If you are looking to get involved in green building architecture, design and construction, Vancouver is one of the leaders in green building initiatives in Canada. As a result, there are many green building organizations to find work and volunteer opportunities. Vancouver has embraced the green building council’s LEED levels of certification and integrated this into local design and building practices.

There is also a strong commitment from the City of Vancouver to make Vancouver a global leader in green building technologies




Discover the municipal government green building goals, work opportunities in green building projects, and some of the existing green building landmarks in Vancouver.

City of Vancouver Green Building Innovations:

At a municipal level, the City of Vancouver is constantly revising its policies with a larger goal of making all new construction carbon neutral by 2020. This corresponds with the City of Vancouver`s larger environmental objective to become the world`s greenest city by 2020. They plan to "lead the world in green building design and construction". The City of Vancouver wants to create green building innovations in Vancouver for a couple of key reasons:

› Create new jobs in the sustainable building construction and renovations
› Increase the value of buildings while reducing the costs of property owners' operating costs
› Decrease susceptibility to energy price fluctuations while reducing the effects of climate change

Employment Opportunities in Green Building

There are a couple of Green Building leaders to watch for in Vancouver. These private  and non-profit organizations are making sustainable choices and opening up the green building industry for future jobs and economic growth.

Check out the following companies for job and intership opportunities:

› Recollective
› Smallworks Studios/Laneway Housing Inc.
› Lighthouse
› Stantec Vancouver
› Canada Green Building Council
› Green Works

LEED in BC

In the early 1990's, only early academic innovators and designers were embracing green architecture. In 2002, BC became the first province in Canada to embrace the LEED rating system. Green buildings are said to be moving into mainstream design with approximately 1300 companies who are active in sustainable technology across BC.  

All new buildings in Vancouver must now be certified at a Gold level. In Canada, Vancouver has the highest number of LEED certified buildings per capita. As a result, Vancouver is moving forward by building many sustainable buildings and communities throughout the city.

What is LEED?

The most prominent North American green building standard is the Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It has become the default standard for green building as there is no single, comprehensive green building program in North America. LEED offers 4 certifiable levels for new construction which include certified, silver, gold and platinum.  A green building's level of certification is determined by considering the number of credits it achieves across 6 green design categories: indoor environmental quality, materials & resources, energy and atmosphere, water efficiency, sustainable sites and innovation in design.

Vancouver Courses in LEED Certification

To be qualified for many of the non-profit and private company green building jobs, it is now desirable to attain LEED certification. Her are some green building courses to consider:

› To help prepare individuals for the LEED Green building exam, you can take courses in LEED green building strategies and exam preparation through UBC continuing Studies LEED green building courses.

› Simon Fraser University also offers Sustainability Community Development and Urban Design Certificates.

Vancouver Green Building Tour

The University of British Columbia's CK Choi Building for the Institute of Asian Research was one of Vancouver's first green structures. Since the development of this 1996 green building, Vancouver has become the one of the most prominent cities in Canada for green architecture. Discover many leading projects that mark the Vancouver urban landscape:

› Vancouver Convention Center: Located near Canada place, you can visit this colossal project  where many conferences and world class eventshappen here on an ongoing basis. This green building brings 6 acres of plant habitat to the building`s roof. This living or 'green' roof allows for the plants to go through their natural life cycle and helps to cool and clean the air. Another important green feature is storm drains that capture recycled rainwater and sends it down to the basement of the Convention Centre to be reused; whatever recycled rainwater is not utilized is sent back to the ocean.

› Net Zero Apartment Buildings at Southeast False Creek: Once the site of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games Athlete's Village, this project has become the home of a permanent residential housing development for families. You can purchase a residence here and enjoy a LEED gold standard design. The site includes 5000 residential units, 10 acres of park, urban agriculture, rainwater management systems, green roofs and neighbourhood energy systems.

› The University of British Columbia at Point Grey Campus is a leader in green building and sustainable community design. Following the footsteps of the C.K. Choi Institute for Asian Studies, the second green building to be designed is the Liu Institute for the Study for Global Issues; you will also find the Sustainability Street Project which features native plantings, outdoor classrooms and a sustainable water management system. Other sustainable green buildings you can visit on campus include the Fred Kaiser Building and the Life Science Centre.

› Sustainable Building Centre (SBC)*: Located on Granville Island, this building offers education and outreach to builders and the general public on green architectural practices. It is staffed by sustainable building professionals that can inform you of green building projects in Vancouver. This building is naturally shaded by mature English Sycamore Trees and showcases local materials and products such as Cloverdale Horizon low toxic level paints, Dinoflex recycled rubber, Milliken carpet tiles, and locally sustainable harvested wood.


*Come view the SBC for all the latest in Vancouver Green Building information: April-May on Thursday and Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday noon-5pm; June-September on Mondays to Fridays from 10am-6pm and Saturday/Sunday noon to 5pm. All other times are by appointment only.