Cactus Club at English Bay is Canada’s First LEED Gold Restaurant

Completed in 2012, what once was a low-slung concession stand on a Vancouver beach is now Canada’s first LEED Gold restaurant. With mountain views to the east and the city’s most popular Pacific Ocean beach to the west, patrons of the Cactus Club Café at English Bay deserved a space that maximized these surroundings, and West Coast-style architecture was the perfect fit.

The building mechanicals, designed by Integral Group, provide heat and air-conditioning when needed, but the moderate climate and green sensibilities of the client allowed for an important building feature: Windows are operable, with the westerly openings receiving sea breezes. Integral Group worked with Acton Ostry Architects on this sustainable project.

Green Building & Design (gb&d) Mazagine discusses the project’s unique characteristics and some of the challenges that were overcome. Read more at gb&d.