Construction on the center started this past May and it is expected to be completed by March of 2011. The Botanical Garden hopes that the new center will increase the number of visitors to 300,000 people annually while providing a place for education and inspiration. The Government of Canada, the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the VanDusen Botanical Garden have pooled an investment of over $19.4 million to build the new center.
Busby Perkins + Will has designed the center to meet the Living Building Challenge 2.0 (as per the Cascadia Green Building Council) as well as LEED Platinum standards. To receive its Living Building certification, the center will have to operate for 12 months with net zero energy while providing all of its own water. If everything goes as planned, the center could be Canada’s first Living Building.
Looks great but also sounds like the perfect environment to grow mold.