VANDUSEN
BOTANICAL GARDEN

Project
Details

Awards

Living Building Challenge Petal Certification
2013 IGRA Green Roof Leadership Award
Most Sustainable Building of the Year for 2014
LEED platinum certified
2017 Award of Excellence Green Roof for Healthy Cities

Location

Vancouver, British Columbia

Vision

The VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver was founded in 1975 and quickly became a staple attraction. In 2007, the garden was in need of a facelift to attract a new generation of nature lovers and families. The architects envisioned a breathtaking and sustainable visitor centre with a one-of-a-kind green roof.

Design

This intensive, sloped green roof was designed by Perkins + Will and Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, in consultation with ZinCo Canada.

It boasts a massive 1,800 m² (19,300 suqare feet) organic-shaped green roof that immitates the leaves of an orchid flower with a stem represented by the central atrium.

Green Roof Assembly

Due to the unique slopes and curvatures of the roof, three different assemblies were used: Floradrain® FD 40-E on the flat areas, Floraset® FS 75 on the pitched roof areas and on the steep roof areas a build-up using Georaster®.

Key Challenges

Collaboration between an architectural firm, a landscape design company and a client working under strict timelines and budgets was a challenge that allowed us to improve our processes. The unique shape of the roof presented an exciting opportunity for ZinCo to combine three different systems.

System used in this project

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Green Roof Systems

Intensive green roofs open up the world of landscape design on the roof. The full range of landscape features and plants can be included; patios and walkways, water features, and planted areas with trees, shrubs and flowers.
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Creativity should not be constrained by green roof technology. Our Sloped Roof systems help you be creative and design green roofs on slopes as steep as 45 degrees.
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