Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre is the Most Sustainable Building of 2014, according to World Architecture News (WAN). The LEED Platinum-certified development uses renewable resources to achieve annual net-zero energy and is the first Canadian building to apply for the Living Building Challenge.

A collaboration between engineering firm, Fast + Epp, and architectural and engineering consultants, Perkins+Will, the centre was built to emulate the organic forms of a native orchid. Its design includes a free-form roof structure, representing flower petals, and curved rammed earth walls. The roof consists of 71 panels with thermal insulation, sprinkler pipes, lighting conduits, acoustic liner, and wood ceiling slats. It also supports an extensive green roof.

According to Canadian Architect, the jury responsible for selecting the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre as its Most Sustainable Building of the Year was “impressed by the centre as a design for the future that can be learnt from and used as a strategy for future sustainable building around the globe.”

The Visitor Centre previously won the top WAN Engineering Award in 2012 for innovation and craftsmanship with wood.