Ontario Home Builder - Fall 2015 by Ontario Home Builder

The pros and pitfalls of combining retail with residential projects P.80 how single women are driving a new market P.63

not all social media abuses justify termination P.21

Comparision shopping: what does $500K buy across ontario? P.50

ohba.ca fall 2015 | $5.00

charismatic, master recruiter and small association champion— meet ohba’s incoming president

john Meinen

PM 42011539

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contents

80 Mixed Bag Projects that blend residential with business and retail

40 All For One and One For All

50 Covering the Map

54 No Rooms for Rent

Small member champion John Meinen steps to the fore as OHBA president

What can you get for half a million? Here’s a look across the province

Low vacancies are spurring demand for new development projects

ohba.ca

ontario home builder fall 2015

contents

111

63 What Women Want Understanding the growing, morphing single female market

72 Not-So-Smart Homes? Modern technology is convenient to homeowners, but to criminals as well

88 Building to a Higher Standard

63 13 One Voice By Joe Vaccaro

The transition to new leadership 15 Ontario Report Beautiful Deerhurst to host OHBA’s Annual Conference, 2015 Awards of Distinction finalists, Tarion launches education requirements, Reid’s set to unveil net zero home, BILD Habitat Week and CMHC Housing Outlook sessions 21 Human Capital

By Barbara Green and Derek Kim

When do—and when don’t— social media posts justify termination?

ontario home builder fall 2015

Peering into the future of energy-efficient construction practices

23 Health & Safety The workplace hazards of occupational contact dermatitis 27 Marketing

By Spencer Powell

Attention-getting Facebook post ideas 31 Technology By John Amardeil

The future of real estate decisions is in the palm of your hands 33 Top Shelf From compact fridges to mitre saws, the latest in home builder and renovator gear

99 Better Building Putting airtightness to the test, Canada’s housing-related economic impact, new software for six-storey wood, insulated concrete forms and new thoughts on heating and cooling glass buildings

the pros and pitfalls of Combining retail with residential projeCts p.80 how single women are driving a new market P.63

not all social media abuses justify termination P.21

Comparision shopping: what does $500K buy aCross ontario? p.50

ohba.ca fall 2015 | $5.00

CharismatiC, master reCruiter and small assoCiation Champion— meet ohba’s inComing president

john meinen

111 Product Focus

By Dan O’Reilly

Clean and contemporary is the style de jour in kitchen and bathroom design PM 42011539

118 Outside the Box

On the cover

How our changing eating habits dictate kitchen design

John Meinen of Pinnacle Quality Homes. Photo by Mike Watier.

By Avi Friedman

OHB_FALL2015_CVR_10.indd 1

2015-08-27 9:40 PM

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The official publication of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association Fall 2015 | Vol. 31 Issue 5

editor

Ted McIntyre ted@laureloak.ca

Introducing Amdry, the only insulated subfloor panel with integrated moisture resistant film and raised drainage channels.

associate editor

Norma Kimmins, OHBA art director

Erik Mohr copy editor

Barbara Chambers contributors

John Amardeil, Michael Baldinelli, Gord Cooke, Avi Friedman, Barbara Green, Christina Haddad, Tracy Hanes, Penn Javdan, Derek Kim, Alison King, Dan O’Reilly, Spencer Powell, Joe Vaccaro, Mark Wessel PHOTOGRAPHY

Mike Watier PRESIDENT

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Ontario Home Builder is published six times per year (Winter, Spring, Renovation, Summer, Fall, Awards). All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher © 2015.

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For address corrections please email info@laureloak.ca or Phone: (905) 333-9432. Single copy price is $5.00. Subscription Rates: Canada $12.95 + HST per year, USA $29.95 USD.

Order online at http://ohba.ca/subscribe-or-buy-past-issues CANADIAN PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42011539 ISSN No. 1182-1345

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One Voice

Building the OHBA House Supporting your leadership team to bolster success By Joe Vaccaro It is OHBA conference time, which signals

the annual election of our new OHBA president, the executive committee and board of directors. The transition to a new leadership group is always anchored on the existing foundation provided by past presidents, as well as our dedicated and committed association volunteers and executive officers. As we welcome John Meinen as OHBA’s 2015-16 president this fall, we also thank Vince Molinaro for his exemplary service as president this past year. Vince, president of the Molinaro Group and a past president for the Hamilton-Halton Home Builders’ Association, fulfilled an extensive schedule of presidential duties while running a business and caring for his young family. His vast building and development expertise and positive attitude were vital skills that helped OHBA navigate politically charged policy discussions at all three levels of government. As any builder knows, a quality home starts with a strong foundation, and with a background in formwork and today as a high-rise condominium builder, Vince strengthened that foundation and built new relationships with government and industry stakeholders that will ensure OHBA stays engaged and respected. John Meinen, a master in the art of framing, stands ready to build upon that foundation and champion the industry as OHBA takes on new challenges and opportunities. As someone who spent his teenager summers framing new homes with my father, I have an appreciation of the hard work and the importance of ensuring the frame is true and strong. So I look forward to John’s solid and ohba.ca

balanced approach and what he brings to our OHBA house as an enthusiastic president. We have a busy year ahead. At last year’s conference, Minister Ted McMeekin announced that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing would amend the Ontario Building Code to allow six-storey wood-frame buildings in our province. We expect to see the first of these new buildings built and completed soon. The past year was packed with discussions and consultations concerning several significant provincial policy proposals that undoubtedly will affect our industry and membership, including the Co-ordinated Greenbelt and Growth Plan Review, the Tony Dean College of Trades Review, and the Smart Growth for Our Communities Act. Thank you to Vince for his unwavering support, his energy and leadership and the fantastic team of volunteers he built, all who helped ensure that OHBA provided thoughtful, practical suggestions on these and other important matters. Now we await the conclusions and recommendations from government on these consultations and once again will rely on the OHBA leadership team and our volunteers to present our perspective with workable solutions to ensure success for our province and its citizens. As we welcome John into his presidential role, I know that he will want all local associations and members, big and small, to help build upon our strong foundation. I encourage you to answer his call. To read more about John, see his profile story on page 40. OHB

“As we welcome John Meinen as OHBA’s president, we also thank Vince Molinaro.”

joe vaccaro is the CEO of OHBA. ontario home builder fall 2015

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Ontario Report

OHBA Conference 2015 Lots to learn, see & do! Join us at the beautiful Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville for OHBA’s 2015 Annual Conference from Sept. 27 to 29. Space is limited, so register soon for three awesome days you won’t want to miss! Highlights for this year’s conference include:

fall (and everything in-between)—and remember that hunting is a season!

Business Sessions: Expect

Awards of Distinction 2015: Set

insightful, interesting and engaging business sessions, including: Fire Safety for Six-Storey Wood-Frame Residential Construction; The Builders’ Den; Tarion Update; a WSIB Rate Frame Review; Building Leadership; Report on Canada Home Buyers Preference Study; a trade show and much more!

for Monday, September 28 and hosted by Dave Hemstad from CBC’s The Debaters. Enjoy a fun celebratory dinner and cheer on the winners!

Taste of Haliburton County:

President’s Gala: The conference

Bus tour exploring the culinary and brewery/winery culture in the region.

Trail Ride or a Hike through Algonquin. OHBA Annual Golf tournament

Haliburton County for All Seasons! The Haliburton County HBA

is hosting an exciting opening reception where we will experience the thrill of Canada’s changing seasons in one evening! Come dressed in theme to your favourite season—winter, spring, summer or

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will conclude with the President’s Gala to welcome our new president, John Meinen, from the Stratford & Area Builders’ Association (SABA).

at Deerhurst Highlands Golf Course. Register for your chance to win a trip for two to the Dominican Republic.

Visit ohbaconference.ca for further information.

Additional Activities: Choose among these Monday afternoon events to really enjoy your stay in cottage country: Spa afternoon at Shizen, Horseback

ontario home builder fall 2015

Ontario Report

Congratulations to this year’s finalists! The finalists for the 2015 Awards of Distinction have been selected and the winners will be announced on Monday, September 28 at the Awards of Distinction Gala at the beautiful Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville. Join us as we celebrate the ‘best of the best’. Seating is limited, so don’t delay—order your tickets and/or book your tables at ohbaconference.ca. Here are some of this year’s finalists from the 39 categories of design, sales and marketing: 2015 Ontario Home Builder of the Year Empire Communities BILD/Brantford/Durham/ Hamilton-Halton/Niagara/Waterloo Mattamy Homes BILD/ Hamilton-Halton/Greater Ottawa /Waterloo Minto Communities BILD/Durham/Ottawa 2015 Ontario Renovator of the Year award Amsted Design-Build (Greater Ottawa) OakWood Renovation Experts (Greater Ottawa) RND Construction (Greater Ottawa) Most Outstanding Attached Multi-Unit Home Granite Homes Arkell Lofts “Monterey” (Guelph) Rinaldi Homes Coyle Creek Townhomes Unit 1 (Welland) Silvergate Homes Jacob’s Landing “The Lockwood” (St. Catharines) Most Outstanding Mid-Rise Building (4-10 storeys) Branthaven Homes Jazz Condos (Burlington) Homes By DeSantis AquaBlu (Grimsby) Tribute Communities Varley Condominium Residences (Unionville) Most Outstanding New Home Kitchen (New home 2,001 sq.ft.+) Crown Homes of London Crown Homes-Bailey (London) Dynamic Kitchens Waterside Court Kitchen (London) Timberworx Custom Homes Black Tuxedo (Aberfoyle)

Most Outstanding Home Renovation ( $250,001-$500,000) Amsted Design-Build Transformation for a New Generation (Ottawa) Oke Woodsmith Building Systems Modern Revival (London) Pioneer Craftsmen Ltd. A Great Room Addition (Petersburg) Best Low-Rise Project Sales Brochure (1-3 Storeys) Aspen Ridge Homes/CountryWide Homes/ Lakeview Homes Queensville (East Gwillimbury) Georgian International Braestone in the Horseshoe

Valley (Oro-Medonte) Minto Communities Minto Oakvillage (Oakville) Best Low-Rise Ad Campaign (1-3 Storeys) Branthaven Homes/Minto Communities

Oakvillage (Oakville)

Sorbara Group of Companies Fairwater Estates

(Pickering)

Timberland Homes The Enclave at Legacy Grove

(Lasalle)

For a full list of finalists please visit ohbaaod.ca. Projects will be profiled in the special 2015 Ontario Home Builder magazine Awards issue.

CORRECTION In The Wright Stuff article of OHB’s Summer edition, we neglected to credit the photography of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater home. The lead image was courtesy of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, while the interior view was photographed by Robert P. Ruschak / courtesy of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

ontario home builder fall 2015

Net Zero Energy Homes Open This Fall Three Ontario builders who partnered with Natural Resources Canada and Owens Corning in the ecoEnergy Innovation Initiative are set to open net zero energy homes this fall. Reid’s Heritage Homes completed a home in Guelph, Minto Communities has a project in Kanata, while Mattamy Homes is in the midst of completing a home in Calgary. All three, as well as two other builders from Quebec and Halifax, were chosen to participate in the program as a tribute to their expertise and experience in building energyefficient homes. Net zero energy homes produce as much energy as they consume on an annual basis and the goal of these projects is to ensure advanced technology is accessible and more affordable to homebuyers. Visit zeroenergy.ca to learn more about the program and keep informed on the latest construction news. OHBA is organizing a Technology Housing Tour on November 18 that will include a tour of the Reid’s Heritage Homes’ net zero energy home in Guelph. For further information on the tour and to register, contact Pauline Lip (plip@ohba.ca) at OHBA offices.

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Ontario Report

ONTARIO 2015 ENERGY STAR WINNERS Congratulations to the many Ontario companies that received 2015 Energy Star Market Transformation Awards presented by the Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Natural Resources in July. The awards are presented to companies and organizations that have demonstrated exemplary performance in developing and promoting the most energyefficient products and homes in the market. OHBA member winners this year include:

BILD Habitat Week a Huge Success Members of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) raised more than $60,000 for its community partner, Habitat for Humanity GTA, through three major events in just one week. Habitat Week included BILD’s annual Race for Humanity, Charity BBQ and Stephen’s Ride for Humanity. All three events took place in mid-July and members came out in droves to support the cause. “We are proud of our community partnership with Habitat for Humanity GTA, and since 2003, BILD members have raised more than $825,000 for Habitat and have helped 12 partner families realize their dream of homeownership,” said BILD President and CEO Bryan Tuckey. Ene Underwood, CEO for Habitat for Humanity GTA, praised the enthusiastic efforts of BILD and its members. “BILD’s Habitat Week is a true testament of their dedication and ongoing commitment to Habitat GTA’s mission of providing affordable homeownership to families living in need across the GTA,” said Underwood. “Our 12-year partnership has created a profound impact and we congratulate all BILD members on the active support this week and each year.”

2015 CMHC Housing Outlook Sessions Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) will present four Housing Outlook Sessions in November that will help you develop your business strategy in 2016. The sessions will answer essential questions that help identify new markets and opportunities and pinpoint housing market trends. Participants will access reliable, impartial and up-to-date housing market reports, analyses and knowledge to answer questions on what will drive the market over the next year. For information and to register, call (800) 668-2632 or visit cmhc.ca/conferenceregistration. Toronto: November 3 Kitchener: November 10

ontario home builder fall 2015

Ottawa: November 5 Hamilton: November 12

New Home Builder of the Year Arista Homes Limited Sustained Excellence Canadian Tire Corporation Manufacturer of the Year–Appliances Whirlpool Canada LP Manufacturer of the Year–Windows and Doors All Weather Windows Ltd. Retailer of the Year The Home Depot Canada A recent survey found that the Energy Star symbol is tied as the most influential tool for consumers when purchasing energy-efficient products and homes and Canada is ranked second in the world for its rate of energyefficiency improvements between 1990 and 2010.

New Tarion Requirements On September 1, 2015, Tarion introduced new education criteria that all new builders proposing to build under OBC Part 9 (residential freehold and low-rise construction) will need to meet as a condition of their registration. The seven competencies must be achieved by their annual renewal date. As of September 1, 2016, completing these competencies will be a prerequisite for registration. These new requirements do not apply to existing registrants. They also do not apply to new applicants looking to build according to part 3 of the OBC (residential high-rise construction), as they are already subject to additional registration criteria. The new educational requirements are based on the Canadian Home Builders’ Association’s 11 National Education Benchmarks for residential construction and feedback from extensive consultations with stakeholders. The courses will be offered by third-party education providers. For more information on the new registration requirements, visit Tarion.com.

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Exceptional aesthetics and functionality for new homes Did you know that kitchens and bathrooms are the two rooms that have the strongest selling appeal for new-home buyers? That’s why JELD-WEN offers a range of energy-efficient window and door products, designed to add a distinct aesthetic to the kitchens and bathrooms in new homes. Whether you are looking for increased natural light in a cooking or dining space, or decorative privacy windows for a washroom, JELD-WEN products are functional and aesthetically pleasing. Get the best of both worlds, with JELD-WEN.

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Human Capital

Edge of Acceptable Terminating employees who post in poor taste By Barbara Green and Derek Kim For many employers, the British Columbia Supreme Court’s recent decision of Kim v. International Triathlon Union will make them think twice about terminating an employee for his or her questionable use of social media. The employee in question was a senior manager of communications at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) before she was terminated for a number of unprofessional and insubordinate social postings on social media. She argued she was wrongfully dismissed without cause or reasonable notice. ITU noted the employee’s online behaviour in the months leading up to her termination. On the employee’s social media accounts, she posted negative tweets about her work and, on her personal blog, compared her interactions with her boss to psychological and physical abuses by her mother. Although readily accessible to the public, the employee argued that her posts were written in a joking manner to reflect her sense of humour: 1. “Surprisingly fun congress after-party last night. probably the only time I’ll see so many Eboard members hungover & lamenting those tequila shots.” 2. “I wonder if other IF congresses have as much propaganda as ours…” 3. “Just like when I was a kid, this person that I stupidly thought cared doesn’t give a sh*t and just wants to beat my head in.” Since the employee was responsible for managing ITU’s communications and to serve as its “voice,” the employer argued that she was properly terminated for cause. The court disagreed. In arriving at this conclusion, it outlined legal requirements for establishing a cumulative cause for termination: ohba.ca

1. The employee was given express and clear

warnings about his/her performance; 2. The employee was given a reasonable opportunity to improve performance after the warning was issued; 3. (Despite this), the employee failed to improve his/her performance; and 4. The cumulative failings prejudiced the proper conduct of the employer’s business. The court applied this test and found that ITU had failed to give the employee “express and clear warnings” that her social media posts were unacceptable, and that her employment was jeopardy if she continued. Instead, the employee received an increase in her compensation, maintained her role throughout the course of her postings and was merely notified that her communication style did not align with ITU at the time of her dismissal. The case turned on the fact that she had never

been reprimanded or disciplined for the posts. The court awarded her damages equal to five months’ notice of termination (less any mitigation), taking into account her length of service, age and the availability of other comparable employment opportunities. Based on this case, employers should consider adopting a social media policy and take active steps to provide employees with express and clear warnings if conduct is viewed as inappropriate. General remarks about communication style do not suffice. Further, prior to termination, an employer should consider if a single instance of misconduct sufficiently justifies termination. And, as always, they should seek legal advice prior to an employee’s termination. OHB Barbara Green is a partner of Robins Appleby LLP. Derek Kim is a summer student at Robins Appleby LLP. ontario home builder fall 2015

health & safety

Saving Your Skin Occupational contact dermatitis is a workplace hazard Courtesy the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety You’re covered in it and it weighs

about eight pounds. Skin is the largest organ in our bodies. It’s versatile, insulating, strong and waterproof—and it has to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, people working in environments where they are exposed to chemicals and other harmful substances are at risk for skin diseases. Although the exact number of cases of occupational skin disease in Canada is unknown, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimated in 2009 that workplace skin diseases account for 15%-20% of all reported occupational diseases in the U.S., with estimated total annual costs (including lost workdays and lost productivity) of up to $1 billion. Occupational contact dermatitis is by far the most common of all the skin disorders, accounting for 70%-90%. It comes in two forms: irritant (80% of all occupational dermatitis) and allergic. Irritant contact dermatitis is caused when your skin comes into direct contact with an irritating chemical or agent (e.g. alcohols, cutting oils and coolants, degreasers, disinfectants, petroleum products, detergents or solvents). Wet work (repeated and/or prolonged contact with water) and other physical irritants such as friction and low humidity can also contribute to occupational dermatitis. One of the first signs of the affliction is often dry, red and itchy skin, which may be followed by swelling, flaking, blistering, cracking and pain. These symptoms don’t always occur at once or in all cases. Dermatitis can develop quickly after contact with a strong irritant, or over a longer period from frequent contact with a mild irritant. The reaction’s severity depends on the kind of chemicals contained in the product used, the ohba.ca

concentration of a chemical and the length and frequency of the exposure. Allergic occupational contact dermatitis (or skin sensitization) occurs when you develop an allergy to a chemical or agent. Substances known to cause skin sensitization include chromium and chromates, epoxies, resins and acrylics. The symptoms of skin sensitization are similar to irritant contact dermatitis. However, sensitization tends to be a delayed reaction, developing over time, and the consequences are more severe. Once someone has developed an allergy, exposure to even tiny amounts of the allergen can trigger allergic contact dermatitis.

which is even more caustic than portland cement. Further, portland cement contains trace amounts of hexavalent chromium, a strong sensitizing agent responsible for allergic dermatitis in cement workers. Other sensitizing agents include various epoxy adhesives and sealants in addition to various chemicals present in the admixtures used with cement and plaster. Further, construction workers may use a sensitizing agents such as lanolin creams or lotions to soften their skin. Some industrial hand cleaners contain limonene, also a sensitizing agent. The rubber in rubber gloves also may cause allergic dermatitis.

Who is most at risk?

Prevention

Although anyone can develop occupational contact dermatitis, workers at increased risk include consctruction workers. Portland cement, found in plaster and in concrete mixes, is extremely alkaline. Wet plaster also contains slaked lime or calcium hydroxide,

Employers are required by the Canadian right-to-know legislation, which includes the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, to inform workers about the nature of substances they are exposed to and how to work with them safely. Hazardous products ontario home builder fall 2015

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that are skin sensitizers, skin irritants or corrosive to the skin are covered by this legislation. Employers must assess the risks associated with exposure to these products in the workplace and control exposure to eliminate or minimize their effects. 1. Where possible, consider using a safer non-hazardous product, and where it is not, reduce exposure by containing the product at the source (e.g. by enclosing the process or using local exhaust ventilation). Handle the product in ways that limit contact. 2. PractiSe good housekeeping to prevent the spread of contamination, including proper storage of products, frequent disposal of waste, prompt removal of spills, and maintenance of equipment to keep it free of dust, dirt and drippings. 3. PractiSe good hand washing. But be aware that excessive exposure to water alone can dry out and irritate the skin. This drying effect worsens with the addition of soap and detergents or after exposure to solvents. 4. Use caution when using ‘barrier creams.’ While they may be helpful in specific situations, they do not provide as much protection as protective clothing. 5. Make after-work or conditioning creams readily available to workers to help prevent contact dermatitis from developing, and encourage their use. 6. Leave personal protective equipment as a last resort. It’s the least-effective control measure and only protects well when selected, worn, removed and maintained properly. Appropriate gloves and cotton liners should be provided according to their chemical and physical resistance, as well as their suitability for the task. 7. Educate and train workers about the risks of skin exposure and the precautions needed to prevent disease. This training should include the correct use of any PPE, good skin care and what to do if they suspect they have a skin problem.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is Canada’s national resource for the

advancement of workplace health and safety. ohba.ca

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Face Up to Your Potential 18 Facebook post ideas for new-home builders By Spencer Powell As a new home builder, you’re in a great

position to take advantage of social media. Why? It’s the photos! People love photos of homes, both inside and out. However, you’re probably looking for some other ideas too so that your Facebook profile doesn’t become stagnant. Below, I’ve put together a list of a 18 Facebook post ideas to get your creative juices flowing. 1. Share New Home Photos as Albums

Homebuyers love photos! If you complete a new custom home or a new build in a community, get some professional photos taken and load them onto your Facebook page. In this industry, you can never have enough photos. 2. Run Caption Contests with Your Photos

Caption contents are a fun way to work on engagement with your audience. How many of your Facebook posts collect loads of likes, comments and shares? My guess is not too many. Caption contests will help! 3. Ask Questions with Your Photos

Asking questions can be another great way to get some engagement with your fans. Asking open-ended questions can work, but if you can provide your fans with options, your engagement will increase even more. Central U.S. builder Hallmark Homes posted a bedroom photo on its site with the question: “If you were building a two-storey home, would you want the master bedroom upstairs or downstairs? Why?” 4. Post Employee Birthdays or Company Anniversaries

Posting employee birthdays or company anniversaries helps show the human side of ohba.ca

your company. Oftentimes, these posts get the most engagement because they are about real people. 5. Run Contests

Contests take a little more work, especially if you want them to act as a lead capture tool, but they can be extremely successful in terms of getting your current audience engaged as well as attracting new people to your page. For example, in its holiday-themed “Home Sweet Home Challenge,” Houston’s David Weekley Homes asked readers to share their favourite homemade treats for a chance to win a KitchenAid stand mixer. 6. Post Community Updates

When someone buys a home, they are also buying into the community. It’s important to share what’s going on in the community. Sharing grand openings, new neighbours, and community activities are great pieces of content to share.

7. Offer Seasonal Tips

Offering seasonal tips and advice to homeowners (“Move your clocks back and check your smoke detectors while you’re at it!” is a great way to add value and an even better way to avoid always selling on your Facebook page. Give away helpful advice to your followers. 8. Post About the Local Area

Sharing information about the local area gives homeowners or prospective buyers a sense of the area and is an extremely important part of the research process. 9. Behind the Scenes

Behind-the-scenes posts are fun and interesting. This is another way to showcase the human side of your business and give your audience an inside look into your team, your process or your office! 10. Employee Interviews

Employee interview videos are fun! Again, ontario home builder fall 2015

Chaitons_Builder_print.pdf 1 5/14/2015 9:38:12 AM

just another great way to give your audience an inside look from your company’s experts and to feel a connection with you as a community home builder. 11. Client Testimonial Videos

Testimonials provide your audience with social proof. As homebuyers look at different competitors and areas, you want them to be able to hear from past clients.

12. Video Tours

This is one of the best types of posts you can invest in. People today absolutely devour videos. Pair that with a completed new home and you’ve got a recipe for lots of views!

13. Share New Floor Plans

CMY

Homebuyers love looking at floor plans. They want to picture their current furniture in their new home. They want to imagine buying new furniture, setting up and getting settled in. Give them that opportunity!

14. Promote Open Houses

Your Facebook page is a great place to share when you’ve got an open house coming up... or ending. Share photos pre-event or postevent. You can use this as a way to get people to pre-register as well. 15. Share Blog Content

Are you blogging? If not, you should be! If you are blogging, your Facebook page is a great way to share that content. 16. Share Premium Content

If you have valuable e-books, checklists or guides, Facebook can be an excellent way to get that piece of content in front of more people. 17. Just-for-Fun Posts

Not everything needs to be about you! Create some just-for-fun posts to throw into your mix of Facebook posts. For example, wish people a Happy Valentine’s Day with your company logo embedded. 18. Share Awards

It’s not a bad thing to brag a little bit—just don’t make these types of posts the majority. Share awards that you’ve won and put some team members in the spotlight. OHB Spencer Powell is the Inbound Marketing Director at Colorado’s TMR Direct and Internet Educators. 28

ontario home builder fall 2015

ohba.ca

technology

Real Estate’s Smart Future Mobile technology is guiding light for new home buyers By John Amardeil If recent patterns are any indication, smart devices aren’t slowing down in sales, or sophistication. In 2014, sales of smartphones to end-users totalled 1.2 billion units, up 28.4% from 2013. In 2014, 6.8 million smart watches were sold, which is more than double the 3 million sold in 2013. This year is shaping up to be even better. In fact, global shipments of smartdevices are forecasted to reach 1.4 billion units in 2015. What does this mean for advertisers and developers? The rise of smart watches—even smarter phones— and tablets present a host of intriguing opportunities to engage with consumers and give them unprecedented access to specialized content while on the go. When it comes to real estate, it’s important to acknowledge that close to 90% of all sales are researched online during the process. With this in mind, new technology will allow the buyer to get—and act upon—information about a property instantly, in real time. This means faster, more informed buying decisions. How does this play out? One web design and software development firm, the Pilot Group Company, detailed a clever possibility. Imagine you’re out for a walk and your watch sends you an alert: a home around the corner fits your price range and specifications. With a simple voice command, your watch guides you to the house. You love what you see and decide you’d like to book an appointment. With another simple voice command, your watch sends an alert to the agent who can then contact you directly on your phone. Now imagine that same experience applied to future communities and new builds. That’s the seamless experience that smart platforms have the potential to offer homebuyers. ohba.ca

With the built-in components in smart watches and phones that monitor health and vitals, there is the possibility of using your emotions to not only gauge your reaction to and automatically act on homes, but also to build up a profile based on your emotional response to specific elements within a home. Imagine if your physiological reaction to children at a park helped an app ascertain that you’re considering children, and thus look for homes with room to grow. Imagine if increased agitation towards loud music at night helped an app to steer clear of homes close to university housing. This is the kind of next-level development that is coming down the pipeline. What if we take it a step further? What if you could transcend the discovery experience and use your device to actually make a purchase? Imagine the following concept. You download an app (designed by your agent) onto your phone that captures your signature and stores a digital version of a mortgage pre-approval from your bank. You find a home you like and decide that it’s

where you’d like to start a new life with your family. With a simple voice command—“I’ll take it”—our phone goes ahead and puts in a bid, while simultaneously sending an alert to your agent. Once accepted, your app sends all the appropriate pre-filled paperwork to your agent and lawyer, and also releases your down payment, which was stored in escrow. Now, imagine this entire process taking place within an hour of your life-changing decision. That’s the immediacy, as well as the deep level of integration and connection that smart devices offer. Forecasts show that global shipments of smart devices will exceed 1.9 billion by 2019, and the growth likely won’t stop there. With each new device that hits the market, the threshold of innovation and technology is pushed a step further. This type of experience is the future of real estate, and it will be in play much sooner than you think. OHB John Amardeil is the president of BAM Builder Advertising and Marketing. ontario home builder fall 2015

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Top shelf Ideas for Builders & Renovators

Security at a touch Schlage’s Touch Electronic With Schlage Touch means no keys to fiddle with or lose, and, for would-be intruders, no cylinder to pick. Featuring a slim profile that’s as sleek as it is strong, it’s 100% bump-proof and pick-proof. An illuminated, fingerprint-resistant touchscreen works in the rain and when you’re wearing gloves. Available in a variety of durable finishes, it features sleek knob and lever options. And with no wiring required, all you need is a screwdriver. Schlage.com

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ontario home builder fall 2015

Top shelf

View to a Thrill Motorized Executive Screens by Phantom Screens are the ideal way to screen large openings. With a wide variety of mesh options for insect protection or solar shading, they can be recessed into the beams or columns of a porch or deck, thereby staying truly hidden when fully retracted. They can also be connected to home automation systems for ideal versatility. phantomscreens.ca

Ply Gem adds some colour to your world Partnering with colour forecasters, Ply Gem offers two new colours—Gunmetal Grey and Regatta Blue—to its Mitten vinyl siding Sentry collection. Representing industry-leading durability, weatherability and colour retention, the Sentry collection features a cedar-grain texture with a deep silhouette, giving it rich shadowlines and depth in a maintenancefree vinyl profile in three profile options. Professionals can experiment with the new colours with Ply Gem’s Designed Exterior Studio home visualizer tool at plygem.ca. 34

ontario home builder fall 2015

Click and hold Tubing installation is simplified, thanks to the retaining system layout of the Isorad V2 hydronic radiant floor heating insulation system. By allowing multidirectional installation, it eliminates the need for wire mesh when it is not required for slab reinforcement and provides a regular interval of tubing. The IsoClick Align clipping system clips panels together during installation, providing for a continuous insulation. isolofoam.com ohba.ca

Canadian winters are tough. But they’re no match for a Thermocraft door. Crafted from high-grade Canadian steel, it’s fade resistant, corrosion proof and fully insulated. Available in five colours and backed by our unnecessary warranty, it’s the perfect match for Mother Nature and your neighborhood. Every door has its own personality. Design the one that matches yours at steel-craft.ca

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Walk the plank! ErthCoverings unveils a new series of limestone planks and dimensional tiles for 2016. Available in floor planks to create beautiful rustic stone floors, as well as a dimensional wall tile in two different thicknesses, they’re made from 100% natural stone and are suitable for both interior and exterior use. Erthcoverings.com

Bathed in the perfect light The Concept Dual Roller Shades from Shade-O-Matic have an innovative bottom rail that allows the fabric to slide through as you select the exact amount of light that comes in. The head rail features a built-in valance. The shade disappears when fully raised, and an integrated installation bracket and end-cap design minimizes side gaps. One continuous fabric alternates between a sheer voile and privacy fabric, giving you total control over your view. Sunbritedrapery.com

The art of windows Decorative glass windows from Hy-Lite, a U.S. block windows company, provide their own artwork for any room while also adding a degree of privacy. Models feature an assortment of square, geometric and oval windows in both fixed and operable styles—some in black, satin or brass caming to offset bevelled glass pieces and other privacy textured glass, with others offering silkscreened designs. hy-lite.com

Cool system is a hot item Home Corp Services, which recently partnered with HVAC specialist Montwest Mechanical, offers the Goodman SSX14 high-efficiency air conditioner. Using chlorine-free R-410A refrigerant for increased durability, it delivers a performance of up to 15 SEER. Features include a three-bladed fan and a louvered sound-control top for quieter system performance, as well as a high-efficiency condenser coil made of corrugated aluminum fins and rifled refrigerationgrade copper tubing. homecorpservices.com/

Saving energy…and space Baxi’s gas-adaptive, self-calibrating Luna Duo-Tec wall-hung boiler is both high-efficiency and no bigger than a small kitchen cupboard. It features a 7:1 turndown to 19,108 BTU/H, with applications from smaller suites to a 5,000 sq. ft. home. The boiler automatically initiates de-aeration of the system and adjusts the electronic gas valve and fan speed to match venting specifications—a self-calibrating function that is repeated regularly. wallhungboilers.com

montwest.ca 36

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Slim picking From Spain-based Fagor Electrodomesticos comes the sleek, compact, high-tech BMF-200X. The highperformance, ultraenergy-efficient Energy Star refrigerator stands 79” tall, but a mere 24” wide, making it ideal for small homes, condos and basements. Distributed in Quebec, the model features “No Frost” technology and an interactive LCD touch screen on the door, along with independent compartments with electronic regulation of temperatures. Fagoramerica.com

Faux Stone, Real Impact Canadian-made, high-quality polymer Novik faux stone siding products are developed to reflect true-to-life textures. Laboratory tested for resistance to wind, impact and discolouration, they’re an ideal stone siding for exterior applications, but the panels (Novik’s Dry Stack Limestone pictured) can also be installed on any interior wall to create a beautiful accent in any space. stoneselex.com

Here’s a breath of fresh air! 3M’s award-winning Rugged Comfort Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6500QL Series protects workers from harmful dusts, gases, vapours and sprays. It features a soft but firm silicone faceseal that holds up in high-heat environments. The low-profile design makes it compatible with other personal protective gear, while the quick-latch design offers an easy, onehand-touch drop-down mechanism for pulling the facepiece on and off. mmm.com

ontario home builder fall 2015

Feeling a little touchy, are we? Weiser’s keyless SmartCode 10 Touchscreen deadbolt is the newest product to offer Weiser’s patent-pending SecureScreen technology. It features a dramatically reduced interior size with an increased aesthetic appeal. The tamper-proof interior adds security, while an intuitive user interface senses contact quickly. Weiser’s SmartKey cylinder prevents lock bumping and makes the deadbolt nearly impossible to pick. weiserlock.com ohba.ca

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John Meinen Bor n June 7, 1960. Stratford M ar r ied May 14, 1982 (Arlene Koskamp) Childr en Lisa 31 (Nevin Dow), Jolene 27 (Darryl Guetter), Nathan 23, Samantha 20 Fou nded Pinnacle Qua li t y Homes 1998

ontario home builder fall 2015

ohba.ca

All for one & one for all

Smaller LOCALS have a champion as master recruiter John Meinen assumes the OHBA presidency By Ted McIntyre

We are seated by the front window in the new Crabby Joe’s in the east end of Stratford as the lunch crowd begins to filter in, and John Meinen is relating childhood memories from his family farm in nearby Carlingford—a swine operation augmented with extensive cornfields and more than 10 acres of turnips. “One day, around the age of four or five, I got run over by a turnip wagon,” Meinen relates. “So when people say, ‘What—did you just fall off the turnip truck?’ I say, ‘No, but I did get run over by it once.’” It’s part of Meinen’s charm. For our 90-minute interview, OHBA’s incoming president is engaging, unguarded and brutally honest on all subjects, including the limits of his formal education. Like a bucking bronco awaiting the rodeo gate to open, Meinen quit school one day in Grade 10 to enter the workforce full time. “It just wasn’t for me,” he says. “I didn’t have time to spend another two and a half years in school. I couldn’t wait to physically work with my hands.” But make no mistake—the pinnacle of learning for the man behind Stratford-based Pinnacle Quality Homes is always a day away. Meinen has continually gleaned knowledge from his mentors ohba.ca

and the competition in climbing the ladder to one of his region’s most successful home builders—an ascension that started early. Although his parents moved to B.C. when John was 16, Meinen had his own house framing company by the time he was 18. Four years later, in 1982, he returned to Ontario to reconnect with—and marry— childhood friend Arlene Koskamp, who grew up on her family farm just three kilometres away from John and his 10 siblings. Life wasn’t easy for the newlyweds, each the offspring of Dutch immigrants. “Arlene and I had a hog farm until I was 25,” Meinen remembers. “She was often looking after the farm while I was living in trailers and such, working for a company that built bridges in small towns across Southwest Ontario. I also framed hard-core until 199798—there came a point where we were doing 90% of all the framing in Stratford. In 1998, I bought two lots and started Pinnacle Homes. We’ve since built roughly 200 custom homes in the Stratford area and have never missed a closing date. That’s something I’m very proud of.” Today, Pinnacle is very much a family affair. “We have three full-time staff and a supervisor—my son-in-law Nevin Dow,” says ontario home builder fall 2015

www.ohba.ca

suMMer 2011 | $4.00

remembering david horton - an industry leader p.33

John Meinen of Pinnacle Homes

Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson

road to code

what builDers neeD to know for 2012

p.52

open for business

Clockwise fromare top municipalities becoming builDer frienDly? left: John with his p.38 partner in life and business, Arlene; a 2011 OHB cover with Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson; as a child at the home farm in Carlingford; the nine Meinen brothers; and waterskiing on Lake Huron.

absolute success Detractors saiD it woulD never be built

p.46 Get ready

to rumble let the election brawling begin

p.50

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Meinen. “On the sales side, it’s my real estate agent son-in-law Darryl Guetter. And my son Nathan, who spent three and a half years in construction technology management at Fanshawe, is now working for me. And my eldest daughter, Lisa, has her own painting business and paints all Pinnacle homes.” And what of Arlene? “I seem to be in charge of anything I stick my nose into. Looking back 20 years, maybe I should have played dumb and I’d now be going golfing or to the gym,” she laughs. “But no, that’s not the way we grew up. Our parents were immigrants and we saw how hard they worked. So it’s pretty natural for us.” “Arlene is very much in check with all the quality control,” says John. “She has a cleaning staff, but there’s not a house that Pinnacle closes that Arlene is not the last one through. She also singlehandedly takes care of the office.” “Arlene is extremely supportive of John’s endeavours and very thorough. Together they make a pretty dynamic team,” says 42

ontario home builder fall 2015

Stratford-based builder Larry Otten, proprietor of Larry Otten Contracting. Otten, whose parents also emigrated from Holland, has spent virtually his entire his life growing up in the company of Meinen, and knows that his friend’s legendary charisma will serve him well at the helm of the Ontario Home Builders Association. “I watched John when he was president of the Stratford and Area Builders’ Association for three different terms,” says Otten. “He has an infectious personality in how he communicates and shares his excitement. He has an ability to motivate people that far exceeds the norm, whether increasing memberships or with other causes that Stratford has been involved with, such as spearheading a home for United Way or the Anne Hathaway Park splash pad.” While some are adept at getting soldiers to follow them into battle, Meinen can recruit entire armies, says Otten, who succeeded Meinen’s last term as SABA president in 2012—the year Meinen reeled in his second straight OHBA Rooftopper of the Year award ohba.ca

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From top left: Getting his hands dirty at Pinnacle Quality Homes’ Old Grove subdivision in Stratford; showing off his OHBA 2012 Rooftopper of the Year award; living it up with Prycon’s Matt and Shari Pryce at OHBA’s Annual Conference in 2013; with Premier Kathleen Wynne and outgoing OHBA president Vince Molinaro.

as the province’s top membership recruiter. “John has the ability to mobilize people and get them to buy in. And he leads by example,” Otten says of OHBA’s 2011 Member of the Year. “John doesn’t demand things of people where he doesn’t come to the plate with even more himself.” As OHBA’s 2nd vice-president in 2012/2013, Meinen headed up the formation of both the Bluewater and Oxford Home Builders’ Associations. But the remaining potential for membership growth across the province drives Meinen to distraction. “What angers me is that we have this association that works full-time and a staff that fights issues on a daily basis for this industry, and whether you’re a plumber, electrician or builder, you are part of this industry,” he says. “So we have members who are paying $1,000 a year to be part of this organization and everyone else piggybacking off them. ‘Be a member and help pay the freight’—that’s my message everywhere, and it usually works well.” There’s also the simple economics of the matter, Meinen notes. “There are big issues and we need to attract people who have the qualifications to fight some of these,” he told OHB magazine in 2012. “And more revenues mean we can hire the best people to fight the major and complex battles.” 4 4

ontario home builder fall 2015

Challenges ahead One of those issues facing OHBA is the imposing shortage of skilled trades. “I try to convince our youth that a college or university degree is not necessarily the be-all and end-all,” Meinen says. “In Southwestern Ontario, 75-80% of our economic activity is still groomed by small business and entrepreneurship. And there’s still a lot of room left to grow. We’re going to be short 30,000 skilled trade workers in the next 10 years. That tells me we’re not doing our job as a governing body and industry to entice skilled trades. But we also have a problem with setting a ratio of three journeyman to get an apprentice. The small mom-and-pop operations don’t have three journeyman; some don’t have any. So I think there are a lot of barriers when it comes to young people in this industry, and that has to change. “You want to redo your bathroom? Your plumber can’t nail in a 16-inch block to hold up a pipe; you have to hire a carpenter. And the average licensed carpenter in Southwestern Ontario is 61 years old,” Meinen continues. “You know what making carpentry compulsory on a jobsite will do? Kill the industry! “So while we have a looming shortage of skilled trades, and of kids wanting to grow up doing physical labour, we also have able-bodied 22-year-olds sitting at home because the ratio isn’t right.” ohba.ca

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“It’s important not to focus on the trauma, or on bad things that have happened in life, but to stay focused on the good things in life.” Meinen claims not to have a specific agenda for his coming term, but expect him to stand up for OHBA’s smaller members. “John respects the GTA and Toronto, but sees the uniqueness in the rest of Ontario and wants to make sure a policy adopted by any government for the GTA doesn’t hurt rural Ontario,” Otten notes. “He’s bringing a balance to that dance.” “I am not a GTA president,” Meinen says. “I’m the guy out here for you, fighting to change the apprenticeship ratios, who will help and support small locals, because small still matters to me. All I know is that there are more than two dozen files OHBA has been working on, and my hope is that I can play an important role in resolving the issues to a certain point where we can put them away. I’d be very happy at the end of my presidency if I can say 50% of them are done and on the shelf. That being said, we will likely have many new issues crop up in the coming year that will also need to be addressed.” The good news is that Meinen is no shrinking violet. “He enjoys the spotlight,” Otten concedes, “and he knows how to work the crowd. When John’s in the room, everyone’s knows it. He’s gonna make his way around and touch everyone in a way that leaves an impression on them, whether it’s with politicians or building ongoing or new relationships with the locals. Nobody feels like they’re being passed by or being taken for granted. “John is strongly outspoken, but he does it in a way that doesn’t offend people or jeopardize relationships,” Otten adds. “That’s a really rare attribute.” “During the past few years, I’ve met with a lot of politicians, and their political stripe doesn’t matter; I get along with every one of them and we communicate well,” says Meinen. “That dialogue is beneficial, locally, at Queen’s Park and in Ottawa. Three years 46

ontario home builder fall 2015

Dealing with tragedy

“My wife’s brother had a two-and-a-half-year-old son, Mark—a loving child. I had built somewhat of a relationship with him over time as I was completing a new home for his family.” John Meinen is reflecting on dealing with trauma in life, and one memory is indelible. “One morning as I went to work, one of my first stops was to check on that particular project. As always, my little nephew Mark was one of the first to greet me. We were only a couple of weeks from completion. I remember clearly walking through the new home with Mark and his father. After I left, 30 minutes or so later, my phone rang. “Mark had just passed away due to a farm accident. “It was the darkest time of my life and the rest of the family. A week later, the tragic event of 9/11 happened, which, I believe, no matter who you are, affected you in some way or another. My Uncle John Meinen passed away a couple of weeks later due to illness, and then there was the passing of my father months later. Cumulatively, it was a bit too much for me to accept all at once. My world was falling apart. I remember thinking how Arlene seemed so strong throughout all those events and wishing I could deal with it the same way. For the next six to eight months I couldn’t drag myself to work—didn’t feel like doing anything, and didn’t converse with many people. I was trapped in a grieving period that I just couldn’t shake, I was angry most of the time. It was affecting my relationship with Arlene negatively. I know she was at her wit’s end with me and had good reason to be. “I think what snapped me out of it one day was when my older brother came to me, about eight months into it. He said, ‘I may not know what you’re going through, but I know this: If you don’t get a grip and deal with it, you may find yourself alone.’ I realized I was affecting other lives negatively. That’s why it’s so important to have that close-knit family to support each other, and to have that leadership within the home—so that the kids look up to you and know they can come to you when a problem needs to be solved. “It’s important not to focus on the trauma, or on bad things that have happened in life, but to stay focused on the good things in life,” Meinen says. “So I know what grief and trauma is like, and I know what it feels like to come out of it too and to put it behind me.”

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When I bought that phone in ’84, people thought I was crazy. But man, could I stay organized. It was the most amazing piece of technology—great for organization and saving time.” It’s all a matter of efficiency, he says. “My theory is that life is only so long, and so many things to do and see,” he says. “Do it fast.” That would explain the turbocharged 2015 GMC Denali diesel heavy duty pickup sitting in the restaurant parking lot—“The thing flies,” he says—as well the decked-out gunmetal-grey, sevenspeed, 2014 C7 Stingray Corvette in the driveway at home. “Zero to 100 kph in 3.7 OHBA and Stratford Area Builders’ Association members celebrate the launch of seconds,” Meinen observes. Stratford’s Splash Pad in May 2014. John Meinen was instrumental in getting the project It sounds suspiciously like the speed of off the ground and SABA members contributed over $200,000 to the construction. The a typical John Meinen workday. “I’m not Stratford Splash Pad was the first project submitted for OHBA’s 50 Good Deeds initiative good at sitting still,” he confesses. “I could to celebrate the association’s 50th Anniversary. be sitting on the deck with a beer, and it’ll come to my mind that we should put up a gazebo. And within 48 hours I’ll have it ago, numerous MPs on the Hill didn’t completed.” even know who the CHBA was. That Assigning Meinen any task is sort of dialogue is going to continue to benefit like dropping a steak bone into the mouth the industry for years to come.” of a pit bull: you can consider it done, says A nd Meinen can even do so Otten. “He’s relentless. I’ve seen him bilingually! “Six months ago, I was at overcome a lot of adversity because he just an event at Queen’s Park with Premier refuses to quit.“ Wynne and discovered she spoke Dutch, “I do pretty good under pressure,” so she and I carried on in fluent Dutch for says Meinen, who will have Tribute five or 10 minutes!” Communit ies Execut ive V P of Acquisitions & Land Development Neil Life in the fast lane Rodgers backing him up in the viceWe’re midway into lunch at Crabby Joe’s, presidential role for the coming year. and if Meinen’s typical frenetic pace As many challenges as there are seems to have a little rocket fuel added facing that talented twosome and the to it, he can be forgiven. He is fresh rest of the OHBA staff, Meinen gives from the SABA Awards of Distinction a nod to the momentum the industry the previous evening, where Pinnacle has gained in recent years. “For one, I Homes’ haul included five crowns, think we have a better handle on health capped by Arlene’s Al McLean Memorial and safety, as admittedly bureaucratic Award for the greatest contribution to as it can get ever y now and then,” the association, an honour John shared Meinen says. “Another thing that’s with her in 2011. been a big bonus for the industry is the “This morning, all my awards went on impact that local associations and the social media, and different associations provincial association have had on their are already retweeting,” smiles Meinen, communities. And the dialogue we have whose Facebook, Instagram and two Twitter accounts are testament to his appreciation of modern now with municipal and provincial leaders compared to 10-15 communication channels. He was, in fact, likely the first person in years ago is far better.” Meinen’s eyes light up whenever the topic turns to the Stratford region to own a cell phone. “It was 1984, and it cost me $2,900!” Meinen recalls. “It wasn’t communication, and his own door is always open for industry portable; it was wired in to the truck—a big box under the seat. associates. A regular speaker at regional association functions, Back in my framing days, when the phone rang, the car horn would his advice is routinely sought out by fellow members. “He may not have a university degree, but when John speaks, go off and I’d have to jump down off the roof to get it. But I quickly learned that communication was key in any successful business. everybody is attentive,” says Arlene. “And they all get the message.” OHB

“During the past few years, I’ve met with a lot of politicians, and their political stripe doesn’t matter; I get along with every one of them and we communicate well.”

ontario home builder fall 2015

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What does $500,000 get you across Ontario By Ted McIntyre As one might expect, a half-million dollars buys you cern for Adi. “Some areas are trying to become more inviting,” he something quite different in Toronto than, say, Sudbury. From the says. “The City of Hamilton is saying they’re trying to get shovels availability of land and wait times, to permitting and other gov- in the ground approved within six months, but I don’t know anyernment fees, to a host of other factors, where you build dictates one who went through the process and got a building permit in that time. It sounds pretty ambitious to me.” prices and margins as much as parts and labour expenses. Builders the province over have their own respective hurdles. In Brantford, for example, that means a five- to six-month closing on a new home; whereas a Toronto condo could be longer than Some have zero development charges, others have anxiety-laden four years. And it can be an expensive process. In the GTA, an waits before they can stick a shovel in the gorund. Some are bound by land restrictions, while others have ample acreage to average of $100,000 of the cost of a $500,000 home will be build upon. Take the Quinte region. “There is no shortabsorbed by government charges, according to a 2013 age of available land to develop at this time,” says Building Industry and Land Development Associa“there is OHBA Past President and Hilden Homes Presition (BILD)-commissioned study by Altus Group no shortage dent Eric DenOuden. “We have a wide variety of that looked at all government charges and fees options for building. The area provides narrow on new homes. of available townhouse lots of approximately 28 feet wide, “For low- and high-rise developments, land to develop but a majority of serviced city lots are 40 or 50 Altus used the low end of the value of engiin Quinte at feet wide. Occasionally a development will have neering works found in their 2012 Altus Group a few lots at 60 to 75 feet wide. Most recent develCost Guide. These estimates are likely higher this time.” opments attempt to provide a choice of lot sizes to today,” notes BILD Manager of Communications cater to a wide variety of purchasers.” Amy Lazar. Keeping in mind, however, that people like to buy Tariq Adi, president and CEO of Burlington-based Adi Developments, confirms the estimates. “Our Link project homes within a reasonable commute from where they work, the in north Burlington is a four-building master-planned commu- extended periphery of the GTA will provide the best bang for the nity—300,000 square feet and 297 units,” says Adi. “I was looking buck moving forward—for both developers and homebuyers, says at my city, development charges, permit fees, etc., and I was paying Mary McDonough, president of On Target Real Estate Research. $43,000 a unit. And I started selling in the $190,000s, so that was “We’re seeing the strong overflow of GTA demand in outlying areas such as Kitchener/Waterloo and Hamilton/Grimsby/ roughly 22% of the price. And the business model is becoming more challenging, says Waterdown/Stoney Creek and into Niagara region,” McDonough Adi. “In Burlington, there’s a bit of a two-tier system, in terms of notes. “Those markets will contiue to provide good value for dealing with the region as well as the municipality. Fees have risen under $500,000.” What follows is a sampling from around the province of the substantially in (our eight years of operation)—maybe 15%-20% in DCs. And we’ve also seen a 15%-20% hike in building permit fees varying fees and approval process times, as well as what buyers can expect in the half-million-dollar range. All numbers are average across the board in the past couple years.” The time required for permit approvals is also an increasing con figures, and some sources have requested anonymity. 50

ontario home builder fall 2015

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2,300

square foot 2-storey home

per square foot

2 years

Brantford

average wait for mid-rise building

What does $500,000 get you? A two-storey, 3,300 sq. ft. home with 4 BR and 2.5 bath.

Wait time before closing: Depending on the size and level of finishes and personalization, it will be anywhere from six to eight months from firm offer. Desirable lots: Greenspace and waterfront. Cost of servicing a lot: The average servicing is $35,000 per lot. Building permit cost and processing time: The cost is about $1.15 per square foot and takes anywhere between 10 and 20 days turnaround time. ohba.ca

What does $500,000 build? A 2,300 sq. ft. 2-storey home in the northwest of Guelph with single garage on a 30’x140’ lot. In the south end, 2,000 sq. ft. with no loft and a lot of around 30’x105’.   Rough cost per sq. ft.: Including granite in kitchen, standard carpet and tile throughout and no hardwood, you’d spend $220 to $240 per sq. ft.

$125$150

Cost per square foot: The rough costs for building is $125-$150 per square foot.

Guelph

Burlington Source: Tariq Adi, CEO/President, Adi Developments What do you get for $500,000? For about $435,990, purchasers at our LINK condo development can get a 1,088 sq. ft., 2 BR contemporary loft with den, ample outdoor space with private terraces and patios overlooking a landscaped courtyard that opens to Bronte Creek, says Adi Developments’ Tariq Adi. Average wait for new-home/condo purchasers before the closing date: Mid-rise buildings average two years; larger high-rise projects take between three and four years.

Desirable lots in your region: Residences downtown overlooking Burlington’s waterfront will always be in high demand with their incredible views and convenient location. Beyond that, Burlington’s uptown is quickly developing and demand there is growing, with quick access to the 407 and QEW and GO Train service. Homes overlooking ravines are also in high demand. Building permit cost and approval process time: Depending on the project, a condo building permit can be from $100,000 to more than $1 million. The approval process will usually take a minimum of one year to 18 months.

Average wait before the closing date? Five to six months is typical on a single; nine months for a townhome not already under construction. Desirable lots in the area? Everyone wants large singles backing onto greenspace. Costs make it difficult to do so. A walkout semi-detached on greenspace might be chosen instead. Many opt for the square footage and the view instead of the personal space. Building permit cost and average approval process wait: Permits average $1,500, plus water meter and development charges. The average wait is 10 days for singles and semis; 15 for townhomes. “We’re lucky the building department works with us,” noted one Guelph builder, “as they review things, and if they have a concern they call and ask questions for additional materials, rather than waiting 10 days and then posting the requirements and waiting another 10 days. ontario home builder fall 2015

Kitchener/ Waterloo

2,900

square foot 2-storey home

Source: Waterloo Region HBA Past President Mark Van Dongen, now a sales representative with RE/MAX Solid Gold What does $500,000 get you? A 2-storey 2,900 sq. ft., 4 BR, 2.5 bath on a 38’-wide lot. In Kitchener, this would be on a 40’ lot, or the price difference would be at least $10,000. [Source: Eastforest Vista Hills & Eby Estates] Price per square foot: KW builders are generally building in the $145$175 range, with bungalows and high-energy-efficient homes as high as $200 per sq. ft. [Source: Land Registry Records cross referenced with Building Plans] Construction wait times: The construction of new homes averages five to six months. Condos take considerably longer and are sold as much as 12-18 months out. Desirable lots: Backing onto greenspace is the most sought-after lot. Cul-de-sacs are also in demand, as are wider lots that are greater than 50’ in width. Cost of servicing a lot: $1,500 to $2,000 per front foot of saleable lots (not road frontage), including everything like sidewalks, curbs, engineering costs, parks and legal and financing costs. [Source: Large Land Developer in KW] Building permit fees and wait times: They take the maximum two weeks to get issued and the cost of the permit is around $2,000 in fees plus a $500 grading deposit, plus $31,688 in total development charges, for a total of roughly $34,000. [Source: City of Waterloo] 52

ontario home builder fall 2015

5.5+

Niagara

month wait for a new build on a single lot

Source: Mike Memme, Operations Manager, Mountainview Homes What does $500,000 get you? In Niagara Falls, it’s a 3,000 sq. ft., 2-storey home on a 50’ lot. In Welland, it’s 3,500 sq. ft. 2-storey on a 50’ lot. Average wait for homebuyers: For a new build on a single lot, it’s 5.5+ months. For a new build in a block of townhouses, it’s 6.5+ months. For a framed spec unit, it’s 90 days. Desirable lots: Backing onto woodspace and pie-shaped lots. Permit fees and approval process time: For Niagara Falls, it’s two to three weeks, with permit fees of $2,500 and DCs of $20,000 on a single. In Welland, the approval process is also two to three weeks, with permits costing $2,400 and DCs of $17,000 on a single.

GTA Source: Amy Lazar, Communications Manager, BILD What does $500,000 build? The average price of new high-rise home in the GTA is $441,134. The product choices really vary. These days, $500,000 can get a 3-storey, 2,084 sq. ft. townhouse with a 20 ft. lot in the town of Ajax; a 2-storey, 1,920 sq. ft. semi-detached with a 30 ft. lot, in Brampton; or a 1,376 sq. ft. bungalow with a 30 ft. in the municipality of Clarington. The average price of a new lowrise home in the GTA in June 2015 was $785,800. The price per square foot, of course, will depend on cost of land, which is very dependent on location in the GTA.

$441,134 average price of a new highrise home

Average wait before the closing date? On average, condos can take anywhere from two to four years—sometimes longer. Low-rise deliveries usually take around one to two years. Desirable lots in the area: Generally, desirable lots include ravine lots, wide frontage or deep lots (allowing for future expansion), adjacency to avenues (but not necessarily along avenues), and proximity to parks, public transit and other desired amenities and services. Cost of servicing a lot: Low-rise, engineering works (e.g. road work, ohba.ca

$185$250

Sudbury

per square foot

Source: Laura Higgs, Executive Officer, Sudbury HBA What does $500,000 build? Bungalow or Raised bungalow with walkout, 1400-1700 sq. ft. + finished basement, fully landscaped. Lot size: 65’x125’ / 55’x120’. For 2,200 sq. ft. two-storey with lot size of 50’ x 105’. Rough cost per sq. ft.: $185-$250 per sq. ft. Average wait before the closing date: Four to five months; one year for condo (from foundation).

permits can usually be obtained in

2 weeks

site prep, water and sewer service, storm sewers, etc.) amount to $2,700 per metre of road frontage. For high-rise, approximately $3,800 per metre of frontage. Building permit wait times: Every municipality in the GTA is different for building permit fees—they all set different targets for customer service as well. Depending on the type of project, the review and approval target timelines established by the City of Toronto are approx: nine months for complex applications, four months for routine ohba.ca

applications and three months for quick applications. If all the conditions are met, the Building Code specifies the following time frames for the review of complete building permit applications: • 10 business days for a house • 15 business days for a small building • 20 business days for a large building • 30 business days for a complex building This is a best-case scenario. In reality, it can take approximately 18 months to complete the application and permit process. The above doesn’t include any Ontario Municipal Board mediations or hearings that may come up.

Quinte Source: Eric DenOuden, President, Hilden Homes What does $500,000 get you? The bulk of the local market is for homes in the 1,400 to 1,800 sq. ft. range, with prices from $275,000 to $325,000. For $500,000, you could get a brick home on a premium city lot—about 70 ft. wide lot, 2,700 sq. ft., 4 BR, 3 bath, nice ceramic and hardwood finishes.

Desirable lots in the area: Waterfront is the most desirable, then greenspace or a cul-de-sac, as well as flat lots with walkout from the home. Cost of servicing a lot: All in, $100,000-$120,000 (sewer, water and hydro are $85,000-$95,000, which includes engineering costs). Building permit cost and approval process wait: $18,000. Eight to 15 days.

Average wait for homebuyers: Most builders in this area keep an inventory of spec homes or partially constructed units ready for quick occupancy. A home purchased from the plans would take approximately 16 weeks to be completed. Desirable lots: The area has a wide range of rural lots that provide acreage, grand views, waterfront or smaller lots in rural subdivisions. Prices vary from $50,000 to $500,000 for the lot depending on the features the lot provides and its proximity to amenities. Cost to service a lot: There is no shortage of available land to develop at this time and the average is approximately $1,300 per foot frontage for serviced town lots. Building permit cost and approval process time: On average, $1,500 to $2,000, with DCs from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the municipality. Permits can usually be obtained within two weeks. ontario home builder fall 2015

Fo ren

Low vacancy rates have builders exploring new options 54

ontario home builder fall 2015

ohba.ca

or nt By Alison King

ohba.ca

ith interest rates at historic lows and Ontario’s rental market hotter than ever, the construction of purpose-built, multi-residential units spells opportunity for many developers. But before ma k ing the jump from traditional home and condo construction to rental property development, a number of factors must be considered before deciding if the rewards are worth the risks. The rental landscape in Ontario’s urban centres has changed dramatically in recent years. Tight rent controls through much of the 1970s and 1980s limited the incentive for owners to provide more than the bare minimum to renters, often resulting in friction between landlords and tenants. While the boom in condo development resulted in many individually-owned units being available for rent, construction of new purpose-built rental properties was almost non-existent—until now. Throughout Ontario cities, the rental market is being redefined by new properties offering a range of features, finishes and amenities that were previously unheard of. According to Jack Winberg, CEO of Rockport Group in Toronto, a confluence of factors is driving the dramatic change. “The seeds were planted in 1991 when new purpose-built buildings were exempted from rent control,” says Winberg. “But since then either interest rates were too ontario home builder fall 2015

By the Numbers

Ontario Vacancy Rates April 2014 vacancy rate: 2.8% April 2015 vacancy rate: 2.4% Sharpest declines: Brantford (1.8%), Hamilton (1.8%), Guelph (0.6%) Lowest vacancy rates: *Guelph (0.6%), Barrie (1.7%), Toronto (1.8%) *Guelph’s vacancy rate is the lowest in Canada

Highest vacancy rates: Windsor (4.9%), Thunder Bay (4.7%) Greater Sudbury (4.6%) (Source CMHC 2015 Spring Rental Market Survey )

Top 5 Canadian cities by # of rental units 534,005 Montreal 308,212 Toronto 106,111 Vancouver 80,835 Quebec City The Montgomery, a new luxury rental development in Toronto’s trendy Yonge & Eglinton neighbourhood

high or average rents were too low to spur any new development. You just couldn’t justify investing in purpose-built in that economic climate. But now we’ve got the low interest rates, a strong demand for new product and a willingness to pay for more high-quality options by renters, which is making the rental market more attractive to a variety of players.” If anyone appreciates the challenges and opportunities of rental development compared to traditional condominium construction, it’s Winberg. Rockport Group is an industry pioneer, having registered the Toronto area’s first condo corporation in the late 1960s. Since then the company has added seniors housing, 56

ontario home builder fall 2015

ret a i l, indust r i a l a nd sel f storage projects to its portfolio a nd recent ly l au nc hed T he Montgomery, a new luxury rental development in Toronto’s trendy Yonge & Eglinton neighbourhood. Incorporating the historic Art Deco facade of Toronto’s Postal Station K, the 233-unit property will include 20,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, as well as a host of amenities, such as 24-hour concierge, a west-facing outdoor pool, fitness facility, yoga room and theatre, as well as in-suite laundry and high-end fixtures and finishes. On-site management services can take care of everything from maintenance requests and cleaning to package delivery and storage at the touch of

60,086 Ottawa (Source CMHC 2014 Fall Rental Market Survey )

Top 5 Ontario cities by # of rental units 308,212 Toronto 60,086 Ottawa 42,431 Hamilton 42,330 London 28,728 Kitchener-WaterlooCambridge (Source CMHC 2014 Fall Rental Market Survey )

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a button, thanks to a smartphone app. This level of condo-like services and amenities in today’s new rental builds appeals to the next generation of renters and sets a new industry standard. “Since the age of rent control, vacancy rates in Toronto have been ridiculously low,” says Winberg. “Supply and demand meant landlords didn’t need to focus on customer service; a unit was going to rent anyway. With The Mongtomery, we are redefining the playing field for people who choose to rent for business, lifestyle or financial reasons.” While many residents are choosing rentals over condo ownership because of the f lexibility, lack of long-term commitment and the predictability of costs, the same can’t be said for developers. “The risk profile of purpose-built rentals is different than that of condos,” cautions Winberg. With condo development, the biggest concern is costs increasing between pre-sale and build. With rental properties, the costs are set and you are borrowing money for a long period. That’s a huge interest rate risk and you need to count on rates remaining low.” Greg Bierbaum, president and CEO of London-based Old Oak Properties, takes the long view when assessing the risks and rewards of rental property development. “London doesn’t have a lot of condo activity, so Old Oak has always been more involved in the rental market,” he says. “We build our properties with the anticipation of holding them for 40 or 50 years. The long-term nature of the investment makes it much less risky than a short-term development, where you need to get your money out quickly. We have the time to ride out any temporary economic fluctuations.” Bierbaum adds that low interest rates and the stability of those rates has brought a lot of new players into the market, and he cautions those considering the opportunity that long-term investments require long-term commitment. “Don’t underestimate what’s involved in managing rental properties in a competitive market,” he says. “With a condo, you can build it and walk away to your next project. We’re here every day—not just from the design process and through construction, where we serve as our own general contractor—but long term. We are here maintaining the property to a high standard and creating a community that 58

ontario home builder fall 2015

Dollars and sense: Financing purpose-built rentals

Financing the construction of purpose-built rentals is significantly different than condominium development, and can seem like a riskier proposition. Condo developers have traditionally relied upon pre-selling a high percentage of a property’s units (and lenders insist upon it) in order to prove the project’s viability and secure funding. With rentals, however, the developer and lenders must bear 100% of the costs until the project is move-in ready. Burlington consultants Rock Advisors warn that the biggest obstacle facing developers is first convincing lenders of their rental development’s potential for return on investment. This can be a challenge in a new build with no history of rents achieved and costs incurred. Before approving construction financing, lenders typically require the developers to put forth 25% equity, which can include the current market value of the land. Permanent financing cannot be secured until rents have achieved 75% of projected gross revenues. Derek Lobo, CEO of Rock Advisors, notes that rental property developers must be willing to stand behind their project personally. “Because a new apartment project has no history and much perceived performance risk, the equity required includes a number of personal guarantees from the developer and the potential investor partners,” says Lobo. “These people must be prepared for covenant support for the project; they need to put their names behind their money. No developer is getting unsecured financing in today’s economy. The lenders want the developer to have ‘skin in the game’ to ensure the success of the project through the construction phase until there is a sufficient occupancy level to provide a return on their investment.”

meets residents’ expectations and needs. With rentals, it’s essential to be aware of the many regulations and to build an effective staff well-versed in tenant attraction and retention. I’ve seen a lot of companies who simply didn’t know what they were getting into. They made the mistake and then retreated from rental.” Like Winberg, Bierbaum points to the post-rent control era as a major force driving higher consumer expectations for increased service levels, quality finishes and a variety of amenities. Old Oak’s new Pomeroy Place development in southwest London delivers in that respect. Ninefoot ceilings, high-quality tile, quartz countertops and rich laminate flooring add a designer touch to the spacious suites, while a range of amenities, green technologies and elegant common spaces appeal to the modern renter. “While the cost of multi-residential construction has increased significantly

over the years, the costs of fixtures and finishes hasn’t necessarily gone up as much, so it’s actually a smaller percentage of your per-unit cost,” says Bierbaum. “Development charges and fixed costs are the same no matter what, so the variance of offering a product with condo-quality finishes is less per unit than you’d think. The consumer is willing to pay a premium for larger, nicer suites and it’s a distinct advantage in a competitive rental market like London.” Who are these renters driving the demand for service and luxury? And with mortgage rates so low, why are they choosing to rent rather than buy? The demographics vary by location, but tend to include students and young professionals, empty-nesters and seniors. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Commission’s (CHMC) Spring 2015 Rental Market Survey, the vacancy rate remained steady or dropped from April 2014 to ohba.ca

The Cooperage in Auburn Developments’ Barrel Yards project in Waterloo showcases upscale condominiumlike interior design and amenities.

April 2015 in the vast majority of Ontario centres covered by the report. The few areas that recorded significant increases in vacancy rates were Timmins, Collingwood, Thunder Bay and Lambton Shores. Another CHMC report cites sluggish wage growth and rising house prices as a factors in continued strength of the rental market, despite low mortgage rates. Employment instability, immigration and the growing senior population may be other driving factors. According to Bierbaum, renting in a luxury property such as Pomeroy Place may be as much a lifestyle choice as a financial one. “For a lot of our residents, the move to rental is seen as a step up, not a step down in terms of space and finishes,” he says. “They like not having to commit to holding real estate. Living a carefree existence—you can walk away from it with 60 days’ notice—is appealing to this demographic.” While the flexibility of rental is one of its major attractions, Winberg points out that living in a purpose-built rental community offers a level of stability not available to tenants who rent privately 60

ontario home builder fall 2015

owned units. “Many of the new condo units in Toronto have been rented out privately but there is no security of tenure for the residents,” he says. “The owners can decide to sell, or use the unit for themselves or family members at any time. With purpose-built rental, the property is owned by a professional company that is in the property management business. You get condo-quality amenities and condo finishes, but it’s better than a condo, because the owners are going to be there managing it every day.” Candace Taylor, a Senior Property Manager with Auburn Developments, meets clients every day who are looking for that mix of quality and flexibility in a rental property. With more than 50 years in the rental management business, Auburn is the company behind the development of Waterloo’s Barrel Yards community, a mixed-use neighbourhood featuring a variety of living options, including townhomes, apartments and live/work spaces. Its Cooperage and Onyx projects promise luxury apartment living in a vibrant setting. “This is a serious community for serious renters,” says Taylor. “A lot of our residents

are young professionals who have recently moved to the Waterloo area for work. They are seeking a certain quality of lifestyle and design, but because of the nature of their jobs, don’t want to make a long-term commitment. Others may be downsizing and simplifying their lives, or counting on the predictability of rental costs to free up funds for second homes or vacation properties.” As with the advent of new purpose-built rental developments in other Ontario cities, Auburn’s new properties are a breath of fresh air in the Waterloo market, where most of the existing rental inventory was built in the 1970s. Taylor stresses that they are creating apartment communities, not merely apartment buildings. Common areas such as outdoor terraces with stunning views, indoor lounges, libraries, movie theatres, fitness centre, yoga facilities and social events encourage residents and guests to meet and interact with each other. In-house newsletters and a strong social media presence help to keep residents up to date on community events and connected with each other in this digital age. “An apartment is more than just a place to rent; it’s a place to live,” says Taylor. “Happy renters are long-term renters.” OHB ohba.ca

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LUXURIOUS WARMTH

How are female buyers dictating demand and design? By Tracy Hanes

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Tridel’s female-friendly offerings include a rooftop oasis and stateof-the-art gym at SQ2, a spa at Ten York and a colourful kids room at Islington Terrace.

A year ago, human resources

advisor Michelle Mason moved from her family’s farm north of Whitby into her first home: a two-year-old condominium in an 18-storey tower in Pickering close to Highway 401 and the GO Station. Mason represents a powerful force in the Toronto area’s condominium market: the single female buyer. From young women in their 20s to those 55 years and older, condominiums are a desired housing choice for various reasons including affordability, ease of maintenance and safety.

ontario home builder fall 2015

“I’m single, I’m busy with my career and I wasn’t interested in all of the maintenance (of a house), such as cutting the lawn,” Mason, 29, says. “The other piece is that I was going to be living alone for the first time and it was something I was nervous about, so having 24-hour security was important to me.” According to recent statistics, women in their 20s represent about one-third of condo sales in several major Canadian cities, including Toronto. Further, 84% of single parents who own condos are women. And a rising divorce rate among those 55 and older has meant an increasing number of older single female households, thus more mature women condo buyers. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data indicate that in 2011 women represented 65% of condo owner occupants living alone. For those 55 and older, the number rose to 76%. Those findings come as no surprise to Jim Ritchie, vice-president of sales and marketing for Tridel, who says last year one-third of condo units sold by his company were to single women—a stat that’s been reasonably consistent during the past five years. “They (single women) are buying product priced between $250,000 to more than $1 million, with the largest number buying suites priced between $300,000 and $500,000,” says Ritchie, who notes female buyers tend to have a particular affinity for projects with ready access to public transit. Although Mason owns a car, the ability to get to her job at University Ave. and College St. in Toronto without having to drive was a ohba.ca

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Single female condo buyers’ priorities Price and location are top priorities for any buyer, but here are other features that are particularly important to solo women: Security: Bright, well-lit underground parking garages with panic buttons, 24-hour concierge and security staff are must-haves for most female buyers. Storage: Kitchens with pullouts, closets with built-in organizers and generous storage space. Flexibility: Layouts built for flexibility that maximize space go over well. Older single women want space to be able to bring favourite pieces from their previous homes and also want to be able to accommodate grandchildren for overnight visits. Social areas: Lounges where they can relax to chat with neighbours, dining and party rooms where they can host family gatherings, and beautiful outdoor terraces or barbecue areas for warm weather gathering are must-haves.

The Rockport Group’s Ridgewood II complex and spa target empty nesters and retirees. priority. And she wanted to significantly reduce the two-hour commute she had when she lived at her parents’ farm. Now she can get from her condo to her desk at work in 50 minutes using GO Transit. “Single women have definitely been a force for at least a decade and no one blinks an eye at it anymore,” says Mimi Ng, V.P. of sales and marketing for Menkes Developments Ltd. “We get 20-25% of single women buyers, depending on the project, and it’s across the board, whether it’s a downtown or suburban site. “Condos are often the first step to home ownership and a way to create wealth, and a lot of young women think, ‘If I have the money now and a location I like, I’m going to go for it,’” Ng says. “Condo affordability is still quite decent and that’s why a lot of mid- to late20-somethings can achieve it.” Mason says that while she wanted a home of her own, making an investment was also important. After looking at units in Liberty Village and King West in Toronto, she felt she got better value in Pickering, where her 900 sq. ft. unit cost about the same as a bachelor suite in her preferred Toronto neighbourhoods. It’s also close to where her sister lives and half an hour from her parents. Although she didn’t need a two-bedroom unit, Mason felt it would have better resale value in future than a one-bedroom suite. What has changed when it comes to female condo buying habits is the influence of a decade’s worth of home decor and home reno 66

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Well-equipped gyms: Health-oriented women appreciate well-designed gyms with up-to-date equipment, swimming pools and yoga studios. If they can bring in personal trainers or yoga instructors, even better. Pet-friendly condos: Many women who live alone have dogs or cats as live-in companions and want buildings that accommodate their furry pals. On-site petwashing stations are a bonus.

vation shows, as well as being situated in a mature market like Toronto, says Ng. Women, and buyers in general, are much more educated and knowledgeable and do research online. By the time they come into a sales centre, they’re already well informed about a site and have looked at the floor plans. “They are asking very pointed questions, such as how does HST work, how does the rebate work, how does occupancy work,” says Ng. “They come in prepared with a list of questions.” Older female condo buyers may be looking for a lifestyle change and a different experience from their previous situation and may want to move in order to be in the heart of the city surrounded by arts and culture. Others wish to stay in their same neighbourhood but in a different form of housing than a large detached house. “We have some buyers at Pears on the Avenue (at Davenport Ave. and Avenue Rd.) who have lived in the Annex and Forest Hill for decades, and that’s where their whole social network is, their favourite coffee shop is,” notes Ng. “They want to stay there; they just don’t want to be in a house.” ohba.ca

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Streetcar Developments recently held an ‘urban safari’ to acquaint purchasers and potential purchasers in The Southwood condo on Kingston Rd. with the Upper Beach neighbourhood’s parks, trails, shops, eateries, etc. The majority of participants were women.

Condo market researcher and consultant Jeanhy Shim, president of Housing Lab Toronto, who lives in a condo along Queen’s Quay West, says there are several older single women buyers in her building and she’s found them to be great assets. “A couple of the women are on the condo board. Older women in condos are very useful and I’ve found they are usually very willing to volunteer,” Shim says. Older female buyers have also been a predominant force at the Ridgewood I and II, condominiums built by the Rockport Group in Aurora, aimed at the empty nester and retiree market. Susan McCartney, director of customer care, estimates that half of those buyers are single women who have never married, or who are divorced or widowed. “I’ve seen the pattern (of single women buyers) for 20 years and it continues to strengthen,” says McCartney. “There are a number of factors. The woman buyer is much more educated than before. They are more financially secure and they are astute buyers who know what they want. They don’t want or need a big yard and they like the sense of community and the security found in condos.” What also resounds with older women is having space to entertain and room to host their grandchildren, McCartney observes. She says buyers, including women, are downsizing at younger ages than they used to and are taking early retirements or working less. Some want a change of lifestyle in their 50s and are seeking a resort-style lifestyle. 68

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Rockport’s boutique mid-rise building, The Nest in Toronto’s Hillcrest Village, is appealing to women buyers of all ages who enjoy the urban setting in the midst of shops and restaurants and the proximity to streetcars, and who also appreciate contemporary design and green features, such as optional car-charging stations. Ritchie says that for urbanites who want to be in the core of the city, who enjoy restaurants and want the freedom to travel, a condo is an obvious choice for lifestyle considerations and because of affordability, given that the price difference between resale houses and condos in the GTA is now more than $500,000, while the average price of a single family home is $1 million. Real estate broker Sara Rowshanbin of Private Service Realty has handled pre-sales at approximately 50 condo developments and is currently selling at the Southwood, a boutique mid-rise condo in the Beach along Kingston Rd., a project she says has attracted many single women buyers. They include young women who grew up in the area and want to remain there, some who work in the neighbourhood, single mothers and empty nesters. Some of the neighbourhood’s appeals include excellent schools, close proximity to the Beach and transit, the small-town feel of nearby Kingston Village and amenities and activities that appeal to adults of all ages. Rowshanbin says young people who buy downtown will often eventually tire of the high-energy environment and want to move out of the core. “A lot of people think this neighbourhood didn’t have much for ohba.ca

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younger people, but I’m in my 30s and like to go out and do things and there is a lot of stuff here for my age group,” says Rowshanbin, who will be among the single women moving into the Southwood. While many of the design features and finishes found in current condo projects reflect buyer preferences in general, some features were influenced by female preferences, including white painted parking garage walls, better lighting and panic buttons in underground parking, and 24-hour concierges and security people. “Much of our industry has put a real emphasis on security in condo buildings for the comfort of single female buyers,” says Ritchie. While most buildings and suites are designed to appeal to men or women, Ritchie notes, Tridel created one suite design that resonated particularly with women buyers. “We made a larger one-bedroom and den unit, rather than a two-bedroom, and put

Living with perfect strangers can be a perfect solution A new concept in Port Perry is providing an alternative to the usual housing options available to older single women. A presentation resident Louise Bardswich made two years ago to the local Scugog Township Council (where the town of Port Perry is located) about the potential presented by shared home ownership caught the imagination of John Lucyk, who owns Lucyk Renovations. He bought a heritage home across the street from his own residence and is extensively renovating and expanding it to create a 4,300 sq. ft. house that will sell to five different people, each of whom will become tenants in common and hold 20% ownership. Each 20% ownership costs $250,000. Bardswich is the first buyer, and another retired single woman, Beverly Brown, has also bought in. After her elderly mother moved into an assisted living retirement facility, Bardswich, along with another friend who moved in with her own aging mother to provide care, gave a lot of thought to their own futures. Bardswich, 63, had been widowed for 10 years and was living alone in a house she owned, but she was tired of the maintenance and wanted the freedom to travel. She also was concerned about living alone and what would happen if she fell or became ill. A condo would be just as expensive to carry as her house, and she didn’t relish a future in a retirement home—not to mention being unsure as to whether she’d be able to afford it. Bardswich and her friend Martha Casson, both with mathematics backgrounds, calculated how inexpensively a person could live if they shared a house with others—a concept that is popular in countries such as England and Denmark. “I figured if I lived with three other people, I could cut my monthly costs by half. I could go into something with some equity and put a little money in the bank,” says Bardswich. While shared housing is not a new idea and many who are related may be doing it, “we’re doing a purpose-built house

ontario home builder fall 2015

in two full bathrooms,” he says. “It sold extremely well. We did it initially on a large scale in Old Mill, where the units were 700 and 800 square feet, and created smaller versions of that at Alexandra Park at SQ and SQ II in the 650- to 675-square-foot range.” Ritchie estimates that suite design represented about 5-10% of unit sales there. Tridel’s principal interior designer, Stella Salvador, says she doesn’t design model suites specifically for women, but incorporates many features that appeal to them, such as closet organizers, pantries with pullouts and well-lit bathrooms with larger mirrors. Beyond products and amenities, marketing materials are also changing to address the demand. And as more women of all ages embrace condo ownership, it’s a trend that presents tremendous opportunities yet to come. OHB

and trying to locate people to live there who will be relative strangers,” Bardswich says. “We will have to be compatible.” The house she will move in will offer a large kitchen, dining room, great room and porch that the owners will share. Each will have a private 12’x22’ bedroom-sitting room with ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet. There will be an elevator and laundry facilities on each floor. The finished basement will include a TV/craft/hobby room, guest suite and caregiver suite. “This particular house that John is developing is in such a great location,” says Bardswich. “As soon as I mentally committed to this, I (realized how) sick of owning a house I was and that I didn’t want to have the responsibility. “Initially there was the cringe factor—‘Oh, I’ll be living with other people’—but when you think about it, very few of us can live alone until we die and it’s nice having some control over that,” she says. “It’s only a few other people. And unlike a retirement home, if you hate meatloaf, you don’t have to have meatloaf. You can eat whatever you want.” Bardswich says residents will split bills on utilities, food, taxes and things that could present potential conflicts. In future, if one or more of the residents needs a personal support worker, for example, she says they can also split that cost. “We are trying to think of things that irritated us as college roommates and to avoid those things,” Bardswich notes. “ We’ll have a cleaning service come in once or twice a week and have someone cut the lawn and shovel show.” Bardswich says monthly living costs will present a huge saving. She estimates costs, including food, would be what anyone on a Guaranteed Income Supplement could afford, after they invest the $250,000 for their share of the house. Currently, the project is at the site-planning stage. A building permit has been issued, with work slated to start this fall. Lucyk initially encountered stiff resistance from the municipality until councillors agreed to remove the definition of ‘communal dwelling’ from its new zoning bylaw to allow the plan to go ahead. While the two initial buyers are “golden girls,” male buyers are also welcome, as well as a couple. In his 60s, Lucyk himself is considering the future: “I’d live there in a minute if my wife was gone.”

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With modern technology comes the danger of new-age breaches By Penn Javdan

ontario home builder fall 2015

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“Wake up, baby.”

It was almost midnight last April when Cincinnati’s Heather Schreck and her husband Adam were awakened by those heartstopping words from a man’s voice in their 10-month-old daughter’s room. Accessing the room’s video feed on Heather’s smartphone, the room appeared empty, save for Emma. When Adam rushed in the nursery, the camera, designed to watch the crib, instead turned toward him. “Then it screamed at me—some bad things, some obscenities. So I unplugged the camera,” Adam told Cincinnati’s Fox19 News. Although the hacking of the Schrecks’ Foscam wireless IP camera was shocking to many, such events are becoming commonplace. On July 7, a parent in Middlesex Centre, a rural area north of London, ON, was rocking their young child to sleep in the nursery when a video camera was remotely activated. “The camera played some eerie music and a voice could be heard indicating the parent and child were being watched,” Ontario Provincial Police Constable Liz Melvin told the Hamilton Spectator. From modifying the thermostat of ex-spouses to opening someone’s garage door, stories of smart home hacking litter the internet. Black Hat, a high-tech global information security event series, highlights popular products that can easily be breached. At a Black Hat session in 2013, Daniel Crowley, a managing consultant for Trustwave’s SpiderLabs, demonstrated how a third party can hack into a front-door lock and open it from a computer. He then successfully changed the lock’s code. If someone breaks into your house and there’s no sign of forced entry, Crowley noted, what are the chances of your insurance company covering your losses? For better or worse, computers are the new gods. They wake us up and put us to sleep and accomplish everything in between. Cell phone, desktop, laptop, tablet or some combination of these. We rely on them for business, entertainment, shopping and research. A less obvious and more prevalent use for computers has been in home automation in general and smart home security systems in particular. Basic or advanced, manufacturers are making more, retailers are selling more and builders are consequently offering more in number and kind. According to Canadian Underwriter, “The home automation industry is projected to grow within North America to US$14.1 billion in worldwide revenues by 2018—an 11.5% increase over 2014.”

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ontario home builder fall 2015

However, w ith advances—and popu lar it y—in home automation technology comes a corresponding increase in the potential for breaching it. In our hyper-tech era, even the smartest smart home may be vulnerable to hackers, intruders or both. And the threat isn’t just physical. Break-ins cannot only cause damage to persons and property, but eavesdropping, surveillance and compromised data also force homeowners to face compounded risks. All that means that builders increasingly ought to pay special attention to the ways in which smart home security systems impact homeowners by smartening up on their offerings. And while smart home automation involves things like entertainment and energy efficiency, home security is the most important. A good place to start when (re)considering smart home security is with the nature of home automation itself. According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Commission (CMHC), “Home automation systems, or smar t home technologies, are systems and devices that can control elements of your home environment—lighting, appliances, telephones, as well as home security, mechanical, entry and safety systems.” Three main elements of this system are the operating system (e.g. a computer), the device being operated (e.g. a light) and the interface (e.g. a push button that sends a signal to the light to adjust its intensity). The security portion of home automation can, for example, be set to turn on the lights to alert you to an intruder or lock the doors with the remote push of a button. It can send a message to notify you that a pipe is leaking or someone has opened your front door. If you’re expecting a repairperson, you can use your cell phone to disarm your security system, unlock the door and let people in. Smart home security systems can also make a vacant home looked lived-in by randomly turning on and off lights and devices such as TVs and stereos. The main advantage is that it integrates electrical devices in a

“Home automation systems, or smart home technologies, are systems and devices that can control elements of your home environment— lighting, appliances, telephones, as well as home security, mechanical, entry and safety systems.”

Lack of video surveillance a crime shame The Boys in Blue counsel that when it comes to effective security measures, information is king. While video monitors and even closed circuit TV can be hacked, a lack thereof can present an invitation to would-be criminals. A 26-year veteran, Staff Sergeant Chris Laush from the Community Response Unit at the Toronto Police Service, emphasizes the importance of remote monitoring, especially regarding breakand-enter intrusions. “B&E’s [typically] happen between 11-2pm,” a particularly important time for homeowners to have visual home access and confirmation when away at work, Laush notes. Constable Ryan Willmer from the Major Crimes Unit adds another dimension to the point. “Criminals are visual people. They’d rather target a home that doesn’t have any obvious

ontario home builder fall 2015

security measures, such as a camera. It’s important to make security systems known to potential intruders.” In other words, in addition to the smart home security system itself, the visual potential to deter is itself a deterrent. As far as concerns for vulnerable home security and automation systems go, Willmer acknowledges that “any security technology will have its Mark Zuckerberg of hackers.” When installing software it’s important to avoid “registering all personal information on the smart home security network.” Only those things essential to the functioning of the home are advised. “Be cautious of putting too much information,” Willmer adds. “Some smart devices ask for everything— birthdays, next of kin, etc. This leaves homeowners much more open to hacking.”

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“If you simply leave your devices with their default configurations, an attacker could use those two tools to find and access them. So advise homeowners to set their own passwords after installation.” house with each other and allows for remote control. Examples abound. What’s important is the fact that all these functions are computer operated. Whether a main control centre in the house or a phone or laptop, they are unlike older automation systems that used a modem. So where a telephone line was previously used to notify your home-security monitoring centre that an intrusion alarm had been signalled, now many systems rely on wireless networks. In simple terms, if an ordinary computer can be hacked, so can a computer-operated home security system. Statistics Canada reports about 200,000 break-and-enter violations and more than 1 million property crime violations in 2012 alone. If improperly designed, configured and installed, smart home security systems and the home automation that runs them are silver platter invitations to all kinds of danger. What are some ways of addressing this issue?

8 Smart Tips for Smart Homes 1. Vince Greco, Business Development at Urban Hippo, reminds us that “we get what we pay for.” Builders who skimp on adequate automation systems contribute to mediocre security standards, he says. Research ana lyst Colby Moore echoes this v iew by acknowledging that “Right now, the internet of things is like computer security was in the ’90s, when everything was new and no one had any security standards or any way to monitor their devices for security.” 76

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Most basic home automation systems on the market retail for approximately $3,500. Whichever is chosen, one must ensure that the services desired are matched by the homeowner’s cost required to service them. But builders should be cautious about installing different devices from different manufacturers, which often don’t communicate well or can lead to breaches in security. Further, many devices are shipped from the manufacturer with insecure defaults. An online search for that device can often reveal the user name and password that it ships with, although defaults of “admin” as the username and “1234” as the password are safe bets. There’s even a search engine called Shodan that enables users to enter a product name and see everyone in the world who’s currently running that product, as well as finding back channels into everything from home heating system to a city’s traffic control system. If you simply leave your dev ices w ith their default configurations, an attacker could use those two tools to find and access them. So advise homeowners to set their own passwords after installation. 2. According to the Wifi Alliance, for network systems, standard practices involve systems using encrypted data (info known only to writers of a security code) and ensuring that all controllers and wifi are secured. Secured wifi provides “both protection (you can control who connects) and privacy (the transmissions cannot be read by others) for communications as they travel across your network.” Along these lines, have all home automation systems on a separate secure personal network. This way, security issues don’t compromise personal information stored on your computer, tablet or smartphone. And remind homeowners to check for software updates regularly, which often patch security breaches. 3. Think added security features to complement automation. For example, multi-point locks on entry systems protect those doors better than single-point systems and also increase the potential that sensors will detect intrusion. Advising homeowners to change door and garage codes on smart locks every few months also adds a security cushion. 4. Ian Pattison, vice-president of Rogers Smart Home

Monitoring, advises that “an all-in-one system that manages features such as water leak notifications, carbon monoxide detection and security can help homeowners better manage risk, [but also] reduce insurance premiums. Homeowners could save 15% to 25% if they install a system that combines the two, as well as notify the police, fire department or central monitoring station when needed.” 5. Plan for the future. Even if the homeowner wants a limited range of security functions, build the potential for future system integration. An open platform allows different security features to be added at a later date, offering more comprehensive home protection when required. 6. Perhaps the most important strategic consideration in smart home security is to emphasize to homeowners the importance of your—or your subcontractors’—professional ohba.ca

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design, configuration and installation. Many DIYers get excited at the prospect of rolling up their sleeves. David Broadhurst, sales manager at Dashwood, reminds us that something as simple as an “improperly drilled hole for windows or doors can compromise sensors and affect security operation,” and that “faulty sealing on a mechanism might degrade a system and impact warranty and nullify recovery of property on insurance claims.” 7. Upgr ade the ‘non-smart’ security system beyond

minimum specifications. A coat of laminated glass on a window, for example, may complement the security system in ways that ordinary structural specification may not. This would make it more difficult for intruders to break in, all other things being equal. 8. Advise homeowners to be careful about how they handle

their devices. Information about them when they’re turning on lights or when they’ve set the thermostat could be used to build a profile when they’re not home and incorporated into an intruder’s break-and-enter plan. The Bigger Picture There was a time when home automation existed only in the

minds of science fiction writers. Eventually, this idea went from mind to matter. Builders who hope to compete in the everevolving marketplace should aim to embrace a systematic and integrated philosophy of smart home security. It’s only natural to want to make simple household tasks easier. But in our quest to master technology, we run the risk of turning this, our greatest strength, into our greatest weakness. To better serve homeowners, builders must balance product knowledge and installation technology with client demands when implementing smart home options. And they should try to stay ahead of the curve in providing smart home security to new homebuyers. “A new type of internet security product is designed to stand guard over the whole smart home full of gadgets,” writes the Wall Street Journal’s Geoffrey Fowler. “Rather than counting on antivirus (software) on every device, they scan all the activity in your house for signs of trouble. If you click on a malicious link, or your thermostat starts sending a thousand emails per hour, your sentry will hoist a red flag. “ These products (such as the Bitdefender Box) are in their infancy, and their promise outweighs their present effectiveness. But they offer a glimpse of how home network security is going to change for all of us.” OHB

Does anyone have a lock on security? For many, the key to security is keyless. Aside from traditional deadbolts, levers and knob locks, companies offer connected devices, code-governed keypads and touchscreens. Connected locks are smart. Once connected, they pair with your home automation system to provide a full menu of home control options from all of your web-connected devices. Via keyless entry, you can even control your lock with your voice using Siri. Or you can unlock your door with your phone or an access code. But are they more vulnerable than normal locks? In a May CBC.ca story, Geoffrey Vaughan, a consultant with the Toronto-based software security firm Security Compass, tells story authors Emily Chung and Aaron Saltzman that properly designed and tested smart locks don’t provide better security than traditional locks. “In adding a smart lock, you’ve actually created another attack venue for an attacker to break into your home,” he says. “With these locks, there’s actually no increased level of security.” Not that they’re necessarily easily hacked. Steve Kolobaric, Marketing Manager, Weiser Lock, Spectrum Brands, notes that the Bluetooth signals its smart locks emit are not discoverable by a device not paired with the lock and “utilize banking-level encryption, so it’s a very secure communication link.”

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According to Ed Perratore, Senior Editor at Consumer Reports, “the notion of unlocking your door with your smart phone or changing access codes on the fly is appealing. And while you might worry about the smart lock being hacked, the greater threat to electronic locks isn’t your neighbourhood geek; it’s the common burglar who knows he can pick or even drill out most locks—electronic or not.” But what if you could have your cake and eat it too? One example is Schlage Sense, the company’s first Bluetoothenabled lock, which “could be the first lock to withstand both forms of attack,” says Perratore, whose confidence stems from its performance in Consumer Reports’ latest test of door locks. After “spending weeks prying, hammering, picking, pummeling and drilling locks,” some lessons stood out. Among them: Good lock systems underscore the importance of adequate structural parts. The technological components of a new-age smart lock are useless without an equally secure physical, mechanical component to complement them. Defeating a lock via drilling is common among burglars. An ordinary cordless drill could drill out lock cylinders in two minutes or less. Builders must ultimately see this as a technical as well as technological issue, and consequently fit any new-age lock with a protective physical feature.

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ontario home builder fall 2015

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Business and retail partnerships are key components of today’s mid-rise projects. By Tracy Hanes

omebuyers’ increasing appetite for walkable, vibrant communities with conveniences close at hand, along with municipalities’ push for greater density, is fuelling a proliferation of mixed-use developments in urban centres. Mixed-use was a trend identified by a 2014 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute. But it has moved beyond trend status to become a fixture of the GTA development scene. While developments that combine residential, retail and office space in one location offer advantages to tenants and residents, small or mid-rise projects can present challenges for builders, especially as they grapple with outdated zoning and planning bylaws coupled with planning staff who may not understand the bigger picture. Jeanhy Shim, president of Toronto Housing Lab, an independent condo research and consulting company, says if they had the choice, most developers would rather do an entirely residential building, especially on smaller sites. “It’s challenging,” she says. “We’re starting to see mid-rise infill in neighbourhoods where there wasn’t any before, and sometimes the city requires mixed-use in areas where it doesn’t make economic sense.” Shim says the tenants living in the condos above usually don’t supply enough business to sustain a retailer and there may not be enough business from the surrounding neighbourhood either. While some developers sell their retail units, most retain them to have some control over what kind of businesses locate there.

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Mike Tucci, director of acquisitions and development for the Rockport Group, says mixed-use sites are typically located along avenues and that many are replacing older mom-and-pop shops that have helped create a certain vibe in a neighourhood. “When that gets replaced by new mixed-use, you lose that organic charm,” Tucci says. “Duplicating it is difficult, as a retailer needs high ceilings, visibility and proper shipping facilities to make it look like their other stores and to run their business profitably. When you lump that in with challenges that city bylaws require, you are boxed in and your ability to be creative is hindered. You can be successful, but there are many challenges.” Location is key, says Tucci, whose company’s current projects include The Nest on St. Clair Avenue West, with retail at the grade level of its nine-storey tower. It’s often impossible to convince a national or even a regional retailer to locate in many mid-rise sites because it doesn’t fit with their long-term plans or areas they’ve targeted, Tucci notes. That leaves smaller independent businesses, who may not be able to afford the rents needed to justify the investment in land price, development fees and building costs of new mixed-use projects. Shim says mom-and-pop businesses may have difficulty securing financing and can be high-risk for developers. An Industry Canada study in 2014 concluded that 30% of new small businesses won’t survive longer than two years, and only half make it to five years. Another big challenge is the price of assembling sites, says Tucci. While the average home price in Toronto is over a million ontario home builder fall 2015

dollars, commercial establishments far exceed that. “When you approach the owner of a shop who doesn’t have a ‘For Sale’ sign and he starts talking to the storeowners beside him, the purchase price can increase to levels that don’t support mid-rise development. As much as you think you can buy up six properties, it’s difficult.” Then there’s the challenge of balancing retailer needs with those of the tenants above, says Tucci. “You have to be careful if you put a restaurant on the main floor that it’s ventilated properly and doesn’t cause issues for the people above who want to enjoy their balconies. You may have issues with noise or loading facilities that may cause conflict with the condo corporation.” Vince Molinaro, president of the Molinaro Group and outgoing OHBA president, has built several mixed-use developments in Burlington and the surrounding area and says most of the retail spaces in his company’s projects have been rented out to small businesses, as it’s tough to land triple-A tenants such as pharmacies or banks. “Generally, we have low vacancies,” Molinaro notes. Some of those businesses, such as delis or food shops, have forged close relationships with owners of the condo units above, who have consequently become regular customers. Molinaro says while large tenants are desirable, they sometimes come with costly demands. “We dealt with a bank that wanted $100 a square foot in leasehold improvements, but it became a long-term, excellent tenant,” says Molinaro. “We bought an older building we planned to demolish where that bank had been and we relocated it to a new (mixed-use) condo development.” Any developments Molinaro has built in Burlington’s downtown core have been required by the city to be mixed-use. What he takes issue with is that municipal bylaws don’t allow for office use in some parts of the downtown area—something in demand from potential tenants that Molinaro would like to supply. “In my view, (the City) should study how much retail space we need,” he says. “I don’t know that adding more retail space is currently required.” 82

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“We took the feedback from the city and formed a limited partnership with Broccolini Construction to develop the townhouse component.” — Tim Southam, Mountain Equipment Co-op

Breaking the mould Boaz Feiner, president of Geranium Homes, says the public and the market demand is often ahead of planning documents and bylaws. Municipal staff tend to rely on these outdated bylaws and the way things have traditionally been done. “The bylaws have some catching up to do,” he says. “It’s like turning a big ship.” It can pose even greater challenges in municipalities outside Toronto that are charting new territory with applications for increased density and mixed-use projects, says Feiner. “In a lot of cases, you are watching the emergence of townships with limited populations that have grown exponentially,” he notes. “The foresight of what direction these municipalities would grow and at what pace wasn’t there, and there are a lot of issues in keeping up with the times as we layer on more density.” ohba.ca

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Feiner and Molinaro cite parking requirements as one example of outdated municipal thinking. Planning departments use a mathematical formula to determine the number of parking spots on a use-by-use basis, but an aggregate approach to calculating parking for mixed-use developments is not often appropriate and may result in excessive parking spots. “Some planning staff are not realizing the proximity of the uses and the synergies that can be had,” says Feiner. “You don’t need as much parking in a pedestrian-friendly location, as you can do a lot of things without requiring parking that you can’t in a more suburban location.” For example, owners of condos located on a street with shops or with public transit will have less need to own multiple vehicles, or perhaps not have to own a vehicle at all. And shared parking arrangements between visitors and retail uses can be desirable since it reduces the need for dedicated spaces that are not used in off-peak times. “With parking, the best practice is to put residents underground and retail parking at ground level, but it can be difficult in a tight space,” says Molinaro. “That way, you have no security issues. Creating parking is always a challenge, as it’s very expensive and sites are generally small.” Feiner echoes the position that mixed-use projects that are intended to help regenerate urban cores generally need underground parking to be successful, but it is very costly. Feiner says there must be a “willingness of a municipality to look at itself in the mirror and answer whether this is something it wants to accomplish.” His company also looks at transportation, at industry and commercial interests along main corridors, and their potential to grow in determining whether a mixed-use plan will work. Geranium is pioneering mixed-use in a mid-size community with its PACE on Main, a five-storey building that will occupy the southeast corner of Main and Lloyd Streets in Stouffville, just steps from the GO Station and surrounded by existing shops, restaurants and services. PACE Credit Union, which currently occupies a smaller, older building on the site, will occupy the ground floor of the new building, and additional commercial space will front on Main Street. Above will be 57 residential condo suites. PACE will own the ground-floor commercial space while the developer controls the condominiums above. Cheryl Shindruk, executive vice-president of Land Development at Geranium Corporation, says the uses will be segregated and each will have its own designated entrance and parking areas. Stouffville’s old-style downtown “is no longer viable and we’re looking to layer on top, to give it a new identity and bring people back to the core,” says Feiner. “Multiple applications are following us in Stouffville and we’re one of many going through the process.” Shindruk says that an increasing number of municipalities are looking at updating their planning documents to “provide permission to do these sort of things. We were very fortunate that the staff and elected officials in Whitchurch-Stouffville saw the value of this kind of investment in downtown and worked extremely well with us.” Feiner says one reason the municipality was receptive to their plans for PACE on Main was that Geranium has an established track record in the area and PACE has had a corporate presence there for 30 years. “We wanted to make the new PACE office a 8 4

ontario home builder fall 2015

The brilliant reinvention of a Rhode Island landmark Shuttered as recently as seven years ago, the oldest indoor shopping mall in the U.S. is now thriving after a remarkable makeover. Featuring distinguished Greek Revival columns, granite walls and classic facades barely touched since its original 1828 construction, the Providence Arcade, which sits in the historic heart of downtown Providence, RI, closed in 2008 after struggling to fill its cramped retail spaces. But a marvellous reimagining of the long, narrow, three-storey structure by developer Evan Granoff, who bought the Arcade in 2005, has preserved a national historic landmark while enhancing it with a modern concept. The first floor features freshly designed retail shops and restaurants, while the second and third floors are home to residents of 48 micro-lofts—small, efficiently designed living spaces. The development was honoured at the 2014 Rhode Island Smart Growth Awards.

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“We knew with PACE on Main that we had service industries as permitted uses. That made life much easier.” testament to Stouffville and to start the process to revitalize the downtown,” says Feiner. “We have a long-standing relationship with PACE with some of our other projects.”

Finding the right fit Knowing who the commercial tenants are upfront allows for a clear picture of “who will be living together,” says Feiner. He says in mixed-use developments, condo documents should specify the type of tenants that will be allowed to lease the street-level space so there are no nasty surprises. Municipal bylaws may also specify the types of permitted uses. “If I’m living on the second floor, I don’t want a biker bar on level one,” he says. “We knew with PACE that we had service industries as permitted uses, and that was well known before we started sales. Usually retail tenants are not identified in the process. This made life much easier.” Another unique mid-rise example is the Mountain Equipment Co-op/Park Towns in North York. It’s a reversal of the usual situation where a developer seeks retail tenants. Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), a retailer that sells outdoor equipment and gear, sought to build a new store in North York on a 1.8-acre site formerly occupied by Sheridan Nurseries. The City of Toronto however, wanted higher density on the site beyond the 42,000 sq. ft. retail store. As a result, 50 urban townhomes will be built at the rear of the site. This is the first time MEC has been part of a residential development. “We took the feedback from the city and formed a limited partnership with Broccolini Construction to develop the townhouse component,” says Tim Southam, public affairs manager for Mountain Equipment Co-op. “It’s been challenging because of its site (a long, narrow strip on Sheppard Ave.) and where it’s located, but I do believe it’s a project that will serve North York well, since it’s going to provide 50 units of high-quality housing in 86

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— Geranium Homes president Boaz Feiner a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as providing needed housing for families in the area.” The townhouses are under construction, with both the store and accommodations expected to open next summer. Southam says it was natural to partner with Broccolini, as the company has built and renovated MEC stores previously and also has extensive residential construction experience. The site had to be rezoned into two parcels: the commercially zoned south parcel will contain the store, which will be a high-performance ‘green’ building, while the north parcel will be residentially zoned. SMV Architects has designed both the store and the townhouses. The complex will feature separate underground parking garages, accessible from a common ramp off Sheppard Ave. MEC originally planned to have surface parking, Southam says, but the city required that the parking be underground, which posed more challenges, especially as it’s a wet site with water management issues. “It’s a complex building project,” says Southam, who notes there are no plans for the company to partner in further mixeduse projects. Given the market demand for walkable, convenient communities, municipalities’ push towards greater density along urban corridors and more builders looking to infill projects as land supply tightens, mixed-use will likely become the rule rather than the exception. But with more creative partnerships and more flexible thinking on the part of planning staff, the concept presents a winning solution for all parties: the developer, commercial and retail tenants, and condo buyers. OHB ohba.ca

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Visit a display and receive a stamp on your exhibition passport. Collect 10 or more stamps and enter to win raffle prizes from DeWalt. PlEasE NOTE Display space for this event is sold out. If you’d like information on exhibiting at future OHBA events please email info@laureloak.ca.

ontario home builder fall 2015

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Building to a Higher Standard What will the next generation of energyefficient practices look like? By Mark Wessel

As the world grapples with global warming and climate change, the top-of-mind question for builders these days is no longer whether they’re building to code, but how much higher above code should they raise the bar for the sake of reducing energy consumption? And does it make sense to embrace a specific standard, such as Energy Star or LEED, or should they just borrow from some of these standards and not worry about certification? And finally, how will all of this impact on sales?

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ontario home builder fall 2015

Adding to this challenge is the fact that the Ontario Building Code standards, when it comes to energy efficiency, are also about to get a little tighter. In a prepared statement for Ontario Home Builder magazine, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Ted McMeekin observed that, “When the energy efficiency targets in the 2012 Building Code come into effect in 2017, homes will consume half the energy they would have used had they been built in 2005.” The Minister was also quick to point out these changes have been made collaboratively. “Like all changes to the Building Code, enhancements to energy and water conservation requirements are made in close consultation with our sector partners.” Clearly, they don’t want to be seen as forcing these changes on the industry. Currently, building standards such as GreenHouse Certified Construction are purely voluntary, while others, such as LEED or Energy Star, are mandated in select pockets of the province, including the Toronto waterfront, Markham and East Gwillimbury. But as government regulations evolve, the consensus is that building standards will become more stringent with respect to energy efficiency, not only in 2017 but 2022 and beyond, when the next round of changes are expected. Take, for example, recent developments in California, where, just this past June, the Ca lifor nia Energ y Commission voted unanimously to approve updated standards that will cut regulated energy use in new homes by 28% compared to houses built under the current code. Known as Title 24, the standards will go into effect on January 1, 2017, and set minimum energysaving requirements for new buildings and renovations that will reduce energy used for lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation and water heating. The new standards 90

ontario home builder fall 2015

Chris Straka of VERT plan.design.build with wife Carmen Bohn and daughter Everleigh behind the Rideau Residences at 279 Crichton Street in Ottawa: Canada’s first residence designed, built and certified to the LEED for Homes Platinum and Passive House (PHIUS) standards.

also set the stage for net-zero energy for new homes in the state within five years. So while not coming out and advocating a specific building standard, the state has clearly defined environmental goals with which builders will have to learn to co-exist. Meanwhile in the UK, where buildings account for 43% of carbon emissions, the government has already introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes, which provides a single national standard for the design and construction of sustainable new homes. As an incentive to make existing homes more efficient, the government established a program entitled the Green

Deal Home Improvement Fund (due to expire in September of this year). These and other initiatives are tied to the UK’s Carbon Change Act and the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2025 and 80% by 2050. Closer to home, under the stewardship of Premier Wynne, the province of Ontario appears no longer to be waiting for the feds to lead the way when it comes to climate change. “Our government is committed to reducing Ontario’s carbon footprint through our continued efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” notes Minister McMeekin. “The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will work with the ohba.ca

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Reid’s Heritage team in front of the first LEED Platinum home built in North America in 2007. The home is located in Guelph.

Ministries of Energy and Environment to further the government’s commitment to climate change.” W hether in California, the UK or Ontario, the takeaway is there’s a growing trend at all government levels to introduce programs, ranging from voluntary to mandatory, to reduce our carbon footprint and energy consumption which, in turn, will have a direct impact on how new homes are built and existing ones maintained.

THE STANDARD OR THE END GOAL? In that pursuit, should the province embrace a specific standard that builders must adhere to? Or does it make more sense to follow California’s model, and establish targets for reducing home energy use and let builders decide how to meet these targets? From t he pers pec t ive of Core y McBurney, president of EnerQuality, Energy Star (of which 32% of homes built in Ontario were certified last year) is the most logical voluntary standard to embrace. “Energy Star is the most universal 92

ontario home builder fall 2015

While the Passive House green building program may have grown up in Germany, its birthplace was Saskatoon. That’s where engineer Harold Orr, among others, were hired to develop an energyefficient solar house in the midst of the energy crisis in 1977. Working with the Saskatchewan Research Council, the house was constructed in Northwest Regina and is recognized among the first buildings to combine airtightness, a heat recovery system and extreme insulation. A major attraction in its early years, the structure featured up to six times the insulation used in most homes at the time, and laid the groundwork for energy-efficient building standards that have since sprouted up around the globe, including Germany’s PassivHaus. “Engineers from Germany came to see the building and went back and said. ‘This is how we need to build homes,’” Orr told CBC News. In April, Germany’s Passive House Institute honoured Orr and his team for their work nearly 40 years ago, noting “that efficiency is the key to sustainable construction, since energy which is produced in the summer cannot automatically be transferred to the winter.” program Canada or the U.S. has ever seen. It’s a program that enables homes to be 20% more energy efficient than homes built to the building code,” says McBurney. And far from being a static program, it’s a standard that continues to lead the way, McBurney maintains. “By 2017, when the code is updated, Energy Star will be recalibrated so that it still delivers an energy savings of 15-20% above code. So the building code is always going to be playing catch-up.” Oshawa-based Mid haven Homes, winner of Natural Resources Canada’s 2014 New Homes Builder of the Year award, has embraced the program wholeheartedly. “We made the decision six years ago to build all of our homes to Energy Star standards,” says company president Peter Saturno. “For us, it was a matter of going all in or not doing it at all.” Which is why, not surprisingly when you visit the Midhaven Homes website, the Energy Star logo is featured prominently alongside text that states “Midhaven Homes are 100% Energy Star compliant.” But shift your focus from low-rise to mid- and high-rise developments, and the perceived standard of choice is less

black and white. In the case of Steve Kemp, partner with the Kitchener-based building service firm MMM Group, it’s only a matter of time before LEED becomes more firmly entrenched. “I do think LEED v.4 will become the de facto standard,” Kemp says. “LEED has by far the best reputation. Some people complain that it’s expensive and onerous, but that’s why it has credibility. I think it is here to stay.” Chr is Mag wood, who teaches sustainable building and design at the Peterborough-based Endeavour Centre, favours LEED as the way to minimize the impact homes have on the environment, but feels builders sometimes have to jump through unnecessary hoops before getting certification. “I really do think that LEED is the best way to put your foot in the door in terms of upping the environmental performance of a building,” Magwood says. “If it’s gold or platinum, it’s a pretty good building. But there are certain things it requires you to do that may not be so important. For instance, for one project we were involved in, LEED required that a silt fence had to be built around the property (to deal with storm ohba.ca

Aqualina at Bayside in Toronto, currently under construction, is Tridel’s newest LEED project.

water runoff). And yet it was on completely level ground with no chance of runoff. But we had to do it because it was mandatory. So with some things you sort of roll your eyes and ask yourself, ‘Why am I doing this?’” The pattern Andrew Oding of Building Knowledge Canada sees is one where municipalities gradually take matters into their own hands and have more leeway. “When LEED was first introduced, the municipalities looked at the shelf (with LEED guidelines) and said, ‘Here, go and build it.’ The problem with that is they didn’t understand the cost implications of a program that basically came out of the U.S. So their mindset (if they had decided on LEED) was, ‘If you’re going to build in our jurisdiction, it needs to be LEED-certified.’ Now a lot of them are doing an about-face. They’re suggesting builders just follow the guidelines.” In other words, more emphasis on building more sustainable homes; less emphasis on the standard itself. But from the perspective of Kemp of MMM Group, if certification isn’t enforced, it opens up a proverbial Pandora’s box. “There is a market that believes you can do everything to LEED standard but not have to certify. It’s called ‘LEED shadowing’ or 94

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‘LEED lite.’ But the fundamental issue is if you’re going to be self-policing, you tend to be less diligent about achieving the LEED goals. When people start making up their own interpretation, it’s a slippery slope.”

IS LESS MORE? McBurney of EnerQuality, which is wholly focused on providing third-party certification, says the biggest challenge for builders isn’t so much building to a specific standard, but rather making things less complicated in terms of the number of standards to choose from. “Home builders are under a lot of pressure dealing with buyers and market demand on the one hand, and regulatory requirements enforced by the municipalities on the other hand. So they’re having to satisfy both sides,” observes McBurney. “In a world that’s complicated enough already, we’re trying to not introduce more complexity for builders when it comes to getting certification. So we’ve kept it to five different certifications: Energy Star, R-2000, LEED, EnerGuide and GreenHouse. To use the Baskin Robbins analogy, a lot of people are overwhelmed by choices. You might have six different

types of chocolate, three vanillas and four strawberry, not to mention all of the other flavours. I think sometimes people long for making things simpler again and just having a few flavours to choose from.” In the case of Midhaven, the company has decided to build not just to Energy Star, but GreenHouse standards as well. Described by the likes of McBurney as “Energy Star Plus,” GreenHouse goes a step beyond Energy Star, adding three more sustainability metrics—water, materials and waste and indoor air quality—to its core Energy Star requirement. While standards such as Energy Star are firmly entrenched in the Ontario marketplace, particularly with low-rise builders, and LEED seems increasingly on the radar of mid- and high-rise builders, other standards tied to not just reducing energy but building performance are emerging as well. One reason is that in the case of LEED, for instance, a common criticism is that it’s possible to build to certain LEED standards without having to make energy consumption a priority. One example Kemp of MMM Group cites is a condo building that has been constructed using a window wall. “With LEED, you can in theory build a single-glaze glass box of a building, and if it happens to have the most effective mechanical system in the world, you can still reach your energy targets.” In contrast, Kemp says, Passive House, another building standard that has gained significant traction in Germany and is gradually attracting the attention of builders in the U.S. and Canada (where it was initially conceived—see sidebar), “forces you to have a great envelope as well as a strong mechanical system that will future-proof the building. It applies really strong metrics to the performance of a building and is a little bit more precise than LEED in that it looks at both the passive energy performance and overall energy efficiency of a building.” Can LEED and Passive House co-exist? Absolutely, says Ottawa’s VERT plan. design.build owner Chris Straka, whose first home—half of a duplex he designed in the Ottawa neighbourhood of New Edinburgh—was not only Canada’s first certified Passive House, but also LEED Platinum. “They’re not oil and water,” says Straka, who has five passive house projects to his credit, from design to occupancy. “Passive ohba.ca

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ontario home builder fall 2015

Standard Definitions The following represents further explanation of the standards referenced above. Others not listed here include BREEAM, used predominantly in Europe, and the Living Building Challenge, which is considered even more difficult and expensive than BREEAM or LEED. Energy Star An Energy Star-qualified new home is on average 20% more energy efficient than a home built to code. To earn the Energy Star label, builders choose from many possible improvements to the home’s building envelope and HVAC systems, as well as Energy Star appliances and lighting. GreenHouse EnerQuality’s GreenHouse Certified Construction is a green building certification that goes a step beyond Energy Star for New Homes. GreenHouse adds three more sustainability metrics—water, materials and waste and indoor air quality—to its core Energy Star requirement. It’s considered an affordable, practical standard for high performance sustainable homes. LEED LEED was designed to improve resource efficiency and help reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Canada is ranked as the top LEED country in the world for two years running. Recently LEED v. 4 was introduced with a greater focus on the impact buildings have on human health and the environment. Net Zero The total amount of energy used by Net Zero homes on an annual basis is roughly same as the amount of renewable energy created, meaning they don’t increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Recently zero-plus buildings have been built, which actually produce more energy than consumed. Passive Housing This certification program deals specifically with home design for passive solar gain and reducing energy consumption. A certified Passive House could operate up to 90% more efficiently than a house built to code. Commonplace in Germany, the UK is currently studying the pros and cons of adopting Passive House as a standard. WELL Standard The WELL Building Standard is the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness. It marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research, harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and well-being. GRESB The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) is an Amsterdam-based, industry-driven organization committed to assessing the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios (public, private and direct). A dynamic benchmark is used to improve the sustainability performance of these buildings.

ontario home builder fall 2015

House reaches far beyond LEED Platinum and is the high bar builders should reach for. And I hope to see it reflected in future legislation. But LEED includes other important things, such as conserving water and wood and sourcing products locally. Together they broaden the definition of high-performance building.” A similar observation has been made between Energy Star and LEED. In the U.S., for example, LEED requires Energy Star as part of the Existing Building System. Other complementary standards just seeing the light of day include WELL, which deals with such things as air quality and lighting that contribute to the health and well-being of homeowners. Another is GRESB, which looks at existing buildings and their ongoing performance with respect to energy, emissions, water and waste.

DO HOMEOWNERS CARE? Like it or not, builders are having to contend with more and more standards, some that are competing and others that tend to go hand in hand. So in choosing a standard to build to in order to help reduce energy consumption, two nagging questions remain: To what extent does building to higher standards matter to consumers? And how will building to a higher standard impact on bottom-line sales? Unfortunately, standards don’t matter to consumers as much as one would hope, suggests Midhaven’s Saturno. “Does it sell us more homes? Very honestly, no. When customers are caught up in the excitement

and euphoria of a purchase, they’re more focused on the solid quartz countertops. However, those customers are the ones who come back 12 months later and say they can’t believe how comfortable their homes are and how much less energy their homes use. That’s when they have an epiphany and realize that if you build a more energyefficient home, it will likely translate into a higher resale value. And down the road when they do sell, a lot of those people become return customers.” But at the end of the day, Saturno says, they aren’t building more energy-efficient homes because they think the practice will sell more homes. “We’re doing it because we see (reducing energy consumption) as a moral obligation.” “It’s just a better way of building,” adds Straka, who says the demand for his product is increasing. And while it costs more to build to higher standards—and requires more time, given the added attention to detail—customers are seeing the ROI of a more energy-efficient home, Straka says. “Beyond that, it’s simply a more comfortable home to live in, and it’s a home that will be on this earth a lot longer than most.” And with that priority in mind, what’s the next thing to watch for? Saturno says Net Zero is definitely something being considered by his company as a potentially transformative way to build new homes. Andrew Oding, chair of the Canadian Home Builders Net Zero Council, concurs. “Within five to 10 years, I see a lot of builders building Net Zero homes.” OHB

Training for Net Zero EnerQuality will pilot “The Road to Net Zero: Net Zero Ready and R-2000 Builder Training” workshop October 6-7 in Toronto. The first of its kind in Canada, this information-packed workshop is the first step on the road to becoming a net-zero-qualified builder and satisfies R-2000 Builder Workshop requirements. “Participating builders will come away with the building science technical preparation required for building net-zero-ready homes based on the incoming CHBA Net Zero protocol,” states Andrew Oding, Senior Building Science Associate for Building Knowledge Canada and workshop instructor. Oding is also Chair of the CHBA Net Zero Council. Workshop participants will also be classified as R-2000-trained builders. For more information and to register, please visit enerquality.ca.

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Better building

Putting Tightness to the Test How we measure the airtightness of a home By Gord Cooke Have you ever said or heard others say, “We build houses too tight?” I have been addressing this concern for the past 30 years and hope this article helps you understand the metrics of airtightness and how improving it can help you meet the everincreasing expectations of homeowners. First, know that constructing tight buildings is a requirement in a growing number of communities, building codes and energy efficiency programs. For example, 13 states in the U.S. have adopted either the 2012 or 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) that requires mandatory airtightness levels. Similarly, the most recent City of Vancouver Building bylaw requires airtightness testing. In Ontario, while such testing is not currently a code requirement, there is a rigorous airbarrier inspection requirement and an assumed airtightness level when applying ohba.ca

the SB-12 Supplementary Standard for Energy Efficiency. Even where not required, airtightness testing is a very cost-effective way to know where you stand and to improve the training of your crews and subcontractors to optimize air leakage control in the homes you build. Just before we get to the technical aspects of airtightness metrics, ask yourself this: How many holes do you think your typical newhome buyer wants you to leave in their walls or attic? Understanding the Metrics

The method of choice for measuring a home’s tightness is a blower-door test. The most common techniques follow the CAN/CGSB 149.1 “Determination of the Airtightness of Building Envelopes by the Fan Depressurization Method,” or modified versions of this protocol to suit specific

energy program parameters. A large fan is installed in one exterior door of the house. It creates a pressure difference of 50 Pascals across all sides of the house at once. This is roughly equal to the pressure of a 35-kph wind. While a house would never experience this naturally, it does enable simple and accurate leak detection. The fan is calibrated and the operator records the cubic feet per minute (CFM) that the fan is delivering at 50 Pascals of pressure (CFM@50Pa). Often a range of pressures and airflows is recorded so that the results can be reported in a variety of ways, including the three preferred metrics discussed below. Metric 1: ACH@50Pa

(Air changes per hour at a pressure difference of 50 Pascals) This metric takes the CFM@50Pa number, multiplies it by 60 (minutes in an hour), ontario home builder fall 2015

Better building

and divides that result by the volume of the heated area of the house. This metric makes comparing houses of different sizes possible and has become the most common metric referenced in codes and energy efficiency programs. A good goal for most builders is anything under 2.5 ACH@50Pa—this is the current Energy Star for New Homes Level 1 airtightness requirement.

for simple communication, as crews, subcontractors and homeowners can often relate to the size of a hole in square inches better than trying to imagine CFMs of air flowing through multiple small leaks. Using a 2,000 sq. ft. house as a reference, a good, tight house would be less than 100 square inches of leakage— roughly the size of a piece of paper. Metric 3: CFM/ft2@50Pa

Metric 2: ELA@10Pa

(Equivalent leakage area) Technically, this is a calculated, extrapolated number used for energy modelling, but you can think of it as the size of a theoretical hole in a wall if you combined all the air leakage points in a house into one round smooth hole and measured the amount of air flow at a pressure of 10 Pascals. This metric allows

(Normalized leakage rate) This is another way of comparing houses of different sizes. The CFM at 50 Pa is divided by the building enclosure area to get CFM/ square feet of enclosure. Many building science folks think this is the simplest and fairest way to assess true enclosure air-sealing effectiveness. This is the most common metric used in the Energy Star for New Homes (ESNH) program. An ESNH

Level 1 airtightness would have an NLR of 0.18 CFM/ft2 or less. Tight is Good, but Ventilation is Critical

We used to rely on windows and natural infiltration of air into a home to maintain air quality. This wasn’t particularly effective and certainly wasn’t energy efficient. Fortunately, mechanical ventilation has been a requirement in the Ontario Building Code since 1990. Therefore, you can go ahead and get rid of all the unwanted holes in walls and attics with the confidence that you have two ventilation systems in your homes— the traditional window approach and the controlled, continuous mechanical ventilation system required by Section 9.32 of the OBC—to meet expectations for fresh, safe, healthy air in all homes.

Comparing blower door test results Tight is good, tighter is better. Measure airtightness and use the results to continually improve the performance of your homes, as well as to meet the ever-increasing requirements of codes and expectations of homeowners.

Common Airtightness Metrics Typical for a 2,000 sq. ft. single-storey Older home

ACH@50 Pa

In2 ELA@10Pa

NLR CFM/ft2

7 - 20

250 - 800

US IECC 2012 / 2015 Southern zones Northern zones Energy Star for New Homes

5 3

200 150

0.4 0.23

2.5

120

0.18

Canadian R-2000

1.5

0.11

Passive House Standard Tightest house I’ve ever measured

0.6

0.05

0.19

0.015

*Note: The Ontario Building Code does not require blower door testing to demonstrate compliance. The assumed reference for a single detached home is 3.1 ACH@50 Pa.

Gord Cooke, president of Building Knowledge Canada, is a professional engineer with over 25 years of experience in the residential building industry. 100

ontario home builder fall 2015

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Why housing matters

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There needs to be a broader conversation about housing. Too often, media outlets focus on household debt levels and house price overvaluation. We need to reflect on why housing matters—why it is important on so many levels and how it can be an effective tool to achieve broader social and economic policy objectives. Why Housing Matters

In 2014, housing-related spending contributed $334 billion to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product, roughly one-sixth of the GDP. Spending on housing has, in fact, contributed to sustained economic growth over the past several years, creating jobs for Canadians in the construction and renovation sector. The construction sector alone accounts for about 7% of total employment in Canada. More broadly, sustained economic growth translates into income growth, giving Canadians the economic means to address their housing needs either in the rental market or by buying their own home. It also contributes to financial stability. Conversely, problems in the housing sector can be a sign of wider financial instability. The banking and mortgage systems provide an important link between housing markets, banking and financial stability. This was the case in the U.S. leading up to the global financial crisis, when lax lending standards, regulatory weaknesses and other factors led to a collapse of housing markets, and subsequently the entire global financial system. The situation was much different in Canada, where sound underwriting practices coupled with a robust policy and regulatory ohba.ca

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Market Analysis and Data Gaps

CMHC contributes to stable housing markets by providing information that helps businesses, governments and the public make informed decisions about housing. In fact, we are the most comprehensive and trusted source of information on housing in Canada. CMHC ’s Market A na lysis Centre continuously tracks housing market information for local, regional, provincial and national markets. The Centre recently unveiled the Housing Market Information Portal. This dynamic web-based tool gives users quick and easy access to CMHC’s wealth of housing market data, from the national to the neighbourhood scope—all in one spot. You can find the Portal on CMHC’s website, and there is no cost to use it. Additionally, CMHC has developed the House Price A na lysis a nd A ssessment (HPA A) framework as a new tool for analyzing markets. It is rooted in economic literature and has been tested vigorously, examining specifically: overheating of demand in the housing market; acceleration in house prices; overvaluation in house prices; and overbuilding in the housing market. Why CMHC Matters

At CMHC, we help Canadians meet their housing needs. We’ve made important changes to our business, reflecting our belief that CMHC’s role is to help qualified borrowers meet their housing needs, rather than their wants. We have discontinued some products, including mortgage loan insurance for new condominium construction, and increased insurance premiums for others. We have also established maximum house prices, amortization periods and debt servicing ratios for our low-ratio product. These changes align CMHC with our core objectives: to contribute to the stability of the housing market and financial system and reduce taxpayers’ exposure to risk. CMHC offers mortgage loan insurance to ohba.ca

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framework helped make housing a source of economic strength rather than of instability. CMHC’s stabilizing presence also helped. Through a temporary initiative called the Insured Mortgage Purchase Program, CMHC ensured that Canadian banks continued to have access to longer-term funds for lending to consumers, homebuyers and businesses. As a result, Canada avoided the liquidity problems that caused crisis in housing markets elsewhere.

10/16/08 7:53:21 PM

qualified borrowers in all markets, including rural areas and smaller communities. We are also the only mortgage insurer in Canada for large multi-unit properties, including rental housing, and nursing and retirement homes. Our mission helps ensure that Canadians have access to a range of options, from affordable to market housing. CMHC has also done extensive research on Canada’s aging population and what it will mean for housing markets and trends. We also support research behind some of the most energy-efficient housing ever built in Canada, including culturally appropriate, sustainable housing in the North. Just as CMHC is greater than the sum of its parts, the same can be said of Canada’s housing system. Working together, we achieve far more than we could alone. Christina Haddad is the Regional VP, Ontario at CMHC. For inquiries call 416-218-3362 or e-mail obc_communications_and_marketing@ cmhc.ca.

Software to build sixstorey wood The Province of Ontario now permits woodframed buildings up to six storeys. However, in conducting a detailed review, the structural engineers of London-area’s Strik Baldinelli Moniz found that very little research had been focused on the three-dimensional behaviour of these structures under lateral loads. In addition, the current structural analysis and design of these lightweight wood-framed construction buildings is performed on an element-by-element basis, neglecting the overall behaviour of the building’s structural system. ohba.ca

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“Our firm has completed approximately 25 commercial wood buildings varying from one to four storeys. We knew our existing clients would want to take advantage of the code changes,” explains Michael Baldinelli, MESC, P.Eng, and principal, Large Buildings, at Strik Baldinelli Moniz structural engineers in Arva, Ontario. “In early 2014, I went to B.C. and toured four six-storey wood buildings under construction. Our firm formed a Wood Building R&D group and spent 14 months (on and off) researching the structural design implications, fire issues during construction, implications of wood shrinkage and cost implications for five- to six-storey wood buildings.” In late 2014, the firm put together a fullday seminar for 85 select clients and city officials to help educate them on the ‘dos and don’ts.’ From that, they developed a proprietary wood design software called SX-N-WD.

the building Takes into account both rigid and flexible floor diaphragms Calculates the overall building deflection and inter-storey drift at any point in the building Accounts for the stiffness of other building materials (concrete masonry units, cast-inplace concrete, steel-cross-braced frame, etc.) Calculates building natural frequency, overcapacity ratio and torsional sensitivity Takes into account the cumulative effect of hold-down anchor slippage and nail slippage in deflection calculations Meets CSA O86-14, Canadian Wood Design Manual and Ontario Building Code 2012 requirements. Optimizes the shear wall selection based on material costs (i.e. labour and material)

The software analyzes wood buildings under earthquake and wind loading and at the same time takes into account material costs—the first of its kind in the industry, says Baldinelli. During the design, the program selects from a database of walls, floors and tie-downs based upon the least expensive option. If the option selected “fails,” then “next wall,” “floor” or “hold down” is selected. The program typically goes through 300-400 iterations to ensure all Code requirements pass. Once completed, the most cost-efficient, code-compliant ohba.ca

design is produced. “We’ve implemented the software on five wood buildings and found savings of 10%15% versus traditional design methods,” Baldinelli notes. “As far as advantages are concerned, we are finding that in most cases a building that was originally designed or planned as a four-storey structure is easily being transitioned into a 5- to 6-storey wood building (pending zoning requirements). Occupant uses vary from affordable housing projects, post-secondary student residences and residential apartments or condominiums. In some instances, the municipalities are requiring a commercial component on the main floor to encourage mixed-use

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“We’ve (used) the software on five wood buildings and found savings of 10%-15% versus traditional design methods.” buildings where people can work and live.” In other instances, where zoning is restricted to a mid-rise type building, wood becomes a great option, Baldinelli says. “It’s affordable; it provides quick installation, thereby reducing the construction timelines and carrying costs; and it reduces structural demand on the foundations. We’ve conducted a large amount of research on the topic and have completed a few case studies comparing different building materials and their effect on the foundation design. When using wood, we found a 10%-12% overall savings on the building construction cost versus traditional materials. At first glance the savings appear modest, but on a 90,000 sq. ft. building, the potential savings are in the millions.” Strik Baldinelli Moniz is currently in the process of designing three six-storey wood buildings and is expecting a permit on the second six-storey wood building in Ontario. ohba.ca

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Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), first introduced to the Ontario building market some 45 years ago, are today becoming a mainstay for energy-efficient, sustainable residential and commercial construction. These insulated, stay-in-place forms use two panels of expanded polystyrene EPS insulation held together by 100% recycled plastic webs. The forms are stacked before rebar is placed, then braced and filled with concrete. The combination of the EPS insulation, ther ma l mass of the concrete and airtightness of the wall make this one of the most high-performing and energyefficient wall systems available today. ICFs are part of the National Building Code of Canada and are approved under the Ontario Supplementary Standard SB-12 for energy-efficient construction. While the standard R-value of R22 is the norm for ICFs, as noted, they actually perform at a much higher level. With the anticipation for higher levels of insulation required by the building code, Amvic recently introduced its third generation of ICF blocks with additional EPS insulation on each side panel, thereby increasing the R-value from R22 to R30. Amvicsystem.com ohba.ca

New thoughts on heating and cooling glass buildings Buildings with floor-to-ceiling glass provide occupants with a connection to the outside world, yet special care must be taken to ensure the design of the HVAC system coincides with the challenges that glass facades create. A new white paper from Jaga Climate Systems focuses on building temperature challenges in glass buildings and the ways to combat them. According to the Global Flat Glass Report 2015-2019, the use of flat glass for construction is on the rise as more architects and developers opt to design buildings with glass exteriors. Following the success of its free white paper on low-surface temperature radiators, Jaga Climate Systems, a leading manufacturer of energy-efficient heating and cooling solutions, has released Indoor Climate Control in Glass Buildings to highlight building temperature challenges and ways to alleviate them. “Commercial and residential high-rises with floor-to-ceiling glass provide occupants with large windows to the world outside,” the company notes. “However, it’s important that architects, developers and engineers balance aesthetics with the proper heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Low-temperature hydronic heating and cooling solutions are an ideal choice because they can optimize energy efficiency and alleviate comfort issues that can arise within glass buildings.” Glass windows can result in condensation, poor insulation and significant temperature fluctuations, depending on the time of day and the weather. This can negatively impact occupant comfort, productivity and satisfaction. Low-mass hydronic systems have lower water content, allowing them to respond more quickly to temperature changes, improving comfort and reducing energy costs. For example, Jaga’s low-H20, low-temperature heating and cooling solutions, including the Briza, Clima Canal Hybrid and Micro Canal, contain only 10% of the

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Wood WORKS! provides sustainable, code-compliant systems The Canadian Wood Council and CertainTeed Gypsum have teamed up to educate the building community about affordable, codecompliant wood construction solutions. As the exclusive gypsum manufacturer and national sponsor of the Canadian Wood WORKS! program, CertainTeed Gypsum will assist the campaign to increase the use of wood and building performance in commercial, industrial, institutional and residential construction. The program fosters easier implementation of high-performance, energy-efficient building envelopes at a lower net cost, according to Morgan Waller, director of marketing for CertainTeed Gypsum Canada. A mong Cer tainTeed ’s wa l lboard, finishing, sheathing and insulation products that meet wood’s structural fire protection and sustainable certification requirements is the company’s AirRenew M2Tech Type X Indoor Air Quality drywall, which actively cleans the air with industryonly formaldehyde-absorbing capabilities. Offering great moisture and mould resistance, the Greenguard Gold Certified product and has received UL Environ-mental Claims Validation. wood-works.ca; certainteed.com ohba.ca

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A simple solution for construction management SimpleBuild, a construction management platform that helps builders, re-modellers and contractors do their jobs more easily, efficiently and profitably, has updated and upgraded its software. Taking you from design to build to warranty, SimpleBuild is the product of a collection of builders, project managers and developers who have come together to create one of the easiest and most efficient construction management softwares on the market. The Easy Project Scheduling tool makes it easy to keep track of who’s doing what and when. Through the online dashboard, you can manage all your contractors and subs. You can also “Punch List Click” your way through the day with SimpleBuild’s virtual punch list feature. Its “save and send” feature sends notifications to subs before you leave the jobsite. The easy interface and intuitive design, meanwhile, translates into a very short learning curve, meaning you and your team will be up in running in hours—not days or weeks. Further, all your subs, contractors and suppliers can quickly enter themselves into the system. And your job’s information is auto-archived online, in one spot. Whenever you need it, it’s there and available for download—whether it’s tomorrow or well after the build is done. Other features include automatic notifications of key information to the people who need to know, when they need to know it; bid and quote management and budgeting tools; excellent customer support; and helpful reminders to help guide you through the day, while proactive notifications and emails automatically appear in your inbox to let you know what’s going on when. CORRECTION In the Wine Not? feature of OHB’s Renovation issue, we failed to credit Ottawa-based Capital Cellars for its creation of the private cellar of Deslaurier Custom Cabinets Inc.’s Denis Staples. Although Deslaurier amended the original design based upon a need for increased bottle capacity, Capital Cellars created the initial design and also installed the glass, LED lighting and climate control system for the project.

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2015-06-22 3:17 PM

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AMVIC INSULATED RADIANT PEX FLOOR PANEL Amvic Insulated Pex Panels are an efﬁcient heating alternative for hydronic radiant floor heating systems in new construction and renovations. Ideal for basements, bathrooms, other living areas, exterior use for snow and ice melt applications on driveways & walkways.

R10 Also available in R12 & R14

VISIT AMVICSYSTEM.COM OR CALL 1.877.470.9991

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Victoria + Albert Ionian tub

So What’s on Tap? Trending kitchen and bathroom products By Dan O’Reilly

Looking for indicators in consumer preferences in kitchen and bath products for the coming year? In its 2015 Kitchen & Bath Style Report, the Hackettstown New Jersey-based National Kitchen and Bath Association, a non-profit trade association that represents about 14,000 member companies, cites “cleaner more contemporary designs” throughout the product category. Trending bathrooms products include floating vanities, open shelving, electric heated floors, trough sinks, showers and freestanding tubs, with white and grey the dominant colours. As for kitchens, the NKBA cites European-style cabinets, wine refrigerators, televisions, docking stations and steam-ovens. As well, there will be fewer standard kitchens tables, as homeowners opt for counters or tall gathering tables. Released earlier this year, the report’s conclusions are based on an online survey of its members that the association conducted in late 2014. A total of 420 designer members participated, of which about 9% were from Canada. Here’s a closer look at kitchen and bath products that should prove a perfect fit to meet current and anticipated trends. ohba.ca

A bathtub for tight spaces

Placing bathtubs into small bathrooms can be a major challenge for builders and renovators, especially when the homeowner still wants a tub with style. Meeting that objective has been made considerably easier with Victoria + Albert’s new sophisticated Ionian. Designed for tight spaces with an oval configuration, the freestanding tub takes up little floor space. At the same time, it’s not cramped, thanks to generous interior dimensions and gentle angles, which allow for a fabulous soaking experience. Made from a finely ground volcanic limestone mixed with resin, it is cast in one seamless piece that won’t crack or flex. vandabaths.com ontario home builder fall 2015

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product focus

CertainTeed Diamondback GlasRoc Tile

Taymor Zurich faucet New use for tile backer

Faucet adds elegance

Positive response from customers is being cited by CertainTeed for developing a new and logical extension of its Diamondback GlasRoc Tile Backer. Originally created as substrate for walls and ceilings, it’s now available for floor and countertop applications and has been designed to ASTM C 627 Robinson Floor Test requirements for use as an underlayment. Reinforced with embedded glass mats for added strength and moisture as well as mould resistance, the Diamondback features a patent-pending polymer coating with a unique textured surface that creates a strong bond, reducing tile slippage during installation. It also weighs 40% less than traditional cement boards and is much easier to handle, cut and place, enabling installers to save valuable time.

Distinguished by clean lines and geometric form, the Zurich lavatory faucet by Taymor is both attractive and functional. Its unique rectangular spout creates a smooth, wide stream, while WaterSense certification assures homeowners will benefit from reduced water usage. And the faucet’s richly plated polished chrome finish will give any bath or powder room a feeling of understated elegance. Builders can enhance that decor and create design continuity throughout the entire bathroom by installing a suite of Taymor coordinated products, including accessories such as a high-performance slide bar. The easy-toinstall Zurich is available in a single handle or widespread model and features a ceramic disc cartridge for easy maintenance and precise water temperature regulation.

certainteed.com

taymor.com

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Bosch Counter-Depth Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator is compact

Measuring 24 inches wide, the Europeanmanufactured Bosch Counter-Depth Bottom-Freezer is idea l for sma l lfootprint kitchens in condominium units and townhouses. The hidden hinge and reversible door on this refrigerator allow for next-to-wall placement and nearly flush installation, which makes it a popular appliance with renovators who are retrofitting urban row houses. With features such as its three-section bottom freezer, a hydrofresh drawer that keeps fruit and vegetables fresh longer, as well as LED lighting, it will also be a hit with homeowners. bosch.com

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VISIT ONE OF OUR SHOWROOMS AT: 888 GUELPH ST. KITCHENER, ON

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LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT ONTARIO 1 (844) 822-1111 CRSRENTS.CA ontario home builder fall 2015

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Designer makeover for washrooms

In what it heralds as “the evolution of tile,” Maax Bath has unveiled the U tile. Extensive technical research and consumer polling went into the engineering of this shower wall panel. With multiple backing layers and an engineered multi-layer polymer surface, it delivers the look of ceramic tile, but is considerably easier to place. A connecting system enables builders to perfectly align the walls, slip them together and lock them into place. With direct-to-stud installation, the U tile is also grout-free, eliminating grout maintenance and periodic repair, and offers reduced risk of leaks. An installation video can be found on the company’s website. maax.com

Dajica cabinets

Inspired by nature

Blanco Siligranit Cabinets are precision made

Using the tried-and-true dowel, glue and clamp process, as well as an in-house manufacturing system modelled after the auto industry, Dajica produces solidbox kitchen cabinets that come complete with crown mould, light valance and other accessories. The cabinets are made from 5/8” particle board, while the doors are offered in choice of thermofoils, polyesters or wood. Orders can be fulfilled within a two-week period and a free design service is also offered to builders. dajica.ca

Maax Bath U tile

Featuring a design inspired by the ef for t less, elegant and continuous movement of water, American Standard’s Fluent Widespread Faucet is a perfect integration of aesthetics and engineering. Apart from the fact that it adds a natural allure to the bathroom, the durable and metal-fabricated Fluent provides a host of quality-crafted and technically advanced performance features, including WaterSense Certification and an easy-toinsert Speed Connect Drain system. It’s also equipped with drip-free-for-life ceramic disc valves. Complementing the Fluent is a range of coordinating accessories. americanstandard.ca

American Standard Fluent Widespread

Sinks with style and strength

Capable of withstanding temperatures up to 280 degrees Celsius hotter than a pot taken straight from the stove, Siligranit sinks from Blanco are scratch-, stain-, acid- and heat-resistant, and their unique texture and natural beauty are sure to catch homeowners’ attention. At the heart of that strength is a unique patented material that combines 80% natural granite stone with a premium acrylic resin formula. The sink is available in seven different colours, including the recently unveiled Metallic Gray. blancocanada.com 114

ontario home builder fall 2015

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We’re BIG on

Productivity

35G Compact Excavator Inspired by input from equipment owners and operators like you, this 35G Compact Excavator is loaded with customer-driven enhancements for comfort, performance and reliability all day long.

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we’ll guide you through Condominium development projects can be like navigating rough waters. Let our experienced legal team steer you through.

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16783 Thorndale Rd Thorndale, ON N0M 2P0 Tel: 519-461-1180 Toll free: 1-800-265-7086 Fax: 519-461-0903

www.trscomponents.ca ohba.ca

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product focus

Dishwasher is compact and integrated

Frendel Kitchens cabinets

At 24 inches wide and 18 inches high, the Porter & Charles DW4FI/SS is a compact and integrated dishwasher that will fit easily into any kitchen. But size isn’t everything and the number of features on this European-manufactured appliance are too numerous to list. Highlights include a four-place-setting capacity, a near silent operation and four different wash cycle programs. Another important feature is an LED indicator for remaining time, delay time, temperature and other functions. A one-to-24-hour delay temperature enables homeowners to program the dishwasher whenever they want during that time period. The DW4FI/SS is available through Goemans Appliances. goemans.com

Cabinets with standards

State-of-the-art fabrication equipment combined with high-quality materials are used to produce Frendel Kitchens cabinets. The laminated doors are produced with a polyurethane reactive (PUR) adhesive that delivers a finer glue line, resulting in a near seamless edge. According to the manufacturer, the process provides advanced heat and moisture resistance as well as a superior and immediate bond with the core material. As a result, appearance and performance are enhanced. In addition, the premium quality panels feature a mirror finish with superior UV and scratch resistance. A selection of eye-catching solid colours and decorative patterns add a contemporary look. frendel.com

Simplifying bathroom renovations

Delta Temp2O

Combining beaut y w ith durabilit y, Longevity Acrylics’ easy-to-insert Horizon I and Horizon II domeless tub showers make bathroom construction or renovation a lot less cumbersome. Available as a onepiece with no joints, the Horizon I is ideal for new construction. As for the two-piece Horizon II, it’s a perfect solution for tricky renovations. It features a leak-proof acrylicon-acrylic joint system. Describing it as “revolutionary,” the manufacturer says the system is so effective that no caulking is required during installation. Designed with clean lines, the attractive showers blend well with any home environment. longevityacrylics.com

Showerheads with smarts

There’s no danger of being drenched with water that’s either too hot or too cold in bathrooms outfitted with Delta’s line of Temp2O Technology-equipped hand showers, showerheads and tub and shower fixtures. The technology takes the guesswork out of water temperature, preventing unwanted surprises. Each product includes an easy-to-read LED digital display and background colour indicators (blue, magenta, red) to signal different water temperature ranges. Available in a number of different finishes, hand showers and showerheads featuring the technology are hydro-powered and require no batteries. The tub showers also come in a choice of design styles.

Goemans Porter & Charles DW4FI/SS

Longevity Acrylics Horizon

deltafaucet.ca

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2015-06-08 10:05 AM

Archaeological Assessments Need an archaeological assessment for your development plan approval? Email: derek@bluestoneresearch.ca Phone: 226 977 3441 Website: www.bluestoneresearch.ca

Bluestone Research Inc. AchaeologyAssessments_01.indd 1

STAGE 1 Archaeological Studies STAGE 2 Archaeological Field Assessments STAGE 3 Archaeological Site Documentation STAGE 4 Archaeological Site Mitigation

2015-06-23 5:25 PM

Beaver Valley Stone offers the largest selection of natural stone and precast products in Ontario, including flagstone, both random and saw cut. We also have many different types of drywall, ledgerock, natural stone steps and sills. Our precast concrete products include patio slabs, sills, steps and curbs. We also offer a wide selection of interlocking paving stones and retaining wall systems, from a variety of manufacturers. Accessories available.

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Leak-Bye

The Interior Foundation Drainage System Be sure to use the Leak-Bye interior foundation drainage system. Used by award-winning builders, Leak-Bye diverts inside moisture from foundation leaks and condensation to the floor slab drainage system below. Leak-Bye, your best defense against water penetration.

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Leak-Bye Incorporated

RR#3 Mt. Forest, Ontario N0G 2L0 ATTN: John Plume Toll Free: 1-800-393 LEAK (5325) Tel: (519) 323-4123 Fax: (519) 323-4793

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outside the box

Evolution of the Kitchen Food for thought on our changing eating habits By Avi Friedman our food preparation process is changing rapidly. Statistics show that the semiprepared and ready-to-serve food we presently consume requires an average preparation time of 20 minutes, compared to the 45 minutes we spent in 2000, which, in turn, is a far cry from the six hours needed in 1900. Convenient food has replaced the traditional family dinner, a transition that’s reflected in today’s kitchen design. In recent years, kitchens have been transformed from cooking places to processing places. In fact, kitchens were the place in which domestic technology innovation was first unveiled. The introduction of plumbing, running water and drainage in the mid-19th century and the development of advanced stoves contributed to a leap forward in the evolution of kitchen design and functionality. The return of women to the labour force en masse in the 1960s and ’70s further affected the evolution. The need to wake up toddlers at dawn, feed them quickly while packing lunches and make it to work on time demanded regimental efficiency. A well-designed kitchen, reliable appliances, stocked cupboards and a freezer became 118

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allies to working parents. Dinnertime was no different. The time it took to make meals, clean, oversee children’s homework, do laundry and prepare for tomorrow’s workday had to be compressed. And so we became more and more reliant on domestic appliances. Ready-to-serve frozen food benefited from the invention of another appliance: the microwave oven. The underlying principle was discovered by accident in 1946, when Dr. Percy Spencer tested a radarrelated tube called a magnetron. During one of the experiments, a candy bar in his pocket melted. It was a time-saving leap forward. A frozen item no longer had to be thawed for hours; it could now be served in minutes. The microwave oven rapidly took centre stage in the family’s daily kitchen routines, and gradually moved from a stand in the kitchen corner to the countertop, with newer models installed above the stovetop and combined with a fan to draw out odours. But innovation did not stop there and more is to come. Those printed bar codes on food packaging have inspired appliance manufacturers and designers to create a scanning device on the fridge. Upon returning with a load of groceries, the shopper will

use the device to record products before putting them in the fridge. Future dinner preparations, manufacturers proclaim, will start at work, where you’ll log on to your fridge, find out what it’s short of, and be reminded to stop at the store on the way home. Once at home, a touch-pad screen on the fridge will offer favourite dinner menus in a soft voice, while displaying the recipe and step-by-step cooking instructions. And where will the cooking actually take place? In the sink. No longer will homeowners have to carry a pot of water to the stove and then back to the sink to drain hot water from the pasta. The task will begin and end at the sink. Boiling water will steam vegetables and rice, then, with the press of a button, the pot will drain directly into the sink. Blame it on lifestyle, technology or plain consumerism, but society has changed and people’s eating habits have changed along with it. As far as the kitchen is concerned, if present trends continue, homes will be filled with appliances while we watch real cooking on the Food Network. OHB Dr. Avi Friedman teaches architecture at McGill University. He can be reached at avi.friedman@mcgill.ca. ohba.ca

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We’re here to serve you better. Enercare’s commitment is to offer you the best advice and solutions for your water heating and HVAC needs. Service & Value: Experienced account managers offer you the best solutions for your needs.

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