With all the Olympics that I've been watching I remembered hearing about how Vancouver was aiming to build their Olympic village with sustainability in mind. They were hoping to build a gold level LEED community, but actually achieved a platinum certification!
I was reading that cities such as Athens and Barcelona built huge Olympic villages that became vacant soon after the games finished. Vancouver's Olympic village was built with a long-term plan. It will become a mixed-use development where ground level training, dining and healthcare facilities now being used by the athletes will become restaurants and shops, and living quarters will be sold as private residences.
Also great is the fact that its design maximizes daylight and natural ventilation by facing west, and its other green features include rainwater harvesting, a sewer-heat recovery system, intensive green roofs, and interiors constructed with low-VOC, recycled materials. One building actually generates as much energy as it uses.
Just wanted to celebrate another "win" at the 2010 Olympics!
No comments:
Post a Comment