May 18, 2007

Unique Project

Borealis site’s green elements amaze tourists

ELAINE DELLA-MATTIA

CORRESPONDENT

SAULT STE. MARIE

A massive tourist destination planned for Sault Ste. Marie will have more attractions than meets the eye when it is completed. Unique architectural and building structures will make the building itself a marvel.

Borealis, a $54-million project, which combines tourism, entertainment and education centered on an environmental theme, is slated to open in the summer of 2008 on five acres of the city’s prime waterfront land.

Researched and fashioned by Toronto-based architects Design International, the main tourist component of the attraction will focus on man and the environment and include natural elements, rotating displays and interactive activities.

The bulk of the entertainment portion of the development will be contained in a 35,000-square-foot building that will become a focal point with its large environmentally-controlled dome overtop.

A similar roof style was created for a famous tourist attraction in England called the Eden Project.

DESIGN INTERNATIONAL

This aerial view of the massive Borealis project showcases the green roofs and unique roof structures.

The dome, which will be up to 70 feet high, has the main task of protecting the building’s wild plant life and rock structure similar to the Canadian Shield.

The internal roof structure, to be manufactured in Europe, can change its thickness to control the internal temperature environment of the building to compensate for more or less sunlight during different times of the year to help with exotic plant growth.

The accessible grass rooftop of a one-storey retail component will allow visitors to learn more about the concept.

DESIGN INTERNATIONAL

This rending of the interior of the Borealis project showcases how environmental aspects will marry with practical design elements.

Mark Marshall, president of Design International, said the roof continues to promote the environmentally-focused tourist attraction and shifts towards sustainability.

“Green roofs are becoming more popular throughout the world and North America,” he said.

Plants and grasses will be grown on the roof top and the vegetative layer will also serve as a building insulator.

In northern European countries where the design is more commonplace, roof membranes often last one-third to one-half longer than traditional rooftops.

It will help cool the buildings in the summer and heat them in the winter.

The site will use grey water to grow the grasses to continue its environmentally-friendly design, Marshall said.

Developer Philip Garforth said construction will begin this summer with the Borealis dome site.

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