Flat building on the waterfront in front of high-rise buildings

Vancouver Convention Centre West (Canada)

Ocean Concrete’s sustainable solutions

With the expansion of the West building, the Vancouver Convention Centre is now one of the largest structures in Canada. It is also widely recognised as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly convention centres in the world. It extends four city blocks with a footprint of 1.1 million square feet (102,193 m²).

The facility has many sustainable features including a seawater heating and cooling system, a six-acre green roof (24,281 m²), and an on-site waste water treatment facility that has reduced potable water use by 72.6%.

To withstand the salt water and harsh topographical challenges, Heidelberg Materials' subsidiary Ocean Concrete used more than 10,000 m³ of high durability concrete containing both silica fume and corrosion inhibitor. To enhance the 30 foot (9 meter) tall architectural columns, Ocean Concrete’s HighFlow Self-Consolidating Concrete was used. In the 300 foot (91 meter) by 735 foot (224 meter) main exhibition hall slab, more than 4,000 m³ of Ocean’s CrackGuard and HardWear concrete was used to reduce cracking and improve abrasion resistance.

As a result, the Exhibition Hall slab exceeded architectural expectations for surface appearance and reduced cracking. Vancouver Convention Centre is the first convention centre to achieve Platinum certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification programme. The concrete supplied on this project had an overall post-industrial recycled content of 64% as per LEED NCv1.0.

The centre received several awards:

2011, Green Supplier Silver Award, IMEX
2011, Top 10 Green Project, American Institute of Architects
2010, Award of Excellence, Urban Land Institute
2010, SAB Green Building Award, Sustainable Architecture & Building Magazine
2009, LEED Platinum Certification
2008, World’s Best Congress Centre

Project Data

Vancouver Convention Centre
Owner
2009
Completion
Certificate for sustainable construction: LEED Platinum
Additional facts

Canada

A striking globe hangs in the center of a modern public space, surrounded by people and stairs, symbolizing a crossroads of culture and learning.

Vancouver Convention Center West, Canada. With the expansion of the West building, the Vancouver Convention Centre is now one of the largest structures in Canada. It is also widely recognised as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly convention centres in the world.

Vancouver Convention Centre

A vast hall with high ceiling and rectangular pendant lights. Numerous round tables are set for an event, glass walls at the end provide a view.

Vancouver Convention Center West, Kanada. With the addition of the West Building, the Vancouver Convention Centre has become one of the largest building complexes in Canada and one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly convention centres in the world.

Vancouver Convention Centre

A spacious exhibition hall filled with various company booths and a crowd of people milling about. Large banners with company logos and promotional content are suspended overhead.

Vancouver Convention Centre

Vancouver Convention Center, Canada. With the expansion of the West building, the Vancouver Convention Centre is now one of the largest structures in Canada. It is also widely recognised as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly convention centres in the world.

Vancouver Convention Centre

An expansive cityscape stretches along the water’s edge, punctuated by a distinctive white structure reminiscent of sails. Skyscrapers dominate the scene, reflecting the sunlight in their glass facades.

Vancouver Convention Centre

An elevated view of a construction site features multiple large cranes, including a yellow and a predominantly blue one, indicating heavy lifting near a body of water with a barge carrying materials.

Heidelberg Materials

Construction workers are levelling freshly poured concrete at a construction site, surrounded by metal beams and wooden planks, under an overcast sky.

Heidelberg Materials

An image of a construction site by the water with concrete foundation and metal structures against a backdrop of water and distant hills under an overcast sky.

Vancouver ConveVancouver Convention Center West, Canadantion Centre West, Kanada. With the expansion of the West building, the Vancouver Convention Centre is now one of the largest structures in Canada. It is also widely recognised as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly convention centres in the world.

Heidelberg Materials

A construction site with a large steel structure being erected, surrounded by water, suggesting proximity to a river or coast. A tall crane, likely used for lifting materials, and multiple steel beams are visible.

Heidelberg Materials