Recent Publications

August 09 - Construction Canada - The Official Publication of Construction Specifications Canada

Broadway's green roof a critical hit

The Broadway Tech Centre in Vancouver has won a Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) 2009 Award of Excellence for 'Best Commercial Intensive Rooftop Garden.'

Designed by Bunting Coady Architects, with ecological and urban design by Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture, the 7-ha (17-acre) urban business campus owned by British Columbia Investment Management Corporation is centred around eight separate buildings.

Located on a former brownfield site (an Eaton's Department Store warehouse and distribution centre), the area features multiple green roofs with drought-resistant native trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses. The mineral-rich planting soil includes decomposed bark, compost, and Fraser River pump sand, while the specially designed irrigation system halved expected water consumption.

The roofs are protected by a durable membrane to prevent leakage, while the intensive planting shields the structure from the sun to reduce temperature fluctuations and increase the roof's lifespan. The $4-million, 25,084-m2 (270,000-sf) roofscape also includes the continent's first infill sports field, café patios, entrance plazas, and treelined walkways.

It was particularly gratifying for Bunting Coady to receive recognition for this project, explained firm CEO Teresa Coady, Dip.Eng, B.Arch, MAIBC, FRAIC, LEED AP.

"The client and design team worked together for over a decade on this project, building the trust and expertise to take innovation in design to extraordinary levels," she said. "The research and development required to achieve this successful design was extensive. We now have a clear road map for the implementation of successful green roofs on future developments. We look forward to the day when the green roof, with all of its ecological benefits, becomes the urban garden of future."

GRHC announced other Canadian award-winners, including Calgary's Kerry Ross, whose work in developing the Alberta EcoRoof Initiative (AEI) network resulted in a demonstration project that has received over 200 tours per year and incorporates scientific research. Ross won a Policy Award under the Individual/Civic category.

Another Sharp & Diamond landscape project, Burnside George Community Centre in Victoria, took home honours for the Green Roof-Extensive Institutional category. This roofing assembly replaced 90 to 95 per cent of the green space lost to building development with an emphasis on esthetics, accessibility, and water preservation.

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