A Vancouver mass timber office building, 2150 Keith Drive, designed by Dialog has been certified Salmon-Safe.
The Salmon-Safe BC certification recognizes the building’s implementation of sustainable land and water management practices within British Columbia and dedication to protecting the habitat of aquatic health and ecosystems— creating a more livable community for all. Salmon-Safe works with West Coast farmers, developers, and other environmentally innovative landowners to reduce watershed impacts through rigorous third-party verified certification.
Currently under construction, the 160,000-sq.ft., 10-storey office building is also targeting LEED Gold certification and has incorporated biophilic design principles throughout the interior and exterior of the building. The project will use mass timber construction, lowering the embodied carbon of the project.
Research on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was used to inform materials selection, and rainwater harvesting was investigated for all building run-off.
Progressive feature noted by the Salmon-Safe assessment team for the certification include:
• Water consumption in the building will be reduced by 30 per cent compared to the code baseline through use of low flow/low flush plumbing features.
• The landscape will heavily feature native and adapted trees, shrubs and ground cover plant species, many of which were selected with pollinators and the City of Vancouver’s list of bird- and bee-friendly plantings in mind.
• Run-off from the external honeycomb structure and balconies will be routed to bio-retention areas, and an under-drain will facilitate the flow of treated stormwater. This stormwater infrastructure is supplemented by rooftop and balcony planters, and at-grade landscaping covering roughly 50 per cent of the site, which will treat the rainwater that lands on them.
• The building envelope will primarily consist of a triple-glazed curtain wall that is finished with a coating that minimizes downstream impacts on water quality and aquatic life.
When completed, 2150 Keith Drive will be the first Salmon-Safe BC certified, tallest mass timber braced-frame project in North America. Anticipated completion is 2025.
