VanDusen Botanical Centre is Canada’s 1st Living Building

Van Dusen Green  Roof

 

Design Echoes An Orchid

Opened in October of 2011, the $19 million VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia was designed to reflect a balance between architecture, landscape, and constructability. Featuring an undulating green roof resembling an orchid, the building  is targeting LEED® Platinum certification and Living Building status.

A certified Living Building must be net-zero energy, net-zero water, non-toxic, reduce its embodied carbon footprint with carbon offsets and recycle 80 to 100 percent of construction waste generated.

Sarah Blyth_120p“It’s great to see how the new Visitor Centre has enhanced the garden’s profile. The building has become a city landmark and we’re seeing younger and more diverse guests enjoying the expanded programming,” states Vancouver Park Board Chair Sarah Blyth.

Green Roof System

The VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre features a Zinco green roof, net-zero energy consumption, black-water recycling and a host of other green features.

The design echoes the leaves of an orchid. The atrium at its center was built from rammed earth with a glass tower that provides natural daylight and exhausts hot air.

Architek Engineered Solutions for Living Buildings designed the green roof system.

To Learn More:

To watch  a time-lapse video of green roof construction, click here.