VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre

Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation

Canada

British Columbia

Vancouver

Building

Commercial

Environmental

The Visitor's Centre at VanDusen Gardens, designed to resemble a pacific orchid, has no straight lines or right angles. It is the most sustainable building possible and has received both LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge Petal Certifications. The result is a building that nets zero annual water and energy use. It incorporates rammed earth walls, a blackwater treatment system, a rain harvesting system, solar hot water panels, a green roof, natural ventilation, and a unique curved roof. This project challenged our team and drove them to find innovative solutions to one-of-a-kind problems and to deliver on a fast-tracked construction schedule. 

This project won the 2014 World Architecture New, Most Sustainable Building of the Year and the 2012 VRCA Gold Award of Excellence for Sustainable Construction.