Few green roofs are like the one on Cowichan campus. Spanning three different levels, it has six types of roofs, including one made of sedium that Sharp describes as like “outdoor green carpeting.” There is a variety of plants, from black hawthorn trees to fescue grasses. There’s also a section known as the “blue roof,” which gathers rainwater and turns a bluish hue in the springtime, when the purple irises and camus lilies on it blossom.

It even has a section for students to grow beans, tomatoes and lettuce.

Ninety-five per cent of the plants on the roof are indigenous to the area. “We’re bringing those native habitats of the Cowichan Valley right onto the building to be part of this living laboratory for students,” Sharp says.

The award will be presented to Vancouver Island University on Oct. 25.