Author Archives: Rick

New College Residence Earns Four “Green Keys”

A big step towards sustainability!

From the establishment of the first residence building, New College has been committed to growth. The personal growth of our community’s diverse and dynamic members and our growth as an institution have remained priorities; our dedication to improving our environmental performance is the latest testament to this commitment.

A series of renovations have transformed the College’s physical spaces over the last five years allowing for the implementation of sustainable practices such as water and energy conservation, solid waste management, community outreach and indoor air quality management. By incorporating sustainability goals into the planning process for all renovation and construction projects the College has been able to reduce environmental impacts through reduced utility consumption.

Our green projects have targeted the entirety of the college. The cafeteria’s windows have been fitted with a solar film to reduce the amount of heat absorbed from the sun in the summer thus decreasing the need for air conditioning to regulate indoor temperatures. Solar sensors have been installed to detect natural lighting levels from the sun and accordingly adjust indoor lighting to minimize energy consumption. Five filtered water bottle refill stations have replaced pre-existing water fountains. Coupled with a policy against disposable water bottles, the stations have saved over 110,000 to date. Bulbs throughout the college have been replaced with LED bulbs in order to conserve energy.

It is this commitment that has earned New College a ‘4 key’ rating (out of 5) from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program this winter. The program is designed to recognize accomplishments in environmental management and corporate social responsibility, with thousands of organizations participating across North America. New College is committed to improving its sustainability efforts and reducing its footprint and it is our hope that our continuing dedication will allow us to win the elusive ‘fifth key’ quite soon.

For more information about the Green Key Eco-Rating program please visit: http://www.greenkeyglobal.com/

Front Desk undergoes renovation

New College’s front desk and entrance (located at 40 Willcocks Street) has been renovated this past winter in order to improve service, accessibility, efficiency and over all customer experience. The front desk has been equipped with 2 windows for quicker service, improving our accessibility to our guests.

The expansion of the front desk space allows for more storage and additional computer terminals thus improving our efficiency and cutting down on guest wait times. These wonderful renovations to the front desk have served to further enhance the other convenient services offered such as transit TTC token sales, stamp sales and the provision of various University of Toronto and Toronto Tourism maps. We look forward to seeing you there soon!

New Elevators at New

All three of our residence halls now boast brand new elevators for our guest’s convenience. The elevators in our residences are all well lit with LED lights in order to reduce energy consumption. They provide ample space to facilitate the move-in and move-out process.

Additionally, they are now conveniently operated on a fob key (as well as all the stairwells). Guest security, convenience and experience is our priority and we hope you will make use of these great improvements!

Come Lounge at New!

Looking for a great place to study, hold meetings or socialize? All three New College main lounges (Wilson Lounge, Wetmore Lounge and the 45 Willcocks Atrium) can provide you with just that! The College’s lounge spaces now boast new comfortable and stylish couches and plenty of table space making them an ideal location for our guests to enjoy. Located next to large outdoor facing windows and fitted with updated lighting fixtures our lounge spaces are a great space for indoor studying and recreation while being steps away from our outdoor quad area. For guest convenience our lounges are equipped with filtered water bottle refill stations. Remember to always carry your refillable water bottle! The lounge space in Wilson hall is located next to the Coffee Shed which offers coffee, tea and other great snacks. We hope to see you lounging around New!

For more information about the Coffee Shed visit: http://thevarsity.ca/2006/03/20/selling-more-than-just-coffee/