North Vancouver

Posted December 2005

The City of North Vancouver is pleased to announce that the Silva Building, a new mixed residential and commercial high rise in the 100 block of West 16th Street, has just received LEED certification. Completed in February 2005, the Silva is the first residential building in Canada to achieve this certification, and represents the City’s commitment to pursue opportunities that support its goals for a sustainable community.

LEED, also known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green building rating system that sets the national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable building. Administered by the Canada Green Building Council, LEED is the most widely recognized third-party standards and verification tool for sustainable building practices.

The Silva’s green building design provides the following environmental benefits:

• 60 percent reduction in water use compared to Greater Vancouver Regional District average;
  
• 27 percent decrease in rate and quantity of stormwater run off;
  
• 14 percent energy reduction vs. standard practice = $16,500 annual energy saving;
  
• 83 percent construction waste recycled;
  
• 13 percent total recycled content in building materials;
  
• 57 percent materials manufactured regionally;
  
• 25 percent materials harvested or extracted regionally; and
  
• 100 percent of interior paints adhesives, sealants, and carpets are healthy, low-VOC (volatile organic chemicals) products.

The building also scored points for being located in the City’s Central Lonsdale Town Centre, where convenient access to services and transportation allows for fewer trips by private car for residents.

The LEED Certificate was presented to City Council by David Sprague of West Coast Projects LTD. and was credited for turning an Official Community Plan vision of sustainable development into a successful, market-driven reality.

For more information on the Silva Building, click here.