The Olympic Village is going to welcome more than 3,000 athletes and team officials during the Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the green project will then become a sustainable community with diversified neighbourhoods.

Standing next to the model of Millennium Water, the 2010 Vancouver Games Olympic Village's design manager Roger Bayley said that the project was not really developed for the Olympics but long-term residence.

"We didn't design this (project )thinking it's going to be a great bunch of athletes," said Bayley on Monday. The whole site of 150,000 square meters is going to see about 16,000 people living in the future and all the buildings with sustainable design will give people a better understanding about green concept.

According to him, 65 percent of the heat energy is provided by the sewage water. And with the use of radiant ceiling for the cooling and heating system, the whole project could save up to 50 percent energy. Besides, "the rain water is used to flush toilets here. About eight months of a year, the amount of the rain water is enough for doing this," Barley added.

The city of Vancouver has had a policy of moving people into the core of the city over the past decade. "People could enjoy their lives with the existing resources in the city and there could be less use of transportation so as to save energy." As a result, the waterfront former industrial site near downtown was transformed into an interesting neighbourhood.

According to Bayley, after completing service for the Olympics, the 10 buildings in the village will provide approximately 1,100 residential units for all kinds of people.

"There will be about 250 units for low income people, 120 units as rental housing, the other to be sold in the market," said Bayley. "We are trying to build that diversity between wealthy house owners and those who can't afford that. We are trying to make a more inclusive environment."

Although Bayley and his team had no special concern about the athletes, he believed the sportsmen from all over the world could also enjoy their stay during the Olympic Games. "These hi-end units are for purchase and meet very high quality standards. They are pretty comfortable for the athletes."

"During the Olympics, the only change we made is to cover over the kitchens because IOC didn't want the athletes to cook by themselves. After the Olympics, we only need to clear up the kitchens, take out the temporary carpet tile so as to make wood flooring, then repaint the units."