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Alberni District Secondary School

A new secondary school is currently under construction and opening September 2012 for the start of the new school year in Port Alberni. The school is a design build project, designed and built to achieve LEED® Gold Certification. Eco-Integration is providing LEED® consulting services for the project working with the design and construction team to achieve a high level of sustainability.

The new 2-story building is an attractive, well-designed school with public access to its facilities, creating community pride with efficient and sensitive site utilization. It is complimentary to neighbouring buildings and landscapes, and a place for students to think, learn and grow. The community space, at the heart of the school is a multipurpose space filled with natural light, an athletic facility that promotes competition and sportsmanship, and a theatre uniting the community in gatherings and events.

Sustainability highlights in the new building include geothermal exchange for heating; a comprehensive lighting strategy utilizing photo sensors and motion sensors to maximize natural daylight and minimize the use of electricity; xeriscaping to eliminate the need for water use for landscaping; and restoration of existing wetlands / creation of a natural wetland to clean and manage rain water on site.

South East False Creek (SEFC) Private Lands

311 West 2nd Ave
Parcel 1: 2-88 West 1st Ave
Parcel 2: 27-99 West 2nd Ave
Parcel 3: 2-26 East 1st Ave

The SEFC lands are the last remaining area of undeveloped waterfront property in Vancouver. The City of Vancouver has developed sustainable guidelines for SEFC to provide a framework to create a model sustainable community. Pinnacle International is developing four parcels of the private lands known as sub-areas 1B and 2B. The development is mainly residential with live/work studios and retail. 311 W.2nd Ave. is recently completed and 27-99 West 2nd Ave. is currently under construction. The other 2 parcels will be completed shortly thereafter.

Eco-Integration provided sustainable consulting to the projects, working with the Pinnacle team and coordinating with the city to contribute positively to the SEFC vision of a sustainable community. Some strategies for the project include: native and adaptive planting for low maintenance and irrigation, 50% green roofs, including capability for urban agriculture, healthy building materials and energy efficiency, and low water consumption.

The Residences at West, 100 Block West 2nd, (SEFC Private Lands), Vancouver

The SEFC Official Development Permit (ODP) provides a vision for South East False Creek in this new emerging neighborhood as a community that encourages significantly higher levels of social equity, livability, environmental responsibility and economic sustainability. This project reflects the vision embodied in the ODP, whilst also providing public benefits that include a new child care facility and a mews connection through the centre of the site to the False Creek waterfront beyond.

The Residences at West is a mixed-use development with residential units, a daycare, 1-storey of retail and underground parking. The residential units consist of 3 towers ranging from 6 to16 stories and currently in the development permit phase. The project is currently targeting LEED Gold equivalent with sustainability features including: 50% green roofs with low maintenance and irrigation, use of passive features such as high performance walls and windows and shading for comfort, transport strategies including electric car charging and car co-ops, low emitting (low volatile organic compounds – VOC) materials, high recycled and local materials and commitment to site waste recycling.

BC Hydro Power Smart: BC Hydro – Consulting Services for Planning, Coordinating and Training Initiatives for Industry Members

Diana is working with Power Smart to assist in implementing four major strategies to ensure that all stakeholders are trained and positioned to contribute to the achievement of the BC provincial energy conservation goals. These strategies are described as follows:

1. Maintain continuity in training efforts by offering courses that have been supported in the past by Power Smart.
2. Develop and maintain a comprehensive range of course offerings that can meet Power Smart objectives relative to the technical, business and behavioural training needs (including location, content and delivery method) of all stakeholder groups going forward.
3. Develop and sustain working relationships with key decision makers in Industry Training Organizations, Professional Associations and educational institutions to promote incorporation of energy efficient knowledge requirements in certification and continuing education for Electricians and professionals such as Engineers and Architects.
4. Maximize stakeholder participation in training by developing promotional plans tailored to each current and planned course offering (including a mix of tactics such as targeted advertising and incentive rewards).

Diana also has worked with BC Hydro Power Smart conducting educational sessions and workshops with architects, developers and engineering consultants to generate awareness and understanding of the benefits of high performance (HP) buildings, Integrated Design Process and Power Smart. This scope included presenting to B.C. architects, engineers, consultants (design teams), developers and building owners to increase awareness of energy efficiency and BC Hydro programs.

Green Bricks Education Society

Students discover the environmental concerns with the overuse of asphalt in a community. Students learned how green roofs could be a better option to asphalt roofs.

Eco-Integration, partnering with Skye Consulting, are co-directors of Green Bricks Education Society, a non-profit/charity organization. Green Bricks Education Society was founded in April 2008, established to involve the youth of British Columbia in sustainable land use and development. The programs offered by Green Bricks Education Society engage students in sustainable building issues affecting their schools and communities and give students the tools to search for practical solutions to these issues. The following programs have been developed and are delivered in BC each year:

• Green B10cks is a curriculum-connected workshop offered to Science 10/Planning 10 classrooms and engages students to understand the importance and benefits of sustainable building issues in their schools and communities with emphasis on energy, materials, waste and water.
• Green Bricks H₂4 is a curriculum-connected workshop that engages students to understand the importance of water in our lives and how we can manage water sustainably into the future.

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Eco-Integration: Sustainable Design Consulting
Vancouver, Tel 604-992-5939