Ontario Home Builder - Summer 2021

OFFICE SUPPLIES: IS VITAL DOWNTOWN REAL ESTATE JUST A CONVERSION AWAY? P.42 “YOUR COMPUTER FILES ARE NOW MINE!” P.17

SIX WAYS TO MAXIMIZE CURB APPEAL P.55

THE GREAT OUTDOORS P.62

IN THE BEGINNING: A SHORT HISTORY OF ONTARIO CONDOMINIUMS P.27

FACE FORWARD Eight dramatic exterior renos p. 32

OHBA.CA | $5.00 SUMMER 2021

Luxury for all spaces.

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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Meet your Enbridge Gas Residential New Construction team Susan Cudahy

Michelle Vestergaard

Supervisor Strategic Builder Relationships, New Construction and Residential Sales

Sr. Advisor Residential New Construction, Ontario based Developers and Toronto Builders

289-237-0068 susan.cudahy@enbridge.com

905-717-6261 michelle.vestergaard@enbridge.com

Kain Allicock

Don Armitage

437-223-2349 kain.allicock@enbridge.com

705-750-7203 don.armitage@enbridge.com

GTA East

Peterborough and the Kawarthas

Vaughan, Concord, Thornhill, Markham, Aurora, Stouffville, Newmarket, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, Bowmanville, Clarington, Port Hope, Cobourg, Belleville, Kingston, Brockville and Cornwall

Peterborough, City of Kawartha Lakes and Fenelon Falls

Garrett Fell

Gina Mancini

343-997-1509 garrett.fell@enbridge.com

519-564-7943 gina.mancini@enbridge.com

Eastern Ontario

Southwestern Ontario

Ottawa, Clarence-Rockland, Hawkesbury, Kemptville, Carleton Place, Perth, Almonte, Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke and Petawawa

Windsor, Chatham, London, Stratford, Sarnia, St. Thomas and Woodstock

Michelle Nikitin

Joanne Van Panhuis

416-903-4274 michelle.nikitin@enbridge.com

519-209-6345 joanne.vanpanhuis@enbridge.com

GTA West and Niagara

Southeastern Ontario

Midland, Collingwood, Barrie, Orangeville, Caledon, Mississauga, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Port Colborne, North Bay, Sudbury and Orillia

Hamilton, Halton, Brantford, Milton, Owen Sound, Oakville, Burlington, Fergus, Guelph and Kitchener/Waterloo

© 2021 Enbridge Gas Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents

32 About Face

Eight dramatic exterior renos that breathe new life into a home

42 Office Space

Is prime city living just a conversion away?

27 The History of Condos

55

PHOTO: (TOP) CITY OF OTTAWA ARCHIVES

Its roots trace to ancient Rome, but the Made You Look concept here is younger than you’d think Six ways to maximize curb appeal 9 One Voice The pandemic has changed us—in some cases possibly forever.

11 Ontario Report RBC poll cites homeownership concerns, local association calendar, new COVID eye protection and save the dates for this year’s Annual Conference and awards! ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

17 Inside Storey Ransomware cyber-attacks are on the rise. How do you prevent it, and what to do if it’s too late.

21 Trending Gear to help promote your brand, moisture-resistant tile backing, a colourful shake-up, love the Drake and a lighted shower that rains above all.

50 Building Buzz Shortening the supply chain, Golden’s diamond anniversary, Energy Star award for Jeld-Wen and Panasonic, and a government grant that will encourage retrofits.

ON THE COVER

An eye-catching exterior makeover in Amherstview from Kingston’s Concord Homes.

62 Frame of Mind The importance of designing with the great outdoors in mind.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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The official publication of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association Summer 2021 | Vol. 37 Issue 4

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, Kristen Frisa, Garry McKay, Alex Piccini, Joe Vaccaro ADVERTISING

Cindy Kaye cindy@laureloak.ca PUBLISHER

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

Wayne Narciso PUBLISHED BY

Laurel Oak Publishing laureloak.ca

ohba.ca

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Ontario Home Builder is published six times per year (Winter, Early Spring, Late Spring, Summer, Fall, Awards).

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher © 2021.

For address corrections please email info@laureloak.ca or phone: (905) 333-9432.

Single copy price is $5.00. Subscription Rates: Canada $12.95 + HST per year, USA $29.95 USD. Order online at http://ohba.ca/subscribe-or-buy-past-issues

WE FINANCE LAND AND CONSTRUCTION

CANADIAN PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42011539 ISSN No. 1182-1345

Where Mortgage Deals Get Done ® CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT Land Servicing Infill and subdivision residential construction

CONDO LOANS

Mid-Rise & High Rise Condominium Projects

BRIDGE FINANCING First & Second Mortgages

INVENTORY FINANCING LAND FINANCING Acquisition or Refinance

Michael Carragher Vice President, Mortgage Investments

T.416.635.0221 E.mcarragher@FirmCapital.com www.FirmCapital.com

Ontario Mortgage Brokerages, Lenders and Administrators Act License #10164, Administrators License #11442

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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One Voice

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

The pandemic has changed us all. What does this new reality mean for the industry?

AS WE MOVE FORWARD, it’s clear that the pandemic has changed us— publicly, personally and professionally.

Publicly, we are far more aware of the outdoor spaces we engage with. The use of parks, trails and public facilities has accelerated over the course of the stay-at-home and lock-down orders, putting them under more stress than they were designed for. The interest and investment in these public spaces is now top of mind for all governments as people look for an escape from the closed quarters of home.

And let us not forget how people are interacting in theses public spaces— cautious and mindful of distancing from others. As community builders, providing and designing public spaces in the post-pandemic world will take ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

ONE OF THE IMPACTS MAY BE A DESIRE FOR THEIR OWN SPACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. on an even greater focus.

Professionally, the world of work has also changed for many. Essential workers have continued to provide services, but with COVID protocols to provide them with a safe environment.

As we move out of the pandemic, many of these changes are likely to continue, and some may become standard

practice for these industries.

The provincial government quickly recognized that residential construction was an essential service, and with that the industry continued to work under new protocols.

Beyond the jobsites themselves, sales offices, corporate facilities, law firms and the long list of professional services also continuously evolved in order to keep working and deliver keys to homeowners across Ontario. Working from home became routine, and the need for technology to keep everyone connected and productive increased.

It’s likely that some of this will remain the norm, with many homes doubling as offices, boardrooms and meeting spaces. While the process has already begun for many, home builders will need to consider this hybrid model as they bring new designs to the market. And renovator members will continue to be on call as people rediscover and reimagine their homes.

Personally, we have also been changed by the COVID experience.

It has, at least for the time being, signalled an end to handshakes and communal eating among many friends and associates. The intense shared living experience of parents, children and sibling has provided us with more time together than any generation in the past 40 years. We’ve been through a year where high school and university students have been learning from home, with no social escape from their parental units.

One of the impacts of the latter may be that generation’s desire for their own space as soon as possible, so they can have some control over their domain.

All of which comes back to the demand for housing supply and choice across Ontario communities.

Some things don’t change. OHB

JOE VACCARO IS THE CEO OF THE ONTARIO HOME BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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Ontario Report

71%

39% Non-homeowners under 40 who have given up on the dream of owning a home.

Ontarians who believe most Canadians will be priced out of the housing market within the next decade.

Have been able to save more money during the pandemic than before.

Ontarians who believe that we are currently in a seller’s market.

44%

64%

0 0 0 1 $ Average amount being put aside monthly for those planning to buy a home in the next two years.

28%

Ontarians likely to purchase a home (or another home) in the next 2 years.

Information via RBC 2021 Spring Housing Poll

When Reality Sets In

Presenter:

BY ALE X PICCI N I

RBC Senior Director of Home Equity Distribution

RBC poll says many #homebeliever dreams in jeopardy On May 20th, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association hosted the second session of our #homebeliever webinar series. Tonya Currie, RBC Senior Director of Home Equity Distribution, shared some important insights from the 2021 RBC Spring Housing Poll. This annual poll provides #homebeliever insights and highlights key homebuyer behaviour and intentions for the coming years.

In the first session, Mike Moffatt, investment advisor and V.P. with RBC Dominion Securities, presented some important population data through his Ontarians on the Move research, noting that population growth is creating higher demand for housing across Ontario than the supply can accommodate.

The RBC Spring Housing poll captures this sentiment, noting that almost 40% of Ontarians polled under the age of 40 had given up on ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

the dream of homeownership. As Currie explains, that eye-catching result matches with 71% of Ontarians polled, who believe that the majority of Canadians will be priced out of the housing market in the next decade.

The poll also confirmed, however, that Canadians believe that housing continues to be a valuable investment, and Currie shared that RBC continues to see the drive to qualify, as well as the reliance on the ‘Bank of Mom and Dad,’ through their mortgage services division across Ontario.

Along with housing demand, there continues to be strong renovation activity as well, as #homebelievers continue to rediscover their homes during COVID and make improvements to improve the quality of their stay-athome experience.

The RBC poll serves as a realitycheck of the ongoing housing conditions that face Ontarians.

Tonya Currie

Ontario continues to attract new people, but the current population growth has not been matched by the housing supply on the market.

That has left people struggling to attain housing they want. As OHBA President Bob Schickedanz reminded the audience, with 2 million more #homebelievers joining Ontario communities in the next 20 years, the elephant in the room remains the need to build 1 million homes to make #homebelievers dreams a reality.

The RBC poll confirms the action that #homebelievers need. With almost 40% polled under age 40 giving up on the dream of homeownership, municipal, regional and provincial partners are required to work together with industry to bring the next generation of housing supply and choice to communities across Ontario.

To view Tonya Currie’s presentation, check out OHBA’s YouTube page.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

11

Ontario Report

NEW COVID EYE-PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS The Ministry of Health has recently provided new information on the risk of COVID-19 Variants of Concern transmission through the eyes. In response, the Ministry of Labour has revised the jobsite guidance for mask wearing and eye protection: orking within two »W metres (indoors and outdoors) now requires eye protection and an appropriate mask at all times. »M ask selection, either PPE or source control masking, must be selected based on the project’s/workplace risk assessment. Employers and workers need to determine what the right mask is where people are working within two metres of each other. »E ye protection would include goggles, safety glasses and prescription glasses with side shields that are tight fitting, and should also be selected based on the risk assessment.

Members should ensure these new protocols are known and implemented on jobsites. Please review the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association website and its accompanying guidance document for more direction.

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

Local Association Events DATE

EVENT

LOCAL

CONTACT NAME

PHONE/EMAIL

July 22, 2021

Awards of Excellence - Virtual

NHBA

Alicia Dimitrov-Lawrence

905-646-6281

August 19, 2021

Summer Social

WEHBA

Mike Collins-Williams

August 19, 2021

Housing Design Awards

PKHBA

Danica Logan

705-876-7304

September 22, 2021

Awards of Distinction

WEHBA

Mike Collins-Williams

905-575-3344 x.3

Sept/Oct. - TBD

SABA Awards of Distinction

SABA

Melissa Schenk

519-276-0006

October TBD

Awards Gala

LHBA

Lois Langdon

519-686-0343

October 7, 2021

BILD Awards

BILD

Tiffany Kohl

416-391-3446

Local Association Golf Tournaments DATE

NAME OF TOURNAMENT (IF APPLICABLE)

LOCAL

CONTACT NAME

PHONE/ EMAIL

July 7, 2021

Howard Sly Golf Tournament

KHBA

Alex Pacheo

khba@khba.ca

July 15, 2021

SCHBA

Sandy Tuckey

705-718-1202 / office@simcoehomebuilders.com

August 10, 2021

NHBA

Alicia Dimitrov-Lawrence

905-646-6281 / alicia@nhba.ca

August 19, 2021

PKHBA

Danica Logan

705-876-7304 / danica@pkhba.com

September 2021

LHBA

Lois Langdon

519-686-0343 / llangdon@lhba.on.ca

September 2021

GDHBA

Melissa Jonker

519-836-8560 / guelph.homebuilders@gmail.com

September 2, 2021

BILD

Tiffany Kohl

416-391-3446 / tkohl@bildgta.ca

September 10, 2021

WEHBA

Daniella Spadafora

519-948-3247 / windsoressexhba@gmail.com

September 13, 2021

SABA

Melissa Schenk

519-276-0006 / office@sabaconnect.ca

September 16, 2021

SCHBA

Sandy Tuckey

705-718-1202 / office@simcoehomebuilders.com

September 21, 2021

DRHBA

Stacey Hawkins

905-579-8080 x. 1001 / s.hawkins@drhba.com

September 23, 2021

KHBA

Alex Pacheo

khba@khba.ca

September 23, 2021

BHBA

Fred DeCator

519-755-9690 / freddecator@rogers.com

YOU CAN’T WIN IF YOU DON’T ENTER! The final deadline for online submissions to the 2021 OHBA Awards of Distinction is Friday, August 6.

There will be no extensions, so make sure you don’t miss the chance to enter.

Finalists will be announced in early October and winners will be announced virtually through our live event portal on November 16.

Since 1991, this prestige awards

program has honoured the vision, innovation and expertise of some of Ontario’s most creative and talented builders, renovators, designers and marketers.

Please visit the AoD website at ohbaaod.ca for full categories, entry details. tips on how to make a successful submission and much more.

We can’t wait to “see” you there! ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

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Ontario Report

NEW EXPEDITED APPROVALS FOR WATER & WASTEWATER SERVICES Ontario’s adoption of a Consolidated Linear Infrastructure (CLI) Permissions Approach for low-risk projects related to sewage collection and stormwater management is an absolute game changer for the residential construction industry and our ability to expedite the delivery of new housing supply.

The Ontario Home Builders’ Association has been engaged with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ modernization efforts, and our members have consistently supported streamlining the redundant Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) process for low-risk stormwater management facilities and routine sewage works.

Under the proposed consolidated process, a municipality would no longer need to submit individual “pipe by pipe” applications for future alterations, provided they are built in accordance with new design criteria and all other Ministry-approved conditions. In certain circumstances, and with municipal approval, developers constructing infrastructure on behalf of municipalities can receive pre-authorization if work meets Ministry design standards and is being carried out in accordance with the municipality’s CLI ECA. The new approach will: » c reate an efficient process for lowrisk projects. »p rovide clear, transparent and consistent requirements.

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

» i mprove environmental protection through updated and consolidated terms and conditions. » e stablish a more comprehensive picture of sewage works across the province.

The CLI Permissions Approach has been modelled after the current framework for municipal drinking water systems. All existing and future approvals will be incorporated into two consolidated ECAs: one for municipal sanitary collection systems and the other for stormwater management works.

The first step in the transition will ask municipalities to apply for a CLI ECA, with the Ministry anticipating the first applications in September 2021.

“The decision to move forward with the updated ECA process for sanitary, storm and stormwater management systems will save months of time for each application by avoiding the current duplication of review required by the previous process,” says OHBA member and the principal of SCS Consulting Group, Steve Schaefer. “This new ECA approach will definitely expedite the ability to deliver homes in Ontario. This change in process is by far the biggest and most effective in provincial policy to reduce red tape and expedite home construction—while maintaining the required level of regulatory oversight—that I’ve seen in my 30+ years pursuing infrastructure approvals.”

SAVE THE DATES! While we unfortunately can’t meet in person again this coming Fall, mark your calendar for these big annual OHBA events:

Monday, October 4th, 2021

Annual Meeting of Members VIRTUAL

Monday, October 25th, 2021

OHBA Annual Conference VIRTUAL

Tuesday, November 16th, 2021

OHBA Awards of Distinction (AoD) VIRTUAL

ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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Inside Storey

YOUR DATA IS NOW MINE Are you prepared for a ransomware attack?

BY TED McINTYRE WITH CYBER SECURITY SPECIALIST DEREK BROWNE

DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, the construction world churns away at warp speed. It’s hard to find time to scrutinize whether that Facebook friend request or email link are legit, or to remember whether you’ve bothered to update your computer software or back up your files in the past month… or year…or ever.

And that makes you ripe for the picking for cyber-attackers, says Derek Browne, Chief Information Security Officer at Federated Insurance/ Northbridge Financial.

The online threat du jour has become ransomware, Browne notes, where your computer files are encrypted, forcing you to pay the criminal to release your data (usually in untraceable Bitcoin), in the hope that they actually keep their promise—and that they also don’t decide to share those files with the rest of the world, just for kicks. ohba.ca

@onhomebuilder

According to 2020 Threat Intelligence Index from IBM’s X-Force cybersecurity unit, ransomware accounted for nearly 60% of all attacks on Canadian IBM customers last year. During a CHBA cyber security webinar in March, a member noted they had been subject to a ransomware attack two years ago from a computer program named Phobos. It was a reminder that it’s not just major corporations that get targeted by cyber criminals, and that it’s a growing business.

It’s like a spreading virus, Browne warns: If you don’t take precautions, it’s simply a matter of time before you or someone you know gets infected.

OHB: WHO NEEDS TO WORRY MOST ABOUT THESE THREATS— LARGE OR SMALL COMPANIES? DEREK BROWNE: “Most social

engineering and ransomware are just crimes of opportunity. I, as an attacker, can spend a lot of time researching your

company to find out who owns it, who the accountant is, who the employees are, and then try to attack those individuals with very targeted emails, pretending to be a key person in the company. But unless the target is known to be valuable, it’s not worth my time.

If I were to mount a ransomware attack on OHBA members, without a doubt the easiest route is a simple phishing attack—just spamming out a bunch of emails until somebody clicks the link.

“Of the test simulations we send to our clients’ companies, 12% click on the link. Proper security training can help reduce that to almost zero.

“But once the attacker gets that click, they have access to your environment and will look into your email address book and see who the most high-value targets are. And then they’ll use them as the next tier of victims. And they maybe they’ll look on your email to see if you’ve applied for a loan and get your credit card info, or maybe your drivers’ licence and picture, which they can sell in the underground market.

“And then they can download malware from there. It happens fast.”

YOUR COMPANY’S REPUTATION IS AT STAKE TOO.

“A lot of a home builders’ or renovators’ business is word of mouth. And if all of a sudden you cannot deliver on your business, or are known as the source of an attack on your partners, and your customers, that’s very bad for business. So it just makes sense to spend the time and money to protect yourself from something like this. Just as you would lock your door at night, you need to lock your virtual doors as well.

BUT AREN’T MOST PHISHING ATTEMPTS PRETTY OBVIOUS?

“Some are. Look for things like poor grammar, poor spelling, or if they don’t know your name. Maybe the logo colours are off or the resolution looks fuzzy. One of the biggest indicators is the email address it’s from. Examine the address to see if it looks correct.

“Context is everything. If someone is reaching out at a time they normally ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

17

wouldn’t, or asking something of you, or has questions about your company such as who handles finance—any of that is enough to raise a red flag. But it might even look like an email from a partner saying we need to deal with this invoice immediately. If there is any doubt, pick up the phone and call them.”

BUT WHAT IF THEY GET YOU? SHOULD YOU PAY THE RANSOM?

“I advise never to pay, because you’re paying criminals. But it’s easy to say and hard to do when you can’t run your business. And the problem is that while you’re more likely to get your files back from the attackers today than in previous years, they’re now making you pay twice—or more. And there can be double or even triple extortion, where not only does the attacker encrypt your data, they’ll also make a copy of it. If it’s your customer data or something else you don’t want exposed, they’ll extort you for that too. And third, they might even threaten to call all your customers they have data on and tell them that you’ve exposed them. It’s a nightmare.”

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“If you get hit, your best option is to wipe everything out, recover from back-up and start clean. Which is why it’s mandatory to have regularly backed-up files that are kept someplace not connected to your office network.

“But first there has to be a response plan in place. Make sure you know who to call, from IT to police services and lawyers. And it’s important to have engaged with them previously, because if something happens, you don’t want this to be the first time you meet them.

“We do security awareness training for all of our new hires, and we always hammer home that if something bad happens, report it immediately.

Call your manager, talk to the people around you, because they probably received the same phishing email as well. And inform your clients.”

AND YOU’RE ONLY AS SAFE AS YOUR PARTNERS ARE.

BUILD TO A HIGHER STANDARD

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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“It’s part of the contract you should have with your clients: ‘What are you doing to protect your data? If you have an incident, will you tell me within ohba.ca

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four hours so that I can protect myself and disconnect?’ Their security has to be at least as robust as yours.”

THE WORK-FROM-HOME TREND MUST ALSO BE AN ISSUE.

“You may have spent $250,000 protecting your work network, but now all that infrastructure is sitting there, while your data and most of your people are at home, having maybe gone out to the local electronics store, bought a router, plugged it in and probably not changed the default password or SSID for the wireless network. So that has imposed an additional risk for sure.”

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE BEEN COMPROMISED BEFORE?

“Apart from running antivirus software on your system, be it Malware Bytes, Sophos, Avira, etc., everyone should check out Haveibeenpwned.com, a website run by Australian Troy Hunt.

You type an email address in it and it tells you if that email has been exposed in any breach that Troy is aware of. So if your data was exposed in a LinkedIn or Dropbox breach a few years ago, he knows if your account was compromised.

SHOULD WE THINK OF SECURITY EXPENDITURES JUST LIKE WE DO WITH INSURANCE?

“Whether you think of it as insurance or as a greater visibility to your company’s security posture, you should be doing it. Do the technical assessments, which tell you if your computer or your network have vulnerabilities in some way that an attacker can take advantage of.

And do the non-technical assessments, like having a security professional come in and ask the hard questions: Do you conduct partner security assessments?

When you do, do you ask them the right questions? It’s important that you engage experienced security pros who are keeping up their certifications and have experience in your industry, so that they’re speaking your language.

“But it’s important to have the actual insurance too. I know Federated has cyber security insurance, with coverage for first-party loss when something happens to your own computer, and third-party loss when advising customers that you’ve been affected.” OHB ohba.ca

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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A COLOUR SHAKEUP Novik has introduced three on-trend solid colours—Brunswick Green, Coventry Gray and Windsor Blue (pictured)—into its NovikShake family.

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LOVE THE DRAKE Featuring the company’s proprietary rimless bowl, Toto’s new Drake Transitional two-piece toilet offers an elegant, streamlined design. Its tank flares gently as it rises to support a generous lid with a distinctive lip. The company’s state-ofthe-art Tornado Flushing System, meanwhile, employs two nozzles in harnessesing the power of water and gravity to create a powerful 1.28 (or 1.6) gallons-per-flush engine that maximizes cleaning action as it spins away waste. TOTO.COM THEY’VE GOT YOUR BACK CertainTeed Canada’s new GlasRoc Tile Backer and GlasRoc Tile Backer Type X gypsum panels feature a specially formulated moisture-resistant core with engineered fibreglass facers. That makes them ideal for use behind tiles in interior rooms frequently subjected to moisture and high humidity, such as tub and shower surrounds, bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. UL- and ULC-certified, they feature a wide range of acceptable thinsets and adhesives. CERTAINTEED.COM

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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Trending LEADING THE CHARGE Bosch has introduced a new six-bay charger, the GAL18V6-80. Its sequential, two-cycle charging method minimizes downtime, improves organization and stays power-ready in a lightweight, easy-to-transport package. It features an 8-amp charging current, delivering four times the charging current of a standard charger. LED indicators show the charging cycle and level for each battery, allowing users to monitor and prioritize battery charging while they work. BOSCH.CA

TURN UP THE HEAT Navien has launched the NPE-2 series, its biggest update to condensing tankless water heaters since its NPE series was introduced in 2012. Offered in four Standard models and three Advanced models up to 199,900 BTU/H, its high-efficiency features include a turndown ratio up to 15:1, advanced multi-line control with built-in intuitive software, increased 2” PVC venting length up to 75-feet, expanded cascade capability up to 32 units and expanded common venting capability up to 12 units. NAVIENINC.COM

BAND ON THE RUN Next month, DeWalt will unveil the new Atomic Compact Series 20V MAX Brushless Cordless 1-3/4” Bandsaw. Designed for fast one-handed cutting, the new model is ideal for cutting the most common small-sized metal diameters found on the jobsite, making it ideal for electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other metalworking applications.

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Ontario’s first purpose-built apartment building is believed to have been Ottawa’s Somerset House in 1900.

Invention of

The Condo PHOTO: CITY OF OTTAWA ARCHIVES

The changing skyline of Ontario’s biggest cities was a long time coming

BY G A R RY M C K AY

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

27

A

s the history of construction goes, the onset of condominiums seems comparatively recent.

Yet the concept actually dates back to Babylon, where a 4,000-year-old document cites the sale of a first-floor dwelling, with the property owner retaining title to the second floor.

But the world’s first condo boom probably took flight in ancient Rome, when the term condominium was coined—its derivation from two Latin words: cum (meaning “with” or “together”) and dominium (meaning “right of ownership”).

“On display at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City is a papyrus condominium deed written in 434 B.C., describing an apartment and its boundaries, and giving specific instructions on the conditions of the sale,” the Chicago Tribune noted in a 1986 article entitled ‘The First Case of Condo Fever.’ “Faced with a shortage of land, Roman leaders solved their housing 28

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

dilemma by passing a law permitting citizens to own individual units in multifamily structures, thus encouraging their construction. Subsequent legislation offered rules for tenant conduct and even established the annual sum each owner needed to contribute to maintain common areas.”

Roughly 2,400 years later, the Province of Ontario followed suit, legalizing the concept in 1967 with the passing of the Condominium Act in hopes of providing affordable housing amid rising singlehome prices. Ontario’s first condo project, Peel Condominium I, followed in short order. Comprising 37 two-storey townhouses and built by Bramalea Consolidated Developments, it welcomed its first residents in January 1968.

“The Condominium Act allowed that form of housing to exist legally and meant you had all the rights and privileges that you do with other forms of real estate,” explains Jim Ritchie, Chief Operating Officer of the Tridel Group of

Companies, which manages 72,000 condo suites. “You could pledge mortgages against it, take title to it, etc. It was like an apartment building, except that you owned the apartment and you shared in the operation of the building, both in terms of usage and cost.”

The opportunity for the private ownership of roads meant that builders could reduce road setbacks, thereby allowing for more units to be built on a site. It also meant that instead of having to find a buyer for the project or renting units themselves, builders could quickly recoup their investment—and more—by selling the individual units.

In “Real Condo Life: What it Really Means to be First,” Andrea DelZotto, now a Tridel board member, observes, “The condo concept had great appeal for developers, who could now add density to land. But perhaps what was most appealing to all was the fact that condominiums enabled a huge shift toward affordability.” ohba.ca

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PHOTO: Aramaic. Property Transfer Document: Ananiah Gives Tamut Part of a House, October 30, 434 B.C.E. Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Theodora Wilbour from the collection of her father, Charles Edwin Wilbour, 47.218.91a-b

At left, a papyrus document from the Brooklyn Museum that dates to ancient Rome may be the world’s oldest condominium deed. Above, Minto’s Horizon House in Nepean, Canada’s first high-rise condominium, was touted as “homeownership with a difference.”

TORONTO’S FIRST Toronto’s launch into the world of condos began on the low-rise side, when Burton Winberg, whose company later became Rockport Group, developed York Condominium 1 in 1968.

“My dad was building multiple-family units in the form of what they used to call maisonettes,” relates Bert’s son, Jack, now the CEO of Rockport Group. “About that same time, he had travelled to California, where they had just brought in a strata (condo) plan of title and ownership.”

Bert returned to Toronto with that concept still fresh in his mind. As soon as Ontario’s Condo Act became law, he decided to convert one of the five projects he had on the go—on Albion Road in Rexdale— into condominiums. It still exists today.

“My father was one of the first truly ‘affordable housing’ guys and decided that this was a way to increase density of development and to bring the cost of housing down,” says Jack. “The first one worked so well that he did it again…and again…and ended up building thousands of condo units.

Those first units measured 1,300 square feet and sold for $20,000.

“He was absolutely a visionary,” Winberg says. “He was very much ahead of his time.”

Bert Winberg, who was inducted into the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) Hall of Fame in 2003, passed away in 2018.

PHOTO: CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS Ironically, while they would come to define Toronto’s skyline, the home of the first highrise condominium in Ontario’s was actually Ottawa, with Minto Group’s 11-storey Horizon House in its Parkwood Hills development opening in Nepean in 1969.

The demographic of condo owners has shifted somewhat through the years, notes Ritchie. “Initially, condo homes were sold to empty-nesters or were just an affordable alternative in terms of ownership,” he says.

“It was very new and it didn’t go crazy right out of the gate. People didn’t understand it.”

Everything changed in 1975, however, when the provincial government brought in rent controls. That pretty much brought apartment construction to a screeching halt. Builders and developers who couldn’t see future profits in apartments simply retooled and started building high-rise condominiums. ohba.ca

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George

THE FIRST

The history of apartment buildings in Ontario only seems to matter to most people when they are torn down, burn down or become sadly neglected.

And you can argue that’s a shame, because the concept of apartment buildings has a rich history on this planet. In ancient Rome, apartments soared to 10 storeys.

It was many, many centuries before we were building 10-storey apartment buildings in Ontario, but we got there eventually.

The first purpose-built apartment building in Ontario was likely Somerset House, a three-storey edifice at the corner of Banks and Somerset in Ottawa in 1900. It’s still standing, waiting for a new purpose, although it has suffered from years of neglect, with part of the interior collapsing in 2007.

Toronto historian Richard Dennis has written that Toronto’s first purposebuilt apartment complex was St. George Mansions (pcitured above), which was erected in 1904 at 1 Harbord St. According to Dennis, early Canadian apartments “attracted substantial criticism, especially in Toronto, where anti-apartment bylaws were introduced in 1912. They were condemned as insanitary, anti-family, and a threat to established property values, undermining “cities of homes” both morally and economically.”

But that wasn’t the case with St. George Mansions—”a five-storey pressed-brick and Bedford stone building in the heart of what is now the University of Toronto, but what was then a district of substantial detached villas,” Dennis writes.

“The permit for the building’s construction was issued in 1899 to A. W. McDougald, president of the Improved Realty Co. of Toronto Ltd,” BlogTO shares in “The History of Toronto’s First Apartment Building. “He estimated the building would cost his company $100,000, the equivalent of about $2 million in today’s money. Most of its 99 residents were wealthy middle-aged couples, including three barristers, two professors and a director of an insurance company.”

Alas, St. George Mansions is long gone, replaced in 1965 by the University of Toronto’s Ramsey Wright Laboratories Building.

Hogtown actually lagged well behind many major cities in North America— even in Canada—in its adoption of the apartment concept. In Winnipeg, for example the four-storey Westminster Block opened in 1884.

In Hamilton, the Pasadena is generally accepted as the Steel City’s first apartment building, although it didn’t open until 1914. Almost completely gutted by fire in 2014, it has been lovingly restored to its former glory and renamed The Oscar on Bold. Developed by Valour Group and Pro Funds Mortgages, the luxury apartment restoration’s careful attention to detail earned it a Hamilton Municipal Heritage Committee Recognition Award.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

29

BY THE

Numbers North America’s first condo is constructed (Graystone Manor in Salt Lake City, Utah)

1967

Canada’s first condo, Brentwood Village in Edmonton, opens. A historic plaque and cairn outside the low-rise project celebrates that milestone.

1968

Ontario’s first condo project, Peel Condominium I, comprising 37 two-storey townhouses and built by Bramalea Consolidated Developments, welcomes its first residents.

1968

Toronto’s first condo project is built by the Rockport Group.

1969

Ontario’s first high-rise condo is built by Minto Group.

9.5%

Percantage of Canadian homes accounted for by condo units in 1980

55%

Percentage of new homes completed across Canada in 2019 that were condos

13%

Ontario households living in condos, according to the 2016 Census.

900,000

Number of condo units in Ontario.

11,000

Number of Ontario condo associations.

30

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

Burton Winberg, whose company would become Rockport Group, was the first to bring the condo concept to Toronto, with York Condominium 1 on Lexington Ave. in Etobicoke. Peel Condominium 1 in Brampton (bottom right), meanwhile, marked the first condo project in Ontario, opening in 1968.

That changed again in 1997, when the provincial government removed rent controls from anything that was new as of 1991.

“That also made it more interesting from an investor’s perspective, because they didn’t have rent control if they chose to buy a suite as an investment,” Ritchie points out.

It was one of several pieces of provincial legislation and court rulings in Ontario that fueled the growth and direction of condos. A court ruling in 1991 citing “adult-only” buildings as basically unconstitutional under the Ontario Human Rights Code opened the floodgates for families with young children who couldn’t afford single-family dwellings.

But the single most significant decision affecting the GTA condo market since the Condominium Act itself may have been the 2005 passing of the Greenbelt Act, which protects millions of acres from urban sprawl. That meant that cities and towns, especially those in the GTA, were forced to grow up instead of out, since, for the most part, they were squeezed by Lake Ontario on one side and the Green Belt on the other.

Intensification became the new byword in urban planning and the number of people choosing the condo lifestyle grew rapidly. Prices followed suit.

“In December of 2005, the average condo resale was $200,000,” Ritchie notes.

“This past December, that number was about $600,000.”

Today there are an estimated 900,000 condo units and 11,000 condo corporations spread across the province.

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, roughly 55% of homes under construction in Ontario are condominiums.

The condo concept has evolved over the years to fit the various markets and lifestyles, with amenities venturing far beyond gyms and swimming pools. The Minto Group even has a salt rock wall meditation room in a project they’re constructing in Toronto.

“I think the biggest change we’re seeing is the mixed-use nature of condo development,” says Ritchie. “Today there may be a retail component and an office component, with daycare, and with residential on top. There are all sorts of possibilities.”OHB ohba.ca

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BURTON WINBERG PHOTO: COURTESY ROCKPORT ARCHIVES

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FACE LIFT The drama of exterior renovations

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

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. But you can certainly catch the eye of passersby before they notice any other book on the shelf.

Or, in this case, any other home on the street.

Whether it’s about curb appeal and the resulting bump in property value, or merely a client’s dream of a dramatic, refreshing facelift to their home, there’s nothing superficial about the following eight super surface replacements—each of which have breathed vibrant life into once-stale exteriors.

A major interior reno and addition at this Teddington Park project by Eurodale is concealed by artful craftsmanship that maintains its Georgian exterior.

32

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

33

BUCKHORN BEAUTY

This Sandy Lake addition provides the ultimate sitting room.

sitting in splendour KAWARTHA LAKES CONSTRUCTION Sandy Lake, Buckhorn

THIS BUCKHORN cottage exterior reno began with a simple desire to build a screen room at the family cottage to retreat to when the bugs came out, while still enjoying the great outdoors. The team measured the furniture their clients 34

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

planned to use to ensure the square footage would work. The plan included a 2’x6’ box beam around the bases of the tempered panels to accommodate electrical outlets throughout, rather than using floor outlets.

The finished product’s angled orientation offers unobstructed waterfront views, with the porch design providing the utmost privacy. Added curb appeal included timber-framed entry and garage porticos. ohba.ca

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like night and day CONCORD HOMES Amherstview

THIS HOME’S previous exterior was aesthetically nondescript and failed to integrate within its four-home culde-sac. White windows and trims now emphasize the exchange of views from inside to the beautiful landscaping. The James Hardie cement board siding’s dark colour and Arctic White trim

enhance the Arriscraft Fresco stone.

And Cedar shakes used as accents on the front portico and a dormer help provide definition to the home’s dimensions.

Given that the existing house was a lengthy box, there were challenges in visually breaking up the linear appearance. But the new front porch

gable and half-barrel roof detail, together with the plantings, pavers and landscape lighting, complete the transformation.

As the house is perched on a hill, Concord also had to artistically contend with the lot’s grading. Hardscaping was used to update the retaining walls for the driveway and a functional walkway.

LEVEL BEST Stunning landscaping and hardscaping complete this amazing metamorphosis.

stately innovation EURODALE DEVELOPMENTS Teddington Park, Toronto

AGING IN STYLE

A FINALIST for BILD’s Best Innovative Renovation for 2021, this project required the construction of a new living area, while maintaining the historic Georgian exterior of this 1930s home.

It was an aging-in-place success story— particularly well timed, given that it was completed just before the pandemic took hold and ravaged longterm care facilities. Inside, an elevator and fully accessible suite were added, but it’s such a seamless addition from the outside that neighbourhood residents could be excused for missing the fact that a major renovation has taken place.

This retrofit began with an addition at the garage and included a new second storey at the rear. ohba.ca

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

35

BACKYARD OASIS

This Mississauga facelift included an eye-popping backyard transformation.

modern family TRUBUILD Lorne Park, Mississauga

THE CLIENTS felt it was time for them to upgrade their outdated 1970s red brick home. Merging old with new proved very challenging. Significant ‘value engineering’ took place to remove a 36

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

huge double brick wall that ran the length of the back of the house, which is now supported with massive steel beams and posts.

On a tight budget after removing

and rebuilding the roof and building new spaces, the team had very little room for error. The resulting transformation, including the addition of a backyard pool oasis, is stunning. ohba.ca

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double the fun PREMIER QUALITY RENOVATIONS Port Credit

SIGNAGE FROM a nearby neighbourhood project caught the client’s eye and led to a collaboration with this Mississauga bungalow. The existing property allowed for living space to be doubled in size without unduly imposing itself on the neighbouring properties.

Striking stonework, larger windows and complementary roof angles add curb appeal.

The challenge, notes Premier Quality Renovations owner Peter Glaw, “was to marry it all to the original framework, so that the old house looks like a new house—not an addition.”

JUST LIKE NEW

Colour and texture choices enable this Mississauga project to mesh with the adjacent homes.

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This Ottawa upgrade prevented further deterioration of wooden siding window and sills.

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AN OLDER HOME with failing wood siding and rotten window sills was in dire need of a facelift. The client was looking to replace the exterior to refresh the look of their house.

The team selected Maibec CanExel 38

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

Ced’R-vue—a durable engineered prefinished siding—to clad the entire home. The choice of Maibec’s Coastline colour provides a rich modern tone, while still harmonizing with the surrounding neighbourhood.

As with many such projects, however, there was substantial damage behind the original wood siding. As a result, OakWood’s work included a custom metal flashing and cap for the chimney to prevent further water infiltration. ohba.ca

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RAISING THE ROOF

A false garage door in the revised layout gives the illusion of a traditional design, but conceals a separate new living space.

transitional treat HOMES BY HENDRIKS Niagara

ONE OF THE CLIENT’S main goals with this Niagara River reno was for the design to respect both the original structure and the neighbourhood. Consequently, the material used to replace the existing brick was mainly stone—inspired

from the guesthouse at the back of the property as well as adjacent houses.

One dramatic change was the roofline.

By extending it upward, the clients were given the feeling of a much larger interior space, while also creating an

exterior statement piece appropriate to its lot size. This also allowed for the introduction of a dormer topped with copper metal roofing at the rear, which created an opportunity for an increased amount of natural lighting indoors.

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ALTHOUGH SEEKING a unique design, the client also wanted their home to harmonize with the neighbourhood.

Modern stucco and high-quality aluminum siding in an olive wood finish helped achieve the goal on the corner lot.

But before that could happen, this century home was taken down to its foundation to address structural issues, after which a two-storey addition was added along with the detached garage and rooftop solar array.

Clean lines and tones help keep this major upgrade from being obtrusive, while solar panels on top improve energy efficiency.

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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Flexibility, pre-plan ning and early collabora tion keys to office-toresidential conversio ns

BY K R I STE N FRISA

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PHOTO: COURTESY STRATEGIC GROUP CUBE

E C I F OF E C A P S

A

With the Cube from Calgary’s Strategic Group, a former office building has been transformed into a 65 one- and twobedroom apartments. ohba.ca

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mong the many things that the COVID pandemic has changed forever is the way we work.

Employees in many industries have returned to the workplace, but even as the pandemic protocols relax, some office employees are still operating from home for at least part of the time.

Studies say this may not change, with the postpandemic world likely seeing a hybrid model for whitecollar work. So while the office is not entirely a thing of the past, many companies will require much less space.

All this means that older B- and C-rated office buildings —those lacking amenities or in a poor location—are near empty, and are likely to remain so. Colliers Canada reports that office vacancies across the country reached double digits late last year, with a high of 10.8% by the end of the final quarter. That’s a far cry from the 3% vacancy rates Canada boasted just a few years back.

Toronto’s vacancy rates were lower than the national average, sitting around 6.2%, up from 4% in the first quarter of 2020.

Increasingly, owners, developers and city planners are mulling over the idea of transitioning these buildings into residential spaces. Unlike office space, housing needs are high, and cities are keen to bring some vibrancy into downtown spaces by filling them with people.

While it’s still a relatively new practice in Canada, there are obvious advantages where the potential exists. For owners, it’s a way to make good use of assets without demolishing the building and starting again.

An office-to-residential conversion can be ready for market in less than half the time of a traditional build, according to Steven Paynter, principal at architecture, design, planning and consulting firm Gensler. And estimates put the cost at about half, too.

Another advantage is that interior work can take place on every floor of the building simultaneously, allowing crews to flood the building and work on multiple elements at one time. And not only do these projects turn around quickly, but more safely, too, since they don’t involve working at heights or in severe weather, and there’s additionally no craning required of very heavy objects.

Environmentally, recycling buildings is about as sustainable as you can get in the built world. Reusing office space has saved 60,000 tons of waste from the dump over Strategic Group’s past four projects, estimates Ken Toews, Senior V.P. of Development at the Alberta-based firm. “The most environmentally friendly building you can build is the one you don’t build,” he says, noting that buildings are also made far more efficient during the conversion process.

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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Strategic has already completed three office-to-residential conversions in Calgary and Edmonton, along with other projects that have repurposed office buildings to other uses, including a farmers’ market and a self-storage unit.

Its most notable may be its Cube project, a seven-storey Calgary building that was remodelled into 65 one- and two-bedroom apartments at a cost of $25 million.

In Ontario, SerCo Realty Group is in the early stages of its first repurposing project, having just received rezoning approval from the City of Ottawa for its Cooper Street office building to be tranformed into apartments.

Loredana Porcari, managing director at SerCo, says they were having difficulty renting the spaces at the site after the pandemic began. Dating back to the 4 4

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

1960s, the building once housed 20 office suites in seven storeys. SerCo opted to add an eighth storey, which will house amenity space for residents of the 45 new units.

“Its structure, layout, shape and size were all major reasons why it was a good candidate for a conversion of this nature,” Porcari says. “It gave way to good-sized units with unique layouts. The property is also located in an area that would really benefit from this type of housing.”

E VALUATI NG OP TION S Not all buildings would stand up to these same tests. Gensler has created a rating system to help developers determine which buildings are a good fit for conversion to residential units, and which aren’t. “The structure has to be right.

The floor-to-floor height has to work, the

number of elevators has to work and the rise of the floors for running servicing has to work,” Paynter says. And that’s just a baseline. The system also gives points for facades that can be morphed into residential-looking buildings versus ones that have to be completely removed and rebuilt. Windows are also a consideration, as are floor plate sizes.

Toews says if the team can’t work out an appropriate design for a building—for instance, if elevator placement won’t mesh with the size of units they’re looking to build—they move on to a different one.

“Big units don’t sell very well or rent very well, so you have to come up with a plan that works,” he says.

In the Washington Post (“Following Pandemic, Converting Office Buildings into Housing May Become New Normal”), ohba.ca

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PHOTO: COURTESY STRATEGIC GROUP CUBE

“The most environmentally friendly building you can build is the one you don’t build.”

ncept and The open co y ings of man higher ceil as ch su ings office build e ube provid C ’s ry ga al C e h w living, il for modern h it w e e spac flooding th t. gh li l ra u nat

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retired architect Richard K. Lewis writes of some of the structural challenges—and opportunities—of such a transformation. “Because much office building square footage is far from exterior walls, conversion to housing may require modifying the basic building structure,” Lewis notes. “For example, parts of the roof and floor plates on upper levels might be cut open to create interior, skylit, mini-courtyards to bring light into habitable and interior rooms.

And unique apartment layouts are often needed to effectively use available floor space.”

While “new roofing, windows, exterior cladding and insulation are usually necessary, office building floor-to-floor dimensions typically exceed apartment building floorto-floor dimensions,” Lewis adds.

“Increased room heights augment the sense of space and openness, while allowing natural light farther into the apartment. And the extra dimension enables provision of space between the hung apartment ceiling and floor structure above for sprinkler pipes, electrical conduits, light fixtures and air ducts.”

External factors like parking availability can also play a role in a building’s suitability. Toews says when Strategic revamped a heritage building in Calgary, it wound up with 110 units, but there was zero underground parking at

the site. Because it was a heritage building and was expected to attract discerning residents, Strategic had to offer better options. “In that case, we are digging out the basement and converting the basement to a parkade,” Toews notes.

Parking requirements vary from city to city. In Toronto, the requirements are low, and if the building happens to be near transit the city will approve an even lower threshold. Some areas in Ottawa, meanwhile, require no parking at all for residential buildings.

However, there is a requirement for the amount of shared and personal amenity space available per residential unit, cites Douglas James, Manager of Development Review at the City of Ottawa. While buildings in residential areas of the city often have greenspace built into their surroundings, not all neighbourhoods share this trait. In that case, amenity space needs to be included in the project design.

“We’ve created amenity decks and reorganized our mechanical on the rooftop to make a really nice amenity deck,” Toews explains.

In other cases, the original construction of the building can be reworked into amenity decks on lower levels, such as a large ground floor or second floor that isn’t suitable for retail. “It’s being selective about the design,” Paynter says.

A CLASS OF THEIR OWN Office building classification is not a static system. There are actually no set standards for determining which buildings belong in which category. Rather, classifications are determined by owners, managers and commercial real estate agents, though the criteria vary from city to city, and from town to town. In some larger markets, A-class offices can even be parsed out into A, AA or AAA classifications.

It may seem like a messy system, but it allows all the stakeholders in a marketplace to speak the same language.

Here are some general rules that decide which office buildings are classified as A buildings, which in turn helps to determine which ones subsequently fall into B and C categories: ‘A’ buildings in a large city have the most amenities and are in the best locations. Additionally, they meet the following criteria: • High-rise in a prime business district oncrete and steel construction with •C distinctive design uality finishes in the main lobby and •Q common areas •R ecent construction or recent renovation • Managed by a professional firm •B rings in discerning tenants at high rental rates • 24/7 security and controlled access • Sufficient parking •F ully amenitized, including conference centre, fitness centre, available convenience and/or food court-type retail and coffee shops nearby.

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• Environmental certification ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

PHOTO: COURTESY STRATEGIC GROUP CUBE

ube, With the C as able to w Strategic mechanical e iz n reorga beautiful to create a k. amenity dec

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H I DDE N OB STACLE S Some of the elements that make building conversion tougher aren’t always visible, and that’s part of what makes these projects so different from traditional construction. “It’s like a home renovation—you start getting into it and you find things that you don’t really expect,” Toews says. “Having a good contractor is really important.”

That means a contractor who does a lot of preconstruction research up front, but can still roll with the punches once the project begins, Paynter says, “because part of the appeal of doing these projects is the speed of getting them to market.”

Often there is plenty of available information to facilitate this learning process, if the preconstruction team is willing to do the work. Cities often archive original plans and permit drawings for buildings for decades after the build is complete. Paynter’s team pores over the drawings, creating digital reproductions so they intimately understand what’s going on in the building’s structure, as well as what the original architectural engineer was thinking and what materials they were likely to have used, such as asbestos for 48

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

buildings erected in the 1960s and 1970s.

“You can’t afford big delays based on unforeseen circumstances when you have the chance to foresee them,” Paynter says.

The contractor can often help in this fact-finding process, sometimes by opening up a section of wall to see what lies behind it. Contractors who put themselves up front as an integral part of the design team and who learn some of the special skills required in controlled demolition are poised to take advantage of what could be a very big niche as these projects gain popularity.

“We, as architects and designers, will be really relying on the builders to help understand the existing conditions and get in there and do little bits of demolition to keep the project moving,” Paynter says.

Knowledgeable contractors can also assist in scheduling, planning and pricing a project in a much more integrated approach than is often used in projects that involve ground-up construction.

“A lot of times development and construction are silos and it doesn’t work out really well,” Toews says. “If you can get your company as integrated as possible, it takes some extra time, but it really adds value.”

While the crystal ball still appears murky as the pandemic smoke clears, many players in the development industry expect more office conversions as time goes on.

Older, lower-rated buildings don’t meet the needs of employee-centric companies anymore, says Simon O’Byrne, Senior V.P. of Community Development at engineering services company Stantec. While amenities like EV charging stations, workout facilities and showers are now the norm in today’s office space, older buildings don’t offer them. Ventilation systems also don’t live up to contemporary demands, as the density standard for people-to-office-space has increased, and companies want higher ceilings and larger floor plates to house their open-concept layouts.

With the current vacancy rate being what it is, O’Byrne suspects there will be a “flight to quality,” during which companies that were occupying lower quality space will realize that their operational costs at a newer building will offset the increased leasing costs and will move up, leaving even more B and C buildings empty.

Converting some of those to new purposes and removing them from the roster of vacant offices decreases the overall vacancy rate, thus spurring creation of newer, more suitable office towers. Of course, it has the dual purpose of creating more residential space, whether it be apartment units or condos, or student or supportive housing.

Cities like London and Ottawa haven’t seen many proposals from developers yet. Calgary, though, is actively encouraging conversions. And Toews says the city has been supportive when they come up against snags in building codes.

Further, high tax rates on office buildings are a great incentive for cities to see newer office buildings go up and be occupied, which is only likely to occur once older buildings are off the market.

Teamwork will occur on all fronts, Paynter predicts. “We’re going to see a lot of design-build versions of these projects with an integrated design and construction team,” he says. “And we’ll see a lot of construction manager work early on that will allow the developers to hit the ground running.

“It’s going to be a different process for people who’ve typically done ground-up construction.” OHB ohba.ca

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PHOTO: COURTESY LOOPNET

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ohba.ca @onhomebuilder 6/9/2021 10:36:44 AM

Building Buzz NEWS AND MOVES FROM THE INDUSTRY

Left to right: Toolbx co-founder/ president/CFO Chris Stringer, founder/CEO Erik Bornstein and co-founder/COO Mark Hinnen.

SUPPLIES IN DEMAND Toronto’s Toolbx expands into Ottawa At a time when the supply chain has never been more strained for the residential construction industry, Toolbx, a facilitator in navigating that ponderous chain, has expanded into Ottawa.

Toolbx is an all-in-one construction material procurement platform for residential and commercial contractors that delivers materials directly to the jobsite the same day they are ordered while providing price transparency and bulk buying solutions. The company was founded in Toronto in 2018 by Erik Bornstein, whose 15 years in the home building industry includes pivotal roles with OHBA members Mazenga Building group (partner), Core Development Group (co-founder) and Sherwood Custom Homes (Project Manager).

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builders,” explains Ottawa-born home builder and Toolbx Ottawa City Manager, Harrison da Costa. “We’re helping them save time and money, and that’s good news for Ottawa homeowners too.”

Available on mobile or desktop, Toolbx digitizes and simplifies the notoriously time-consuming and paper-driven procurement of construction materials that has become even more challenging with the pandemic. It also empowers small businesses to bring their brick and mortar inventory online and offer same-day delivery.

From Rona to Lowes, to Home Hardware and beyond, a builder’s favourite large or local specialty retailers can be shopped all in one place. This does away with researching and comparing costs for days, da Costa

notes. In fact, using the platform adds up to significant savings, considering that a contractor sources from up to 15 different suppliers per job on average, and in a week drives to a minimum of three retailers and spends at least 20 hours on receipts and paperwork.

And at a time when costs of essential building materials like lumber, drywall and insulation are skyrocketing, the company’s Toolbx Pro provides bulkbuying discounts on larger orders. It all serves to keep skilled tradespeople on the job and out of lineups or waiting days for curbside pickup.

There’s also a back office component, since it enables the seamless management of spending across job sites and crews, as well as providing real-time tracking of orders and the digitization of receipts.

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From its roots as Golden Triangle Windows, a humble Kitchener millwork plant producing woodframed windows in 1961, Golden Windows is celebrating its diamond anniversary this year.

Still a family-owned and operated organization in its third generation, the company owes its growth into a noted Canadian window and door manufacturer to a pretty basic principle, notes owner and president Paul Kreutner.

“We respect people—including our customers and vendors—as a core value,” says Kreutner, whose company now has retail locations in Kitchener, London and Kanata.

It’s also exemplified in the longstanding tenure of the company’s employees. “For 60 years our people have been the framework of our success,” says V.P. of Sales and Marketing J.R. Rapoza.

“Although family-run businesses tend to struggle as the generations pass, we’ve continued to grow exponentially, with three generations of the Kreutner family providing strong leadership.”

Rapoza believes the company’s participation in ISO 9001 quality management certification has spurred growth in recent years.

“We’re one of only a few window and door companies that have obtained that designation,” Rapoza says. “It brought us to a new level of understanding of how to create and repeat processes and procedures to provide quality products and services to our served markets on a consistent basis.” ohba.ca

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AWA R D S

SECURING WHAT MATTERS.

JELD-WEN, PANASONIC EARN ENERGY STAR AWARD

Jeld-Wen of Canada has been named the Energy Star Manufacturer of the Year in the category of Windows and Doors for 2021. Panasonic Canada’s ongoing contributions to environmental protection and energy conservation, meanwhile, helped that company claim the Manufacturer of the Year for Heating and Cooling Equipment.

The Energy Star Canada Awards recognize organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy achievements. While it marked the first such award for Panasonic Canada, and the first times in North America for heating and cooling, this is the fifth time JeldWen has picked up the honour in the past seven years, bringing their total Energy Star award count to eight.

“Jeld-Wen team members are being recognized today for the innovation and quality they build into every window and door we manufacture,” said Robert Conway, V.P. and G.M. of Jeld-Wen of Canada. “I’m proud of my team. With more than 26 years of success in Canada, we still have an exciting future ahead of us.”

Early in 2020, Jeld-Wen demonstrated its commitment to energy efficiency by launching Keep Outside Out, a comprehensive awareness campaign used to market their specialized Northern TriPane Collection windows across Canada.

The company also introduced an energy efficiency calculator to help consumers understand the potential cost savings they could achieve by installing Energy Star-certified window products.

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The prestigious Monolith Column Collection is the culmination of Liebherr’s expertise in cooling solutions. The latest luxury design includes 18” and 24” wine columns and features InfinitySwipe, which allows you to control up to three temperature zones on a single 3.5” touch screen. Choosing the right preservation system for both your refrigerator/freezer and your wine columns can make all the difference and it starts with Liebherr appliances, offering the ultimate in quality, design and innovation.

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In May, the Canadian government. announced the Canada Greener Homes Grant, a new grant that will help homeowners across the country make energy-efficient retrofits.

The grant will help up to 700,000 Canadians across the country improve the energy efficiency of their homes through an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years.

Homeowners will be able to receive grants of up to $5,000 to make energy-efficient retrofits, and up to $600 to help with the cost of home energy evaluations. Eligible home improvements and upgrades include replacing windows and doors, adding insulation, sealing air leaks, improving heating and cooling systems—such as with heat pumps— and purchasing renewable energy systems like solar panels.

To support this new initiative, the federal government has committed to recruit and train up to 2,000 new energy advisors to help provide guidance, advice and timely evaluations to Canadians.

Retroactive to December 1, 2020, the grant requires that a homeowner’s primary residence be at least six months old, from the date of occupancy by the first homeowner, and eligible for an EnerGuide evaluation. Residences include single and semi-detached houses, row housing, townhomes, mobile homes on a permanent foundation, permanently moored floating homes, small multi-unit residential buildings (up to three storeys with a footprint of up to 600m2) and mixed-use buildings (residential portion only).

Retrofits that help protect homes from weather events, such as floods, wind damage and power outages, are also eligible if they are done in combination with measures that improve energy efficiency. OHB ohba.ca

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

A Black Walnut/Amberwood combo from Al-Mar’s Wolf Serenity Decking Tropical Wood collection makes an impression.

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long way past curb appeal. From landscaping to siding to backyard stonework, it’s about enjoying both the aesthetic and physical features for homeowners.

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“Sales are up 600 percent!” says James Marsden, Outside Sales Representative with Al-Mar. The prime driver? Wolf Serenity Decking.

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handle the UV and the moisture. It has some of nicest colours of any PVC decking on the market, with a Tropical Hardwood line and two solid colours in the Seaside collection (grey and light brown).

“And then there are the safety features,” Marsden says. “It has great traction, no splinters and there’s no chemicals from stains that you’d use on your wood decks.”

Another feature unique to Wolf Serenity Decking is that it is embossed on both sides of the deck board. “That means that from a design point of view, you can use the same product as your deck surface for features like privacy screens and garden boxes. And it’s also great for contractors, because if they

happen to damage the surface, they can simply flip the board over!”

The lingering issues of lumber supplies are only supporting Al-Mar’s cause. “The gap between wood and low-maintenance fencing and decking is closing,” Marsden says. “There used to be 40% gap between wood and installed PVC fencing, but now a six-foot white PVC fence is generally the same material cost as a pressuretreated fence. Not to mention the fact that contractors might have to go to three lumberyards to pick up the product for that wood fence. And a lot of lumber stores aren’t honouring pricing for very long.”

In Wolf’s case, there’s also the warranty to consider. “Wolf not ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

55

Product Focus

Difficulty in acquiring wood products and the lowering cost of PVC fencing are making the latter more attractive than ever.

Wolf ’s double-sided embossing means contractors can simply flip damaged boards (Sand Castle pictured).

Arriscraft’s Fresco Building Stone lends a fetching look and texture to outdoor kitchens.

only has a 50-year warranty, but if you install with a certified pro who is both Wolf and Al-Mar-trained, the homeowner gets a five-year labour warranty on that deck,” notes Marsden, who is also high on Al-Mar’s new horizontal pickets in its PVC fencing.

“It’s trending with a lot of landscape and home designs. I’m really excited about it.”

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

DINING AL FRESCO

With homeowners spending more time and money than ever on that outdoor environment—even as the pandemic subsides—the attraction of including an al fresco dining experience has also increased.

Which makes Arriscraft’s Fresco Building Stone a perfect dinner companion. Pre-blended in three

sizes for a traditional bond pattern installation and featuring six warm colours, the new product provides an idyllic backdrop for outdoor entertaining. For new construction, homebuyers can utilize full-bed Fresco at the back of their home for their dreamy outdoor kitchen.

But it is also available as a thin adhered stone, which is perfect for renovations or upgrades. ohba.ca

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Product Focus

THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE There’s value to be had in beautiful landscaping. But that doesn’t always mean adding something to a property.

“The best way to add the curb appeal is to first maintain and optimize the existing trees,” stresses Dylan Glazer, Operations Manager at Davey Tree Expert Company.

“During construction, this means a complete proactive tree protection and preservation plan. This is a very common oversight that presents itself years down the road with visual tree decline.”

And the stats say it’s worth the effort. “Ultimately, well-maintained trees and yards fetch a higher price and quicker sale. A manicured landscape and trees can add approximately 10-20% or more to the overall value of a property,” Glazer notes. “Properties with well-maintained trees and yards also reduce a home’s time on the market by up to 15%—particularly with healthy mature trees. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, 98% of realtors believe that mature trees have a strong impact on the

saleability of higher end homes.

“Trees also improve the air you breathe, cut your energy bills with their shade, provide homes for wildlife, absorb rainwater and protect stormwater systems, and reduce noise pollution—especially in backyards and municipal settings,” Glazer adds.

There’s even a psychological element. “Communities with more trees report lower crime rates and lower levels of anxiety.”

Given that strict legislation and bylaw requirements can result in unexpected delays to a project schedule, Glazer always advises bringing in an arborist during the initial planning phases.

“Contractors often underestimate the size of the root systems and the significant damage that construction activities can cause to trees, both immediately or years later,” Glazer says. “Issues we often encounter are soil compaction from builders driving or parking heavy equipment or storing material within root zones, improper placement of horizontal or verti-

cal tree protection measures, as well as mechanical injury to trunks or branches from construction equipment. Even grade changes as slight as a few inches can be disastrous.

“And remember, roots can extend well beyond the drip line of a tree and are often already restricted, causing undue stress to survive in an urban setting. All these injuries can result in costly tree removals or even fines.”

Davey Tree’s ISA certified arborists provide tree risk assessment reports, tree root protection zone calculations, mapping of critical root zones, soil analysis, on-site monitoring, tree preservation action plans and both short-term and long-term plant health care strategies to ensure projects move forward on schedule.

And don’t forget that it’s not just tree roots lying beneath the surface, Glazer notes. “Before any underground work is performed, you should also prepare the construction site by checking for any underground utility lines.”

Going the extra mile to protect existing trees during new builds and renos pays off from both a health and financial perspective.

58

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

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ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

59

Product Focus Mont-Blanc’s hip and ridge shingles feature a time-saving design for installers.

Gentek’s Align Composite Cladding System pairs easy installation with a wood-like finish.

The expansion of Royal Building Products’ durable Cedar Renditions line of aluminum siding (left) includes a new soffit (above).

A SIDE OF THIS AND A SIDE OF THAT

Warming up the exterior of the home is Gentek’s new Align Composite Cladding System. Touting the architectural beauty of real wood with easier installation and better overall value for remodellers, builders and homeowners, Align promises one of the lowest total installed costs of cladding without sacrificing curb appeal.

The system features impressive style, with a 7” flat face exposure and authentic cedar mill grain texture. It also boasts heightened structural strength that meets or exceeds industry test standards for windload, workability, flame spread/ smoke development, weatherability and termite resistance.

Its self-aligning stack lock provides quicker, easier installation than fibre cement and engineered 60

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021

wood, while requiring fewer labourers to get the job done.

Align is backed by a lifetime limited warranty, is virtually maintenancefree and offers compatible trim, windows and accessories. It’s also available in a curated palette of 20 fade-resistant colours, eliminating the cost and need for repainting in the future.

Royal Building Products is also catching the eye of passers-by with several additions to its modern-looking Cedar Renditions aluminum siding. Backed by a 25-year prorated limited warranty, the 100% recyclable line features the charming look of woodgrain siding, a seamless overlapping notch to achieve longer length and easy installation with its drop-in interlock system. It’s additionally moisture-proof, non-flammable and virtually maintenance free, with

a PVDF top coat that repels dirt buildup and stains.

Also new for 2021 is Royal’s Cedar Renditions 8” siding profile, offering builders added flexibility and less waste when combined with 6” and 4” siding profiles. The new 8” profile, as well as a new 6” Cedar Renditions Soffit, is offered in premium, traditional and solid colours in the Canadian market, including the new Aluzinc colour— an industrial modern metallic grey.

UP ON THE ROOF

Overhead, BP Canada’s MontBlanc hip and ridge shingles add the perfect accent. Available in a 12-colour palette designed to match BP’s most popular laminated shingles, the Mont-Blanc is prescored, meaning that you don’t need a knife to cut it. That both reduces the risk of injury and guarantees perfect, evenly sized tabs every time.

Its EZ Fold design, meanwhile, allows installers to simply fold the shingle onto itself for a layered application. That’s a double timesaver since the tabs don’t need to be separated first and since the layers automatically line up perfectly.

Homeowners can choose from one-, two- or three-layer applications, enabling the design to be as traditional or as bold as desired. OHB ohba.ca

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61

Frame of Mind

GREAT OUTDOORS Spending time indoors reminds of the importance of vital exterior spaces

THE PANDEMIC HAS demonstrated the importance of outdoor public spaces to the physical and mental health of apartment and condo dwellers. These places have become essential, given the shift to higher density and apartment living, where people have had to quarantine.

Green areas in or near buildings also make communities sustainable in a number of ways. For one, they mitigate the urban heat island effect, where the annual air temperature of a city can be warmer than that of surrounding areas.

Parks should be considered in a similar light as exercise machines and be planned with the residents’ lifestyles and life stages in mind. For example, infant play spaces require areas for adults to supervise and relax, while seniors will look for quiet spots sheltered from wind and sun. A sense of community will be established by using these places for social interaction as well.

The first decision in planning open spaces involves their location and design. Public space need not necessarily be consolidated in a single spot.

Often, it’s better to distribute them in multiple areas to create a variety of smaller, human-scaled places. They can be on-grade, and either front, back and side yards, softening the built 62

ONTARIO HOME BUILDER EARLY SPRING 2021

environment and fostering better relationships between neighbours.

Above-grade space, like balconies and green roof terraces, permit a greater level of privacy and, for some, even complete seclusion. Special attention should be given to ensure that these spaces are protected from the elements. Green areas or community gardens can be private, shared or both.

Shared garden plots for growing food should have a water supply system and a storage area for tools.

One high-density project that paid great attention to its outdoor area is Reflections in Keppel Bay, Singapore, by Studio Daniel Libeskind. It is comprised of six high-rise towers (from 24 to 41 storeys) and 11 low-rise villa apartment blocks (six to eight floors), with a total of 1,129 units. The arrangement of the buildings creates a unique outdoor experience, since no floor is aligned to the one above or below, or with a building adjacent to it. As a result, no two apartment units are experienced in the same fashion, since each offers a unique exterior perspective.

In a project of such magnitude and density, it’s often difficult for each unit to be distinct. However, through this off-axis design, the architect managed to conceive a community of apartment buildings where individuality thrives.

Special attention was also paid to the planning and landscaping of outdoor areas. In fact, the buildings’ forms themselves define those areas to create nearby green enclaves.

All the outdoor spots are also well connected by paths landscaped with lush native plants. The many trees lend a tropical forest feel, while casting shade over benches. A safe, well-marked jogging path, meanwhile, appeals to runners and walkers alike.

The project was designed for healthy living by including play areas and exercise machines for toddlers and adults near each building. The central point is an architecturally articulated gym and swimming pool.

There’s also great interconnection between the buildings themselves, each of which enjoys captivating views of the bay and the nearby marina.

The pandemic introduced reconsideration of several planning and design aspects of homes and communities.

Outdoor areas—either on or above ground—are following suit. Regarding them as an inclusive part of our wellbeing needs to be a top priority. 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 2 ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021 Paolo Spinosa | 416-873-2434

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