CIRS – Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability
CIRS is dedicated to research collaboration and outreach on urban sustainability. With the vision of being the most innovative high-performance building in North America and an internationally recognized leader in accelerating the adopt of sustainable building and urban practices.
Some key features:
• 600 tons of carbon dioxide sequestered in the structure
• Campus energy consumption reduced by 275 megawatt-hours per year
• Water 100% supplied by rainwater
• Campus carbon dioxide emissions reduced by 150 tons each yea
CIRS was first conceived in 1999 by Dr. John Robinson, a professor at UBC, as an opportunity to create a sustainability showcase in the province of British Columbia: a building in which to push the envelope of sustainable design by integrating passive design strategies with the most advanced sustainable technologies of the time to achieve a high-performance building.
Completed in 2011, the Centre has become a hub for sustainability at UBC. The 4-storey building has a gross area of 5,675 m2 (61,085 ft2), which includes offices and labs, a 425-seat auditorium, meeting rooms, The Loop Café and open spaces for studying and social interaction. The total project cost was C$35 million, with a total construction cost of C$24 million. It has achieved CaGBC’s LEED Platinum certification and obtained a number of sustainability and high-performance awards.