The Cartierville YMCA is an 88,000 ft2 (8180 m2) building that offers aquatic, sports and recreation facilities. The project was made possible due to an innovative public-community partnership between the Quebec government, the City of Montreal and the YMCA. The owners mandated an energy-efficient HVAC design that would become a focal point of this environment-friendly building. By combining renewable geothermal energy and heat recovery systems, the mechanical engineering team was able to craft a self-financing project designed to reduce energy consumption by 54%, which translates into savings of $200,000 a year on energy-related costs.