2 minute read
The Darwin Theory
Pandemic, environment are ratcheting up the evolutionary curve
“IT’S NOT THE STRONGEST of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change,” British naturalist, geologist and biologist Charles Darwin once observed.
The concept of evolution is hardly lost on home builders—we’ve been adapting to constantly changing environments, market demands, affordability issues and political constraints for more than a century. Just look at how our members have pivoted to keep businesses rolling despite the ravages of COVID-19 over the past 14 months!
But changes are coming faster and more furiously these days, and technology upgrades can be hard to keep up with.
And so it is that this edition of OHB magazine has chosen to focus on multiple innovations in the world of home building.
It’s safe to say that the pandemic has driven the subject of one of the features in the pages that follow: the rise of multi-family and co-living residences. Whether it be a response to affordability or the desire to keep families together and to care for ill and aging relatives in a time of multiple lockdowns, there is an increased interest in homes that can accommodate multiple residents while also providing privacy.
The second feature addresses an issue heightened by climate change, noting ways that developments can mitigate potential flooding— an increasing requirement from municipalities.
The third feature zeroes in on a trio of trends—one current (clean air in our homes); one evolving (the use of autonomous robots in construction); and the third an exciting development in the world of electricity taking place just outside Silicon Valley.
There is also discussion about how we will accommodate the rise of electric automobiles and what might theoretically replace that technology.
The constant search for more efficient energy uses is also explored in the Building Buzz section of this edition, with brand new geothermal and geoexchange projects from two OHBA members dicussed—each of which will both reduce energy costs for residents while significantly cutting carbon emissions.
But it doesn’t require cutting-edge tech to move us forward. Sometimes it’s an innovative concept that fills a gap in the industry. That’s the case with a Japanese design explored in the Frame of Mind column (see p. 62).
It’s just another a reminder that adapting is not simply a means of survival, but an opportunity to distinguish oneself from the competition.
Darwin would approve.
JOE VACCARO IS THE CEO OF THE ONTARIO HOME BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION
