Biosphere Sustainability Centre is a Clean Tech Powerhouse

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/09/13/vandusen-botanical-centre-to-be-canadas-first-living-building/" target="_blank">Eco education centers</a> are all the rage right now, and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2009/05/08/residence-passive-solar-cascade-house/" target="_blank">Paul Raff Studio</a> recently unveiled the latest design to catch our eye - the <a href="http://www.paulraffstudio.com/projects/commercial/biosphere/index.php" target="_blank">Biosphere Sustainability Centre</a> in Gananoque, Canada. The multi-use facility will include exhibition and conference facilities, office space, a market hall and artisan studios as well as a plethora of green building strategies. Renewable energy will be harvested from a variety of sources while sustainable landscaping and a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/02/15/leed-platinum-vancouver-convention-center-has-north-americas-largest-green-roof/" target="_blank">green roof</a> will round out the project.

The centre, which will be built on a brownfield site, will include facilities for exhibitions, conferences, a market, offices and artisan studios.

The most striking feature of the centre will be its atmospheric canopy which has a number of green features, including solar energy generation, shade creation, and rainwater collection.

In the winter, collected rainwater and melted snow will be used to create fantastic ice sculptures.

The new centre is an adaptive reuse of an 11,508 sq m brownfield site near the Thousand Islands in Gananoque, Canada.

The building will be surrounded by extensive landscaping to regenerate the former brownfield site.

The site is located on the river front at the confluence of the Gananoque River and the St. Lawrence River.

Various exhibition spaces, an auditorium, sculpture gardens, office space, and more are included in the centre.

The roof canopy includes photovoltaics, a rainwater collection system, a flora and fauna catalyst, eco-membranes and support structures.

Existing facilities and infrastructure will be reused, including a warehouse.

The side elevations of the centre.