Joe Van Belleghem described the first BCBC project to achieve a LEED v2.0 Gold certification. The design team coupled practical green design approaches with innovative community economic & social development efforts - for an exemplary result. Adaptive reuse and retrofit of the historic Glendale Lodge reduced material use, and allowed use of existing road, water and sewer services, with significant site development cost savings.

The comprehensive site planning process was done in collaboration with the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, who identified and protected significant trees, creating a wildlife corridor with new trails lined with fruit and nut bearing trees for birds. HCP’s landscape plan uses only native plant species, minimizing irrigation, and allows an Integrated Pest Management program to reduce pesticide use. Green site space was increased to a total of 75% for the development, with 99% of the existing trees preserved; stormwater runoff from the site was actually reduced. Paved asphalt was replaced with an innovative grass paving and stabilized gravel driving aisle system – now being manufactured on Vancouver Island, once it was discovered there was no local supplier. The building is expected to save 27.5% of the energy consumption of an ASHRAE/IESNA standard 90.1 –1999 energy cost budget, due to its water loop heat pump system and efficient lighting; and is the first large BC application of waterless urinals -- with both water and capital cost savings.

Water issues are making headlines: the Walkerton disaster, stream & salmon protection, well contamination, septic system failures and water shortages are affecting us all. Addressing these problems is a daily reality for ecologically-aware designers, planners and builders - and EcoDesign Resource Society teamed up with the BC Institute of Technology to host a mini-trade show and project showcase in May. This was a chance to compare innovative products, and share the experience of pioneering green planners, designers, researchers, activists and decision-makers.