LATEST NEWS 
February 11, 2008
BC Construction Show
BRADLEY FEHR
Discovery Place in Burnaby is being built toward LEED Gold certification, but may obtain LEED Platinum certification in the process. Green building practices such as those employed at Discovery Place will be major topic of discussion at the 2008 BC Construction Show.
Western Canada’s construction expo goes green
It may not be an official theme for this year’s B.C. Construction Show, but the construction expo will include a large contingent of green products, services and seminars.
“It’s an underlying theme,” said Dave Tyldesley, show director.
More than 75 green products will be on display and 17 of the 45 scheduled seminars are part of the Green Stream Seminar Series, which focuses on green building practices.
Other seminars may touch on green building and its relevance to the construction industry as well.
“We’re catering to our ultimate customer, which is the visitor,” Tyldesley said.
“The demand is for green. It’s just everywhere.”
Tyldesley explained that it’s hard to put an exact number on how many green products and services will be on display at the show.
“Seventy-five would be an estimate,” he said.
“There will probably be more.”
A lighting company will show a cold neon LED, while another will feature Douglas fir engineered flooring.
Other companies will be bringing environmentally friendly plaster, Energy Star appliances and self cleaning coatings.
A number of the seminars will also feature innovation in green building practices.
LEED for Construction will kick off the Green Stream Seminar Series with a half day seminar introducing the LEED rating system and sustainable design issues that affect general and trade contractors.
A number of the series seminars will expand on this introduction.
Another seminar will try to answer the question: Are Green Buildings Healthy Building?
Other seminars will touch on more technical aspects of green building such as sustainable and pervious concrete, green leases and climate adapted building design.
Still another seminar will attempt to spell out the benefits and risks of LEED for contractors.
About 350 companies will man about 550 booths at the show, which runs Feb. 13-14 at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.
Exhibitor’s booths for the show are sold out and all available space at the convention centre will be used to display innovative products, with many possessing a green tint.
A list of companies featuring green products at the 2008 BC Construction Show can be found at www.bcconstruct.com/a_green_products.htm
