International case studies

The City of White Rock Operations Building achieved a gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for its green design. It has a green roof which helps prevent heat gain to the internal environment. It is also designed to allow natural ventilation throughout the building. The heating and cooling of the building is assisted by a heat pump system using stormwater collected from the city streets. A solar thermal system provides hot water.

Dockside Green is a 15-acre mixed-use site in Canada, designed holistically to function as a total environmental system. Phase One of the site has been completed and has achieved platinum LEED certification. The same level of certification is being targeted for the rest of the site on completion. The site has been designed to be greenhouse gas emission neutral with the incorporation of an integrated energy system. This system may even produce excess energy which can be sold back to the grid. The system includes a biomass plant for heating and hot water. Other sustainable features include energy efficiency features, on-site waste water treatment, green roofs and a car co-op.

The Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues in Vancouver was designed by Stantec Architecture and completed in 2000. Project goals for this project were identified in day-long workshops that were attended by stakeholders and project team members. The team was expected to meet a rigorous mandate with 60 sustainable project goals identified. Several sustainable features were included in the building such as:

• natural ventilation
• thermal mass
• energy efficiency
• water efficiency
• heating of hot water using waste heat
• use of salvaged materials
• efficient use of building materials.

The building was designed and constructed to integrate with the natural environment. Its positioning and orientation were chosen to optimise daylighting and solar gain, given the shading by the surrounding forest. Computer modelling was used as an aid to the design of the building form to ensure effective air movement for natural ventilation.