Van Dusen's Living Building

In 2011 the new VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre opened. The visitor center was needed to accommodate the growing number of visitors and provide more space for exhibits and education programs.

The visitor center was built to exceed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum status and pursue the Living Building Challenge, which defines the highest measure of sustainability for built environments. To meet the Living Building Challenge sites must be operational for 12 consecutive months before evaluation.

The visitor center used Rammed Earth walls in its construction. Rammed earth is an ancient technique for building using raw materials. The technique has grown in popularity as developers look for more sustainable materials and natural building methods. Rammed earth walls are strong and durable but may be susceptible to water damage, so waterproofing was necessary.

Kryton’s Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) concrete waterproofing admixture was used to waterproof the site’s water cistern as well as the rammed earth wall. Kryton’s Krystol Waterstop System for joints was also used to fully tank the site’s water cistern

Check out the full case study here.

Have you had a chance to visit the new visitor center yet? Let us know what you think.