Victoria’s Dockside Green community achieves LEED Platinum certification

The first phase of Dockside Green, a 1.3-million-square-foot community built on a former brownfield site in the heart of Victoria, has achieved LEED Platinum certification from the Canada Green Building Council.

The multi-million-dollar project is the largest redevelopment of city land in Victoria’s history.

It will eventually include a total of 26 buildings incorporating low and high-rise residential space, light industrial, office, commercial and retail development.

Being spearheaded by Windmill West and Vancity Credit Union, the initial “Synergy” phase includes 95 homes in two condo buildings, townhouses and commercial space.

This phase was completed in March by Farmer Construction of Victoria.

Reportedly the highest scoring LEED Platinum project for new construction in the world, the development was designed by Vancouver architects Busby Perkins Will, which also developed the master plan for the 15-acre site.

The integrated design team included Stantec, which was responsible for design of some of the key sustainability elements.

Dockside Green’s first phase achieved the maximum available score in several LEED categories, including energy, water efficiency, atmosphere, indoor environmental quality and innovation, Stantec said.

All told, the project amassed 63 points out of a possible 70.

The project will incorporate a community-wide integrated energy system that includes heating from renewable biomass energy, district heating distribution and heat recovery and on-site wastewater treatment.

Key sustainable features designed by Stantec include:

•The biomass energy system, which uses waste wood as fuel through a gasification process.

•Passive solar heating.

•An advanced building envelope and high-performance window glazing to help prevent heat loss.

•A 100-per-cent fresh air system with heat recovery.

•High-efficiency lighting and occupancy sensors.

•A 65-per-cent reduction in indoor water use with dual flush toilets, low-flow fixtures and use of gray water for sewage conveyance.

•Treatment of 100 per cent of the site’s wastewater in a campus-wide plant, which reuses it in central water features, toilet flushing, and on-site irrigation.

The project is one of a handful in Canada to achieve LEED Platinum and the first master-planned development to target this level of certification.

Stantec has been involved with the design of more than 50 LEED-certified buildings in North America, including seven that have achieved LEED Platinum.

It has one of the largest integrated building design teams in North America, currently with more than 335 LEED-accredited professionals.