Busby Perkins+Will's response to the global challenge of building a more sustainable society, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) will be the most innovative and high performance building built in North America. Demonstrating leading edge green building design, CIRS will be a state-of-the-art 'living-lab' in which researchers from leading academic institutions can perform research on and assessment of current and future building systems and technologies. Partners from private and public sectors will share the research facility, working with CIRS researchers to ensure that the work conducted there reflects the real world needs of the community, industry, and policy makers. The research and product and policy development taking place at CIRS will play a fundamental role in accelerating the path to sustainability.

Energy: CIRS will be supplied by energy generated on-site and from renewable energy sources. The facility will be a net energy generator and a greenhouse gas neutral facility. Features include: on-site fuel cells; a photovoltaic array; solar hot water collectors; ground source heat pumps; a biomass co-generation system; glazing treatment ensuring solar heat gain/loss is minimized for each orientation.

Water: CIRS will capture, store and reuse all stormwater and rainwater on site from exterior and interior building process loads, eliminating the facility's dependence on municipal infrastructure. Features include: a rainwater collection system; ultra low water fixtures; grey and black water treatment; and stormwater collection & treatment.

Resource Conservation: CIRS is designed as an adaptable and flexible structure, using a demountable structure that is constructed from precast concrete and wood that will allow easy deconstruction and material recovery. It will employ resource efficient materials that are renewable, recyclable, and durable. Materials made from sustainably harvested, local, and recycled-content sources will be used throughout the facility.

Health and Well-being: The design addresses the health and well-being of building occupants by using operable windows, maximized natural daylight, zero and low-emitting material, and living vegetated walls to enhance indoor environmental quality.

Building Operations and Maintenance: A 1000-point monitoring system will provide continuous feedback on water and energy consumption, natural ventilation rates, daylight and artificial illumination levels, airflow and air change rates, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and surface mass and air temperature in all regions of the building. Feedback gathered from the system will enable researchers, facility managers and other partners to refine the operation and maintenance of individual systems and the entire facility.

Sustainable Community: CIRS will engage the community through outreach and education programs. The facility will increase procurement of local materials, construction services, building maintenance, technologies and service contracts. CIRS will expand alternative transportation networks, which will link building occupants and the community while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from single occupancy vehicles.

Continuous Outreach and Education: CIRS will educate occupants and visitors on issues such as water and energy conservation. CIRS' building monitoring system will also be linked to a live web-based display at Vancouver's Science World.