Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178290
non-standard sequencing. "When Ledcor started on this project, there were no Certi ied Living Buildings in the world," says Rebecca McDiarmid, project manager for Ledcor Construction. "Most subcontractors are familiar with LEED, but the more ambitious Living Building Challenge was new to all of us." Some of the project's unique attributes from a construction point of view included atypical-sized roof panels, curtain wall sections, interior glazing, structural steel columns and concrete walls. "Given the geometry of the building, using a square gridline system was impractical," she adds. "The building structure was laid out along the curved lines the major walls follow, then the roof panels were set in place. Everything else was located relative to the structure and the roof." Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture Inc. were recruited to coordinate the landscaping around the new centre, with the mandate that the building and roof needed to appear seamless, as if they were growing out of the site. "Seventyive per cent of the signi icant trees, many of them towering Douglas irs, were retained to enhance this experience," Oberlander says. "Moreover, we designed the living roof to re lect the Paci ic Northwest coastal grassland community, including many species of plants, bulbs and grasses." "It was complicated," says Bryce Gauthier, project manager at Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture Inc. "We had to stitch a bold new landscape into an existing botanical garden – on a site that posed signi icant topographical challenge. Furthermore, the Living Building Challenge meant that many aspects of the project had to be revisited: from specs to materials to our design process. It was a challenge, particularly given the tight timelines, but it was also an amazing collaborative process." The hope is that the new Visitor Centre will connect guests with current environmental issues, maintaining a harmonious balance between architecture and landscape, both visually and ecologically. Already, the garden is reaping the fruits of its new centre, with holiday light show revenues up 50 per cent in December. "For too long, we've been a hidden garden," says Harry Jongerden, garden director. "The new Visitor Centre has such dramatic architecture that people will surely know we're here now." ■ LOCATION 5251 Oak Street Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER VanDusen Botanical Garden ARCHITECT Perkins + Will Canada Architects CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Ledcor Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Fast + Epp MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Cobalt Engineering CIVIL CONSULTANT R.F. Binnie & Associates Ltd. WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT Arden Consulting Engineers Ltd. SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT Architek BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT Morrison Hershfield Ltd. COMMISSIONING CONSULTANT KD Engineering LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture Inc. RCABC ROOF REVIEWS Levelton Consultants Ltd. TOTAL AREA 19,000 square feet TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST $21 million Proud to provide our services on the VanDusen Botanical Garden project. Tel: 604-520-5669 nsddisposal.com VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre p.60-63VanDusen.indd 63 APRIL 2012 /63 3/26/12 2:58:58 PM