Ontario Home Builder - Early Spring 2021

AND THE SURVEY SAYS: BUILDERS WEIGH IN ON EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC P.43 A PEEK INTO THE LATEST WINDOWS & DOORS P.57

THEIR DUTIES SPLIT, WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF TARION AND HCRA? P.15

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Contents

34 Ministers of the Interior

Behind the scenes—and walls—of über-luxury design

25 43 Lumber Numbers Survey Says...

57 Glass Half-Full

High prices and short supply hitting industry hard

Bigger is better in the world of windows, but so is the right fit

Builder and renovators weigh in on the effects of the pandemic

9 One Voice The pandemic has changed the way we deal with business and each other, which isn’t all bad

15 Inside Storey HCRA’s and Tarion’s CEOs on the new reality for builders and consumers

11 Ontario Report Outlining the new licensing, conduct and warranty regulation, the President’s address goes online, a COVID-19 update and an accomplished trio are called to Order

19 Trending A towering achievement from LG, a healthy choice from BreezeWood, Radon Environmental stands on guard for thee, Masters Insurance keeps you cyber-safe, and more

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49 Building Buzz A new professional locate course from Ontario One, calming colours from Valspar and Dulux, Napoleon’s HomeShield, Snaile partners, Navien rebrands and new apprenticeship training programs at Niagara College

ON THE COVER

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62 Frame of Mind Multi-generational living in challenging times ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

5

The official publication of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association EARLY SPRING 2021 | Vol. 37 Issue 2

EDITOR

Ted McIntyre ted@laureloak.ca ART DIRECTOR

Erik Mohr ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Ian Sullivan Cant GRAPHIC DESIGN

Marikha Saira, Megan Drummond COPY EDITOR

Barbara Chambers CONTRIBUTORS

Avi Friedman, Joe Vaccaro ADVERTISING

Cindy Kaye, ext. 232 cindy@laureloak.ca PUBLISHER

Sheryl Humphreys, ext. 245 sheryl@laureloak.ca PRESIDENT

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One Voice

PERMANENT CHANGE

Many of our new protocols may become standard operations in the future—and that can be good!

THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS of the COVID-19 pandemic are still years away from being understood and documented, but the short-term impacts have already begun to show.

From an industry perspective, jobsites have changed. Whether you’re constructing new homes in a subdivision or a condo tower, or renovating an occupied home, the current need for registering and screening before entering the site will likely become a standard health and safety practice.

With the enhancements of COVID protocols, evolving government restrictions and the need to keep everyone safe and informed, communication across the range of contractors, colleagues, employees and clients has never been more important. ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

30% OF OHBA MEMBERS HAVE ADDRESSED MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE. It has also become increasingly vital for contracts to include clear language that can address future COVID-like situations, where government lockdowns or restrictions result in delays or frustrations. It helps put everyone on the same page during challenging times.

While in the pre-COVID world, urban amenities like restaurants, parks, theatres and sports venues served as the

living rooms for condominium residents, as record new-home sales in the low-rise category attest, one short-term impact of COVID has been a move from urban condo living to suburban housing. The move to work-from-home combined with stay-at-home orders clearly fuelled the trend. It should also be noted that rental vacancy rates are climbing, as rental rates are down across many urban centres.

The need for more space to accommodate home offices and shared living with family members, meanwhile, has created demand for more space, explaining the incredible renovation demand.

But there may be long-term impacts too. For many, a business model that includes staff working from home has resulted in lower productivity, resulting in the need for more staff to get the job done. This, along with managing ongoing supply-chain delays, has added to ongoing stress for many.

Fortunately, talking about mental health is now a normal and necessary part of our business and personal conversations. COVID has had an impact on mental health, but the stigma around mental health has been replaced with a recognition that it’s not a weakness but a reality. As the survey (p. 43) in this edition of OHB magazine reports, approximately 30% of OHBA members have addressed mental health in the workplace. Considering the construction culture, that’s a remarkable response!

We’ve also all benefited from Bell’s “Let’s Talk” campaign, initiatives by Enbridge and the ongoing Ontario government focus on mental health—all of which will have long-term positive effects.

COVID has forced changed on our businesses, our communities—even ourselves, but this change can be channelled to create lasting important improvements.

Be Positive. Stay Safe. Be Kind. OHB

JOE VACCARO IS THE CEO OF THE ONTARIO HOME BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION

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Ontario Report

A NEW LOOK:

HCRA & Tarion

Outlining the new licensing, conduct and warranty regulation in Ontario On February 1, the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) became the regulatory authority under the New Home Construction Licensing Act (NHCLA), responsible for licensing home builders and vendors in Ontario. At this point, all builder vendor licences that required renewal between November 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 have been extended, and a notice of extension would have been provided to you confirming your ongoing status.

As part of the licensing mandate, HCRA is now responsible for competency, complaints and conduct.

HCRA’s duties will also include managing the Ontario Builder Directory.

As part of its duties to review consumer complaints regarding builder conduct, the HCRA has published “A Guide to Good Conduct for Home Builders and Vendors.” The guide will help licensees understand the HCRA’s approach to assessing the good conduct expected of all new-home builders and vendors. The following are general expectations of good conduct: • Comply with the NHCLA and its regulations.

This includes an obligation to comply with the Ontario Building Code and the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act. • Treat people fairly, honestly and with integrity.

• Honour your new-home warranty obligations.

• Not engage in or be a party to misrepresentation or false or misleading advertising.

• Not engage in behaviour that is harassing, bullying or discriminatory.

• Provide reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

• M aintain required privacy and confidentiality of personal information and not disclose personal information without consent or as required by law.

• Do not participate in or facilitate the building or selling of new homes in Ontario by someone who was required to be licensed as a builder or vendor, or who was required to obtain confirmation of enrollment by Tarion, but failed to do so.

• Avoid conduct that would reasonably be regarded as being disgraceful, dishonourable, unprofessional, unbecoming a licensee or likely to bring the new-home construction and sales sector profession into disrepute.

Please visit HCRAONTARIO.CA for more information.

TARION WARRANTY CORPORATION Tarion, meanwhile, will continue to be the warranty authority, with the responsibility to approve, underwrite and enroll new homes and to protect the rights of new-home buyers according to the terms of the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act. Tarion is also responsible for managing the Guarantee Fund that exists to ensure that there are funds available to backstop any warranty claims for the length of each home’s coverage.

All pre-February 1, 2021 agreements and projects continue to be enrolled and valid, but all new projects require the builder/vendor with a valid HCRA licence to apply to Tarion for a Qualification for Enrollment (QFE) and begin the underwriting process before proceeding to sales and construction.

Please visit TARION.CA for more information.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

11

Ontario Report

TAKING THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ONLINE One of the many great features that take place at the OHBA Annual Conference is the President’s Gala. This is the opportunity for the newly elected OHBA President to share their home builder story and outline what the year ahead looks like to our membership.

With the 2020 OHBA Annual Conference cancelled due to COVID-19, we have taken the President’s Address online to highlight the important issues facing our industry in 2021. Our video address features fun visual clips, animations and photos of familiar faces from our members!

As #homebelievers, we support the great Canadian dream of homeownership and continue to drive the important work the Association does for #homebelievers across Ontario. Know that locally, provincially and nationally, OHBA is working to support you and are always here to help.

Please visit OHBA’s website for a link to hear more from OHBA President Bob Schickedanz.

COVID-19 U P DAT E

COVID-19 will continue to be a key health and safety concern of OHBA members this year. But this is nothing new to those in our sector. Since the beginning of the pandemic, members have made health, safety and sanitation a central focus in the effort to combat the virus. Keeping all personnel who come onsite safe must be a central focus as we continue to navigate these uncertain times.

First and foremost, members must have a COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan. The Ministry of Labour (MOL) has many resources to help you develop a safety plan to ensure that all jobsites protect everyone. Understanding the risks associated with COVID-19, as well as key contact tracing and documentation requirements for anyone coming onsite, is critical in the event MOL or your local Public Health Unit needs to follow up.

To make this process easier, OHBA has provided a digital workplace-screening form, which will help members track who is coming onsite and ensure that information is readily accessible if requested by health authorities. All members should be aware of key onsite health and safety guidelines that MOL has provided. These guidelines provide critical information on the measures that members should be taking to keep jobsites safe.

It’s also important to note that renovator members working in occupied spaces face unique challenges. While they should follow all MOL guidelines, OHBA’s Renovator Guide can assist members in navigating these unique jobsite challenges and help ensure the sector remains safe.

Each day, members make adjustments to care for everyone on the jobsite. The residential construction sector has been a leader, quickly adapting to the new environment and stepping up to meet the new standards of health, safety and sanitation. While we cannot say when COVID-19 will end, OHBA is confident in our membership’s ability to continue to deliver new and newly renovated homes to awaiting families in a healthy, safe and efficient manner.

We are all in this together—let’s keep each other safe.

CALL TO ORDER:

OHBA Members Honoured A pair of OHBA members have recently been invested into the Order of Ontario, with another receiving a promotion within the Order of Canada. Here’s the rundown of a trio we are proud to call our own.

Michael DeGasperis Vaughan A well-respected philanthropist, business and community leader, Michael DeGasperis, founder and president of Arista Homes, celebrates over 25 years as one of Ontario’s premier developers and home builders. A visionary for improved access to health care, his leadership has raised millions of dollars for numerous health institutions across the province. Thanks to his concept, as well as brokering approvals and land purchases on behalf of the City of Vaughan, Mackenzie 12

Vaughan Hospital is in the final stages of construction.

Carlo Fidani Toronto

Carlo Fidani, a prominent figure in Ontario’s real estate community, believes in the transformative power of philanthropy. Chairman of the Orlando Corporation in Mississauga, Mr. Fidani directs his giving to health-related causes, making landmark and often anonymous donations that have had a significant impact on the province’s leading science and

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

medical facilities. Areas such as access to radiation treatment, education of doctors and breakthroughs in cancer treatments have benefited from his generosity.

Peter E. Gilgan Toronto

Peter Gilgan has been promoted within the Order of Canada to the status of officer.

Mr. Gilgan was acknowledged for his innovative leadership in Canada’s construction industry, and for his philanthropic support of initiatives in health

care, education and athletics.

As the founder and CEO of Mattamy Homes, Canada’s largest new-home builder, he both creates and invests in many communities across the country. He has supported health care and educational institutions, notably endowing the new Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. Additionally, he funded the restoration of the hockey rink at Maple Leaf Gardens as Ryerson University converted the historic complex into an athletic facility. ohba.ca

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Inside Storey important—doesn’t change the way that Tarion administers the warranty.

The majority of Ontario builders are proud of what they build and stand behind their product. And in the vast majority of cases we don’t need to be involved. But when we do get involved with warranty issues, or the general process for warranty administration, that’s not changing in terms of our approach or our commitment.”

DO YOU EXPECT THERE TO BE A LEARNING CURVE? PB: “My commitment as the CEO

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SIDE BY SIDE

With a separation of duties, how will Tarion and the HCRA work together?

BY TED McINTYRE WITH HCRA INTERIM CEO TIM HADWEN AND TARION PRESIDENT/CEO PETER BALASUBRAMANIAN

IN SOME RESPECTS, life has gotten a little simpler at Tarion. While the consumer protection organization had, for more than 40 years, been responsible for ensuring that buyers of newly built homes in Ontario receive the coverage they are entitled to under their builder’s warranty, the agency had also been tasked with licensing new builders and sniffing out illegal builders. But with the launch of the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) on Feb. 1, the latter duties of Tarion have been handed over.

What does that mean for builders, consumers and the respective agencies?

We asked both Tarion President/CEO Peter Balasubramanian and HCRA interim CEO Tim Hadwen.

OHB: HOW HAS STAFFING BEEN AFFECTED AT TARION? PETER BALASUBRAMANIAN:

“We’ve separated the licensing process and the management of conduct complaints and enforcement side, so ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

that has seen us reduce our staff in certain sections. For example, our enforcement inspection team has moved over to the HCRA. At the same time, other parts of our business have seen an increase in resourcing. We’ve actually added resources to increase our customer service teams. We have added additional internal expertise on building code matters, and increased areas of our underwriting and risk management, such as the risk-based inspection program that we’re going to be implementing.

“So yes, there is a lot of change, but it isn’t just about the creation of two new authorities, it’s also a longer-term strategy that is the combination of almost five years of public review to improve overall services in the sector.”

DOES THIS ALLOW YOU TO BE EVEN MORE FOCUSED ON THE WARRANTY SIDE? PB: “The creation of the HCRA—

and this is the message that is

of Tarion is that as we work through the implication of these changes, we will continue to listen closely to our stakeholders. And where there are bumps in the road or elements of change that don’t make business sense, we will listen and work through our processes with our stakeholders to make reasonable adjustments.

One example was the feedback we received from folks who specialize in buying and selling contract homes, where the homeowner owns the land that the home is built upon. Some of the business processes we put out for consultation didn’t really fit well with some of the elements of that sector, and we were able to listen to feedback from builders who specialize in that area, and make changes to the process to make it work more smoothly.

The system isn’t going to be perfect, we’re gonna have to test it as it goes, and where there are issues we can reasonably fix, we are open to listening and fixing them.”

IS THERE ANY GREY AREA BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS? PB: “It’s really important that we both

focus on communications and explain the differences between HCRA and Tarion. But I do think that the separate mandates between the two is very clear: The HCRA will take over Tarion’s registration function, so licensing and conduct is now with the them, and warranty protection is with Tarion.

“Both organizations are really working together towards a smooth ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

15

Spoiled for choice.

transition with minimal disruptions for homeowners and builders. A phrase we’ve been using is ‘no wrong door.’ Our contact centre has received training so calls that come to us can be smoothly transitioned with minimal wait times to the HCRA. “That being said, we have to remember that all this has occurred during a pandemic. There are a lot of factors that have challenged service delivery for all kinds of organizations.”

YOU’VE BEEN THE INTERIM CEO SINCE MAY 2019. WHEN WILL YOUR SUCCESSOR BE NAMED? TIM HADWEN: “The permanent CEO

will be figured out in the next little while so that they can take on longerterm strategic planning and prepare for our first public AGM in the fall.”

I SEE REGISTRATION FEES HAVE GONE UP. TH: “Our fees were consulted on

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and we posted them in December.

They involved modest increases overall, which is needed to finance the consumer protection activities of the organization. There are two parts to them. The first is the fees for the new licence for the renewal. The other part is the per-home regulatory oversight fee. To have it be dealt with in the most efficient way, those fees are paid at the same time as the Tarion enrollment fee. Tarion remits all the per-home regulatory oversight fees to the HCRA. The combination of the two fees supplies the HCRA with the funding it needs to conduct both the licensing process and the ongoing compliance process—dealing with complaints, investigating concerns and, if necessary, moving through investigations and enforcement, etc., as well as putting us in a position to address illegal builders. And we are committed to maintaining our fees for the next three years.”

WHY WAS THE CREATION OF SEPARATE AGENCIES A GOOD THING FOR BUILDERS? TH: “Because the industry wants there

to be good regulation, which instills confidence in the sector. And they want a fair marketplace where all builders ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

are held to consistent standards for conduct, confidence and financial responsibility, so that unethical and illegal activity is deterred. That’s going to produce a sector where the competition is fair and where the consumer is better served.

“We’ve been given a mandate to implement the New Home Construction Licensing Act, and that means being ready to determine if compliance measures of an encouragement and warning kind are going to be sufficient to remedy the problem and ensure that the builder is meeting the standards expected—or if it’s necessary to engage in stronger measures, with enforcement up to and including prosecution. We won’t hesitate to take decisive action.”

WHAT COMES NEXT AFTER THE ORIENTATION PHASE FOR BUILDERS AND CONSUMERS? TH: “It’s going to be refining our

risk management. Because the whole point of the regulation is consumer protection, and that means assessing what risks there are or what potential concerns there are for consumers, and ensuring that we’re doing the right job to our licensing and regulatory oversight to build confidence that the industry is being well regulated.

That means being ready to assess our processes and adjust—both in terms of strengthening our focus where there are risks we need to be responsive to, and also looking at situations where we may be engaging in oversight in a low-risk area, where we could perhaps reduce the regulatory burden and have a more streamlined approach.

“And then we’ll be doing that in consultation with the sector and homebuyers, because consultation engagement is a really important part of what we’re doing. We want to have some really good transparency, and for people to have the sense that we are engaging with them and are listening.

“We are pretty excited about opening the doors of Ontario’s newest regulator.

We want a smooth transition so that there is no disruption for the sector, while at the same time, of course, being ready to take action for consumer protection if it’s needed.” OHB ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

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Regardez la vidéo

THE LUMBER NUMBERS Increased demand, falling supply have pushed softwood costs to new heights. So what’s next?

E

ntitled “What’s the Story With Lumber and Where Do We Go From Here?,” the Canadian Home Builders’ Association’s January 28 webinar was scheduled to run a full hour. One hundred minutes in, CHBA CEO Kevin Lee wrapped up the last question from online attendees.

“It goes to show just how much of a challenge this is to our membership, the frustration, the financial challenges,” Lee observed in his closing remarks of the whopping 40 minutes of overtime.

The interest—and anxiety—are justified. The numbers ohba.ca

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in the lumber industry have been jaw-dropping.

According to RBC Capital Markets, the “random lengths composite” (average market price) for framing lumber was $356 per 1,000 square feet in 2019. As of midFebruary 2021 it was $1,002.

While that’s meant a boon to the North American forestry industry, it’s been stress-inducing for Canadian builders and contractors as they attempt to secure supply and recalculate costs.

And what has it meant to the bottom line for consumers? According to a December 2020 report from RBC Capital Markets analyst Paul Quinn, the ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

25

skyrocketing lumber prices have increased the cost of a typical 2,500 sq. ft. new home by $30,000. And prices have only climbed since that report was created, Quinn notes.

With contracts that have been locked in, that’s meant builders and contractors have had to swallow the added costs, with some barely breaking even on those projects.

“And it’s not just lumber, it’s (the associated) insulation increases, drywall board increases, etc.,” explains CHBA President John Meinen. “I’ll give you an example with a recent project. For my first block of six townhouses, the trusses were $26,000. The second block of six was $36,000. The third block was $46,000.

And I am building a new 2,800 sq. ft. home right now and I bet if you took my squarefootage price, I’d be close to $40 a square foot for labour, trusses and wood. It would’ve been $26 a year ago.”

While Meinen has raised prices to offset higher costs, it hasn’t dampened demand. “I’ve put those townhouses up $40,000-$45,000 since April,” he says, “and I still can’t keep them on the shelf.”

another level of housing demand on a front that was already experiencing a red-hot residential market.

“One of the things that gets missed is the housing mix in the U.S.,” Quinn indicates. “Over the last number of years, the percentage of single-family (in residential construction) had been in the high 60s. Now it’s solidly in the 70s, and that single-family start uses three times the lumber and OSB (oriented strand board) as a multifamily start.”

“With single-family stealing share from multifamily, that’s good news from a lumber consumption (standpoint), as a billion board feet of additional volume is consumed with each 100,000 of additional housing starts,” says Michael Almond, G.M. of SPF Sales North America for Canfor, an integrated forest products company based in Vancouver.

SUPPLY CHALLENGES

At the same time that demand has been spiking, supply has shrunk in B.C., which produces roughly half of Canada’s lumber.

“For our western Canadian operations, the story’s been all about the transition from the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic,” noted Almond during the OHBA webinar, in reference to the ongoing pest outbreak that started in B.C. in the early 1990s and has affected more than 18 million hectares of forest.

University of British Columbia research recently estimated that the loss of log supply in B.C. is the equivalent of 9 million single-family homes of trees, Almond noted, and the wildfires of 2017 and 2018 only compounded the problem. “The production capacity is nowhere near the same level of 2006, 2007,” he said. “We’re down 3 billion board feet (since then).”

Part of the problem was that producers “didn’t really recognize the buying signals” brought on by the pandemic, suggests Quinn.

“They did shift production, and it came up rapidly in May and June, but we were already behind the eight ball.

So last year was a very difficult from a supply standpoint trying to meet market demand.”

Supply will gradually improve, but don’t expect Canadian suppliers to ignore the 800-pound gorilla south of the border. “There are 1.7 million housing starts in the U.S. compared to around 200,000 here in a good year,” Lee notes.

“There’s 50 billion board feet of demand from the U.S.,” Almond adds, “(and) we want to be loyal to the customers

A DECEMBER ”REPORT FROM

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

RBC NOTED THAT SKYROCKETING LUMBER PRICES HAD INCREASED THE COST OF A TYPICAL 2,500 SQ. FT. NEW HOME BY $30,000.

While “the perfect storm” has been an overused descriptor since George Clooney’s Hollywood epic, it is an apt analogy for what transpired in the residential construction industry.

“There was already pent-up demand,” observes Lee. “But I think what nobody saw coming were the savings that resulted among those who were able to keep their jobs and their (ability) to move to single-family housing. So there’s been a large COVID effect that’s changing buying patterns. How long that will continue remains to be seen. But if work-from-home stays in place and people can continue to live further away from town centres, construction will see an additional bump.”

The numbers bear that out. November 2020 seasonally adjusted starts in Canada were 246,000, compared to 205,000 at the same time in 2019, with a total value of residential building permits of $5,982,791 (up 42.8% year-over-year).

Lack of entertainment and travel, meanwhile, ignited the home reno market.

But nothing was a greater accelerant to increased demand than federal governments dropping interest rates, particular the 0% rate in the U.S. That spurred 26

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

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that have gotten us to this point.”

Despite Canadian suppliers eagerly feeding the beast below the border, Quinn contends that local clients have been anything but ignored. “Canada is getting a disproportionate share of lumber right now versus consumption,” Quinn maintains. “So I’d say Canadian producers are doing a more than adequate job of servicing Canada— although I understand the frustration (of the construction industry).”

But are builders being gouged amid this heightened demand? “The lumber industry lost money essentially for eight straight quarters, so we’re profitable today. But it’s been a long road to get to this point, and (the level of demand) was unforeseen,” counters Almond.

Quinn puts it diplomatically: “Right now, profitability is such a huge incentive, trying to gain as much as they can.”

28

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

OVERCOMING HURDLES

The damage for builders and contractors has entailed significant delays, cost overages, lots being pulled from the market, pre-sales being cancelled or postponed, as well as some strained business relationships, says Lee. “It’s definitely making it hard to do business for builders and renovators, and slowing much-needed housing supply from coming online.”

Temporary casualties may include the home building industry’s tall-wood strategy. “We can’t move to 12-storey wood if we can’t get the prices and supply under control,” says Lee. So what steps is the CHBA taking to address the issue?

“One very important thing we’ve done is to keep this issue front and centre in the media, not only bringing awareness to the government but to consumers, who ohba.ca

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need to understand why the cost of their home or the renovations is going up so much,” Lee notes.

Transportation is also front and centre, particularly since 80% of the mills in Canada rely on one railway.

“The federal government must work with the transport industry to address bottlenecks and service issues for rail, as well as driver shortages and increasing insurance costs in the trucking sector,” Lee says.

“The lumber industry has had to pivot, using much more trucking than usual due to the rail disruptions. It’s critical that governments do all they can to have Canada’s transportation system operating safely and at 100%.

“We’re also engaged at the federal level with the government, lumber industry, constituent associations and the National Association of Home Builders in the U.S. to keep abreast of the situation as it evolves and to pursue solutions,” Lee continues.

“Through the summer and fall, CHBA advocacy focused on getting the supply chain up to 100% operational capacity. In terms of access to more fibre, while that is provincial jurisdiction, Quebec is increasing its allowable cut, and there is talk that Ontario may look to do the same.”

The difference between harvested forests in Canada and the U.S. is a notable one, explains Forest Product Association of Canada (FPAC) President and CEO Derek Nighbor. “For FPAC members, 94% of lands we’re operating on are provincial government lands, meaning there will be many challenges in dealing with indigenous population, protecting ecological integrity and biodiversity, etc. But it’s the opposite in the U.S., where over 80% is private.” And that latter stat means a formidable lobbying group protecting American interests, Nighbor notes.

“Forest management a lot like rezoning in a neighbourhood, where anybody in the area that has a stake or a right will all feed into the process,” he suggests. “The problem is that the federal government continues to creep into provincial government space with their carbon policies and conservation policies.

Those are all well-intended and things we mostly

support, but the challenge becomes the duplication and overlap and confusion that some of these federal moves have in Ontario communities. The message to the federal government is that on anything related to land use, there needs to be greater collaboration and coordination with the provinces.”

So with Canada seriously challenged by supply issues, “the opportunity is here for us to have a call to action to our federal and provincial governments to think about self-sufficiency—what we can do more sustainably to leverage the power of our resources,” Nighbor says. “That certainty around supply and accessing the land base in a sustainable way is the top area where our forest industry, retailers and builders can work together.”

Lest anyone worry about depleting our forests in the process, Nighbor reminds that “last year we harvested less than a half of one percent of our forests in Canada—planting two for every one we harvested in most jurisdictions, or even three-to-one.”

S DEFINITELY ”IT’MAKING IT

HARD TO DO BUSINESS FOR BUILDERS AND RENOVATORS, AND SLOWING NEEDED HOUSING FROM COMING ONLINE.

30

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

WHAT’S NEXT?

For now, however, stress levels are increasing within the industry. Lumber mills, for example, are still running about three months behind on orders, CHBA notes, particularly on oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood.

“Mills in Canada are operating basically at 100%, but the ongoing housing high demand, both in Canada and the U.S., has kept lumber prices at unprecedented highs,” Lee says. “It will indeed likely be at least a couple of years before they return anywhere near what the prices were prior to the pandemic. In the meantime, it will be critical that the full supply chain stays operating safely and at full capacity, and that transportation issues be avoided and overcome. Ideally, more milling would come online and there would be increased access to fibre, and there is talk of that in both Canada and the U.S.” Although an RBC report forecasted random length composite to average $575 for the coming year, significantly lower than where it’s at right now, Quinn admits that “prices have been a lot higher than when

”

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

we put this together, so our forecast probably has to come up.”

At the end of the day, the one who will feel the brunt is the consumer seeking renovations, not to mention the potential buyer, notes Meinen.

“The income level of the consumer has not gone up in proportion to what is happening in the economy, and with increased housing prices I really feel sorry for the young people trying to get into the market.”

“For houses sold before lumber prices went up, the increased costs are dramatically eating into margins,” Lee points out. “For builders selling since the prices went up, the increased cost of lumber has to be reflected in the home sale price, which is unfortunate for consumers. But in most cases housing demand is so strong that sales can still be made, in part thanks to the low interest rates right now.”

What can builders do to weather the storm? “I know there are folks out there trying to ramp up supply to make sure they can meet their needs,” says Liz Kovach, president of the Western Retail Lumber Association. “But part of managing expectations is that if you haven’t yet submitted those projects that you’re going to be working on, it’s really important to be doing that with the dealer community right now.”

Although the market is robust, Quinn has a cautionary note for the near future.

“COVID-19 has had a material impact on small businesses and employment, and once government subsidies and assistance ends, there’s going to be a wave of hurt,” he says. “It seems like the government wants to keep stalling it, but there has to be a (day of reckoning). It’s not like the economy has created a ton of value through this.”

But for now, the residential home building industry should get used to another two seasons of higher costs, Quinn suggests.

“At the back end of 2022, there will probably be another 2 billion board feet of (North American lumber) capacity coming on,” he says. “That might slow down the pricing, although they will still stay very high in a historic sense.

In our estimation, it’s going to be two to three years before we get back to a balance of supply and demand.” OHB ohba.ca

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33

Ministers In OF THE

Behind the scenes with Ontario’s über-luxury designers

BY T E D M c I N T Y R E

Cecconi Simone’s Country Residence exemplifies the art of luxury without the design being ostentatious.

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

W

erior ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

e’re perusing the portfolio of multi-disciplinary interior design firm Cecconi Simone, when we come across their “Country Residence” project. One image, among many, catches the eye: a solid, one-piece ash table that comfortably seats 14 (pictured at left). Above it are four matching light fixtures, paired in twos—each a bedazzling, multiglobe creation suspended by a masterclass of ropework.

“It’s all blown glass,” notes founding partner Anna Simone.

And the table itself? “It’s topped with zinc and finished in a material that we sourced that will not mark. Not many people even know about this finish.”

Multiple elements in the 10,000-square-foot Ontario home are customized, yet nothing appears ostentatious—which quickly gets us to the heart of the matter: What exactly is luxury?

“I think a lot of people today use that term very loosely,” suggests Simone, who along with business partner Elaine Cecconi have operated their award-winning Toronto-based firm since 1982.

“Defining luxury is a common discussion we have, because it means many different things to many people. To some, luxury means labels. It sounds horrible, but I find the nouveau riche or those who have a little more money than normal are often caught up in letting people know that they have been successful. The ones who have been extremely successful, on the other hand, and who have more money than they will ever spend in this lifetime, are usually far more discreet. It’s not important for them to do things in terms of optics, but to have us design something that makes their lives simpler and allows them to enjoy their environment.”

Personalization to that degree often means a unique blueprint.

“There used to be very specific programming—X number of bedrooms, X number of bathrooms, a dining room, living room. It was pretty cookie-cutter,” Simone says. “Today that’s not the case at all. We have clients that may not want a dining room—maybe just one big kitchen. People who are spending this kind of money don’t care about the resale value of their home. So for us, luxury is really about having something that is tailored to you, whereas most people tailor their lives to fit the space they have purchased.”

How does luxury builder Roman Rockliffe of Oakville-based Rock Cliff Custom Homes define the term? “When you are doing a project that’s $1,000 a square foot, that’s luxurious,” says Rockliffe. “But, ultimately, luxury is how the client defines it.”

But with bigger budgets comes greater detail, which can entail greater challenges, observes Brian Woodrow, Senior Designer with Toronto’s Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting.

“Most of the time, when people think of luxury in terms of construction, they’re considering applied materials and furnishings,” Woodrow says. “But the reality is that luxury is space and light and volume and sound.”

Consider the latter. “We try to be very conscious of acoustics, or what I call sonics only because of the influence of my friends in the music business,” Woodrow notes. “When you walk into a room, you can quickly tell the difference with a really well-built space. Instead of 1/2” drywall, we’ll have 5/8”. And behind that we’ll probably also ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

35

“Luxury is really about having something tailored to you.”

- Anna Simone, Founding Partner, Cecconi Simone

Nurturing relationships with specialized trades is key for luxury design firms (Tomas Pearce’s Yorkville penthouse pictured).

have some good solid studding, with probably some ¾” blocking if you’re going to hang anything from important artwork to TVs and millwork. And then, depending on the nature of the build, we like to separate sound from room to room, so using sound attenuation blankets is not unusual.

“I’ll be very frank: If you’re sitting in the dining room and there’s a bathroom upstairs and the toilet stack is running into the lower level, which happens to be adjacent to the dining room, you don’t want to hear that toilet flushing. So you have to consider more than just the layout of the room, but also what’s behind that wall and how you’re going to treat it so that you do not hear things like that.”

Just as it’s about what you hear and don’t hear, so too is it about what you see and don’t see, Woodrow explains. “When you have a luxury project, you don’t want to look up at the ceiling and see a heating vent. So that requires a great amount of coordination. And it’s more than just a drawing. One of the biggest challenges of any luxury interior design is to really understand the systems you’re working with and how they’ll get incorporated into the designs so that they can still be easily accessed for maintenance purposes, be it through a hidden touch-latch wall panel or built right into the moulding.”

“Luxury is being able to address problems like these that are 36

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

common in even many high-end homes, while retaining experts who can help you mitigate these sorts of concerns,” Simone observes. “We are not talking about interior decorating; we are really talking about interior architecture. There’s a tremendous amount of knowledge required.”

Knowledge of the client, first and foremost. “There’s always an information-gathering process, which often takes anywhere from nine months to a year,” Simone says. “A lot of it involves simple day-to-day things like, ‘When you go to bed tonight, what is your routine? Do you go to the bathroom first? Where do you keep your pajamas? If you take medication, where do you keep it? Do you have boots that go above the knee?’ You have to get to that level of detail to create the proper space.”

“Those are very intimate conversations,” echoes Woodrow. “I half-joke with people that within the first hour of meeting them I’m going to go through their closets.”

And it’s difficult to do that sort of research on a Zoom call, Woodrow admits. “You need to be visually connected to your client to pick up the nuances of how someone is thinking, how they react to something they see, or a fabric they touch.”

Detailed as that process might be, those are the easy puzzle pieces for firms like Tomas Pearce and Cecconi Simone. “We may be the designers, but we need to inform the architect, ohba.ca

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Clean lines, soft tones and a family room bathed in natural light are among the features at this Cecconi Simone project in Lawrence Park.

structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers and any special consultants we bring in,” Simone notes. “It starts with the vision, but then as layers are added, you have to make sure one isn’t compromising another—for example, that your structure and rafters won’t interfere with your lighting.

I know people love to see the big reveal when a project is done, but it’s the process that informs the reveal.”

WHEN THE SKY’S THE LIMIT So what’s it like to be given a bottomless budget? “Even with our billionaire clients, there is a budget expectation,” says Woodrow.

“They want to know what something costs—not necessarily because of the cost, but to confirm that there’s true value in what they’re buying. And, of course, everyone values things differently.

So I think budget is sort of a misnomer. For projects of this level, we don’t really talk about the cost of something; we talk more about someone’s needs and desires.”

Simone concurs. “I think the idea of carte blanche is a myth,” she says. “We’ve had some truly significant clients where money is indeed no object. But even those clients are still very careful about how they spend their money.”

But how could one adorn an abode that costs eight figures or more to build, should the opportunity present itself? The contents of mega-star Drake’s $100 million Ferris Rafaulidesigned mansion in Toronto’s Bridle Path include a $390,000 mattress. The Grand Vividus, designed by Rafauli in collaboration with Swedish company Hastens, includes materials such as horsehair, stingray skin and bronze-accented compressed leather.

“You can get into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for any object,” Simone assures. “You could spend $500,000 or $1 million for a single Dale Chihuly blown glass light fixture. Designing a pattern on a tile and then having moulds made for it so that the tile is exclusively the client’s is costly—assembly lines are shut down to do whatever is required for that project.

“I’ve walked into the Baccarat Showroom (tableware, lighting, decor) in New York City and put together a $2 million custom order,” reveals Woodrow. “We had gilded doorhandles created ohba.ca

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Supreme Leader

From a literary standpoint, The Art of Cooking was authored by Italy’s Maestro Martino. From a sculptural standpoint, however, it may have been mastered by renowned Toronto designer Ferris Rafauli.

Founded in 1908, France’s esteemed La Cornue has long epitomized luxurious, handcrafted kitchen ranges—the sort of appliances you’ll find in Brad Pitt’s and George Clooney’s homes.

But there’s been a recent refinement to the company’s pinnacle product with the unveiling of the Château Suprême by Ferris Rafauli. To create it, Rafauli considered and revised each element of what was already La Cornue’s top-end item. Hour upon hour was spent on selecting the materials—from steel, copper and brass to enamel and walnut.

Consider the simmering plate engraved with stars, the lava rock grill and solid walnut chopping block built into the cooktop.

Each of La Cornue Château series of ranges is an original and numbered work of one of the company’s artisans—or compagnons—and manufactured exclusively to order.

Although there are multiple possible configurations, two brass gas burners are consistent throughout the Suprême series, producing 17,000 BTU on the front burner with natural gas; 12,500 BTU with propane.

The cost of such a creation, individualized to your specifications? It starts at $175,000.

And leave three to four months for your order to be designed, constructed and shipped.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

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Rooms With a View

As Savile Row is to suits, so is Clive Christian to room design and furnishings.

“Like the best things in life, you can’t simply purchase our work. You commission it,” the company notes. “Because every piece of crafted workmanship that leaves our UK workshop is created just for you, and crafted from the world’s finest materials to exceed your expectations.

“With our expert support and guidance, you’ll participate in an exciting creative journey,” Christian observes, “defining, designing and inspiring our artisans to craft a unique backdrop to your extraordinary life.”

That journey begins with its Concierge team, connecting you with one of its design partners. From the first pencil sketch, each design component is carefully considered, right down to the extraordinary finishing details: the curve of a corner, the burr of a rare wood veneer, marquetry inlays using precious materials such as mother of pearl, platinum, rose gold and crystal.

Sustainability is also front of mind. “Our wood, from precious timbers and rare veneers like classic walnuts, rosewood and oaks, to Brazilian tulip and lustrous lemon satinwood, is sustainably sourced from carefully managed resources. Furthermore, we maintain a biomass converter to utilize all offcuts to provide heat for the workshop (in the north of England) and underline our environmentally friendly ethos.”

After final checks, Clive Christian will arrange for your furniture to be delivered and installed by its authorized specialists.

The price for their work? Finished designs begin at $150,000, and the sky’s the limit beyond that.

38

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

Sculpting the striking brass range hood at this Tomas Pearce penthouse in Yorkville was likened to building a sports car.

for clients that fit their hands for one project—all hand-cast, finished and polished to match other items in the home, and shipped from Argentina. It was around $600 to $800 for each cabinet pull in the kitchen, and $1,600 to $1,800 for each of the escutcheon plates that went with them. And we’ve had custom sconces done in France from companies that have been around for 350 years. Those pieces are invaluable.”

One of Tomas Pearce’s most exclusive showpieces is a Yorkville penthouse. “A beautiful, sophisticated Parisian palace in the sky—a full floor of about 5,000 square feet—every square inch of it custom,” Woodrow describes.

“One of the most extraordinary pieces is the range hood,” he highlights. “The Lacanche range itself was custom ordered and built in France, but the hood was created in Toronto. Sheet brass—machined from solid brass stock—that was bent, welded and brazed into shape and hand-polished. The guys who created that hood likened it to building a sports car.

“In the centre of the great room there’s a 101” drop-down projection screen that you cannot see until it is put into use,” Woodrow continues. “And the stone columns were carved and shipped from overseas. It was about a five-man job to erect each one. It’s the difference between walking into a cocktail party and knocking on a column and hearing a hollow sound or leaning up against it and realizing it’s 14 inches in diameter of solid stone.”

Then there are requests that require more unique planning.

“I can recall a time when Mel (company partner Mel Quilatan) and I did a huge custom tub—the size of a large hot tub,” Woodrow recalls. “Now, the bigger the tub, the longer it takes ohba.ca

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This 8,000 sq. ft. Rock Cliff home in Oakville features a front door with a piano-grade finish and double floor plates to absorb the added weight of hydronic heating.

One of the many water features of Tomas Pearce’s Feng Shui residence.

There’s a deft approach to materials and finishes with this Cecconi Simone project, with reclaimed barn timber purposely held off the floor and ceiling, stairway treads seeming to hang in mid-air behind a glass wall, and runway lights below.

to fill. So we worked with mechanical engineers to install extra boilers and extra-large water feeds to have the tub be able to be filled in eight minutes. That’s an engineering feat in and of itself.”

“We’ve done indoor badminton courts, which was providing a pretty high ceiling,” shares acclaimed Ottawa architect Christopher Simmonds, whose varied portfolio includes a 20,000-square-foot mansion with riding arenas and stables.

“An indoor 20’ x 40’ ice skating rink,” offers Rockliffe. “And we just finished a home with a full basketball court in the subbasement. We went down 46 feet to put in a regulation-size court, poured the foundation and then put a real basement foundation on top of that!”

HIDING IN PLAIN SIght The level of detail for luxury designs is not always so obvious.

It could be a hidden passageway to a command centre-like safe room, or something in plain sight.

“One of the most challenging things with custom homes is the shift from one material to the next, and how you treat those transitions,” notes Simone. “If you have a wood wall transitioning into drywall, and then you have the baseboards, and they are going to come together at some point, how do you treat that? It seems like a really simple issue, but it’s often a complicated one. These materials expand and contract differently, and if you don’t have the knowledge of how they physically (and creatively) come together, it can destroy the flow. ohba.ca

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“Most of our work is about sightlines,” Simone adds. “A lot of people think if you’re inside looking out, that’s a sightline.

But no, sightlines are anytime you’re turning a corner, what is it that you see? Is it pulling you in? Is the transition smooth and well thought out?”

While the client’s wishes guide the initial process, the creative juices and artistry of accomplished designers and architects often inspire what follows. And it can sometimes begin with the most basic of gestures.

“I had one client show me two small pictures that he’d taken out of magazines—one an image of a Balinese pavilion overlooking rice fields; the other of a vaulted room with a skylight,” relates Simmonds. “In another conversation, they said they liked Japanese architecture and log cabins. So you sometimes have to read between the lines to understand what might be to their taste. If they say they like log cabins, you can infer they like an element of rustic warmth. And if they say they like Japanese architecture, they appreciate an intimate connection with the landscape and a refined sense of detailing.

So for me there’s an opportunity to work from these clues to create something original that suits the context.”

But the project in question, Hilltop House in the Caledon Hills, continued to morph long after shovels had broken ground, tasking Simmonds to maintain harmony and flow in a design that eventually surpassed 10,000 square feet.

“Partway through, the client said they’d like to have a subterranean home theatre. Further into it, the client, who was a widower, said they had a new partner with three teenage ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

39

Christopher Simmonds embraced the landscape and optimized a family space for acoustics at his Moraine House (above and bottom right). His ever-evolving Hilltop House (lower left) fused Asian and Canadian architecture, while a spiral staircase in Port Credit fuses art and light.

daughters, so we needed a new wing on the house.”

As it evolved, the client had difficulty envisioning the project through drawings, so Simmonds created physical 3-D models. “They loved them so much that they always wanted to take them home!”

The initial vision is encapsulated with a stretch at the end of the master bedroom where a vaulted-roof pavilion stands with skylights above and a hot tub to the side. “Off the new bedroom wing, we created a series of decks with glass panels in the floor so they could see down the hill and over the landscape,” he says. “There were so many phases. We were probably involved in that project for over four years.”

We scan through Simmonds’ portfolio, arriving at “Muskoka Cottage,” with a wall of glass—meticulously crafted by the Loewen windows and doors plant in Manitoba—opening to the lake below. “There are four panels that stack up to one end and the screen system comes down on tracks and closes it all off,” he notes. “There is a full concrete wall underneath, and what we discovered was that some of these big doors weigh so much that they have very little tolerance for any 40

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

deflection. So we have to design a structure with theoretically zero deflection in the door assembly—stiffening it all up with massive amounts of steel in some cases.”

The wood interior? “All Douglas fir—a truckload shipped in from B.C.” Next up is Simmonds’ Moraine House. “Here we were offered a chance to develop a landscape around the house, including a waterfall. One of the kids was a pianist and a singer. The whole family had grown up with his jam sessions around the piano.

The idea was when the children visited, they could re-create that experience, singing opera, jazz or whatever. So one of the details here is the acoustic ceiling. The rounded plaster form provides acoustic deflection and also helps diffuse the light from the high-level windows down into the space.”

There’s now almost a giddiness to the voice of Simmonds, who relishes such über-luxury opportunities, particularly if he and his client can create something original—but not gaudy—together.

“If someone wants a castle, I’m probably not their guy,” he says. “I don’t like designing things for show. I like designing homes that people love to live in.” OHB ohba.ca

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OHBA’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD

SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2021

SAVE THE DATE and Stay Tuned for Updates Regarding In-Person or Virtual Attendance.

AND THE SURVEY SAYS...

One year after its start, builders weigh in on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

T

he pandemic has tested our patience. It has forced us to explore new ways of conducting business, of looking after family, of looking after ourselves. It has had both immediate and long-lasting effects on the way companies deal with customers, suppliers and staff. And it continues to test our agility and ability to adapt to constantly changing conditions.

But for all the challenges of the past year, there have also been opportunities— and reasons for optimism.

Although most have grown weary of discussing this seemingly neverending battle with COVID-19, OHB Magazine reached out to 75 builders and renovators to solicit their input on 14 questions that explore both the personal and business fronts of their respective

Question 1: Since the onset of the pandemic, how do you gauge the overall work performance of your staff?

COMMENTS

“INEFFICIENCIES WITH THE STOP-AND-GO NATURE OF THE LOCKDOWNS, CLIENTS AFRAID TO HAVE US IN, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND LOTS OF JUGGLING WITH STAFF AND SUBTRADES.”

32%

No different

17%

firms. All participants were assured anonymity. Consequently, any quotes they provided that follow in this story will be unattributed.

But their willingness to participate and the honesty with which they did so is greatly appreciated, and has shed a light on both the day-to-day affairs of OHBA businesses as well as their collective outlook for the coming year and beyond.

Better than ever

3%

Other

11%

37%

Productivity down 20% or more

Question 2: Your biggest challenge to conducting business currently is:

Productivity down 1%-20%

44%

Supply chain delays ohba.ca

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15%

15%

Ensuring a safe Staffing work environment shortages for staff

11%

Declining revenues

15%

Other

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

43

Question 3: How have your staffing numbers changed since March 2020?

Question 4: Have you or any of your staff tested positive for COVID-19?

47%

No change

Yes

3%

We’ve cut back by up to 20%

7%

10% We’ve added more staff

Question 5: Has your workplace addressed mental health issues during the pandemic?

Yes 29%

No 60%

COMMENTS

“DUE TO COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT TIMING FOR A HEARING, WE’VE HAD TO SPLIT SINGLE PERMIT APPLICATIONS INTO THREE AND FOUR PARTS TO GET WORK FLOWING AS WE AWAIT HEARINGS.” 4 4

No

We’ve had to make cuts in excess of 20%

40%

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

93%

COMMENTS

Other 11%

“WE HAVE LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE OUR CONCERNS AND RESPECT ONE ANOTHER’S POSITION AT ALL TIMES, AND TO FOCUS ON FAMILY FIRST.”

Question 6: Since the institution of the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal, how has the permit approval process changed?

4%

The process has sped up

33%

No noticeable difference

4%

27%

It’s 10%-20% slower

Approvals are taking almost twice as long

21%

11%

It’s 21%-40% slower

No LPAT dealings yet ohba.ca

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Question 7: Has your company experienced increased costs with skilled trades in the past year?

Question 8: Which trades are you finding most difficult to secure right now?

23%

Yes

21%

15%

8%

8%

Framers

Brick/Stone Masons

Carpenters

Drywallers

HVAC Mechanics

8%

5%

3%

1%

8%

94%

No

Painters

Plumbers

Electricians

Roofers

Other

6%

Question 9: What do you expect for housing demand in your region for 2021?

11%

Decrease

46%

Will stay the same

Question 10: How was your company’s fiscal performance in 2020?

43%

Increase

COMMENTS

“CARPENTERS, DRYWALLERS, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNERS. IT TOOK US THREE MONTHS TO EVEN GET A RESUME THAT WAS QUALIFIED. WE HAVE SECURED SOMEONE, BUT THE LEARNING WILL BE STEEP.”

14%

No change

7%

Down 1-10%

54%

Up from 2019

11%

Down 11-20%

14%

Down 21% + ohba.ca

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

45

Question 12: Will you allow/encourage some of your staff to regularly work from home post-pandemic?

Question 11: The pandemic has seen a surge in company staff working from home. How has the trend affected your company?

Yes

No

23.3%

10%

All office staff have been working from home

60%

We’ve had a mix of staff working in the office and from home

COMMENTS

“I SEE THE NEXT FEW YEARS BEING EXCELLENT, BUT WITH SOME TRYING TIMES TO FOLLOW. LUCKILY, WE SERVE A HIGH-END CLIENTELE, WHICH SEEMS TO STAY CONSTANT.”

Not Sure Yet

30%

Almost no change.

Most staff still work in the office

40%

Question 13: Do you have concerns about the economy and how it might affect your business in the future?

11%

11%

68%

10%

No, if anything the future looks bright

I don’t anticipate any change

Yes, I expect some negative impacts

Other

Question 14: Thinking positively, what do you regard as the most significant outcome from the pandemic?

24%

Consumers appreciate their homes even more and are keen to invest 46

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

COMMENTS

15%

The discovery of more innovative and cost-effective ways to do business

40%

36.7%

Lowered expenses, increased savings

16%

Increased time spent with family

“NONE OF THE ABOVE, REALLY. I REMAIN POSITIVE, THOUGH— NOTWITHSTANDING AN ECONOMIC HICCUP SOMETIME SOON—THAT CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO LIVE.”

5%

Other ohba.ca

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Building Buzz NEWS AND MOVES FROM THE INDUSTRY

TRADING PLACES

New apprenticeship training programs at Niagara College Looking to help meet the growing demand for skilled trades workers, Niagara College has announced three new apprenticeship training programs: Industrial Mechanic Millwright, General Carpenter and Industrial Electrician.

Starting in September 2021, the new programs will be available to registered apprentices needing to complete their in-school training.

“We are proud to offer these new apprenticeship programs at Niagara College,” says Jeff Murrell, Associate Dean, School of Trades. “We saw an increased need for these skills from employers in our community and we are looking forward to providing the technical, hands-on learning experiences that registered apprentices need to ohba.ca

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complete their training for these lucrative, in-demand trades.”

All three programs will be offered as night classes, allowing apprentices to continue working while completing their in-school training. The three-hour classes will run two nights a week from September to June.

“The Niagara Home Builders’ Association is thrilled about the creation of the General Carpenter Apprentice program at Niagara College,” says Chuck McShane, Executive Officer of the Niagara Home Builders’ Association. “The NHBA, along with the Ontario and Canadian Home Builders’ Associations, are continually advocating for youth to become involved in the trades, and this

program will encourage students to stay within the region as they train to become a carpenter. It will also allow them to complete their apprenticeship hours through local companies, leading to potential full-time employment and career growth right here in Niagara.”

Registered apprentices seeking the programs should contact the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to indicate their interest. Those who do not have training agreements but are interested in the programs can apply for Niagara College’s one-year Carpentry and Renovation Techniques, Electrical Techniques or Mechanical Techniques programs, which all lead to apprenticeship opportunities.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

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E D U C AT I O N

ONTARIO ONE CALL LAUNCHES PROFESSIONAL LOCATE COURSE Ontario One Call has launched the Professional Locate Administrator Course (PLAC), an interactive online program, designed to create expert Locate Administrators.

The course provides an in-depth understanding of how to effectively request and manage locates (ground markings identifying the position of utility lines based on records or electronic locating equipment) within Ontario. Learners will be taken through interactive online modules covering various topics related to planning projects, making accurate locate requests, staying within the regulations, utilizing tools, avoiding issues, troubleshooting and much more.

“If you work for a company that digs, and your job involves requesting and organizing locates, this course is for you,” says Ian Simpson, Director of Education, Marketing and Compliance at Ontario One Call. “Whether you are brand new to the industry or are a seasoned professional, when finished, you will be the go-to person within an organization to answer questions related to locates.”

PLAC is a self-guided online course and is available 24/7. Once registered, students learn at their own pace. After successfully completing the program, students will receive a certificate of completion, which is valid for two years. Most students on average take roughly six hours to complete the course, which includes nine modules, quizzes and a final exam.

Ontario One Call offers a free service for anyone who needs to make a locate request so they can dig in the province. Until now, there was no industry-wide training available on how to make good quality locate requests. PLAC is looking to change that. “Making accurate and good quality locate requests would relieve a lot of pressure on the system,” says Simpson. ohba.ca

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The cost of the course is $84.95 + HST. To register or find out more details visit OntarioOneCall.ca/PLAC. H E A LT H

KILLING COVID-19 IS NOTHING NEW FOR NAPOLEON

If nothing else, the COVID-19 pandemic has made people much more clued in about safety and cleanliness in their daily lives. Extending that vigilance to the air in our homes, though, is old hat for Napoleon.

“An inadequate heating and cooling system can create a risky situation in a home,” says Stephen Schroeter, co-CEO of Napoleon. “Pathogens like viruses, bacteria and other airborne contaminants can recirculate and be transferred between rooms. But with a furnace with Phillips Ultraviolet-C technology, which kills pathogens like COVID-19, everyone will breathe cleaner, safer, fresher air.”

For the past decade, Napoleon gas furnaces have been thusly equipped— the only company, in fact, featuring a unique virus-killing UV-C sanitization system called HomeShield—the same technology used in hospitals to kill viruses and pathogens quickly.

No other manufacturer offers this technology inside a furnace, notes Napoleon, which employs the UV-C wavelength light. This ultraviolet light does not occur naturally on Earth due to the filtering effect of the atmosphere. This powerful germicidal UV-C light breaks down DNA, damaging and killing viruses and bacteria.

HomeShield produces the UV-C ‘killer effect’ safely inside the furnace to sterilize the air inside, stopping the spread of harmful viruses, moulds, bacteria, parasites and allergens. And it works silently 24 hours a day as the furnace is heating, cooling or circulating air.

“For more than a decade Napoleon has been doing this,” says Schroeter.

“Due to surging demand in recent months, we are ramping up production of our unique technology that kills pathogens as air cycles through a home about 50,000 times a year.”

DESIGN

DULUX’S COLOURS OF WELLNESS

We could all use a little colour to brighten up these uncertain times, and Dulux has come to the rescue!

With Canadians increasingly looking to fill their homes with natural, serene colours as a way to cling to familiar, soothing comforts, Dulux Paints by PPG is touting its ‘Be Well’ 2021 Palette of the Year. Infused with soft, nostalgic neutrals, the palette includes creamy oatmeal, warm latte, earthy turquoise and toasty ginger—organic tones that emit a sense of calm and tranquility.

“Even before the pandemic hit, Canadians were longing for more simplicity and restfulness in their lives after decades of overstimulation and overconsumption,” suggests Mitsu Dhawan, marketing manager for Dulux Paints by PPG. “Our 2021 colour palette is like a big hug for the home.”

The Be Well collection is highlighted by three star hues: Transcend, a midtone sandy brown; Big Cypress, a shaded ginger with persimmon undertones; and Misty Aqua, a watercolour cerulean blue. “These restorative colours work well both on their own and in combination with one another, with cool and soft aqua providing an unexpected pairing of freshness against the warm and light natural shades,” Dhawan says.

“The palette is made up of such versatile tones that any of them can be used as either the supporting or dominant colour in a room.”

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

51

DESIGN

VALSPAR CITES A CALMING TREND

Keep calm and carry on. That’s the 2021 paint colour theme for Valspar, from the Sherwin-Williams Consumer Brands Group, which has selected 12 “livable shades that evoke serenity and simplicity,” as its trending colours for the year ahead.

When forecasting the 2021 Colours of the Year, Valspar experts observed global lifestyle trends that have shifted significantly, with a rise in external stressors having correlated with consumers’ increased interest for mindfulness and self-care activities.

“Our homes have become offices, entertainment centres and classrooms, which means the colours, sights and sounds in our rooms have an even bigger impact on our daily lives,” says Sue Kim, Valspar Colour Marketing Manager, who believes the new palette can “transform your space but also elevate your mood.”

The 12 colours include Garden Flower (pictured), a soft natural tint that suggests themes of clean growth and fresh florals.

Valspar offers a number of Colour Discovery Tools to help designers in their decisions, including Project Quiz to quickly identify a client’s perfect colour. Valspar will also send paint chips directly to your home for free.

BUSINESS

NAVIEN REBRAND SIGNALS A NEW ERA Navien, a top brand in high-efficiency condensing tankless water heaters, combi-boilers and wall-hung boilers in North America, has introduced a new 52

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

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logo and visual identity for the brand.

The updated look offers a new take on the orange and blue colours that have been a staple of the Navien brand in North America for over 14 years.

The update comes in advance of a series of new product announcements and updates for North American set to roll out in 2021. As the company continues to expand its offering of products, Navien aspires to become a “smarter living environment partner that relentlessly innovates and improves itself to deliver a healthy future and pleasant living environment for customers,” the company notes.

ANNIVERSARIES

RICK HANSEN FOUNDATION HELPING TO SET A NEW STANDARD Strassburger ad 4.53 x 4.83 Home Builder final.pdf

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2020-05-29

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One in three Canadians have issues getting around their own homes, and a majority are anticipating challenges moving around at home in the future.

That’s why the Rick Hansen Foundation is supporting the development of a new standard for affordable, adaptable and accessible homes across Canada.

The standard, which is being developed by the CSA Group, will inform the basis of a new Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) module, enabling RHFAC Professionals to rate the accessibility of residential homes. Based upon the National Standard of Canada, CSA B651-18, Accessible design for the built environment, RHFAC is the only national program that rates, certifies and celebrates the meaningful accessibility of buildings from the perspective of persons with mobility, vision and hearing disabilities.

The federal government, through the National Housing Strategy, delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, is providing C

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Smart Builders Build Homes with Smarter Devices

MEET JUNO AI™ A seamless, simple solution to a smarter home

Differentiate Your Homes Increase Your Margins Juno AI is a portfolio of smart home lighting fixtures that easily place Alexa into every room of a home. Our flagship product – Juno AI Speaker Light with Alexa Built-In – is an advanced 6" LED downlight that features a JBL ® speaker and Amazon Alexa voice service. Using the ceiling – builders can install one smart product that can control up to 200 devices.

Homeowners can: • Play music through premium speakers • Set the mood through controllable lighting • Control privacy with a flick of a switch Create an ecosystem that makes peoples’ lives easier, safer and more enjoyable.

Contact us today to see how you can sell more homes with Juno AI. Mark Killoran, Contractor Sales Manager Acuity Brands Lighting Canada, Inc. mark.killoran@acuitybrands.com

©2021 Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. All rights reserved.

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

$190,000 in funding to CSA Group to support research and the development of this new standard.

The proposed new accessible homes standard will help support the application of new and existing knowledge related to best practices for the design, construction and modification of affordable and adaptable accessible homes.

“Having the opportunity to age at home is increasingly important to Canadians, and the need for accessible housing in Canada is a huge issue,” says Brad McCannell, VP Access and Inclusion at the Rick Hansen Foundation. “We’re thrilled that CSA Group will be developing this new residential standard and to incorporate it into RHFAC to help industry address this critical gap.”

The proposed new accessible homes standard is scheduled to be published in May 2022.

PA R T N E R S H I P

A SMART LOCKER PARTNERSHIP Snaile Canada has partnered with Montreal-based Usewalter to optimize parcel management solutions in multi-residential buildings. Usewalter is a smart-building technology that enables instant communication across all platforms between residents and property management personnel.

Canadian owned and operated, Snaile is the only smart locker company officially approved by all major carrier companies in Canada.

For customers with both a Snaile locker and the Usewalter app, delivery and collection notifications that would normally be generated and sent by Snaile directly are instead embedded within the Usewalter platform, simplifying the communication process with residents and delivering the messages within an app they are already using for multiple other purposes.

Snaile has also struck a deal with Mattamy Homes to handle resident parcel delivery at its highly anticipated Union Mount Pleasant Condominiums, a 160-unit mid-rise condo development located at 200 Lagerfield Drive in the outskirts of Brampton. OHB ohba.ca

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1 888 673 6495 ∙ mastersinsurance.com 1 888 673 6495 ∙ mastersinsurance.com 673 ∙6495 ∙ mastersinsurance.com Toronto ∙ Hamilton1∙ 888 Ottawa Windsor ∙ New York ∙ Florida Toronto ∙ Hamilton ∙ Ottawa ∙ Windsor ∙ New York ∙ Florida Toronto ∙ Hamilton ∙ Ottawa ∙ Windsor ∙ New York ∙ Florida

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Get With the Program Get With the Program Get With theanProgram Masters features enduring program for home builders and Masters features an enduring program for home builders and specializes in highanrise condominium project placement.

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Colucent Annoucement

I am pleased to announce that effective February 1, 2021, I will be providing environmental consulting services through my new firm, Colucent Environmental.

Savanta, A GEI Company terminated my employment on October 8, 2020. By mutual agreement I will be working periodically and collaboratively as a sub-consultant to Savanta so that certain projects can be completed for specific Savanta clients. I wish my former colleagues at Savanta, A GEI Company continued success.

My contact information for Colucent Environmental: Tom Hilditch President & CEO Colucent Environmental +1 647 273 0230 tom@colucentenvironmental.com colucentenvironmental.com

By virtue of contractual obligations that I have with Savanta and GEI US following my sale of Savanta Inc., Colucent cannot and will not accept any engagements/retainers for environmental consulting services within a 200 km radius of Milton, Ontario until January 27, 2024, subject to some limited exceptions. If the parties later agree to reduce the duration of the prohibition Colucent Environmental will make a subsequent announcement.

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7 Oaks Tree Care & Urban Forestry Consultants Inc.

Getting the Job Done Right!

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Offering 40+ years of Arboricultural Consulting services for land development clients.

Tree Preservation Plans Arborist Reports and Tree Inventories Monetary Valuations of Trees

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16783 Thorndale Rd. Thorndale, Ontario, N0M 2P0 Tel: 519-461-1180 Toll free: 1-800-265-7086 Fax: 519-461-0903 www.trscomponents.ca Since 1974, TRS has offered builders a single source supply network of wall panels, roof trusses, floor panels. Our supply and install expertise will make your next job faster, easier and more efficient.

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A Home Builder’s Best Friend HOME BUILDER FLOORING PACKAGES Of fering custom sizes, grades, colours, finishes and true random lengths Ask about our BreezeRewards Loyalty Program!

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Product Focus I DE A S FOR B U I L DE R S & R E N OVAT OR S

RIGHT K AC ON TR ER’S S B U RG ST R A S T IO DOOR A P HOT P. 59

Designed for the Canadian climate, Jeld-Wen’s Northern Tri-Pane Collection reduces condensation while increasing in-home comfort.

POINT OF VIEW

The residential trend for expansive glass continues— and in designs fit for a Canadian climate THERE ARE TWO realities in the

Ontario windows and doors market.

The first is that consumers want more unencumbered views. The second is that climate change is real and will continue to affect the way we manufacture building products.

“Climate Change has had a huge impact on building standards,” admits Lisa Bergeron, Director of Business Development and Government Affairs for Jeld-Wen Inc. “(In 2016), the National Research Council decided to start building the idea of resiliency into the codes so that we don’t experience problems with new builds. Windows will likely be impacted by 2025.”

At the same time, Avid Research has been conducting annual surveys for the Canadian Home Builders’ ohba.ca

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Association to, among other tasks, identify the features most sought by new homebuyers. “For the past six years, large windows and energyefficient windows have made the top-10 list,” Bergeron cites. “But the larger the window, the more important energyefficiency becomes, since they’re a significant source of heat loss. Windows and glass drive the accompanying HVAC heating and cooling requirements. But they’re also the biggest opportunity to improve energy savings and comfort in the building envelope.”

To that end, Jeld-Wen likes to highlight the fact that its products are Canadian-made for Canadian climates. “As a manufacturer, we have to make sure we have products that meet the requirements of each zone in

the country,” says Jeff Pigeon, Product Line Manager at Jeld-Wen. That’s where the company’s Northern Tri-Pane Collection for new construction and renovation comes in.

“We’ve invested in developing Tri-Pane solutions (for different regions),” Pigeon explains. “They are a better-performing product and they’re easily adaptable to the changing building codes, and are currently exceeding some of those government regulations.”

Designed with robust frames for increased durability, the Northern Tri-Pane Collection promises superior efficiency, with two ½” air spaces with low-E argon gas for a U-factor of 1.08 to 1.02. The exterior pane insulates the interior panes, reducing home heating and cooling costs.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

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Product Focus

Meeting the Paris Accord SETTING THE FRAMEWORK FOR NET ZERO Federal government signs the Paris Accord Federal, provincial and territorial ministers endorse the market transformation strategies for energy-using equipment in the building sector

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Currently 7 rebate and grant programs across Canada for Energy Star windows Ontario targets 1.61 U-factor regulation for everything sold as of Jan 1, 2022

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ASPIRATIONAL WINDOW EFFICIENCY GOALS

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) announces their Energy Star targets for windows, doors and skylights for 2020 Federal and provincial governments ratify the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change

Maximum U-factor: 1.22 (ER equivalent of 34)

Energy Star moves to 1 zone Maximum U-factor: 1.22 (ER equivalent of 34)

Maximum U-factor: 0.82 (ER equivalent of 44)

Chart provided by Jeld-Wen

From a comfort standpoint, the extra airspace between each pane acts as a second layer of insulation.

The result is a reduction of radiant heat and condensation, allowing for more cold-weather humidity while eliminating dry winter air.

Impressive U-factors are just a part of the equation, after all, stresses Pigeon. “Tri-pane windows maintain relative humidity in colder temperatures more effectively.

So while it’s better for thermal performance, it also does a better job creating in-home comfort.”

There’s the added bonus of reduced exterior noise, while increasing interior sound attenuation for a quieter environment.

Jeld-Wen also has an intuitive website—keepoutsideout.com—which allows you to identify your location and the size of house you’re building or renovating, then choose from available options, before calculating energy savings using the Northern Tri-Pane.

The site also provides links to rebate programs in respective regions.

But renovators should note that if a window is not designed for tri-pane 58

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

models, the homeowner could quickly run into problems, Bergeron cautions.

“A lot of manufacturers have sliders designed for dual-panes, not tri-panes.

A tri-pane can add six pounds of weight to the sash. So if your hardware isn’t able to handle that, sashes can start to sag and there can be durability issues and use-of-operation issues.”

CANADIAN MADE

Of course, it’s not just the physical climate but the emotional one that is affecting buying decisions. And that’s where Pollard Windows and Doors has an inherent advantage over many.

“Most people want to buy local, especially in these times,” notes Pollard’s Assistant Canadian Sales Manager, Alexandra Josling, whose Burlington-based company, including its 300,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, is 100% Canadian, familyowned and operated since 1948. “But I think our service goes beyond some of our competitors as well. Some are having difficulty with service issues, and we have a full crew that can be very responsive to any customer needs after they take possession of their home.”

And business is booming. “On the renovation side, the leads over the past year are exponential,” Josling says. “Because of the pandemic, many have more disposable income, so are investing in their home.”

On the builder installation side, Pollard has also witnessed a notable uptick. “More builders are looking for a one-stop shop, a turnkey solution,” Josling explains. “Warranty issues are often due to improper installation. So by having the manufacturer do the install, you’re pretty much avoiding that risk, since we warranty our installations.”

It’s also a more efficient process, Josling suggests. “There’s always a bit of a battle for builders trying to meet timelines, and they often have to postpone a shipment, or maybe the product is laying around and risks getting damaged while they wait. And usually the builder has their framers doing the install, which is not their specialty. And their hourly rate would normally be higher than ours. But when we’re doing the installation, it’s easy for us to ship that day—our products are made just-in-time.” ohba.ca

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Product Focus

The trend of large openings and darker colours is accommodated perfectly by Strassburger’s Multi-Track Patio Door System.

When it comes to installations, bigger is better on the low-rise front.

“Lots of glass and more contemporary styles—having a casement over to one side and a big fixed window,” Josling says. “And we’re doing a lot more fixed-in-frame, where the frame has less vinyl and more glass. People want more visibility to the outdoors. And darker colours are trending. Black is the new white.”

TAKING ADVANTAGE

Pollard’s hottest product is its newly redesigned Advantage Plus vinyl windows. Re-engineered for best-in-class performance for both dual-glazed and triple-glazed units, the product has been awarded the Energy Star Most Efficient mark in 2021. It’s an ideal fit for multi-level, high-density buildings (up to seven storeys), as well as traditional residential applications. It also features an industry-leading warranty and an array of colours, as well as various glazing and grill options.

Highlights include a sleeker new design, new triple perimeter weatherstripping on casement and awning windows and the “highest water penetration resistance and air leakage resistance on casements, ohba.ca

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awnings and fixed lite models.”

Internal reinforcement with slim, nonintrusive mullions, meanwhile, allows for larger sized window configurations.

On the patio door front, Pollard’s Advantage Vistador is providing builders with an affordable option.

“Everyone wants to do a glass wall. We do carry folding doors—a great product that folds like an accordian—but they can be expensive,” Josling explains.

“But a lot of builders are instead opting for a 4-lite patio door like our new Advantage Vistador. You can go up to 16 feet wide, with two fixed pieces of glass on either end, and a double-slider in the centre for an expansive opening.

It’s PVC and glass, so no structural reinforcement is required.

The product is “manufactured with the most advanced, high-grade vinyl resin that is unmatched for strength and durability” and is “impervious to pitting, blistering and rotting,” the company says. Sashes are welded, with the metal reinforced in all vertical stiles. A 1.5” brass tandem roller allows for easy sliding operation, while enhanced multi-point locking hardware provides peace of mind.

There’s the added option of Pollard’s RLT (Raise, Lower, Tilt) Mini-Blinds

inside the glass panes. “A lot of customers like that it prevents the need for separate blinds, which take up space and get in the way all the time, apart from the noise of them rattling back and forth,” Josling says. “They can go up and down or tilt, there are no exposed cords, there’s reduced allergen exposure, and you don’t have to dust them since they’re inside the glass.”

Another Canadian success story is Kitchener-based Strassburger Windows and Doors. The 72-year-old family-owned business has excelled by partnering with elite suppliers (PVC extrusions by PH Tech; its glass by Cardinal Glass Industries), with all fabrication, assembling and finishing of products done in-house at its 92,500 sq. ft. facility.

“The main trends we’re seeing are dark colours and larger openings, with a movement towards more efficient glazing options,” notes Strassburger Sales Manager Dean Elvidge. “We’re seeing a surge in black exterior/black interior, with more contemporary profiles and strong demand for contemporary hardware.”

One of the company’s sleekest new products is its Multi-Track Patio Door system—an all-PVC frame with ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

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Product Focus ‘Big glass’ remains hot for Epal.

Ideal residential applications for Pollard’s Advantage Plus vinyl windows include highdensity buildings up to seven storeys.

mechanical sash that is designed for larger openings, better operational safety and greater convenience. A minimum of floor space is taken up thanks to the unique double-roller track that allows panels to slide and stack perfectly within the door frame.

The smooth-glide system, meanwhile, makes it easy to open and close for a door of that size.

“The Multi-Track comes with energy-efficient glazing options, contemporary flat sashes, contemporary hardware and large unobstructed openings with screen solutions that allow for maximum ventilation,” Elvidge says. “This door has been very popular in black exterior/black interior too.”

EUROPEAN STYLE

Epal Windows & Doors is also catering to more expansive views. “We do a lot of big glass, big openings—that’s what everyone wants,” says Phil Kyritsis, president of the East York-based company. “We’ve done up to 200-squarefoot pieces of glass. We have one installation in Ontario with nine pieces of glass, each 9’ x 18’ on the 60

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

back on the house, one ton apiece.”

The products themselves have an international flavour—German ROTO hardware technology and manufactured in Greece—but designed and built for the Canadian climate.

“Our windows and doors are all certified in Canada and built for North American walls, unlike most of my competition, where the windows are too thin for North American walls,” Kyritsis says. “The threshold of our entry doors and windows is 6.5” thick.

We’ve worked our butts off to make them as Canadian-friendly as possible.

“We might be a little more expensive,” Kyritsis says, “but we’re giving you more options, and our windows have more meat, more aluminum, because of the thickness.”

While the overall meat is still there, Epal’s famed tilt-and-turn windows have a new Slimline version that is about to be unveiled. “It’s as thin as a fixed window,” Kyritsis notes.

But it will still avoid condensation like the rest of Epal’s lineup, while providing top-end energy efficiency.

“We have aluminum windows, and aluminum transfers heat and

cold easily, so our priority during manufacturing is always how to make it as energy-efficient as possible,” Kyritsis says. “Our 18,000 Ultra K series uses a double thermal break, which is a combination of a cast thermal break and a polyamide thermal break, thus further lowering the U-value. The thermal-insulating glass panes can be double, triple (with two gaps) or quadruple (with three gaps. In five years, I’ve only had a single customer call because of windows sweating, and that was because their humidity level in the house was 40%!”

Kyritsis also takes great pride on a a track record of satisfied builders and architects, whom he regularly tags on his busy Instagram account.

“A lot have told me our installation takes an average of four days per house, whereas as the average house with other manufacturers takes two weeks,” adds Kyritsis, who primarily deals with custom builders and architects.

“We’ve perfected the European window for Canada,” he says. “But I think a lot of builders are still learning about us.” OHB ohba.ca

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Product Showcase

Distributors of Wolf Serenity Decking

A WIDE SELECTION OF NATURAL STONE AND PRECAST CONCRETE PRODUCTS www.beavervalleystone.com

t: 905-886-5787 or t: 416-222-2424 Main Office & Yard: 8081 Woodbine Ave. SE Corner Woodbine/407 Office & Yard: 125 Langstaff Rd E., SE Corner Yonge/Hwy 7-407 Manufacturing Plant: 12350 Keele St., Maple

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ONTARIO HOUSING UPDATES Keep Up to date on the latest from OHB!!!

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Frame of Mind

FULL HOUSE Multi-Generational Living in Challenging Times THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS caused many to question the health risks of long-term-care and seniors residences, while reconsidering the merits of multi-generational living.

Multi-generational living occurs when a dwelling includes two or more self-contained units with certain connections. It creates a mutual support system whereby the old can take part in child-raising, while allowing the middle generation to devote time to their careers. Living near younger generations also gives seniors a chance to pass on their life experience and have a more vital role and a sense of purpose.

These dwellings are designed to allow each household to live independently, should they so choose. This also makes the future sale or rent of units possible, particularly since every dwelling is recommended to have its own street entrance so that members of each generation can leave and enter without disrupting the other.

There are four primary design types: garden suite (a.k.a. ‘granny suite’), family dwellings, plex units and accessory apartment. The garden suite consists of a self-contained living unit in the rear or side yard of an existing house, and can be linked by a deck or a path. It’s designed for 62

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

independent living, with amenities such as a kitchen and bathroom.

The bi-family unit and plex housing are much alike. The former can also be called a side-by-side arrangement, while the plex can be referred to as an up-and-down design. Despite the fact that bi-family units share the same facade and side wall, they have no internal connections. Plexes exist as duplexes (two stacked units) or triplexes (three stacked units).

The accessory apartment is typically the most integrated form of multi-generational living, since a smaller apartment is usually situated within (or cornered off from) the primary living space. The two spaces can be attached, but it is recommended that each have its own entrance. The degree of separation should be designed to cater to each family’s current and future needs.

The German government has recognized the economic and social value of such dwellings and created financial plans to promote a return to large family arrangements. One such project is the Jones House in Vordertau.

Originally built in the 1960s, Jones House has gone through several renovations, while housing a family that spans four generations: parents, children, grandmother and great-grandmother.

By responding to societal changes and

the aging needs of this family, architect Reinhardt Jung deftly integrated the various parts of the house with the needs of its occupants. By using contemporary design principles and preserving traditional values, the occupants have their own privacy while sharing space.

Each generation has its own suite of bedrooms and other spaces within the home, which has recently been stretched to 1,949 square feet thanks to a two-floor addition. For accessibility reasons, the grandmother and great-grandmother have their rooms on the ground floor. Enlarged living spaces create a further interaction, while the living room, dining room and outdoor terrace surround a central fireplace to add to the communal feeling.

The designer’s decision to preserve architectural details such as the railings and the original wallpaper provide a constant reminder of the past, while floor-to-ceiling windows provide a view of the surroundings.

Dipping into the past with traditional designs such as this might well provide a socially sustainable solution as society rethinks how it wants to live out its future. OHB AVI FRIEDMAN IS AN ARCHITECT, PROFESSOR, AUTHOR AND SOCIAL OBSERVER. AVI.FRIEDMAN@MCGILL.CA

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National Sr. Sales Manager Manuel Gil | 6474-321-6015 National Technical Manager Travis Brown | 519-808-2070 National Technical Manager 64 ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021 Paolo Spinosa | 416-873-2434

Director of Business Development and Relations - North America Tim Myers | 416-389- 9140 Director of Technical Services North America Nick Reggi | 437-332-9867

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