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TELUS GARDEN

Telus.1.jpg

Courtesy of Henriquez Partners

Description:
As the 1 million square feet development opened its doors in 2015, CBC news named it “Canada’s most sustainable office tower” [1].
The $750-million building garnered LEED Platinum certificates for its office and retails spaces and a LEED Gold Certificate for its residential spaces. At the time of its completion, the building was the first to be awarded a LEED Platinum designation. The tower which includes more than 10,000 square feet of roof gardens, aimed to also revitalized a deteriorated block in Vancouver’s city center into a hallmark of environmental stewardship in building design. The building green features include the accessible sky gardens, a district energy system, one of the largest solar panel array in the city of Vancouver, a rainwater management and harvesting system, low materials (limestone Portland cement and wood), recycled and local materials as well as a 100% fresh air ventilation system in office spaces. [2]

TELUS, a telecommunication giant, and its management have been working to raise the physical presence of the company through projects that aim to exemplify – and communicate – sustainable design. The company’s sustainability vision – “inspired by nature; creating a healthier more sustainable future for our teams and all Canadians” – came true when the tower was viewed by the media as an “inspiring symbol of a future-friendly world”.  [3]

While green building features are becoming more common, this building aimed at communicating its ecological feature by placing its central plant near the lobby to be a visible and “didactic testament to [its] commitment to a sustainable future”. Additionally, the building is featured in in green building tours organized by the Canada Green Building Council (CGBC) in Vancouver. It is important to highlight that in 2018, the building was sold to an undisclosed buyer.  [4]

Awards

AIBC Lieutenant-Governor of BC Awards in Architecture, Medal, 2016
Architizer A+ Awards, Juror’s Pick, 2016
Architizer A+ Awards, Popular Vote, 2016
City of Vancouver Urban Design Awards, Urban elements, 2016

References

[1]      “Inside Look at Telus Garden, Canada’s Most Sustainable Office Tower | CBC News.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, September 18, 2015. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/telus-garden-canada-s-most-sustainable-office-tower-officially-opens-1.3232777.

[2]       “TELUS Garden Office.” Henriquez Partners Architects, July 6, 2021. https://henriquezpartners.com/projects/telus-garden/.

[3]       “Creating a More Sustainable Future.” TELUS. Accessed July 7, 2021. https://www.telus.com/en/social-impact/caring-for-the-environment.

[4]        Peng, Jenny. “’Iconic’ Telus Garden Sold to Unknown Buyer.” thestar.com, August 7, 2018. https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/08/07/iconic-telus-garden-sold-to-unknown-buyer.html#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20Telus%20sold%20its,software%20company%2C%20for%20%2442%20million.

Additional information

Chodikoff, Ian. “Viewpoints.” Canadian Architect 56, no. 9, September 2011.

“TELUS Garden Inspiring Symbol of a Future-Friendly World Opens in Vancouver – GLOBE-Net.” GLOBE, October 7, 2015. https://globe-net.com/telus-garden-inspiring-symbol-of-a-future-friendly-world-opens-in-vancouver/.

“Telus Garden.” Rezoning Vancouver. Henriquez Partners, n.d. https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/555robson/documents/sustainability.pdf.

“USE OF LOW CARBON & RENEWABLE MATERIALS in LEED Projects: Case Study.” Government of British Columbia. Government of British Columbia, n.d. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/climate-change/cng/resources/lcm-casestudies-tg.pdf?bcgovtm=CSMLS.

Villagomez, Erick. “Complexity and Contradiction: TELUS Garden Office Tower, Vancouver, British Columbia.” Canadian Architect, June 20, 2019. https://www.canadianarchitect.com/complexity-contradiction-telus/.

Project Title: TELUS Garden
Architect:
Henriquez Partners Architects
Year:
2015
Place: Vancouver, BC

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