KEY SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES Green roof: made from local, sustainable wood Passive design: 45-50% reduction in energy use Geothermal heat pump: meets approximately 70% of heating and cooling needs Waste diversion: 98% of construction waste diverted from landfill Locally sourced materials: approximately 33% Recycled materials: approximately 18% The Whistler Public Library was the first major project to be built following the Municipality’s adoption of the Natural Step approach/ the Whistler 2020 initiative. As such, the building was intended to showcase sustainable design principles in a visually apparent manner. The green roof, fabricated from local second growth hemlock, demonstrates an aesthetically pleasing and sustainable use of “value added” wood, which is harvested, milled and prefabricated in British Columbia. READ MORE