DESIGN VII- CASE STUDY

Architects: LMN , Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership , DA Architects & Planners

Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Landscape Architect: PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc.
Structural Engineer: Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers and Earth Tech (Canada) Inc.
Vancouver Convention Center
British Colombia, Canada
VANCOUVER,
CANADA
Vancouver
• Coastal seaport city
• Most populous
city in the province
• High-rise residential
and mixed – use
development in urban
centres
GEOGRAPHY:

• Located on the Burrard Peninsula, Vancouver lies between Burrard Inlet to

the north and the Fraser River to the south. The Strait of Georgia, to the west,
is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island.
• On a clear day, scenic vistas include the snow-capped volcano Mount
Baker to the southeast and Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia to
the west and southwest.
• Vancouver is one of Canada's warmest cities in the winter. Vancouver's
climate is temperate by Canadian standards and is usually classified
as oceanic or marine west coast.
 CITYSCAPE:

• Vancouver has been ranked

one of the most livable cities in
the world for more than a
decade.
• Vancouver's characteristic
approach to urban planning
originated in the late 1950s,
when city planners began to
encourage the building of high-
rise residential towers in
Vancouver's West End, subject
to strict requirements for
setbacks and open space to
protect sight lines and
preserve green space.
• A prominent addition to
the city's landscape is the
giant tent-frame Canada
Place (designed
by Zeidler Roberts
Partnership Partnership,
MCMP & DA Architects),
the former Canada
Pavilion from the 1986
World Exposition, which
includes part of
the Convention Centre.
 • EXIBITION
WEST BUILDING • PRE FUNCTION SPACES EAST BUILDING
8,33,000 Sq feet • BALLRPPMS
• TERRACES
• MEETING SPACES
• OUTDOOR PLAZA
 THE EAST BUILDING
• The original
Vancouver Convention
and Exhibition Centre
at Canada Place
opened in July 1986
subsequent to the
building serving as the
Canada Pavilion
during Vancouver’s
Expo ‘86 World’s Fair.
• Presently this wing is
known as the east
building of the
Vancouver convention
center.
• Within 10 years the facility was operating at
capacity, and up to cad $100 million annually in
delegate spending was going elsewhere because
the facility could not meet the demand

• The 1.1 million ft C (100,000 m C) project triples

the Convention Centre’s original capacity and will
help generate an additional cad $107 million
annually in delegate spending

• The expansion will increase the number of annual

delegate days from 150,000 to nearly 370,000
within the first 5 years of operation.

• Built over land and water on some 1,000 piles, the

expansion was completed in Spring 2009. The
Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre was
the home of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games' media and broadcast centres.
 CONCEPT:
• The City of Vancouver’s planners indicated they did not
want a design that could potentially ‘steal the thunder’
of the adjacent iconic sails of Canada Place.
• The design of the expansion was sensitively developed
as a compliment to the internationally recognized image
of Canada Place with its sail-like fabric roofs.
• The desire to maintain view corridors from the downtown
core limited the overall building height, and has given the
project a horizontal emphasis.
• Shallow, sloping roof planes supporting an extensive
green roof create an architectural landform that is both
an appropriate visual connection between the city and its
natural context, and a reflection of local ecology and
cultural values.
Folded Landscape
• It has a visual connection —
with full-height glazed walls
on three sides—to the
sweeping water and mountain
views that extend from
Stanley Park in the west to
Canada Place in the east.
Capturing Views of the Pacific
ocean and the Vancouver
Island beyond.

Stanley Park with the

Background of the
convention center (Model)
• This connection to ‘place’ sets the project
apart from most contemporary convention
centres—a distinction that is reinforced by
the extensive use of wood on the interior.
• The wood-panelled walls that flank the pre-
function areas, banquet, and meeting rooms
are visible from the exterior and at night add
warmth to the lantern-like glow of the
building as it hovers above the water.
• The project siting and program requirements
imposed physical constraints that
necessitated an innovative response from
the structural engineers. The building is
supported on more than 1,000 piles and a
concrete deck that together allow the steel
structure to bridge roads and railroad tracks.
 LANDSCAPE
TOPOGRAPHY HABITAT

FORM-SITE
RELATIONSHIP

HUMAN MARINE
HABITAT HABITAT
FORM SITE RELATIONSHIP
Roof’s sloping forms build on the ROCKY, UNDULATING topographic SLOPE of the region, creating a
formal connection to nearby Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains
FORM DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT SIZE Exhibition
1.2 million square feet Meeting Rooms
Ballrooms
Project Program Retail Space

•223,000 square feet of exhibition hall – 18.5 % 19% 5%

31%
•60,000 square feet of meeting rooms – 5 %
•55,000 square feet of ballroom – 4.5 %
6%
•90,000 square feet of retail space – 7.5 %
•400,000 square feet of walkways, bikeways, public 33% 9%
open space and plazas – 33.3 %
CONCEPTUAL ZONING
SITE PLAN

ENTRANCE
PARKING
PARKING

• The Vancouver Convention Centre offers secure parking through

independent operators within both buildings. They operate 24 hours
per day, 7 days a week
• WEST BUILDING- The west building has 440 stalls and is operated
by Impark.
• EAST BUILDING- The east building has 750 stalls and is operated
by West Park.
• There are also other convenient and sustainable transportation
options for getting to the Vancouver Convention Centre, including
walking, biking, or public transport.
 FLOOR PLANS
EAST AND WEST WINGS
EAST WING- CONVENTION LEVEL
 Pre-function
– 11,018 ft2 (1,024 m2) lobby and registration space
Ballrooms – 17,108 ft2 (1,589 m2) delegate concourse
– 16,604 ft2 (1,542 m2) – Glass-enclosed with ocean views
– Fully-staffed information desk
– Divisible into three ballrooms
– Box office and coat check
– Column-free – Accessible design
– Fully carpeted – Coal Harbour Café (licenced café)
– Direct access to delegate concourse
HALL CAPACITY SIZE HEIGHT

Exhibition halls
A 2250 42*50 7.6
– 91,205 ft2 (8,473 m2)
B 4500 73*50 9.5-14.5
– Divisible into three halls
– Drive-on access through overhead doors C 2460 48*50 7.6

– Exhibition Hall A is fully carpeted A (br) 672 17*30 5.25

– Unique ‘sails’ ceiling in Exhibition Hall B B (br) 672 18*30 5.25
– Direct access to delegate concourse C (br) 576 16*30 5.25
EAST WING- MEETING LEVEL
Pre-function
– 13,240 ft2 (1,230 m2) of pre-function space
– Additional space in South Foyer
– Accessible design

Meeting rooms
– 24,865 ft2 (2,310 m2) of meeting space
– 20 fully serviced and configurable meeting rooms
– Sizes range from 500 to 6,500 ft2 (48 to 603 m2)
– Multi-purpose signature Parkview Terrace features a terrace with mountain and ocean
views
– Atrium

1. With an adjoining terrace overlooking the harbour, the Parkview Terrace room is the
perfect setting for any occasion.
2. Our pre-function spaces were designed to provide alternative areas for break-out
activities or intimate meetings.
WEST WING- EXHIBITION LEVEL
Exhibition space
–220,500 ft2 (20,485 m2) of flexible exhibition space
– Divisible into three halls – A , B and C
– 22 loading bays with dock levelers and ramps for convenient drive-on access
– Floor load: 350 psf ( per square feet )

EXHIBITION HALL B
CAPACITY – 4883
SIZE – 73 X 92 M SQ.
HEIGHT - 9.14 M

EXHIBITION HALL C EXHIBITION HALL A

CAPACITY – 5988 CAPACITY – 4062
SIZE – 92 X 92 M SQ. EXHIBITION EXHIBITION EXHIBITION
SIZE – 60 X 92 M SQ.
HEIGHT - 9.14 M HALL B3 HALL B2 HALL B1 HEIGHT - 9.14 M
CAPACITY – CAPACITY – CAPACITY –
1221 1832 1832
SIZE – 18 X SIZE – 27 X SIZE – 27 X
92 M SQ. 92 M SQ. 92 M SQ.
HEIGHT - HEIGHT - HEIGHT -
9.14 M 9.14 M 9.14 M

ENTRANCE LOBBY
WEST WING- EXHIBITION LEVEL

SERVICE
WASHROOOMS ELEVATORS

PUBLIC ELEVATORS TRUCK ROUTE

REGISTRATION ENTRANCE LOBBY

SUPPORT

ESCALATORS
WET WING- LEVEL 1
ARCHITECTURAL PLAN OF LEVEL 1
Meeting rooms
– 20,952 ft2 (1,947 m2) of meeting
space
– 22 fully serviced and configurable
meeting rooms
– Sizes range from 434 to 4,680 ft2 (40
to 435 m2) BALLROO CAPACITY SIZE HEIGHT
Ballrooms M
– 52,668 ft2 (4,893 m2) of ballroom
space
A 1680 26*51 16.75
– Divisible into four ballrooms B 1680 27*51 16
– Ballroom D offers ocean and
mountain views C 1680 27*51 13.3
Pre-function D 895 15*51 10.5
– 82,000 ft2 (7,600 m2) of pre-function
space
– Ocean views and outdoor terrace
– Fully staffed information desk at
Burrard Street entrance
– Accessible design
WEST WING- LEVEL 2

Meeting rooms
– 29,564 ft2 (2,745 m2)
of meeting space
– 24 fully serviced and
configurable meeting
rooms
– Sizes range from 758 to
7,594 ft2 (70 to 706
m2)

Pre-function
– 42,116 ft2 (3,872 m2) of
pre-function space
– Outdoor terrace with
ocean views
– Views of living roof
– Accessible design
WEST WING- LEVEL 3
Meeting rooms
– 8,810 ft2 (818 m2) of meeting
space
– Six fully serviced and configurable
meeting rooms with spectacular
harbour and mountain views
– Sizes range from 636 ft2 to 6,504
ft2 (59 to 604 m2)

Pre-function
– 5,877 ft2 (546 m2) of pre-function
space
– Natural light and breathtaking
views
– Outdoor terrace with ocean view
– Views of living roof
– Accessible design

Living roof
– A unique, six acre (2.4 hectare)
living roof featuring a variety of
400,000 indigenous plants and
four beehives
SECTIONS
CONCEPTUAL SECTION
• Ball rooms
• Exhibition hall
• Steel case event experiences pre functions area
• Pre function spaces
• Meeting room
Outdoor plazas
SERVICES
Radiant flooring is used in the bulk of the program spaces, creating superior air
circulation without significant energy use.
With an ultra-clear structural glass skin on all sides, extensive daylight
and views set up an extroverted, community-friendly relationship and
maximize the use of natural daylight in the building’s public spaces.

The west facade of the building also includes operable windows and doors
with dampers at the roof soffit, allowing natural ventilation under appropriate
conditions.
ANTHROPOMETRICS
UNDERSTANDING SPACES IN HUMAN
SCALE
SALIENT FEATURES
LANDSCAPE HABITAT
The project employs a wide range of green strategies, including on-site water treatment, deep seawater cooling
and heating, and a giant skirt designed to help restore the local fish habitat, the single most visible component
of the environmental strategy is the building’s living roof.

The most visible evidence of the project’s deep approach to ecology is its living roof. The slopes set up natural
drainage and seed migration patterns for the roof’s ecology.

The living matter of the roof forms the terminus of a chain of waterfront parks that rings the harbor and creates
continuous habitat between the Convention Center and Stanley Park.

Canada’s largest green roof.

 Shallow, sloping roof planes supports the extensive green roof to create an
architectural landform that is an appropriate visual connection between the city and
its natural context
The living roof has been designed to imitate Pacific Northwest Coastal grassland.

The roof has been landscaped with more than 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses
from the region [from 25 different species] that provide natural habitat to birds, insects and
small mammals.
ROOF FEATURES

•Water evaporation from the growing medium and

transpiration from the plants contribute to the reduction of
building heat gain.

•It is projected that VCCEP’s green roof will reduce summer

heat gain by as much as 26%.

• In addition to these building-related benefits, a living roof

can provide significant improvements to storm water
management by detaining runoff and reducing peak flows.

•Urban air quality is also improved as the living roof traps

airborne particles and the plants absorb carbon dioxide and
release oxygen.
MARINE HABITAT
Along the perimeter facing the water, an artificial concrete reef drops below the public
way .The reef is designed in collaboration with marine biologists and consultants to
function ecologically as part of the natural shoreline.
 An underwater habitat skirt or artificial reef that is part of the centre’s foundation is
providing a new habitat for barnacles, mussels, seaweed, starfish, crabs and various
fish species.

The five-tiered underwater structure looks like a set of bleachers, consisting of 76

concrete frames weighing more than 36 tons each.

The structure creates tidal zones underneath the building that flush daily with the rise
and fall of the tide.
• An innovative water conservation and reuse strategy that
is projected to reduce potable water
use by 60 to 70 percent over typical convention centres.

Water conservation and reuse features

include:

 Black water treatment, processes the building’s sewage

water, to provide about 80 percent of the gray water needs
for toilet flushing in the building and supplemental water for
irrigation of the living roof.

 A desalinization plant that draws water from the harbour

and processes it to meet additional
non-potable water demands.

A sea water heat pump system that takes advantage of

the constant temperature of adjacent seawater to maintain
thermal comfort. Back-up heat is provided by steam when
needed.
HUMAN HABITAT
Addressing the human environment, the
architectural approach creates a public
experience that is simultaneously a
building, an urban place, a park, and an
ecosystem.

Urban spaces formed by the building’s

landforms extend the downtown street grid
to preserve view corridors out to the water.
The convention centre program emphasizes spaces for both public and private
events, gatherings, and circulation.
INDOOR-OUTDOOR Waterfront and urban pedestrian
CONNECTIVITY activities extend the public realm
through and around the site

The entire perimeter enclosure is an

ultra-clear glass system, which
provides strong linkages between
interior and exterior public spaces,
and visually reinforces the integration
of urban and waterfront context into
the user experience of the building.
An elevated 6-lane viaduct for vehicles and pedestrians connects the site back to
the city grid,
while infrastructure for further development extends into the water, creating a base
for future commercial and recreational marinas, a float plane terminal, and water-
based retail opportunities.
S
T
R D
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C T
T A
U I
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MATERIALS USED

Local materials used including locally harvested Douglas fir and

Hemlock wood finishes .
• WOOD
• GLASS
• COLUMNS
• FRAME
• TRUSS
• FINISHING
MATERIAL

• CURTAIN WALLS • INTERIOR WALLS

• WINDOWS • FINISHING
• DOORS MATERIAL
• RAILINGS • BEAMS

• STEEL
S
T
E
E
L
G L A S S
W O O D

• The dimensional
characteristics of lumber are
used to aesthetic advantage
in some of the building’s wall
surfaces.
• Hemlock lumber (also
harvested locally) was cut
into blocks and assembled
into a textured, geometric
pattern which was applied
along the elevator corridor
and other large public
spaces.
• A traditional interior finish material,
was used in a contemporary way for
the Convention Centre.
• Douglas fir slats (harvested locally)
run along the underside of the roof
plane.
-Their lines help articulate shifts in
slope, even from vantage points far
outside the building envelope, since they
are visible through the glass curtain
walls.
- They also provide a sense of scale
for large interior floor spaces below.
Lumber (American English; timber in Australian English, British English, Hiberno-English,
and New Zealand English) is wood that has been processed into beams and planks, a
stage in the process of wood production.Lumber may be supplied either rough-sawn, or
surfaced on one or more of its faces.
STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS
CHALLENGE - 1. To accommodate up to 15,000 visitors at once, with capacity
for 5,000 people for dinner, large spaces and open volumes of building were
indispensable.
2. To avoid blocking the view of residents in nearby high-rise
buildings, the roof height was restricted, leaving minimum depth for structure.

SOLUTION – 1. Regular bays of multi storey trusses, some nearly

100 ft tall, and beams anchored to eccentric braced bays for 3D Steel model was given to the
seismic resistance. steel fabricator for their use in
commencing the shop drawing
model
2. To optimize depth and achieve long span
with heavy loading, a unique layout of multiple story-deep trusses
was used to accommodate door openings and passageways
suitable to the building function.
LEANING COLUMNS
• Eccentric braced bays were chosen for lateral
An interesting challenge in a seismic region.
load resistance but like all steel bracing
systems they need to be free to yield equally
in each direction to dissipate seismic energy
and allow flexibility without failure.

Braced bays have very

heavy force transfer to the
marine deck. Glotman
Simpson required steel • Gravity induced lateral forces from leaning
templates for all anchor columns at 27% of the gravity load are
bolts, and heavy anchor substantially greater than the associated
systems to be cast into the seismic forces and would cause progressive
marine deck. yielding in only one direction -- an
unacceptable result in seismic loading.
To solve the problem, Glotman Simpson devised a UNIQUE
diagonal brace with a linear spring composed of a series of disc
spring washers that could sustain the leaning column lateral forces
and yet allow movement without becoming fully taut or loose at each
end of the sway.
While perfectly balancing the load (confirmed by test), the brace
force increases as the building sways toward the leaning column
direction and reduces when the building sways opposite. Series of disc spring washers
The variation in sway force provides a net correcting force serving as
a self centering seismic resisting mechanism for the building.
The brace, acting independent of the seismic eccentric braces,
allows the eccentric braces to function effectively and, additionally,
provides a self centering force to improve the performance of the
building.
Self centering technologies are some of the newest research topics
Linear spring
in the seismic area today and the new convention centre can now
benefit from a self centering solution unique in the world of buildings.
Patent applications are in process on this technology.
Inference
THANK YOU

PRESENTED BY:
JAYATI CHABBRA- BA13ARC022
MANOGNA K- BA13ARC023
MANSI RAWAT- BA13ARC028
NAMRATA SOMANI-BA13ARC032
GOUTHAMI POOJARI- BA13ARC033
PRANJAL RAJ SINGH- BA13ARCO36
REBECCA SABU- BA13ARC 038