The Dockside Green community has been certified to be built to Platinum LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) standards. It was awarded the highest LEED score in the world.
Dockside Green is located in Victoria, Canada. Synergy, the first phase of the development, which includes 95 homes in two condo buildings, townhomes and commercial space, achieved 63 points out of a possible 70. Formerly, the highest-ranked Platinum project was the Minnesota-based Aldo Leopold Legacy Center at 61 points.
The project’s most impressive feature is the water management system. All sewage will be treated on-site and reused in toilets and irrigation, saving nearly 70 million gallons of water each year (roughly 60 percent less water usage than traditional developments). Moreover, stormwater will be captured by green roofs, cisterns, bioswales and bio-filtration and channeled to a man-made stream running through the middle of the property.
Dockside Green is also employing an integrated energy system that ensures the development will be greenhouse gas neutral, while also providing the opportunity for the project to become a net-energy provider. The system includes a biomass gasification plant that converts locally-sourced wood waste into a clean burning gas to produce heat and hot water. The community also has a car co-op with Smart Car; and, additional energy-saving features, including Energy Star appliances, heat recovery ventilations units, Low E double glazed windows and exterior blinds on the west and south faces of each building.
More information: Times Colonist
There are some incredible things happening here in North America – Dockside Green, Noisette, and Treasure Island are three of the best examples of bright green neighborhood developments at the moment. However, one of the most outstanding imminent projects I’ve come across is Sonoma Mountain Village in California, a high profile industrial reuse development, pushing the sustainable-living scene. Diverse housing (including affordable housing), lots of local jobs, community open space, community gardens and market, and wildlife habitat restoration are just SOME of the features of this project. Like Dockside Green and others, this community will also strive for 98% waste diversion, and Zero Carbon emission targets (2020). I’m excited to see this One Planet Community project perform against its amazing peers.