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Solar Photo Credit: Walter Francl Architects, 2009
All new municipal facilities over 500 sq m are required to be LEED Gold.It is the highest environmental standard required by any local government in North America. Here are two examples:
SUNSET COMMUNITY CENTRE
The Sunset Community Centre is a 30,000 square foot facility designed and built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Gold. It employs numerous energy saving features, including high efficiency glazing to
prevent heat loss, geothermal heating and cooling system, radiant floor heating, light sensors in every
room and dual flush toilets.
NATIONAL YARDS
National Works yard on Chess Street is the base for various engineering crews and equipment. It was the first building to get the Canada Green Building Council's LEED Gold certification.
Pipe-bursting, a new method of changing sewer pipes that minimizes excavation and waste, was used on some projects. The old pipe is smashed with a plug that's pulled through the pipe, the debris is embedded in the surrounding ground, and the new pipe is pulled in to replace the old one. Watch a video backgrounder on pipe bursting. 
Green buildings is one of the ten goal areas of the greenest city initiative. This is part of Vancouver's vision to be the greenest city in the world by 2020.
- Long term goal: lead the world in green building design and construction
- Target 1: require all buildings constructed from 2020 onward to be carbon neutral in operations
- Target 2: reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in existing buildings by 20% over 2007 levels
Watch this video to learn more.
Green Building
The City of Vancouver has a mandate to improve the environmental performance of our city’s buildings. Buildings account for 55% of our city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Constructing and operating buildings consumes a great deal of natural resources and produces a large volume of waste.
Green buildings minimize their impact on the environment because they utilize fewer resources and are designed with ongoing efficiency in mind. They are built to suit their intended use, the local climate and the natural environment. The healthy indoor environments of a green building can increase well-being of its occupants.
The City of Vancouver is moving towards a goal of carbon neutral buildings by 2020. Our green building program aims to not only educate about green building techniques but to align regulations and bylaws to make it easier to design and construct green buildings.
- Follow the links below to Vancouver's Green Building related policies, programs and resources:
HOMES |
New Homes |
Existing Homes |
LARGE BUILDINGS |
New Buildings |
Existing Buildings |
Follow the Green Buildings and Sustainability Program on Twitter
Green Building Council Policy Reports
- Green Rezonings Update (Jul 22, 2010)
- Green Rezoning Policy (Feb 4, 2010)
- Solar Homes Strategy (Dec 1, 2009)
- Passive Design Tool Kit (May 7, 2009)
- EcoDensity Revised Action C-10 (May 2008): Amendments to the Zoning
and Development By-law to Remove Barriers to Green Building Approaches Oct 28, 2008 - Part 3 Division B Green Building Strategy Update (Jul 22, 2008)
- Green Homes Program (Jun 26, 2008)
- Progress Report on Vancouver Green Building Strategy (May 17, 2007)
- Vancovuer Green Building Strategy (Nov 3, 2005)
- Developing a Green Building Strategy for the City of Vancouver (Jul 8, 2004)
For more information about the City's Green Building work, contact David Ramslie.
