Shaped like an orchid flower, the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Center will be an innovative landmark building that will welcome residents and visitors alike to the botanical garden. Currently under construction in Vancouver, BC, the project aims to achieve environmental and sustainable excellence in its design and construction. To meet this target, the building needs to receive both LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge (LBC) certifications, a first for the Lower Mainland of BC, while maintaining a unique and impressive architectural design. Having to meet such objectives impacted the building enclosure significantly and brought several challenges from a design and construction perspective.
Impact of the governing bodies on the design
Being constructed in the City of Vancouver requires that the project adhere to the city’s Green Building Strategy and Building Code as well as British Columbia’s Wood First Initiative. Although the green building strategy would be exceeded by meeting LEED Platinum, the utilization of wood products in support of the lumber industry would be a new layer added to the project. These initiatives have driven the design of some enclosure elements, the main one being the wood roof structure, a system of pre-manufactured panels consisting of plywood, glulam beams and posts were assembled on site to form each of the roof’s ‘petals’.
Requirements of the Living Building Challenge
As a step further from LEED’s point system, the LBC requires all of its twenty imperatives be met for a project to receive certification. Stringent criteria set by the LBC have affected the selection of products and composition of enclosure assemblies. From IGU setting blocks and metal flashing to large scale waterproofing membranes and manufacturing of curtain wall, the LBC has touched the enclosure with its “Red List of Materials,” “Appropriate Sourcing” and “Responsible Industry.” The balance of meeting the LBC imperatives while not sacrificing the durability of the enclosure can be difficult to achieve. This paper will discuss the considerable impacts “green” legislative initiatives and certification programs have on the realization of a building and its enclosure from start to completion. In particular, we will look at how the initial design decisions affect the overall complexity of the project, with choices, such as rammed earth walls, that are seemingly appropriate at first but trigger complications for the enclosure. We will also explore the challenges in achieving the balance between a well-functioning and durable building enclosure and the intent of sustainability.