 2021, 26% of NSCC's student population of 10,049 self-identified as having a disability. The highest rate in Canada
Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017, Statistics Canada
In partnership with the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (CONSUP), NSCC has worked to develop a shared vision and commitment for accessibility for Nova Scotia's post-secondary sector that could inform the development of these institutional accessibility plans. The result was the Nova Scotia Post-Secondary Accessibility Framework. Guided by this document, NSCC recently launched Setting the Stage: A Social Justice Approach to Accessibility, NSCC's Accessibility Plan 2022-2025.
Efforts are underway to complete accessibility audits at all NSCC campuses as it relates to compliance with building codes. The audits will help the Facilities team better plan and prioritize future work and create cost estimates for each campus.
To date, three campus audits have been completed. Two NSCC Campuses – Ivany Campus and the Institute of Technology Campus - have been Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certified (RHFAC) through the RHFAC Program.
Under NSCC's Accessibility Plan, all new buildings — including the Sydney Waterfront Campus and the new student housing facilities – have been designed and are being built in accordance with the accessibility standards and guidelines of the RHFAC Program.