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Vancouver Convention Centre West Vancouver, Canada LEED Certified Platinum Climate and Metrics Precipitation - Average yearly rainfall of 44 inches - The most amount of rainfall is in November with 6.58 inches - The least amount of rainfall is in July with 1.42 inches Temperature - Record high of 93.9°F - Record low of -17.8°F Sunlight - An average of 2,000 hours of sunlight per year Total EUI: 35kBtu/sf/yr Net EUI: 35kBtu/sf/yr Wind Direction: - East

Vancouver Centre Case Study

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Page 1: Vancouver Centre Case Study

VancouverConventionCentre West

Vancouver, CanadaLEED Certified Platinum

Climate and Metrics

• Precipitation

- Average yearly rainfall of 44 inches

- The most amount of rainfall is in November with 6.58 inches

- The least amount of rainfall is in July with 1.42 inches

• Temperature

- Record high of 93.9°F

- Record low of -17.8°F

• Sunlight

- An average of 2,000 hours of sunlight per year

• Total EUI: 35kBtu/sf/yr Net EUI: 35kBtu/sf/yr

Wind Direction:- East

Page 2: Vancouver Centre Case Study

• Vancouver has a mild climate, with warm summers and wet winters

• The structure is located on the south side harbor which providing cooling air from the east

• The Vancouver Convention Centre West is situated in an cool temperate west forest biome according to the Holdridge life zones system of bioclimate classification

• Sheltered by the mountains of Vancouver Island to the west the site has considerably less precipitation and more sunshine in comparison to other coastal areas in BC

Challenges and Opportunities

Challenges

• Early and afternoon sun are solar challenges

• Shading

• Storm water management during heavy precipitation in winter

Opportunities

• Maximizing sunlight collection for passive systems

• Utilizing the climate’s higher precipitation for irrigation

• Utilizing the eastern winds off the harbor as natural ventilation

• Using renewable hydroelectricity to power sea water pumps for heating and cooling

Page 3: Vancouver Centre Case Study

Site and Landscape• Located on the south side of Coal

Harbor on the fringe of a dense urban core

• Former marine industrial site, mostly contaminated ground, and covered with cement

• An annual salmon migration takes place along the edge of the harbor

• The harbor has both air and water traffic from float planes, boats, and ships. Noise pollution from the harbor is a factor

Page 4: Vancouver Centre Case Study

Active

• The interior is fitted throughout with CO2, VOC, and humidity sensors

• These can be monitored in conjunction with airflow, temperature, and lighting controls to optimize air quality room by room

• Heating and cooling system that uses harbor water

Passive and Active Mechanical Systems

Passive

• The west façade of the building includes operable windows and doors

• Dampers at the roof soffit allow natural ventilation supporting healthy indoor air

• The artificial reef design creates a tidal zone underneath the building that flushes each day with the rise and fall of the tide

Page 5: Vancouver Centre Case Study

Active

• Hand held devices allow control of individual light fixtures with different presets for a variety of event types

• Daylighting and occupancy sensors reduce the lighting loads

• All lights are cut-off to ensure the building minimizes light pollution

Passive and Active Electrical and Lighting SystemsPassive

• Ultra-clear structural glass skin surrounds the building allowing extensive daylight to permeate the building

• Shading overhangs

Page 6: Vancouver Centre Case Study

Water System• Design strategies achieve a 73% reduction in

potable water consumption utilizing low-flow fixtures and low-volume flushing

• No potable water is used for irrigation

• On site wastewater treatment plant treats 100% of graywater and blackwater to tertiary standards

• Reclaimed water meets the buildings irrigation and flushing needs for nine months of the year

• During droughts deferred scheduling ensures all irrigation demands are met

• Landscaping and the green roof 60% of the site’s stormwater runoff

• All non-absorbed stormwater is directly deposited into the harbor

• Sewage is treated on-site using a bioreactor with an ultraviolet membrane

• The building uses the constant temperature of the seawater for the heat-pump to cool it during the warmer months and heat it during the cooler months

• Direct seawater cooling will cool the building in intermediate months

Page 7: Vancouver Centre Case Study

• The Water System is integral in the design of the convention center

• The salt water pump is used for both the heating and cooling systems

• Produces both “free cooling” in summer with 2,100 tons of chilling water and produces 1,300 tons of heating (21 mil BTU/hr) in winter

• Without this, the building must seek an alternative source of heating and cooling which may not be as effective or conserve as much energy lowering their Platinum rating

• The on-site treatment facility and desalination system allows wastewater to be reused other non-potable water functions

• The system connects to the green roof for irrigation, without this system the green roof may have to rely on other means of irrigation such as use of potable water and natural rainfall

Integrated Design Example

Page 8: Vancouver Centre Case Study

Resources

http://www.aiatopten.org/node/105

ehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Vancouver

http://vancouver.weatherstats.ca/charts/rain-1year.html

http://www.vancouverconventioncentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/vancouver-convention-centre_sustainability-fact-sheet_final.pdf

http://www.vancouver.climatemps.com/

http://www.hellobc.com/vancouver-coast-mountains/climate-weather.aspx

http://www.livingin-canada.com/climate-vancouver.html

http://www.sustainabilitysolutions.ca/projects/vancouver-convention-centre-west-leed-platinum/241

http://lmnarchitects.com/assets/work/vancouver_convention_centre_west/pdfs/2011%20VCECE%20Press%20Kit.pdf

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/69/12/fe/vancouver-convention.jpg

http://buildipedia.com/images/masterformat/Channels/Go_Green/Case_Study_Vancouver_Convention_Centre/Project_Overview/4206461947_d1b89c414c_b.jpg

Critical Evaluation

• The designers of the Vancouver Convention Centre West achieved their goal of creating a habitat that caters to landscapes, humans, and marine life

• The six acre green roof is aesthetically pleasing as well as functional in reducing energy waste

• The site walls are made of wood endemic to British Columbia

• In these ways the designers have created a building that eliminates unnecessary waste

• With their building the designers created a focal point of the harbor that truly knits with the downtown core and educates visitors about the beauty and versatility of sustainable design

• I feel that this building design would only be feasible in a climate that has heavy precipitation and is located on the cusp of a water source as it is integral to the buildings heating and cooling systems. I don’t feel his design would work well in an area with low precipitation or an arid area that is prone to drought.

• The systems themselves are practical if the location is correct. This building is specifically designed to be efficient in the climate and area it is in. I feel in a drier more arid climate the green roof would suffer from lack of irrigation and the seawater heat pump would be useless if not connected to the sea or at least a larger body of freshwater if possible (I am not sure if freshwater/saltwater heat pumps are interchangeable).

• I do feel though, that if certain tweaks were implemented (considering the local materials and plant species) over the original design and that it was connected to a large salt water source, this building would do generally well with both its passive and active systems in most climates.