The expansion of the [Vancouver Convention Centre][], which will be celebrating it's grand opening this week, features the largest green roof in Canada with more than 400,000 plants covering almost 2.5 hectares. The expansion, which is aiming for LEED Gold certification, also has an extensive water conservation program, and will heat and cool the building with a sea-water based heat pump to conserve energy. One of the touted green features is shoreline and marine habitat restoration which, for a building which juts out into the ocean, struck me as a bit unlikely. It turns out that the pre-existing shoreline was de-contaminated, and a large concrete reef was added to the base of convention centre expansion. From the [Times Colonist][]:
>A new $8.3-million concrete reef - or marine life "habitat skirt" - should be swarming with new sealife within months around the base of the Vancouver convention centre expansion project.
Barnacles, mussels, seaweed, starfish, crabs and various fish species are expected to inhabit the five-tiered underwater structure being installed this week.
Interestingly,
>The Department of Fisheries and Oceans demanded the convention centre install the new marine life facility to replace the habitat displaced by the expanded centre.
(Via [Jetson Green][]. Photo from [Vancouver Convention Centre][] website.)
[Jetson Green]: http://www.jetsongreen.com/2009/04/vancouver-convention-centre-features-six-acre-living-roof.html "Vancouver Convention Centre Features Canada's Largest Green Roof | JetsonGreen.com"
[Times Colonist]: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=a9880c5d-b421-43b3-881e-6618897db879&k=97208 "Vancouver convention centre expansion to include marine life 'habitat skirt' | Times Colonist"
[Vancouver Convention Centre]: http://www.vancouverconventioncentre.com/ "Vancouver Convention Centre"