Background

Location: British Columbia, Canada

Dates: 2000

Partners: Urban Ecology Design Collaborative (UEDC)

Key Issues:Green Building Design

Funders: Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), Environment Canada, Vancouver Resource Society, Industry Canada.

Description

ICSC established a partnership with an owner/developer in order to co-develop a sustainable high-rise in downtown Vancouver. The building proposal included the following sustainable elements: integrated phovoltaic cells; high volume fly ash concrete; disabled persons access and partial care facilities; and building energy efficiency simulation analysis by Urban Ecology Design Collaborative (UEDC) which included building water usage, waste management, construction material selection and processes, and optimal building design to provide safe, comfortable, and healthy spaces for building residents. This was a real life development project where time equals money. Ultimately due to timing and the uncertainty of approvals, the owner decided to proceed with a more conventional developer. ICSC learned first hand about the barriers to innovation in building construction in Vancouver.