Living Roof Sits Atop Convention Center in Canada

In a year’s time the big green “living” roof of the new Vancouver Convention Centre is going to be a Vancouver icon as well-known as B.C. Place’s air-supported roof or Science World’s geodesic dome, said Premier Gordon Campbell.

“The living roof … is going to be something that is recognized around the world,” said Campbell, taking part in a ceremonial planting to mark the completion of the 2.5-hectare plant-covered roof, the largest in North America.

More than 350,000 indigenous plants and grasses have been planted in a 15-centimeter deep substrate of sand, organic mulch and lava rock and will be watered by 43 kilometers of irrigation piping.

“There are more living plants on the roof of the Vancouver Convention Centre than flowers in all of Vancouver’s 200 parks.”

The facility, to be completed in March, is built to a Gold LEEDS environmental standard and uses an in-house treatment system to reclaim water from the roof.

Campbell said the building will use 70 per cent less water than a comparable building. As well, the green roof will act as an insulator, reducing heat gains by 95 per cent in summer and heat losses by 26 per cent in winter.

When the convention centre opens its doors — to the 1,000-strong American Bar Association convention in April — the final budget will be $883.2 million. In 2003, its cost was estimated at $495 million.

The centre has already booked 159 events.