Gonna Green Me A Condo

"Some of the green attributes of [Victoria's Dockside Green, Canada's greenest condo development] are no big surprise and can be found in many new structures: All units have motion sensing switches, low flow faucets and energy efficient appliances. The rooftops are green, with flower beds and communal gardens, while there is on-site parking for vehicles owned by car sharing services.

Other concepts, however, are novel.

The entire complex will soon have its own sewage and wastewater treatment plant that will return water to flush toilets in each suite, and will also be used to feed a creek and pond system that runs through the development.

Also under construction is an on-site biomass gasification plant, to turn waste wood into energy that will provide heat and hot water to all the units.

And each unit has a "smart" meter that monitors water, heat and electricity consumption, while a novel ventilation system brings in 100 per cent fresh air to each individual suite, rather than pushing air in through the corridors, as is done in most condos.

Even the construction is being done in as environmentally friendly a manner as possible: More than 90 per cent of construction waste is recycled, and the cement used in the building process is specially constituted to contain fly ash, a material that reduces carbon-dioxide emissions and strengthens the material.

Dockside Green, which is being built on cleaned-up industrial land that was once first nations property, is also being designed to be socially responsible. Its contractors have set up programs to help aboriginal workers gain construction skills, and jobs, by working on the project.

The $600-million complex will eventually house about 2,500 people; the first 98 apartments welcomed their owners in March. All the buildings on the site won't be finished until about 2014.

While Dockside Green has dramatic innovations that set it apart from other buildings - such as a sewage treatment plant and a biomass-based heating facility - there are dozens of other eco-friendly features:

* Awnings and remote-controlled exterior blinds, along with "low-E" glazing, make air conditioning unnecessary;

* Balconies have rainwater storage for watering plants;

* Native plants used for landscaping don't require irrigation;

* Interiors are painted with low-emission paints; carpets are also low-emission;

* Buildings have bicycle storage and parking stalls for shared vehicles;

* Washing machines are low energy users, as are condensing driers (which don't require any expensive venting);

* Floors are made of sustainably grown bamboo;

* Common areas have low-energy LED lighting;

* Each new resident gets a six-month supply of eco-friendly cleaning products. "