Livegreen Blog
Dockside Green – zero emissions housing development in Victoria, BC, Canada
by Christiane Burklein on Friday, 20th January 2012 in Sustainable Architecture
The masterplan by the Canadian architectural studio Perkins+Will, prepared in 2005 for a 60 thousand square metre area for mixed use in the city of Victoria (Canada), required LEED Platinum certification for all constructions to make it a global showcase of sustainable “carbon neutral” development.
So far the first two phases, built over an underground parking lot, have been completed and certified: Synergy and Balance.
Synergy includes 4 buildings ranging in height from 2 to 9 floors with commercial space on the ground floor, while Balance includes 2 buildings with 10 and 11 floors and townhouses.
Both of them are part of the Dockside Green integrated energy system.
Hot water for heating and plumbing is produced by a biogas system fuelled with locally salvaged wood wastes. A water treatment facility saves 200 million litres a year, while rainwater is collected in the pools in a park that offers plenty of leisure opportunities for residents.
Other measures ensuring the development’s sustainability include rooftop gardens, car-sharing and measurement of energy conservation on the basis of “Energy Star” dictates, for instance with heat recovery, insulted windows, and shutters on the outside of the southern and western walls.
Large-scale eco-efficient construction is possible without losing sight of the human scale: with 63 points, Synergy is the project with the world’s highest LEED Platinum certification score!
Design: Perkins+Will Canada Architects Co. http://www.perkinswill.com
Location: Victoria (BC), Canada
Illustrations: Courtesy of Perkins+Will Canada Architects Co.
Prizes: Architectural Institute of British Columbia Special Jury Award, 2009 AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Green Projects, 2009 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Green Building Award of Excellence, 2009 GLOBE Awards for Environmental Excellence in Urban Sustainability, 2008 BC Hydro Power Smart Excellence Award, Innovation in Sustainable Design, 2007 Smart Growth BC, Process/Proposal Award, 2006 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Urban Design Merit Award, Approved or Adopted Urban Design Plan, 2006 Canadian Architect, Award of Excellence, 2005 Canadian Urban Institute Brownie Award, Best Overall Project, 2005 Canadian Urban Institute Brownie Award, Green Design and Technology, 2005 Planning Institute of BC, Innovation in Site Planning and Design Award, 2005
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