Perkins+Will's Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) at the University of British Columbia has been announced as the recipient of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's 2015 Green Building Award. Granted by the RAIC and Canada Green Building Council, the award celebrates stellar architectural designs adhering to responsiveness to occupants' well-being and environmental responsibility. The CIRS achieved LEED Platinum status and is a regenerative structure, implementing ingenious strategies to sustain net-positive energy, net-zero water, and net-zero carbon in both construction and operation.
The 5,675-square-meter CIRS allows 200 people to undertake collaborative work in advancing sustainable technologies. In keeping with this goal, it is in pursuit of the Living Building Challenge, the strictest performance standard of the built environment to date. The structure's efforts include harvesting sunlight, capturing waste heat from a neighboring building, and utilizing the ground for heating and cooling exchange. Through these methods, the CIRS annually generates 600 megawatt-hours of surplus energy and removes 170 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Green Building Award will be presented at the RAIC Festival of Architecture, taking place June 3 to June 6. For more information on the award, visit www.raic.org.
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability / Perkins + Will
