GETTING ONSIDE WITH
SUSTAINABILITY
By Mark Halsall The kitchen in Integral Group’s new office space in the Telus Sky building is one example of sustainable building practices. It was built using largely re-used or recovered materials, including a butcher block countertop from a demolition project, wall finishings from used crates, and excess tiles from a previous project. Photo: Integral Group.
Terms like sustainable building and green
cannot deliver a more sustainable future
construction are becoming more com
without our industry buying in,” he adds.
highly functional. “If a building is not doing what it’s sup
monplace these days as the movement to
“For the construction industry, the op
posed to do, then it cannot be sustainable
construct highly energy efficient buildings
portunity is there to contribute to the solu
because it’s not fulfilling the purpose it was
as a climate change solution continues to
tion and make yourself stand out as some
designed for,” he says.
gain momentum in Canada and around the
one that knows how to deliver more sus
world.
tainable buildings.”
Grace believes this is where contrac tors can make an important contribution
Matt Grace is a green engineering spe
Grace and the Integral Group specialize
to sustainable building projects, especially
cialist who’s been helping create sustain
in zero-carbon or carbon-neutral buildings,
if there’s an integrated project delivery ap
able buildings in Calgary for 14 years. In
which are designed and operated in ways
proach that enables them to provide practi
his mind, sustainability is definitely some
that achieve net zero-carbon emissions.
cal feedback or advice early on about what
thing building contractors should lean into
Popular zero-carbon strategies include:
will work and what will be cost effective.
as an opportunity. “This is something that
• Using a passive design approach;
you have to look at as a contractor in Cal gary because it’s going to happen anyway whether contractors buy into it or not,” says Grace, managing principal at Integral Group’s Calgary design studio.
• Designing a high-performance building envelope; • Specifying energy efficient HVAC systems, lighting, and appliances; • Installing on-site renewable energy.
“The opportunity for the contractors is to help look at the building as a whole, to look at it as a system,” he says. “A classic example of how mechanical engineering can work in harmony with the building envelope is if you make your windows and your walls
“All of the data shows that the built en
Grace notes that while there are many
well insulated enough, you might be able to
vironment is our biggest opportunity for
ways to reduce a building’s environmental
take out all of those perimeter heaters. By
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, so we
impact, a green building still needs to be
improving the insulation, you can make the
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Calgary Construction Association
