555-565 Great Northern Way

GREEN BUILDING HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES

• Proximity to rapid public transit, cycling routes, and facilities to encourage cycling and carpooling
• Extensive daylighting and lighting sensors to minimize artificial light use.
• Landscaping with drought-resistant plants, efficient irrigation and storm water management
• Use of regionally-sourced and recycled building materials and a 75% diversion of construction waste
• Inclusion of a public plaza with a custom pavilion and coffee shop for the neighbourhood
• High-performance building envelope and shaded windows to reduce energy consumption
• A rooftop garden for tenants featuring 360 degree views.
• Makes use of recycled energy from the Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility

SUSTAINABLE SITES

565 Great Northern Way is located in a developing cultural and technological precinct. The building is directly south of the new Emily Carr University campus, and is part of the broader Great Northern Way Campus redevelopment.

Original zoning for the office building designated a long footprint with a low height. Architects Perkins + Will shortened and heightened the design, providing opportunities for better views, more leasable space, and more public space with a large plaza.

Within the plaza sits an eye-catching 2,000 sq. ft. public pavilion which houses a coffee shop. The pavilion was envisioned by Perkins + Will as both a social space for congregation and as a large public sculpture, connecting artistically to the surroundings. An abstract form, it is composed out of overlapping petals or leaves constructed of wood and covered in bright red shingles, referencing the form of a tulip or a pomegranate. The pavilion provides a space for the various communities of Great Northern Way to meet, and is a gateway at the heart of the development.

The pavilion also connects the exterior space of the plaza with the lobby of the offices at 565 Great Northern Way. The lobby was designed to feel like an art gallery with large white walls for display, and will feature a rotating selection of art works installed in collaboration with Emily Carr University.

On the roof of the building, people can experience 360 degree views of the city and North Shore mountains. The roof features urban agriculture where tenants of the building can plant and maintain kitchen gardens for direct access to fresh food. The rooftop gardens and gathering place are an example of social sustainability and a benefit to tenants.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The Great Northern Way redevelopment area is a former industrial site, previously owned by Finning. Established in 1933 in Vancouver, Finning is the world’s largest Caterpiller dealer, providing parts and service for equipment for the mining, construction, petroleum, and forestry industries. Finning donated the land in 2001 to Great Northern Way Trust, which is overseen by UBC, BCIT, SFU and Emily Carr University, to be used for education and innovation purposes.

Because of its previous use, the land was considered a Brownfield, a term describing land with known or suspected pollution, including soil contamination or hazardous waste. The site for 565 Great Norther Way was purchased from Great Northern Way Trust by the developer PCI, who oversaw the remediation of the site to meet the Contaminated Sites Regulation Standard for Commercial Land Use.

TRANSPORTATION

The site is bounded on one side by Great Northern Way, a major East-West traffic route. Central Valley Greenway, a major cycling route that connects to the Vancouver bike grid and continues out to Surrey, runs along the south side of the building providing excellent cycling access.

To promote commuter cycling, the building features 88 secure bike storage spaces, and showers and change rooms for tenets to freshen up after their rides.

There are above-ground spaces for the city-wide bike share program, and parking spaces for co-op cars. 100% of building parking is underground, and has been designed with 5% preferred parking for carpools and 49 electric vehicle charging stations. Placing the building’s parking underground also reduces the amount of asphalt required on the surface, reducing the “heat island effect” which impacts microclimates and human and wildlife habitats.

An extension of the Millennium Line Skytrain is planned for completion in 2025, with a station at Great Northern Way. This new light rail approach will completely transform the neighborhood, and with increased access to the area educational, residential, and commercial development will follow.

The campus features accessible pedestrian routes to and within the development, with many amenities within walking distance.

WATER EFFICIENCY

The pedestrian walkway between 565 Great Northern Way and Emily Carr University is landscaped with drought-resistant native vegetation which requires little irrigation. Planters are made out of steel rather than concrete, which allow for a higher volume of soil in a narrow space. The walkway is designed with a gradual slope utilizing gravity for water flow from the plaza through the planters. Water is filtered and used by the plants as it flows, so the volume of storm water entering the city sewage system is minimized, resulting in less runoff and contamination entering local waterways.

A 50% potable water use reduction for irrigation was achieved with a high-efficiency system with built-in pressure regulators, an automatic time clock, and rain sensors. The rooftop garden is irrigated with a drip system.

To reach the goal of 20% overall water use reduction, the building’s plumbing fixtures include low-flow lavatories, low-flow showers, low-flush toilets, and kitchen faucets.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

The project implemented a Construction Waste Management Plan that resulted in diverting over 75% of construction and demolition waste from being disposed of in landfills. Construction used a minimum of 10% recycled materials, and 20% regionally sourced materials.

565 Great Northern way features a central, accessible area for tenant recycling, and a green cleaning program.

ENERGY PERFORMANCE

565 Great Northern Way uses an efficient hydronic mechanical system that allows for simultaneous heating and cooling. The mechanical system is connected to the City of Vancouver’s Neighbourhood Energy Utility which captures waste heat from sewage and reuses it to provide heated water. As a long and narrow building, natural light emanates throughout, reducing the need for artificial light. Lights are on daylight and occupational sensors, minimizing unnecessary use. To manage heat from direct sunlight the building is equipped with external solar shading. This reduces the cooling load by shading sunlight when it is most likely to heat up indoor spaces. Further energy efficiencies are achieved through the use pf improved exterior wall and roof insulation, and a triple-glazed curtain wall with low emissivity coating.

The process of Commissioning (running all of the systems and mechanical of the building) is performed for at least a year after occupancy, checking that all systems are working and being used properly, as measured against models. This allows for continued improvements to the efficiency of the building, to ensure that operational issues are ironed out and the building will function as designed.

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) and building envelope have met the requirements of ASHRAE standards for Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality and CO2 monitoring, and for the regulation of temperature and humidity. This provides a comfortable and healthy environment for people working in the building.

While the windows of the building provide plenty of light to all floors, they also provide 100% of occupied areas with direct views of the outdoor environment. Unlike many commercial buildings, they were also designed to be operable for direct access to fresh air.

The architects selected low-VOC (volatile organic compound) materials to limit and prevent off-gassing.