Nic Lehoux
This LEED Platinum building sits on a former brownfield site in downtown Vancouver, and occupies 14 acres on land and 8 acres (supported by 1,200 piles) over water. The structure utilizes local resources—such as the seawater used in the heat-pump system—and has both blackwater treatment and desalinization plants on site.
The glazed enclosure offers views of downtown and the nearby mountains, and the palette features regional materials such as sustainably harvested Douglas fir. The building is topped by 400,000 indigenous plants on 6 acres of living roof.
Jury: “An amazingly inviting, warm public circulation is achieved through the use of daylighting, building landforms, and local materials that both reference the area’s industry and provide richly detailed surfaces.”
Client: “We compete globally, with Cape Town one day, Rio the next day, Boston the next. Our potential clients are people who are wined and dined all over the world because of the economic impact they bring to a city with a large convention, so they’ve seen it all. We found quickly that once they see this space, without exception, they are absolutely in awe. We receive accolades from around the world. There’s simply nothing else like it.” —Warren Buckley, president and CEO, Pavco
2011 Institute Honor Awards for Interior Architecture
Jury
John Ronan, AIA, (chair), John Ronan Architects
Jaime Canaves, FAIA, Florida International University
Margaret Kittinger, AIA, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects
Bryan Lewis, Assoc. AIA,The Capital Group Cos.
Brian Malarkey, FAIA, Kirksey
The Academy of Music, Philadelphia
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, San Diego
Conga Room, Los Angeles
John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes, Eugene, Ore.
Alchemist, Miami Beach, Fla.
Moving Picture Co., Santa Monica, Calif.
Registrar Recorder County Clerk Elections Operations Center, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
The Power House Restoration/Renovation, St. Louis
Armstrong Oil and Gas, Denver
Vancouver Convention Centre West, Vancouver, Canada
Washington Square Park Dental, San Francisco