on a quiet September 22 2006, on a wharf in Sidney BC, with the federal Minister of Natural Resources and the president of the Canada Green Building Council present, the new Operations Centre for the Gulf Islands National Park was opened. The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve was established in 2003 to pro- tect the ecological integrity of a representative portion of the Strait of Georgia Lowlands natural region. It is the first new national park re- serve of the twenty-first century and includes 35 square kilometres of land and intertidal area, spread over 15 islands, numerous islets and reefs and approximately 26 square kilometres of marine areas. The Gulf Islands lie under the rainshadow of the mountains of Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula — a beautiful climate of warm, dry summers and mild winters that rarely see snow. The site is a land base close to the islands. The waterfront lot in the nearby town of Sidney on Vancouver Island is narrow, with an exist- ing house and garden kept to preserve the neighbourhood streetscape. The lowest level, which supports marine operations, is oriented to the waterfront. The upper two floors accommodate adminstration and re- source management personnel in a mix of offices and open plan areas. The main floor has a small interpretive area in the front lobby and a large boardroom for public functions and meetings. The building’s slightly inclined roof echoes the rock ledges of Gulf Islands shorelines. Exposed structure in the atrium visually connects
the floors; tilted glulam posts and beams link the atrium to its sloping roofs. Mass concrete shear walls resist the considerable seismic loads in this area, glulam columns and beams support combined axial and bending loads, and minimal steel members support axial tensile/com- pressive loads. The open floors are planned around a central atrium lit by north-fac- ing clerestory windows, and the depth of the building allows all work spaces to be next to windows. Each façade responds to its orientation, with sunshades on the south and east to protect the interior from glare and direct sun; strip-windows on the north provide indirect light and expansive views over the water towards the islands. In keeping with the sustainable objectives of the project, interior fin- ishes are minimal — concrete floors are left exposed (except within workstations and offices) as are the exposed steel deck, concrete slab ceilings and the Douglas Fir glulams. The exterior wall assembly, engi- neered to minimize air leakage and heat losses, has been detailed with materials able to resist the marine environment. The natural resources available at the site — the ocean, sunlight and the abundant rainfall have all been incorporated into the building and the building systems. Although water, sanitary, storm, natural gas and electricity are available at the lot line, sustainable design features have resulted in a significant reduction in the level of dependence on these municipal services and utilities.
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