2024 categories:
*Note: The 2024 EARTH Award is available at a Local level only.
Office Building: All office buildings with at least 50% office area are eligible. Must have at least 50% office space.
Industrial Building: All buildings, comprising a total project, to include any single building industrial properties, one to two stories in height, with more than 5% and less than 50% office area. Building(s) must have a loading dock, roll-up or sliding rear door(s) for loading, with no common lobby or corridors except for restroom vestibules and utility or fire equipment access.
Retail Building (Shopping Centre): A group of retail and other commercial establishments, either enclosed or open air, managed by one company. The entry must be managed as a single property, one to multiple levels in height with a minimum of 50% occupancy. The anchor ration must be at least 25 per cent and the property must contain at least one anchor retailer (grocery, fashion, department store, etc.).
The entry may consist of Neighborhood Centres (30,000-150,000 sf); Community Centres (100,000-400,000 sf); Power Centres (250,000-600,000 sf); Regional Shopping Centres (400,000-800,000 sf); or Super Regional Shopping Centres (800,000+ sf).
Multi-Unit Residential Building (MURB): Buildings comprised of a common entrance and separate units that are also known as apartments constructed for dwelling purposes. Must have one primary exterior door access, with each of the apartments connected by an interior door. All of the units must connect to each other (or a central corridor) by some interior door.
Low Rise (2 to 3) - building must comprise of two floors above ground, and four apartment dwelling units; Mid Rise (4 to 9); High Rise (10+); Multi-Unit Residential Building Complex (a group of buildings that have common management personnel, common management practises, and a common central plant.
Health Care Facility (hospitals/medical office buildings): General medical and surgical hospitals, critical access hospitals, and children's hospitals. These facilities provide acute care services intended to treat patients for short periods of time including emergency medical care, physician's office services, diagnostic care, ambulatory care, surgical care, and limited specialty services such as rehabilitation and cancer care.
To qualify as a Hospital, the following requirements must be met:
- more than 50% of the gross floor area of all buildings must be used for general medical and surgical services, AND;
- more than 50% of the licensed beds must provide acute care services, AND;
- these facilities must operate on a 24/7 basis, AND;
- Facilities that use more than 50% of the gross floor area for long-term care, skilled nursing, specialty care, and/or ambulatory surgical centers OR that have less than 50% of their beds licensed for acute care services are not considered eligible hospitals under this definition.
Medical office buildings that meet the following requirements:
- more than 50% of total facility space is used primarily to provide diagnosis and treatment (no major surgery) for medical, dental, or psychiatric outpatient care;
- these facilities do not operate on a 24/7 basis.
Universal Facility: There are no use restrictions or size restrictions applicable to the selection of the Universal Module. A Universal Building may be any one (or a combination of) the following building types: Adult Education, Aquarium, Automobile Dealership, Bank Branch, Bar/Nightclub, Barracks, Bowling Alley, Casino, College/University, Convenience Store with (or without) Gas Station, Convention Center, Courthouse, Data Center, Drinking Water Treatment & Distribution, Energy/Power Station, Fast Food Restaurant, Fire Station, Fitness Center/Health Club/Gym, Food Sales, Food Service, Hotel, Ice/Curling Rink, Indoor Arena, K-12 School, Laboratory, Library, Lifestyle Center, Mailing Center/Post Office, Mixed Use Property, Movie Theater, Museum, Utility, Other Stadium, Other – Education, Other – Entertainment/Public Assembly, Other – Lodging/Residential, Other – Mall, Other – Public Services, Other – Recreation, Other – Restaurant/Bar, Other – Services, Other – Technology/Science, Other – Utility, Parking, Performing Arts, Personal Services (Health/Beauty, Dry Cleaning, etc.), Police Station, Pre-school/Daycare, Prison/Incarceration, Race Track, Repair Services (Vehicle, Shoe, Locksmith, etc., Residence Hall/Dormitory, Restaurant, Retail Store, Roller Rink, Self-Storage Facility, Senior Care Community, Single Family Home, Social/Meeting Hall, Stadium (Closed), Stadium (Open), Supermarket/Grocery Store, Swimming Pool, Transportation Terminal/Station, Veterinary Office, Vocational School, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Wholesale Club/Supercenter, Worship Facility, Zoo.