Perkins+Will announced that the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre received Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certification by the International Living Future Institute.
The certification is the most advanced measurement of sustainability in the built environment and recognizes projects in performance categories called Petals. The VanDusen Visitor Centre achieved certification in the categories of Site, Materials, Health and Beauty.
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre was inspired by the form and natural systems of a native orchid. Representing undulating petals, the roof appears to float above the building’s curved walls and flows from a central oculus and into the surrounding landscape. A multi-disciplinary design team that included architects, engineers, landscape architects, and ecologists collaborated to integrate natural and human systems in order to restore and enhance the ecological integrity of the site.
The Visitor Centre achieved LEED Canada-NC 1.0 Platinum Certified by the Canada Green Building Council and was named “Most Sustainable Building of the Year” in 2014 by World Architecture News. The project’s many innovations include: the procurement of healthy building materials; the integration of on-site renewable resources, along with passive design strategies, to significantly reduce energy consumption; the use of filtered rainwater for the building’s greywater requirements; and the treatment of 100% of blackwater by an on-site bioreactor.
“Almost a decade ago the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation commissioned Perkins+Will to create a signature, green facility to serve as a model of sustainable building for the City of Vancouver, to reflect its goal of becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020, and to raise the profile of the garden, both locally and internationally,” says Danica Djurkovic, Director of Facilities Planning and Development, City of Vancouver. “I am proud to say this project has exceeded our expectations. Since its opening, the garden has experienced a 50% increase in visitors and revenue and the Visitor Centre has become one of the most iconic buildings in Vancouver and in Canada.”
The VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre is the first project in Vancouver to be Living Building Challenge Petal certified and is one of only a handful of projects registered in British Columbia.
The Building Team included: Perkins+Will (architect), Ledcor Construction (contractor), Fast + Epp (SE), Integral Group (ME, EE), and R.F. Binnie & Associates (CE).
Related Stories
Government Buildings | Aug 7, 2023
Nearly $1 billion earmarked for energy efficiency upgrades to federal buildings
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently announced plans to use $975 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding for energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades to federal buildings across the country. The investment will impact about 40 million sf, or about 20% of GSA’s federal buildings portfolio.
Codes and Standards | Aug 7, 2023
Cambridge, Mass., requires net-zero emissions for some large buildings by 2035
The City of Cambridge, Mass., recently mandated that all non-residential buildings—including existing structures—larger than 100,000 sf meet a net-zero emissions requirement by 2035.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 31, 2023
6 multifamily housing projects win 2023 LEED Homes Awards
The 2023 LEED Homes Awards winners in the multifamily space represent green, LEED-certified buildings designed to provide clean indoor air and reduced energy consumption.
Sustainability | Jul 27, 2023
USGBC warns against building energy code preemptions, rollbacks
In a recent editorial, the USGBC cited a growing number of U.S. state legislators who are “aiming to roll back building energy code standards and/or preempt local governments from advancing energy-efficient building codes.”
Resiliency | Jul 27, 2023
'Underground climate change' can damage building foundations, civil infrastructure
A phenomenon known as “underground climate change” can lead to damage of building foundations and civil infrastructure, according to a researcher at Northwestern University. When the ground gets hotter, it can expand and contract, causing foundations to move and sometimes crack.
Sustainability | Jul 19, 2023
California lawmakers approve governor’s plan to accelerate green construction
California lawmakers recently approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s infrastructure streamlining plan that aims to accelerate clean energy and infrastructure projects.
Sustainability | Jul 13, 2023
Deep green retrofits: Updating old buildings to new sustainability standards
HOK’s David Weatherhead and Atenor’s Eoin Conroy discuss the challenges and opportunities of refurbishing old buildings to meet modern-day sustainability standards.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Codes | Jul 10, 2023
Water Demand Calculator outperforms traditional plumbing codes for energy, carbon, and water savings
Using IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator tool can result in energy, carbon, and water savings as compared to using traditional plumbing specification methods in plumbing codes, according to a study by Arup.
Contractors | Jun 30, 2023
Construction industry task force aims for standardized carbon reporting
A newly formed Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) task force on decarbonization and carbon reporting will address the challenges around reporting and reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry.
