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The Verdant

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Location

9191 University Cr
Burnaby, BC
Canada

Content Type
  • Building
Budget
$15.5 million
Site/Building area
6,572 m2
Completion date
April 2007
Certifications & Awards
  • 2007 UDI Award #14 Innovations in Creating More Affordable Housing
  • 2007 UDI Award #1 Innovations in Creating a More Sustainable Development
project team
  • Owner/Developer: Vancity Enterprises Ltd.
  • Architect: Gomberoff Bell Lyon Architects Group Inc.
  • Development Management and LEED Consultant: reSource Rethinking Building Inc
  • Landscape Architect: Lanarc Consultants Ltd.
  • Structural Engineer: Steven Lerer Engineering Ltd.
  • Mechanical Engineer: Stantec
  • Electrical Engineer: Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd.
  • Contractor: Progressive Builders Ltd.
  • Construction Financing: Citizens Bank
  • Green Loan Financing: Vancity Capital Corporation
  • Purchaser Mortgage Financing: Vancity Credit Union
  • Interior Design: Cristina Oberti Interior Design
  • Building Envelope Consultant: Aqua-Coast Engineering Ltd.
  • Childcare Consultant: Ye Chu Childcare Design

Summary

Key Sustainability Features

  • An estimated 60% reduction in potable water use over GVRD average
  • 60%+ energy cost savings over conventional building design
  • Improved air quality based on ventilation strategies and careful materials selection
  • Emphasis on selection of local materials and recycled content building products

Completed in 2007, this sixty-unit, four-storey stacked townhouse project is part of the first phase of UniverCity, the master-planned community at Simon Fraser University http://seatoskygreenguide.ca/items?q=univercity+&commit=Search.

The Verdant is designed to provide affordable family housing for SFU faculty and staff. Initial sales were at 20% below market value, and future affordability is being ensured by a Resale Control Agreement, which requires all homes to be resold at 20% below the then-market value.

In order to maintain affordability while improving energy efficiency, a “green loan” was secured through Vancity Capital Corporation to pay for the geothermal and radiant heating system. Monthly payments are incorporated into the strata budget. This was the first loan of its kind in British Columbia.

The Verdant has a number of design features that are intended to foster community. The building form creates a large interior courtyard, which supports resident interaction and provides a safe outdoor play area for the children who will live there. The building includes a daycare facility for twelve toddlers that serves both Verdant residents and the larger SFU community.

Significant consideration has been given to encouraging the use of non-automobile transit. Because the building was sold exclusively to faculty and staff who will be living close to their place of work it is estimated that car usage will be significantly reduced. To further encourage non-automobile transit, each unit receives a monthly transit pass at a significantly reduced rate. As a result of these measures the parking requirement for the project was lowered to 1 parking stall per unit. There are two dedicated car co-operative stalls for the strata and one bike storage locker per home.

Building design was driven by the desire to retain significant tree coverage on site and to provide a buffer to the adjacent park. Verdant is designed to be LEED© certified and is estimated to have a 60% reduction in both potable water use and energy costs compared to conventional buildings of the same size.

Tours: Not available

 

This post was imported and updated from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain.