Materials Testing Facility - 900 East Kent Ave S, Vancouver, BC V5X - P+W Canada - Vancouver Projects (sitios de interés)

The City of Vancouver’s Asphalt Plant and Materials Handling Facility was relocated in 1999 to the north shore of the Fraser River. This new site accommodates aggregate handling and asphalt manufacturing activities, with a small building for the Materials Testing Laboratory. Although the project is small, it is an exciting prototype, demonstrating the economical use of recycled and reused materials in construction.

The highly rational layout of the 2-storey building accommodates laboratory facilities, with associated office and amenity spaces. The building’s orientation provides unobstructed views from the second floor towards the river, allowing easy supervision of barges unloading at the site.

In order to achieve the 90% recycled content mandated, every aspect of the building was designed for simplicity and clarity. Exposed structural and mechanical systems inform occupants of the building systems at work. The design incorporates recycled and reused materials extensively throughout the building including: heavy timber structural members, roof trusses salvaged from existing warehouses on site, existing lab and mechanical equipment, light fixtures, and furniture. Other sustainable building design concepts, such as natural ventilation and solar shading have also been utilized.