How the Current Sustainability Movement Impacts the Enclosure: A Look at the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitors Centre

Shaped like an orchid flower, the Van Dusen Botanical Garden Visitors Centre will be an innovative landmark building that will welcome residents and visitors alike to the botanical garden. Currently under construction in Vancouver, British Columbia, the project aims to achieve environmental and sustainable excellence in its design and construction. To meet this target, the building needs to receive both LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge (LBC) certifications, a first for the Lower Mainland of B.C., while maintaining a unique and impressive architectural design. Although sustainability and durability are always goals the enclosure, having to meet the LEED Platinum and LBC objectives impacted the building enclosure significantly and brought several challenges from a design and construction perspective