New LEED-certified building at CFB Gagetown. (CBC)A new building at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown is the first National Defence facility in Canada to meet a tough North American standard for environmentally friendly construction, officials say.

The 247-bed residence and reporting centre for personnel is also the first residential building in New Brunswick to be certified to the LEED standards — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The building has made extensive use of recycled materials and diverted about 70 per cent of construction waste from landfills for recycling and re-use, said project manager Fred Boyle.

'LEED Silver, that this building has been certified to, is the target that we aim for in all of our new construction.'—DND Assistant Deputy Minister Scott Stevenson

"Drywall can go back to the manufacturer and be reused. Lumber can be reused for other uses. Simple things like that," he said.

"Energy-efficient lighting, energy-efficient boilers using natural gas, just the general design: making the envelope of the building as efficient as possible."

The building also has a system to collect rainwater from the roof for low-volume flush toilets, which will reduce water use by about 40 per cent.

And it has high-efficiency natural gas furnaces and airtight construction, which are expected cut energy costs by about 34 per cent.

Will serve as model

Assistant Deputy Defence Minister Scott Stevenson says similar techniques will be used in other new construction. (CBC)The Department of National Defence plans to use similar techniques in other new construction, said Assistant Deputy Defence Minister Scott Stevenson.

"LEED Silver, that this building has been certified to, is the target that we aim for in all of our new construction," he said. "So that'll help in terms of trying to reduce energy consumption and our costs and our impact on the environment."

Under the Canada First Defence Strategy, the department is aiming to replace 25 per cent of its infrastructure over the next 10 years, Stevenson said.

"So, green building standards should be incorporated in that new construction."

One of the residential rooms has also been designed to be wheelchair accessible to accommodate soldiers who've been injured on duty.

Gagetown, one of the largest military bases in Canada, is about 20 kilometres from Fredericton.