Scheduled for completion in March 2011, the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation will be one of the most innovative and sustainable post-secondary facilities in the world.
Designed by CEI Architecture Planning Interiors, with support from an integrated project team, the 7,085-square-metre facility has a mandate to train the next generation of tradespeople in sustainable building practices.
From the outset, Okanagan College was motivated to pursue an ambitious sustainable agenda, based on the thinking that there is no better way to teach and encourage sustainable building practices than to feature the facility itself as part of the curriculum.
In this way, the building itself is a living classroom that will practice what the faculty will teach: an integrated, site-specific approach to sustainable building that aims to reduce energy use, conserve water, and mitigate its impact on the surrounding environment.