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It isn't easy being green. or cheap

Conference centre renovations focus on sustainability Many Whistlerites got their first peek at the plans for the renovated Whistler Conference Centre at the monthly AWARE meeting on June 6. Janet J.

Conference centre renovations focus on sustainability

Many Whistlerites got their first peek at the plans for the renovated Whistler Conference Centre at the monthly AWARE meeting on June 6. Janet J. Lutz, the architect for the project, came equipped with floor plans, artist renderings and a scale model of the facility, which Tourism Whistler hopes to develop into one of the top facilities of its kind in the world.

Despite the $22 million price tag, the audience was impressed by the look and the environmental approach to the renovations. The decision to go green, using environmentally-friendly materials and technologies, will cost more in the short-term, but according to Lutz it will pay off in the long run.

"The concept itself, of renovating instead of building from scratch, is already saving money, as is the whole concept of reduce, reuse and recycle," said Lutz.

The problems with the old building include a reception area that’s unusable, dark conference areas that require lighting at any time of day, and an overall appearance that isn’t consistent with the centre’s prominence in town or the resorts image as a world class place for conferences.

"This facility was originally designed as a hockey arena, although it’s never been used as such. It holds a prominent place in town, it’s one of the first buildings you see when you’re driving into the village," Lutz said.

"Our challenge is to take the design, and make it work as a conference centre, to advance the design with a level of sustainability.

"Right now there’s nothing about it that really shouts ‘I’m here.’ People can be standing right next to the thing and asking directions to the conference centre."

Lutz has a good idea of what kinds of designs work in Whistler, having been involved with the design of both the Roundhouse and Glacier Creek lodges.

The first priority for the conference centre is to create a usable atrium by filling in sections and creating a floor that is level with the conference ballrooms. The atrium will be extended into the new reception area to let the natural light in and provide guests with a view of the mountains. There will be a wood-burning fireplace in the area that will help to heat the building while providing atmosphere to visitors.

To accommodate several conferences at once, the new atrium can be divided into three sections, each of which has access to the fireplace and the conference facilities above and below.

While it may seem like filling the lower floor in would make the area smaller, it would actually increase the space by 88 per cent. The ballroom would increase in size by 125 per cent, and can be divided into two large spaces.

The conference centre will also take over the old Mountain World space for offices, and use the lower levels for smaller conference spaces and a conference theatre.

According to Tourism Whistler, the renovation will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which will cost approximately $9 million, will run from October of 2002 to October of 2003, and includes the increased capacity, a new roof, the new grand entranceway with signature Rumford fireplace, the expanded ballroom and meeting space, a new second entrance, and enhanced telecommunications abilities. A glass conservatory area will provide reception and dinner space for up to 850 people.

There will also be aesthetic upgrades to the interior, such as new wood and glass features, as well as upgrades to the washroom facilities, coatroom and business centre.

Some conferences are being displaced as a result of the renovations, having booked years ahead, although Tourism Whistler has helped those conferences to find other facilities in Whistler.

"Our first priority was to meet with our customers to ensure that their needs were taken care of during the renovation period," said Lynda Gilroy, the director of meetings and incentive experience at Tourism Whistler. "Working with Tourism Whistler hotel partners, we found alternative meeting space for all of our clients coming to Whistler during the renovation."

Incorporating green building techniques into the design and construction does cost more, but many of the initiatives will pay for themselves in the long run through more efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems and more conference business.

"When you set out to build something and then decide to incorporate green design principles, yes, it’s going to seem more expensive because you have to go back and factor everything – and partly because some of the materials might seem more expensive." said Lutz. "But when you start with a green design in mind, you don’t see the costs in quite the same way."

The Resort Municipality of Whistler will contribute $4.5 million towards the project from its hotel tax reserve. Tourism Whistler will chip in the other $4.5 million through cash reserves and debt financing.

Because Whistler is still flushing out the details of the sustainability concept, based on The Natural Step Framework, Lutz couldn’t specifically say what would be required to make the building sustainable.

Based on green building standards used in the U.S. however, she believes that the renovated centre once completed could earn gold or even platinum certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

"Of course, no project is perfect. We can approach sustainability, and approach self-sufficiency, and I believe our efforts would put us close to achieving a platinum level for an assessed building."

Some green features include the use of sustainable building materials and products, such as recycled fibre carpets, certified wood products, and efficient lighting systems. Builders will also attempt to reuse materials from the existing centre in the redesign.

In the second phase, which will cost approximately $13 million, additional conference services will be added, such as meeting rooms and resource centres for guests. This will also include a gym and daycare for conference centre employees.

There is no word on who will pay for the second phase, but two possibilities include the federal government if the World Economic Forum comes to Whistler, or the provincial and federal government’s if Vancouver is successful in winning the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

According to Tourism Whistler, the renovated conference centre will help to attract more traffic to the resort.

"In addition to increasing corporate business, this renovation will allow Whistler to compete as a major conference destination for North American associations," said Suzanne Denbak, the president and CEO of Tourism Whistler.

"Retaining and building association business is vital to rounding out Whistler’s year-round business profile, as this segment books years in advance, is less susceptible to economic fluctuations, and is not weather dependent."

According to Tourism Whistler, the Whistler Conference Centre generated $18.5 million for the resort in 2001. By 2006, after both phases of the renovation are completed, Tourism Whistler expects the centre to generate upwards of $34 million as the capacity is increased to host up to 3,000 delegates. That is 100,000 room nights a year, or more than three times as many room nights generated in 2001.