How it’s done Operations Centre
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Sidney BC Larry McFarland Architects
Ron Kato
With this project Parks Canada demonstrates its leadership role as the environmental steward of Canada’s national heritage and wilderness sites, leading to a LEED ® Canada New Construction Platinum rating by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). This is the first building to be given a Platinum rating in Canada, and the first Canadian government facility to follow through with Public Works and Government Services Canada’s commitment to LEED ® Gold or higher for its new buildings. There is now a built project in Canada which demonstrates how to drastically reduce the consumption of energy and water, how to provide an exceptional indoor environment, how to build using a significant amount of local and recycled materials and how to interact intimately with the site itself. This project does not incorporate any emerging or prototypical technologies, rather it uses only off-the-shelf products, proven technology and local design and construction resources.
An important factor which we believe has contributed to the success of this project is the relationship between the design team and Parks Canada. Our normal design process encourages active participation by our clients and consultants in visioning and planning workshops. Three distinct project-specific visions were developed for the Operations Centre: Environment : to minimise the environmental footprint of the building, an issue particularly relevant for sensitive ecosystems such as those found on the islands in this national park, and to create a project demonstrating Parks Canada’s leadership in environmental stewardship. Functionality : to re-invent Parks Canada’s way of working to function in a more integrated manner. It saw a work place which would foster communication and where interdisciplinary teams would be able to freely interact. Architecture : to design a building evocative of the Gulf Islands, with green systems and the natural resources found on site (water from rain, energy from the sun and heat from the ocean) fully integrated within the architectural expression of the building. Program, site and project vision, the dedication of Parks Canada staff to uphold their environmental stewardship mandate, and the design team’s enthusiasm and collective experience, have all come together in a manner surpassing the team’s expectations.
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