The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and the Cascadia Green Building Council
(Cascadia GBC) is hosting an international design competition for a two-acre mixed-use
town centre, to be known as the Esquimalt Village, in the Township of Esquimalt, a part of
Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, that will also host an innovative sewage
treatment plant.
The winning entrant must demonstrate how their design will achieve as many “petals” of the
ILFI’s “Living Community Challenge”1 as possible. These petals include the seven
performance areas below:
- Place – restoring a healthy coexistence with nature;
- Water – creating water independent sites, buildings and communities;
- Energy – relying only on current solar income;
- Health & Happiness – maximizing physical and psychological health and well being;
- Materials – endorsing products and processes that are safe for all species through time;
- Equity – supporting a just, equitable world; and
- Beauty – celebrating plans that propose transformative change.
The entrant must also demonstrate how their design will help the Township of Esquimalt
enhance its community capital (natural, physical, economic, human, social and cultural).2
One prizewinner will be selected by the Competition Jury, and a second prizewinner will be
chosen by the public.
The winning designs may be used by the Township of Esquimalt as the basis for a project
on this site. However, success in the competition does not guarantee the use of the
winning designs for commission.
The competition is sponsored by the Township of Esquimalt and is endorsed by the Town of
View Royal and the City of Colwood.
Entry is open to teams from all over the world.
Click to view the complete project brief.
This competition has been reviewed by the AIBC and we have determined that it is an urban planning competition, not an architectural competition per AIBC Bylaws. Architects are encouraged to enter.