Light House Sustainable Building Centre
Location
2060 Pine Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
V6J 4P8
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Certifications & Awards
- LEED Canada for Commercial Interiors (registered)
Project Team
- Owner: Simon Fraser University
- Architect: Omicron Architecture Engineering Construction Ltd.
- Mechanical Engineer: Omicron Architecture Engineering Construction Ltd.
- Electrical Engineer: Omicron Architecture Engineering Construction Ltd.
- Energy Analysis: Light House
- Contractor: Omicron Architecture Engineering Construction Ltd.
- Funders and Supporters: Vancity; Real Estate Foundation; over 200 businesses
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Summary
Light House is Canada’s first sustainable building centre, which opened its new 5,400-square feet (approximately 502 square metre) facility at 2060 Pine Street in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. Open six days a week, Light House was a combination of green building gallery and tradeshow with ongoing displays and exhibitions to inspire and inform visitors and to help companies make new business connections. Light House also housed a green building library and an education centre. Founded in November 2005 by Simon Fraser University and Ecotrust Canada, Light House is a broadly supported non-profit market catalyst funded by the business community and its own programs and services.
Light House’s professional staff now provide research, advisory and project management services to businesses, policy makers and the real estate and construction industries. Our projects cut across all scales of building and development, from buildings to regions, and across the residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial sectors.
Light House’s Sustainability Series is the premiere source for intelligence on Canada’s green building sector. Breakfast seminars, panel discussions, networking events and special presentations help industry members stay in touch with critical issues connect with leading industry representatives. http://www.sustainablebuildingcentre.com/seminar-series/
The new Light House building is a former popcorn factory, which was rehabilitated as a living laboratory for innovative concepts and technologies relating to clean energy, resource management, and community economic development.
The revolving exhibition was anchored by the permanent Zero Waste Home exhibit, which presented the issues of water conservation, solid waste, health and climate change impacts of buildings. The interactive display included a bathroom connected to a Brac greywater recycling system, a show kitchen by Pacific Rim, Szolyd, Hettich and PJ Whites, with energy efficient appliances from Midland Appliance. Plumbing fixtures were provided by Sustainable Solutions international.
Light House also highlighted local materials and products such as Dinoflex recycled rubber flooring, Cloverdale Horizon ultra-low VOC paint, SunPod greenhouses, Innotech high-performance windows, CGC drywall and ceiling products, Global Garage coatings and Apex Foundation systems. The high-efficiency lighting with wireless controls, daylight sensors and dimmable ballasts were locally manufactured by Surrey-based Ledalite. Full-size wall assemblies illustrated rammed earth, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and passivhaus systems. Development, realty and financing solutions were also showcased by ecoEquity, Klio and Sutton Realty.
There was an installed living wall, and BCIT and Soprema had green roof models on display. Mitsubishi, BC Hydro, Refrigerated Supply and Geotility demonstrated a range of innovative and efficient heating and cooling systems. Sustainable wood products were profiled by Fama Industries and Forestry Innovations Investment and enhanced by a dedicated display on the applications of pine-beetle wood. The City of Vancouver presented detailed information about its various green building policies.
Other green products still incorporated in Light House’s office include carpet tiles by Shaw and Interface, DIRTT modular partitioning system, natural plasters by American Clay, Teknion furniture with recycled polyester fabrics, and Herman Miller workstations. Caroma low-flow faucets and dual-flush toilets help to create water efficiencies. A Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC system efficiently heats and cools the space by moving heat from areas with a cooling demand to those with a heating demand; and an instant hot water system also contributes to energy savings. The centre’s dedicated bike rack and location at Fourth Avenue and Burrard Street near public transit support alternative transportation strategies.
