Art © David Barker. Images courtesy Royal Roads University.

Set on the grounds of Victoria's Royal Roads University, the Robert Bateman Centre will combine art, education, and experience; the goal is to create a living building far exceeding traditional green standards. Amongst its many features will be wood flooring made from underwater-harvested forests.

A half-million dollars worth of mahogany, harvested from underwater forests, is being donated for use in the Robert Bateman Centre, a Royal Roads University building to be constructed in Victoria.

The gift comes from the WaterForest Group—a locally based underwater forestry company that uses proprietary technology to gather wood from forests submerged by hydro reservoirs. It will be used as flooring throughout the Richard Iredale-designed centre, which is made to showcase the world's largest collection of Bateman's work and offer environmental education programs.

Doug Stables, WaterForest president, says the gift is intended to help educate people about innovative, sustainable approaches to business.

"There are hundreds of millions of perfectly preserved trees, including many rare and endangered hardwoods such as mahogany, teak, and rosewood, submerged in countries around the world," he explains. "The demand for wood fibre is causing global deforestation; especially significant is the loss of tropical rainforests. We can have a significant positive impact by harvesting these 'lost' resources instead of harvesting standing forests."