Granville Island
Location
False Creek South, below the Granville St. Bridge
Vancouver, BC
Canada
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Certifications & Awards
Project Team
- Owners: Granville Island Trust, Government of Canada, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
- Architect: Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects
- Partner: Urbanics
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Summary
Key Sustainability Features
- Brownfield redevelopment
- Revitalized mixed-use urban neighbourhood
- Innovative adaptive reuse of existing buildings and spaces
- A catalyst for the transformation of False Creek Open space
- Organic recycling initiative for Public Market vendors
Granville Island, which ranks among Canada’s first mixed-use developments and rehabilitated urban brownfield sites, has been hailed as one of North America’s most innovative developments. Project for Public Spaces rated it as one of North America’s great neighbourhoods. The success of the Granville Island development acted as a catalyst for the transformation of False Creek.
Granville Island was created out of infill and starting in 1917 was used for industrial purposes. The island’s demise began after the Second World War with the decline of inner-city industry. Eventually the desire to remake Granville Island as a people-friendly space gained momentum. In 1976 Ron Basford, Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, appointed the Granville Island Trust to guide the redevelopment. An interdisciplinary team led by Hotson Bakker Architects developed the island’s concept. The local planning firm Urbanics developed the economic model for the revitalization. The resulting plan recommended preserving the existing historic buildings, and succeeded in garnering a capital infusion of $25-million from the Government of Canada to pay for the cost of renewal.
Granville Island’s most notable feature is its mix of uses. The retail sector is prominent, including a public market. Also present are heavy and light industrial activity, a number of small offices and several artisan workshops. The island is also home to cultural bodies, such as the Arts Umbrella and several theatres, as well as educational organizations like the well-utilized False Creek Community Centre and the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design.
Granville Island’s other notable feature is its environmental sustainability. There are the clear environmental benefits of transforming a derelict industrial site into a vibrant mixed use community. An organic recycling initiative has been established for market vendors and restaurants to divert compostables from the landfill. Finally, a Level 1 Environmental Soil Assessment is required every time a new building is built on Granville Island. In the past 20 years several assessments have been undertaken and the soil has been found to be clean.
www.granvilleisland.bc.ca
Tours: Open to public
This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building BrainLegend:
