By SkySite Property staff

Perkins+Will, considered one of the top sustainable design firms in the United States, plans to complete the highest-scoring Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum-certified building on record from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Dockside Green Phase 1, in Victoria, British Columbia, will be Perkins+Will’s fourth LEED Platinum project and the firm's 29th LEED project. In addition to designing Phase 1 of the project, the firm was responsible for the design of the master plan for the entire 15-acre mixed-use development—the largest development of city land in Victoria history. It is expected to become the first LEED Platinum community in the world.

“Sustainable design has always been in the DNA of our corporate culture,” said Phil Harrison, Perkins+Will CEO and president. “Dockside Green represents the future of sustainable design, and we are proud to work with the developers, Windmill West and Vancity Enterprises, to change the way the building industry views sustainable development.”

Dockside Green Phase I, also referred to as Synergy, includes four detached buildings built over a common underground parking structure, including a nine-story residential tower above minor commercial units; a two-story townhouse; a six-story building above minor commercial units; and a four-story residential building that reached Platinum certification at 63 points, making it the highest-scoring LEED project in the world. The former highest-ranked Platinum project was Minnesota’s Aldo Leopold Legacy Center at 61 points.

Dockside Green is using an integrated energy system that is greenhouse gas neutral and also provides the opportunity for the project to become a net-energy provider. The system has a biomass gasification plant that converts local wood waste into a clean-burning gas to produce heat and hot water.

The development's other sustainable features include:

• On-site wastewater treatment, expected to save more than 70,000 gallons of water annually.
• Rooftop gardens.
• Car co-op with Smart Car.
• Energy Star appliances.
• Heat recovery ventilations units, Low E double-glazed windows and exterior blinds on the west and south faces of each building.
• A series of ponds spread throughout a central greenway that store stormwater while the greenway itself provides the development with significant public open space.

“Our integrated design process empowered us to work with a large team of players to develop a vision for Dockside Green that is truly sustainable,” said Peter Busby, a founding member and current chair of the Canada Green Building Council and managing director of Busby Perkins+Will. “Dockside Green raises the bar for large-scale urban design and planning, and produces an unrivaled sustainable community.”

When complete, the Dockside Green development will be a community of about 2,500 residents and also will include residential space, a hotel, retailers, offices and light industrial businesses, as well as numerous public amenities. Each of the development's 26 buildings is designed for LEED Platinum certification.

“We have set a target for our entire community to be LEED Platinum,” said Joe Van Belleghem, co-chair of Windmill West and development manager of Dockside Green. “To receive this level rating for our first phase is a testament to the exceptional commitment of our architects Busby Perkins+Will and all our partners, contractors and consultants.”

When Phase I Synergy first went to market in December 2005, 85 percent of the residences were sold within the first three hours. The second phase of the project, Balance, is under construction and is expected to be completed in early 2009.