Case Study: Dockside Green Goes PlatinumA remediated brownfield site in Victoria, B.C. is being transformed into a green harbour-front community. Dockside Green, a 15-acre sustainable development of mixed-use buildings, will become home to about 2,500 people over the next 10 years.
The development, designed by Busby, Perkins + Will Architects and co-developed by Vancity Credit Union and Windmill Developments, will be built to the highest environmental standards possible and have the most energy-efficient buildings in Canada. The developer has even agreed to a financial penalty if Dockside Green does not achieve LEEDTM platinum certification on all its buildings. Dockside Green is on track to qualifying the first completed phase, Synergy, for platinum LEEDTM certification. Two key technologies are its onsite sewage and water reclamation plant and an onsite biomass gasification system, which will be used to heat the entire comÂmunity. Homes and buildings will feature green roofs, recycled materials, energy-efficient appliances, low-E window technology, extra insulation, compact fluoresÂcent lighting, water-efficient plumbing, rainwater-storage tanks and motion-sensor lighting. The development has already received numerous awards, including one for its "triple-bottom-line" approach, which takes into account environmental, economic and social objectives. "Creating a sustainable community means ensuring that all its components share similar values and goals," says Joe Van Belleghem, Windmill Development Group Partner. "We are attracting people interested in susÂtainable living and businesses committed to social and environmental ethics." |
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