Green Building in Canada
Dockside Green, Vancouver Island, Canada www.docksidegreen.com
The City of Vancouver has a mandate to improve the environmental performance of their buildings. Green buildings minimize their impact on the environment because they are built to suit the local climate, the natural environment and their intended use. The green building program of the City of Vancouver has the goal to educate the specific techniques and to align bylaws and regulations to facilitate the design and the construction of green buildings. The City is already developing the city-wide composting to turn waste into topsoil, and a co-generation system at the Vancouver Landfill, which captures greenhouses gases and uses them to create electricity and heat. They are leading the new green industry with clean energy, mobility and green building projects. With an increasing focus on energy-efficient buildings, a growing number of architects and developers are getting certified to become specialists in green design in Canada. Through design, material use, construction practices and operation, green buildings can be very friendly to the environment and their occupants. Canadian research and initiatives have produced on extensive array of innovative products, technologies and services. Leading research includes alternative sources of energy for residential, commercial and industrial buildings, innovative building materials and products, construction and rehabilitation techniques to maximize occupant health, energy and resource efficiency, environmental responsibility and affordability. The Canada Green Building Council is the exclusive licensee of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program in Canada. LEED has quickly evolved as the standard for green building projects of an institutional, commercial or high rise residential nature. LEED іѕ one οf thе mοѕt іmрοrtаnt trends іn development аnd іѕ revolutionizing thе construction industry. For example, “Olympic and Paralympic Village » of the Vancouver's 2010 Winter Games located at Southeast False Creek was awarded LEED ND Stage 2 Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
