Visiting a 'Living Building' construction site next week as part of my Materials and Processes class. Van Dusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre trying to be the first Canadian project to be certified as a 'Living Building'.
Essentially the principle surrounding this certification is the requirement to run for a year with no external water or power demands. All rainwater is collected and the building is powered by photovoltaic cells. Quite outstanding.
I'm eagerly awaiting this visit, and with Ledcor as the main contractor, things will certainly progress smoothly. But you have to wonder, is this idea going to go further than a one-off. Great news for the city of Vancouver if it does end up being the first 'Living Building' to be certified. Beyond LEED design, this is a truly exciting prospect.
Question is, can this idea become mainstream and perhaps more importantly, can it be applied to larger building that have a larger carbon/resource footprint. I'll leave it at that.
Here's the info on the Living Building certification - click here
Cheers for now,
Ashley
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