Olympic Athlete’s Village: Greenest Neighborhood in the World
Posted By Bridgette Meinhold On February 17, 2010 @ 11:09 am In Architecture,Sustainable Building | 3 Comments
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The 2010 Vancouver Olympics [5] has yet another feather to add to their cap – they now have the greenest neighborhood in the world. Yesterday, Millennium Waters, the Olympic Athlete’s Village [6] located on Southeast False Creek across from the BC Place Stadium, received LEED Platinum Certification for the entire neighborhood as well as LEED Gold status for all of the buildings included. Millennium Water is only the second neighborhood to receive LEED Platinum status [7], with the first being Dockside Green [7] in Victoria, British Columbia. With super energy efficient residential units, close proximity to the city center, a renewable energy heating system and a net zero energy building, this village is sure make other eco-developments [8] green with envy.
During the Olympics [9], the neighborhood, which was formerly an industrial site, houses about 2,600 athletes and coaches. After the Olympics end, the neighborhood becomes Millennium Water, a mixed-used residential and commercial neighborhood. Individuals will be able to buy condos in the passively designed buildings, most of which will be high end real estate, but the project does include some affordable housing [10]. Natural and non-toxic building materials were used inside each condo, and residents can monitor their energy [11] and water use.
Rainwater is used to help flush the toilets and the entire complex is heated by sewage. Renewable energy systems, like solar panels [12] and solar hot water systems generate power for the households and there is even a net-zero energy building [13] on the site. The neighborhood is a true mixed-use complex with both residential as well as commercial and plenty of common use spaces and gardens. Learn more about the design and construction process of this impressive neighborhood at the Challenge Series [14] which documents the entire process as a way to educate and inspire communities, professionals, owners and builders seeking to create meaningful opportunities out of the challenges of climate change.
+ Millennium Water [15]
Via CTV British Columbia [16]
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URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/olympic-athletes-village-greenest-neighborhood-in-the-world/
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[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/olympic-athletes-village-greenest-neighborhood-in-the-world/
[4] Image: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/17/olympic-athletes-village-greenest-neighborhood-in-the-world/leed-certified-olympic-athletes-village-4/
[5] 2010 Vancouver Olympics: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/15/leed-platinum-vancouver-convention-center-has-north-americas-largest-green-roof/
[6] Olympic Athlete’s Village: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/07/10/2010-winter-olympics-going-green/
[7] LEED Platinum status: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/08/13/british-columbia-dockside-green/
[8] other eco-developments: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/08/18/olympic-village-receives-leed-gold/
[9] Olympics: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/12/are-the-vancouver-olympics-still-green-after-trucking-in-snow/
[10] affordable housing: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/22/ironhorse-industrial-land-transformed-into-sustainably-built-affordable-housing/
[11] energy: http://inhabitat.com../energy
[12] solar panels: http://inhabitat.com../solar-power/
[13] net-zero energy building: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/29/curvaceous-solar-fablab-house-set-to-rock-european-solar-decathlon/
[14] Challenge Series: http://www.thechallengeseries.ca/
[15] + Millennium Water: http://www.millenniumwater.com/
[16] CTV British Columbia: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100216/bc_false_creek_sustainability_100216/20100216?hub=BritishColumbia
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