Ontario Focus Fall 2021

ONTARIO Canada Green Building Council

FOCUS

ISSUE 22, FALL 2021, CaGBC Regional Publication /

Durham College Centre

for Collaborative Education LEED Gold project designed as a catalyst for future development

HELIO BUILDING A model to advance net-zero residential construction CAGBC AWARDS CELEBRATE CANADIAN PROJECTS AND INNOVATORS WHITBY RAIL MAINTENANCE FACILITY Conservation, employee well-being and a statement for public transit guide design

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Savings by Design | Affordable Housing

Strategize for sustainability — “We had a great experience working with the experts from Enbridge Gas and would recommend Savings

by Design to anyone looking to improve the energy efficiency of their affordable housing project.”

Wes Richardson, Director of Finance, Youth Services Bureau

Success Story | Ottawa

While designing their new facility, Youth Services Bureau collaborated with sustainable building experts from the Savings by Design program to optimize energy performance, build better than code, and earn financial incentives.* Visit enbridgegas.com/savingsbydesign to get the most out of your next project. * HST is not applicable and will not be added to incentive payments. Terms and conditions apply.

Visit enbridgegas.com/savingsbydesign for details. To be eligible for the Savings by Design Affordable Housing program, projects must be located in the former Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. service area. © 2021 Enbridge Gas Inc. All rights reserved. ENB 615 10/2021

Youth Services Bureau — By the numbers 23.0%

Projected annual energy savings

30.8%

Projected annual natural gas savings

27.9%

Projected GHG reduction

Upcoming Events + Workshops CAGBC is the leading green building education provider in Canada, delivering education to over 45,000 green building professionals since 2004. Our online and in-person programs and courses are developed and delivered by expert industry professionals that can help further your career, professional development and knowledge of Canada’s vibrant green building industry.

NOVEMBER 3: INNOVATION SERIES - ACHIEVING NET ZERO WITH ENERGY AS A SERVICE Innovative technology and financing solutions are needed to support asset owners and managers as they accelerate the transition of building portfolios to net zero.

Presented by Ameresco Canada, this session will explore how the EaaS model can help bridge the financing gap to achieve a net zero building and integrate advanced renewable technologies, stabilize lifecycle costs, and offload performance risk. A case study on how this model helped fund Canada’s first operationally carbon neutral school will also be presented.

NOVEMBER 22: THE WELL BUILDING STANDARD WORKSHOP WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. This half-day introductory workshop will introduce broad audiences to the WELL Building Standard, including its key processes.

DECEMBER 6: ZERO CARBON BUILDING STANDARD WORKSHOP This live half-day workshop will review important foundational knowledge for low-carbon buildings, with an emphasis on the latest version of CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard. The requirements for both new and existing buildings will be addressed.

Topics include the zero carbon balance, embodied carbon, peak demand, renewable energy, and more.

INNOVATION SERIES – PURPOSEFUL ESG Join Canadian and global ESG experts as they uncover the trends and demands that are driving corporations to not only adopt ESG policies, but implement them in a purposeful manner. Led by ESG and corporate purpose expert Faith Goodman of Goodman Sustainability Group, this three-part series will explore the drivers and principles behind Purposeful ESG, what brands are leading in this space and how, finishing with a cross panel-attendee roundtable discussion to identify current challenges, gaps and potential ways forward.

Session 1: Purposeful ESG – Society and Investors demanding tangible action from firms Wednesday, November 17 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST Session 2: How Leading Brands are already moving on Purposeful ESG Wednesday, November 24 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST Session 3: Roundtable on Purposeful ESG - What does 2022 hold for us?

Wednesday, December 1 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST

By choosing CaGBC Education, you can be confident that you are receiving the best possible green building education in Canada. To learn more about any of these initiatives and to register for workshops + events, cagbc.org/education

FALL 2021 Ontario FOCUS

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CALL US TO DISCUSS YOUR NEXT PROJECT! lbidner@inlinefiberglass.com

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Project: Downtown Toronto Landmark High Rise Project. Photo: Martin Nowacki.

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See the digital version at 13

www.cagbc.org/CAGBC/Chapters/Ottawa/ontario_focus.aspx

In this Issue FALL 2021

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Upcoming Events + Workshops

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The Metrolinx Kipling Transit Hub LiveRoof Ontario vegetated roof delivers long-term performance

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Helio Building -London project a model to advance net-zero residential construction

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Durham College Centre for Collaborative Education - LEED Gold project designed as a catalyst for future development

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Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility Conservation, employee well-being and a statement for public transit guide design

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YMCA’s Green Building Program

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City of Toronto and Tridel test structural thermal breaks at balcony connections

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Decarbonizing cement

Climaveneta air to water heat pump solutions

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CaGBC Awards celebrate Canadian projects and innovators

The Building Show The Power of Together

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A joint publishing project of the CaGBC and SABMag Address all inquiries to Don Griffith: dgriffith@sabmagazine.com Published by Janam Publications Inc. | www.sabmagazine.com | www.janam.net

Printed on Domtar Husky Opaque text offset paper.

Cover: Durham College, Montgomery Sisam Architects in joint venture with Architecture Counsel

Sponsored by LiveRoof Ontario

THE METROLINX KIPLING TRANSIT HUB LiveRoof Ontario vegetated roof delivers long-term performance LiveRoof standard module Control flow drain

Sarnafelt protection layer RoofBlue riser Sarnafil pvc membrane

Roofedge maxx

Coverboard

The Kipling Transit Hub is one of the newest parts of the Metrolinx web of rapid transit connections meant to create a seamless journey for passengers across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. From the Kipling Transit Hub passengers can hop onto GO Transit, the TTC or MiWay all from the same place.

The unique site conditions with GO Transit buses and railway, TTC and MiWay buses, and the underground terminus of the TTC Bloor subway line, all vying for both above and below ground space, required a unique approach to stormwater control.

The roof of the new bus terminal became the primary stormwater control location.

Supplied by LiveRoof Ontario, the vegetated roof on the bus terminal covers over 75% of the station roof area. The unique blue-green roof configuration allows up to 150mm of rainfall to be retained and detained on the roof top through the use of RoofBlue Risers and controlled flow drains as part of the roof system. The vegetated roof was also a key feature that provides habitat for insects and pollinators as well as the birds that feed on them.

Steel deck Polyiso (2 layers) Vapour retarder

Introduced in 2006, the LiveRoof Hybrid vegetated roof system meets the contractor’s need for ease of installation and the building owner’s need for reliable, long-term performance. LiveRoof Ontario services a significant portion of the vegetated roof market in Ontario, including winning projects of the prestigious Governor General’s Medal for Architecture, and some of the largest vegetated roof projects in Canada such as the Humber River Hospital and the Eglinton Maintenance and Storage Facility.

The LiveRoof system uses modules to hold the growing medium and plant material. The modules come in four depths: 2-1/2”, 4-1/4”, 6’ and 8”. The 4-1/4” module was used on the Kipling Bus Terminal (GO & MiWay) in conjunction with the RoofBlue Risers to optimise stormwater control on site. The system has adequate depth to absorb rainwater and reduce storm water runoff, while supporting a broad range of plants without adding too much dead load to the roof. In fact, all LiveRoof modules can be installed on the RoofBlue Riser system. Sarnafil provided the single ply PVC roofing system together with a permanent ILD leak detection system to ensure long term roof integrity. The roofing system and all 44,000 sq ft of the LiveRoof system were installed by Flynn Canada’s roofing crews during summer of 2020.

In consultation with landscape architects, NAK Design Strategies, modules were provided with two mixes of sedums, each containing up to 15 varieties: an all-yellow flowering mix, and a red and white flowering mix. These were grown in LiveRoof Ontario’s outdoor nursery and transported ready-to-install at the job site.

See more projects and technical information at www.liveroofontario.ca/ and liveroof.com/. Also, see the Metrolinx video of the installation process: blog. metrolinx.com/2020/09/02/the-grass-is-greener-up-above-new-drone-video-shows-birds-eye-view-of-green-roof-on-kipling-transit-hubs-bus-terminal.

Specialists in solar array development on commercial, industrial and mixed use land and rooftop spaces throughout Ontario for more than 20 years.

Our current development and construction of over 25 MWs of solar projects in Ontario under the “Net Metering” and “Load Displacement” allows our clients to self-generate their own electricity through non-emitting clean and renewable solar power generation on their own properties.

Our installations, represent a net CO2eq reduction of over 17,000 tonnes avoided carbon emissions, and projects currently in development will deliver another 8,000 CO2eq in emissions reductions.

The Sifton West Five Net Zero Community (including the Helio Building) German Solar Corporation (GSC) has worked with the Sifton Developments West Five Net Zero Community for the past 6 years, helping to guide the implementation of solar from concept, to engineering, to installation, and operations and maintenance of the systems upon completion.

GSC was responsible for a full “Turnkey” EPC project delivery to complete the project safely and on budget, including: construction financing, engineering design, permitting and approvals, project management, equipment procurement, on site supervision and hiring of sub trades, Connection Impact Assessments and connection to the London Hydro Grid.

The solar array installed to date at the Sifton West Five Community, including the Helio Building, consists of: 21 separate building structures and parking areas, 23 rooftop arrays, 13 solar façades on five buildings, and two solar parking structures – more than 10,000 solar modules for a total solar capacity to date of 3,000 kWp. which is equal to over 400 tonnes of CO2eq/yr to date. By the completion of the project the solar contribution will surpass 6 MW with over 700 Tonnes CO2eq/yr of emissions offset.

germansolarcorp.com 519-457-7373 FALL 2021 Ontario FOCUS

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Helio Building London project a model to advance net-zero residential construction

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By Matthew Smith Helio is the first in a series of multi-unit residential buildings to be erected in the ‘West 5’ net zero energy development in London, Ontario. Comprising a total of 10 floors and 115 residential rental apartments, this building forms a significant step towards the net zero development’s realization.

1. The Helio Building, part of The West 5 mixed use net zero lifestyle community in London, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of net-zero energy at a community level, and to inspire change across Canada’s construction industry.

2. Helio has Ontario’s largest solar canopy, housing over 450kW of PV modules which generate enough energy to power 45 Canadian homes for a year. The large number of roof areas made the installation by the Flynn Group of Companies of 22,500 sq.ft. of roofing on this building a complicated task. Coordination with the client and other trades made the project run smoothly.

3. View from Riverbend Road South.

Although attention and focus has been placed on the energy efficiency and on-site generation within the building, quality of resident and urban experience has played an important and definitive role in shaping the project. The building occupies a site at the primary cross-roads of the West 5 development – Riverbend Road and the Beltway – and faces a central park and event space.

The building is separated into a strong public base, clad in precast concrete and triple-glazed aluminum curtainwall and upper residential floors, which are clad in polychromatic brick with dark metal accents and patterned glass balconies. Ground floor retail units, planned to accommodate a variety of local retailers and restaurants, animate the generous public sidewalks and well- defined, landscaped streetscape.

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Resident balconies facing the public park project from the building façade in a playful pattern to activate the building fabric and make visual connections to the main public space. The building form, tallest at the main corner, steps down to transition to lower density developments to the south and west. Public and resident parking is located in a structured parkade behind the building, where it is visually separated from the streets, but fully accessible via a twostory breezeway that connects to the public right of way.

With unit sizes ranging from 600 to 1,600 square feet, the building provides residents with ample natural light and living space, promoting family sized units as the majority while creating some smaller units for those who do not require the additional space. Balconies are generously sized to make them a useful additional living space for the apartments.

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The West 5 Development aims to be net zero energy on a neighbourhood scale. Helio contributes to this goal by steeply reducing the energy use relative to a typical building of its type through a combination of passive and active sustainability measures.

4. Each residential unit has a master on/off switch for all lighting, much of it by Lithonia/Acuity, to aid energy conservation. Acuity Brands Lighting Canada, Inc has committed to reducing the environmental impact by continuous innovation offered through energy efficient products and lighting solutions.

5. Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada supplied 31 City-Multi Units and 13 Lossnay ERVs which help contribute to about 40% less energy use in the building compared to a code-built high rise.

6. With generous balconies and numerous floor-to-ceiling windows, 90% of the floor area in the residential areas are within seven metres of an operable window.

7. Inline Fiberglass Ltd. provided 325 fixed and awning windows from its High Performance Series 400, which consists of low-conductive fiberglass frames and triple-glazing with a heat strengthened outer pane. Its Series 4500 Doors are used for the balconies.

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Passive measures include a highly insulated, airtight building envelope incorporating triple-glazed, fiberglass windows and doors. Balcony assemblies are thermally isolated from the main building structure.

Similarly, canopy and miscellaneous projects are fitted with structural thermal breaks.

Helio’s single stream recycling will keep 31.5 tonnes of plastic, metal, and paper waste out of landfill annually, and low-flow flush toilets, shower heads and faucets water-efficient fixtures reduce water consumption by 20%. In addition, each residential unit is equipped with its own water heater which delivers hot water much more efficiently throughout the building than a centralized system.

Building systems are 100% electrically powered, with the sole exception being the emergency generator, which will be powered by natural gas. Heating and cooling is delivered using an air-source VRF system and each apartment is also equipped with an ultrahigh efficiency ERV unit. Lighting systems are uniformly LED and equipped with occupancy sensors throughout.

With investment from Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovation Program, Sifton Properties has implemented an energy management system at Helio to record and monitor real time energy use and energy production on site. This valuable information will be shared with other developers to advance the construction of net-zero residential buildings.

During our integrated design process, it was established that the building would consume approximately 1,500,000 kWh annually, or about 40% less energy than a code-built high-rise. This consumption is offset by the energy generated by the buildings extensive building-integrated photovoltaic installations: • The top level of the parkade is covered by a solar canopy which provides weather protection while also contributing to power generation for the project.

• The south and east building faces (facing the parkade) are clad with PV modules, which also act as the primary weather barrier in the insulated rainscreen façade.

• Roof areas are similarly fitted with PV arrays.

Matthew Smith is a principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects.

PROJECT CREDITS ARCHITECT Diamond Schmitt Architects OWNER/DEVELOPER Sifton Properties Ltd GENERAL CONTRACTOR EllisDon LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Roy Koudys Landscape Architects Inc CIVIL ENGINEER Stantec Engineering Consultants MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Smith + Andersen STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Van Boxmeer Stranges COMMISSIONING AGENT CDML PHOTOS 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 by doublespace photography, photo 2 by Sifton Properties Ltd, photo 7 by Inline Fiberglass

Taken together, the parkade, façade and roof-top arrays incorporate over 2,200 photo-voltaic modules, generating over 800,000kw/h annually, which makes the building 77% more efficient than a standard code- built apartment.

from rooftop

from facade

from car parking roof

The solar array installed by German Solar Corporation to date at the Sifton West Five Community, including the Helio Building, consists of: 21 separate building structures and parking areas, 23 rooftop arrays, 13 solar façades on five buildings, and two solar parking structures – more than 10,000 solar modules for a total solar capacity to date of 3,000 kWp. which is equal to over 400 tonnes of CO2eq/yr to date.

Solar study Cumulative Insolation Total Solar Area 3170 m sq Estimated yearly production: 523,845 kWh FALL 2021 Ontario FOCUS

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Trust Mitsubishi Electric for Smart, Sustainable, Commercial and Residential HVAC Systems

Each project you complete helps build your reputation and having the right HVAC partner will ensure your success. With products developed specifically for the Canadian marketplace, and with dedicated national support, you can rely on Mitsubishi Electric for any project, from concept to completion.

The Helio Building:

31 Mitsubishi Electric City-Multi Units and 13 Lossnay ERVs

Learn more at: www.MitsubishiElectric.ca

YOUR TALENT WILL SHAPE OUR STORY talent-pomerleau.ca/welcome

Durham College Centre for Collaborative Education LEED Gold project designed as a catalyst for future development

1 1. The main entrance. The building optimizes passive design strategies through an efficient window-to-wall and window placement in combination with its narrow footprint.

By Oliver Beck and Daniel Ling The genesis for Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) came out of a College resolution to divest of the original 1970s infrastructure that no longer supported the progressive values of the College.

The original building on site was no longer sustainable, both pedagogically and from the perspective of energy use.

Like many buildings of the era, it was remarkably leaky with no shortage of asbestos and comprised of a maze-like cellular plan with little opportunity to create alternative teaching and learning settings. The building became a hindrance to the College’s prescient mandate to support dynamism and collaboration in teaching and learning settings.

The new building reads like an index of progressive, flexible spaces aimed at enhancing a more transactional approach to learning and community – as well as a desire to model environmental stewardship. Importantly, the kind of imbedded programmatic flexibility in the CFCE has inherent aspects of sustainability.

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Ground floor

Second floor

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Floor plans

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1. CFCE 2. Student services building 3. Commencement circle 4. Student centre 5. J-Wing 6. Founders Drive 7. Founders Gate 8. Simcoe Street North

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2. As the gateway to the campus and forming a new quad, the CFCE reinforces the College’s aspirations for a sustainable, pedestrian-oriented campus.

3. Replacing an existing 50-year-old one-storey building, CFCE establishes a modern face for Durham College with a pleasing mix of Alpolic metal composite panels, glazing and cladding.

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The CFCE’s program-driven design accepts that pedagogy and academic content are dynamic.

This recognition has created a facility that should require few modifications over time – even when content and teaching styles evolve.

The CFCE occupies a prominent corner of the campus and helps to define a new quadrangle. Originally the building was to attach to the adjacent Student Centre, however the final design minimized demolition by creating a small shared courtyard.

The north entrance and courtyard connect to the new greenspace and promote outdoor pedestrian and cycling traffic further into the campus. This pedestrian-oriented development is one of the first under the campus’ Master Plan which prioritizes pedestrian links.

The light-filled building supports a wide variety of programs and student needs with active learning classrooms and specialized components such as Patient-Care Laboratories, a Spa Suite and the Entrepreneurship Centre that engages industry and facilitates market innovations. The First Peoples Indigenous Centre and Diversity Services offer purpose-designed spaces that accommodate cultural practices in an inclusive environment. The Centre for Success, Global Classroom and a variety of shared teaching rooms, maker spaces, a café, and amenity areas complement all these components.

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Link to student services building

Ground level

Simcoe Street Level

Event space / lobby

Exterior courtyard

Building section PROJECT CREDITS ARCHITECTS Montgomery Sisam Architects in joint

CIVIL ENGINEER WSP | MMM Group

venture with Architecture Counsel

MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEER WSP | MMM Group

OWNER/DEVELOPER Durham College

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER RJC Engineers

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Eastern Construction

PHOTOS Tom Arban

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PMA Landscape Architects

The Entrepreneurship Centre, the Centre for Success, the First Peoples Indigenous Centre and Diversity Services, the Global Classroom and a variety of shared teaching rooms, maker spaces, a café, and amenity areas are also co-located.

4. The brightly lit Global Commons opens into a café with ample movable seating to invite students to gather and socialize. Adjacent to the Global Commons, a 4.5 m x 3.5 m Biofilter Green Wall provides students with a place to rest and draw energy from nature.

The new CFCE takes full advantage of its constrained site with a highly agile design. Corridors are purposefully designed to accommodate informal study and social spaces. The entry lounge and café are co-located to create a vibrant social heart for the facility. Floor plate dimension and structural bay sizes allow for flexibility in planning and future adaptability.

The composition of solid and void at the south elevation provides significant daylighting in the public areas and feature stair while offering protection for quiet and informal study areas. The east elevation is opaque at the core with strip windows on the second and third floor academic areas to facilitate daylighting.

The distinctive patterning of the elevations and the usage of selective areas for large expanses of glazing give the building an open and transparent feel, while maintaining an optimal 40% window-to-wall ratio. This contributes to a projected annual energy consumption of 129.3 KWhr/m. An indoor air quality management plan was employed in the construction phase to remove dust, dirt, and debris from the building.

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CFCE meets the minimum Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control requirements, and a Biofilter Green Wall consumes air contaminants through plant root microbes. The design also takes steps to reduce light pollution by employing controls to reduce the input power of non-emergency interior lighting with direct line of sight to outdoors by 50% between 11pm and 5am.

The use of limestone, white architectural block, and wood soffit with a rich copper alloy panel system creates a dynamic expression while also keeping the façade sympathetic to the existing campus context. The copper alloy panels will darken with time to a bronze finish. All waste during construction was stored on-site to ensure that 100% of recyclable materials and organics were diverted from the landfill. The concrete used for the slab on grade, elevator and stair core is made up of 25% recycled material, and salvaged stone from the old Simcoe building is implemented as a feature.

Vegetated roofs are water efficient and use droughttolerant plant species which help reduce the heat island effect without irrigation resulting in a 100% reduction in outdoor potable water use. The installation of low-flow and low-flush water consuming fixtures results in a 36% reduction in indoor potable water use.

Low-emitting materials, which are UL Environment, EcoLogo, and Green Seal certified and fall below the maximum allowable VOC emissions under California Code of Regulations, were used during construction to support the College’s Green Cleaning Policy.

The CFCE is the first LEED certified building at Durham College’s Oshawa campus. The project achieved full points in Optimized Energy Performance, and is designed to an energy intensity index of 129.3 kWhr/ m2/year. A solar photovoltaic system provides 25,375 kWh/year which represents 5% of the annual building energy demand.

By achieving LEED Gold certification the CFCE surpassed the college’s LEED Silver Certification target while staying on budget.

Creating a building that has achieved such a high sustainability standard has also improved the knowledge base for their facilities team and raised the bar for future development.

Oliver Beck, OAA is a principal at Architecture Counsel. Daniel Ling is a director and principal at Montgomery Sisam Architects.

A high-performing mag-bearing chiller, condensing boilers, VFD on pumps, heat-recovery, and efficient lighting and controls contribute to about 57% energy savings when compared to MNECB 1997.

5. The building surpassed the College’s LEED Silver Certification target while staying on budget. Achieving LEED certification has also improved the knowledge base of the facilities team and raised the bar for future development.

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METAL COMPOSITE MATERIALS

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ALPOLIC ® materials are manufactured with sustainability in mind and come with one of the strongest warranties in the industry. Whether you are designing a green building or bringing an older building up to current energy-code standards, wrapping the building with ALPOLIC ® materials is a smart choice. Order samples of our finishes and see the possibilities for your design.

alpolic-americas.com | 1.800.422.7270 ©2021 All Rights Reserved. ALPOLIC® is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. Contact ALPOLIC Customer Service for warranty exclusions and details.

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Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility Conservation, employee well-being and a statement for public transit guide design

By Tom Kyle The $859 million Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility (WRMF) is designed to accommodate the rapid expansion of GO transit fleets and future electrification programs. The 46,451 m2 space includes a main maintenance building and several ancillary buildings equipped to provide complete maintenance and repair services. Also featured in the design are service canopies, a waste management area, an electrical substation, track maintenance building, fuel storage and distribution, co-generation unit, wheel shop, and a wash bay.

1. Designed and constructed with a focus on energy reduction and water and waste management, the WRMF recently achieved LEED Gold certification.

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The project scope also included infrastructure for train layover as well as additional storage for daily inspection and fueling of the vehicles. The building includes areas for office, administration, staff amenities and warehouse storage. The facility and yard accommodate maintenance and overnight storage of up to 13 trainsets, and can be expanded to maintenance of 22 trainsets.

Designed and constructed with a focus on energy reduction and water and waste management, the WRMF recently achieved LEED Gold certification. Several sustainable design features include integrated exhaust, heat recovery and supply systems; a retention pond for stormwater; and a greywater cistern to capture stormwater for washing trains.

Visible from Highway 401, the WRMF is a powerful statement for the Province’s investment in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) transit expansion. The main building embodies a strong sense of identity through its massing of an uninterrupted curved roof line and consistent façade.

2. The project was planned to minimize disruption to ongoing operations by future expansion which will include a load test cell building, exterior turntable, maintenance bays, and waste management areas.

Our response to the various vantage points to the site was to design a facility that had no ‘rear of building’. The building facades were designed for the views by the public at various travel methods and speeds. The Coach repair shop includes a massive window allowing the public to see the internal workings of the shop.

PROJECT CREDITS ARCHITECT Stantec OWNER Metrolinx DEVELOPER Plenary GENERAL CONTRACTOR Bird Construction LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Stantec

As the largest expansion in GO’s history, the project focused on expanding its services to build ridership and revenue and was considered the first step to increasing overall transit in the GTHA to support anticipated population growth. The project site also includes electric vehicle charging stations for 3% of the available parking stalls, as well as offering preferred parking provided for carpooling vehicles.

CIVIL ENGINEER Stantec MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Stantec STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Stephenson Engineering Ltd COMMISSIONING AGENT CDML Commissioning Ltd ADDITIONAL CONTRACTOR Kiewit TECHNICAL ADVISOR Aecom Group STRUCTURAL FOUNDATIONS Arup Canada Inc.

A well-ventilated, well-lit building contributes to a comfortable workplace for staff. Real-time air monitoring for indoor air contaminates was incorporated, and a process exhaust system for the locomotive exhaust was designed to ensure no interference with the multiple overhead cranes.

LEED CONSULTANT MMM Group PHOTOS Metrolinx

3. The main entrance. The architects’ response to the various vantage points to the site was to design a facility that had no ‘rear of building’.

4. Most of the interior has an abundance of natural light. The building also incorporates Metrolinx’s Accessibility standards with careful attention given to platform ramps, the shortening of walkway routes, and the distribution of accessible washrooms and lockers.

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5. A well-ventilated, well-lit building with real-time air monitoring contributes to a comfortable workplace for staff. A process exhaust system for the locomotive exhaust was designed to ensure no interference with the multiple overhead cranes.

The mechanical design also has zero use of CFCs in its new HVAC and refrigeration equipment; and CFCs, HCFCs, or halons were not used in any of the fire suppression equipment.

Through the application of xeriscaping principles in the landscape design, the use of native, drought-resistant plant selections eliminates the demand for irrigation water resulting in no need for a dedicated irrigation system on site.

High window bays, stepped elevations in the roof configuration, clerestory and skylight systems as well as a combination of shading canopies, glass coatings and translucent glazing systems provide building occupants with a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors, and reduce lighting energy use. The reduction in energy intensity is a projected 40% based on ASHRAE 90.1-2007.

Materials and finishes were selected for health, safety, acoustics, and maintenance considerations as well as the role of materiality in conveying a specific image and aesthetic to support the vision of the project. The team worked to select materials with recycled content levels necessary to achieve at least 20% post-consumer recycled content by cost of the respective materials. Examples included: asphalt, concrete reinforcement, concrete, structural steel, steel decking, metal cladding, aluminum doors and frames, gypsum board and carpet.

Building potable water use has also been reduced by more than 40% through various measures. Rainwater from the roofs is harvested and reused, and grey water goes to low-flow toilets, urinals, showerheads and faucets, with automatic controls installed where appropriate.

Additionally, the burden on city storm water infrastructure has been further alleviated by a storm water maintenance retention pond.

The team also selected regional materials that contributed to the overall 30% (by cost) requirement for materials and resources. The WRMF demonstrates that even highly industrial buildings can meet the requirements of sustainable design.

Tom Kyle, OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP is a principal at Stantec Architecture.

YMCA’s Green Building Program

By CaGBC Canada has ambitious carbon reduction goals, and one of the ways to meet those goals are through a workforce skilled in lowcarbon building. In support of that, CaGBC has been working with the YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region on its Green Building Program.

“The green building industry needs skilled workers, and job seekers are looking to develop their skills and contribute to the workforce,” said Melanie Vaughan, Senior Director, Employment and Immigrant Services at the YMCA-YWCA. “Our experience in Skilled Trades programming and strong relationships with local construction companies will set this program up for success.”

The YMCA’s Green Building Program is a new skills training program that provides individuals within the National Capital Region with the technical and theoretical skills needed to work as labourers in green building and construction. The program includes: • Hands-on technical skill training (Tool safety; framing & platforms; drywall and interior trim work; interior and exterior insulation; window and door installation; solar panel installation; exterior finishing; demolition; etc.)

• Training and Certification (First Aid & CPR/ Working at Heights/ Worker Health and Safety Awareness/WHMIS) • Entrepreneurship training from industry experts (setting up your own business) • CaGBC training, including information on green building concepts and careers, green building materials, as well as energy efficiency and renewable energy

The YMCA goes even further by providing complete and customized employment workshops and job placements to its students. To make the program as accessible as possible, there is no cost to participate in the program. This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

The first cohort of students graduated in early September, and a second cohort of students started on September 20th. A third cohort will start in late 2021 or early 2022. Individuals interested in finding out more about the program, or businesses interested in having a student join them on a job placement, can contact the YMCA at greenbuilding@ymcaywca.ca or 613-219-9725.

“This community-based solution will help upskill the existing workforce and attract new workers, including those from COVID-impacted jobs or those under-represented in construction, such as women, Indigenous or racialized communities,” said Brent Gilmour, Chief Commercial Officer, CaGBC. “For these new workers, green building can provide meaningful work that can support the City of Ottawa’s efforts to become a zero emissions community by 2050.”

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AWARDS

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>> CONGRATULATIONS >>

to the winning teams Indigenous Ecological Knowledge: A Blanket of Warmth - Technical Award. L to R: Wendell Starblanket of Star Blanket Cree Nation, and Murdoch MacPherson of MacPherson Engineering, Sonia Starblanket and Aura Lee MacPherson of MacPherson Engineering.

Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, Humber College Institutional (Large) Award Andrew Frontini representing Perkins&Will.

BNP Paribas Montreal Office/ Interior Design Award Vincent Hauspy representing Provencher_Roy.

Prototype Laneway Housing, University of Toronto - Residential (Small) Award Jon Neuert, B.Arch., OAA, AIA, FRAIC, LEED Principal representing Baird Sampson Neuert.

North End Landing + James North Baptist Church - Mixed Use Award L to R: Conrado Tabunot, Kasia Wright, Sara Anderson (holding the award), Holly Young, Ted Boruta, Bryce Stonehouse, and Emma Cubitt of Invizij Architects Inc.

Skeena Residence, UBC Okanagan Residential (Large) Award. Brian Wakelin FRAIC, LEED AP Principal, Architect AIBC representing PUBLIC: Architecture + Communication.

80 Atlantic Building - Commercial Industrial (Large) Award Brian Prinzen representing BDP Quadrangle.

Le Grand Théâtre de Québec - Existing Building Upgrade Award. L to R: From Atelier 21, Christian Bernard Associate Architect, Project Manager and Manager of Project Design, and Mathieu Turgeon Architect., P.A. LEED BD+C, Manager of Project Construction; and Eric Pelletier representing Lemay.

Tsawwassen First Nation Youth Centre - Institutional (Small) Award. L to R: Tim Lam P. Eng. Ennova Structural engineers Inc., Zhiwei Lu BCSLA, Daichi Yamashita architect AIBC (holding the office puppy, Bobo), Dr. Nancy Mackin Architect AIBC AIA LEED AP, Pearl YIP BCSLA CSLA, and Pengfei Du MLA of Mackin Tanaka Architecture.

University of Victoria District Energy Plant Commercial/Industrial (Small) Award L to R: Esteban Matheus, Architect Associate and Martin Nielsen, Partner representing DIALOG.

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City of Toronto and Tridel test structural thermal breaks at balcony connections

The Bloorvista condominium. Results of the balcony thermal break test program could be used to fine tune the city’s sustainable design requirements for new construction.

The City of Toronto has initiated a test program with Tridel Corporation to measure the degree to which structural thermal breaks at balconies save energy and maintain uniform temperature of the interior floor. It is part of an effort to fine-tune the city’s sustainable design requirements for new construction.

The test takes place at Tridel’s 35-storey Bloorvista luxury condominium under construction. Schöck Isokorb® structural thermal breaks for balcony connections are being measured against another manufacturer’s thermal breaks, in a ‘punctual solution’ arrangement, and a “do nothing” scenario.

Thermal breaks for concrete-to-concrete balcony connections and temperature sensors are installed on the 32nd and 33rd floors. AOMS Technologies installed the sensors to measure the temperature of the concrete on the interior and exterior sides of the structural thermal breaks.

Structural thermal breaks for concrete-to-concrete construction are positioned in line with the insulated building envelope. Stainless steel rebar projecting from the interior side of the insulation block is wired into the rebar of the interior floor slab, while stainless steel rebar projecting from the exterior side of the block is wired into the rebar of the balcony, slab edge, parapet or other exterior concrete structure.

Sensors were also installed on a floor without structural thermal breaks to create a baseline condition for comparison.

Two kinds of Schöck thermal break products for concrete-to-concrete balcony connections were installed: one containing 80 mm of insulating material in the assembly, and one containing 120 mm of insulating material. On the 31st floor, the other manufacturer’s thermal break products were installed to provide a performance comparison.

Also being evaluated on the 34th floor is a ‘punctual solution’ arrangement in which rigid insulation blocks between the interior floor and balcony slabs are placed alternately with lengths of uninsulated reinforced concrete. The heat escaping from the uninsulated areas to the outside will be measured.

Thermal bridging occurs at penetrations through the insulated building envelope – balconies in particular – creating an easy path for heat loss.

In addition to wasting energy, uninsulated balconies chill adjacent interior surfaces which can cause condensation and mould growth.

Structural thermal breaks provide insulation and structural support between the balcony and interior slab. The breaks, comprised of an insulation block through which rebar penetrates and ties into the balcony and interior rebar, are said to reduce heat loss at the penetration by up to 90%. The testing continues over approximately 15 months to collect data for an entire seasonal cycle.

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December 1 - 3, 2021 Metro Toronto Convention Centre

THE POWER OF TOGETHER

www.thebuildingsshow.com

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The Buildings Show Program Highlights The 2021 educational program will include online and in-person expert led-seminars, informative panels and thought-provoking roundtables. Attendees will be able to follow important topics from virtual to face to face and select sessions will be accredited by BOMA, OAA, BSSB, ARIDO and CAHPI.

Interior Design Roundtable: Sustainability and Resilience in Interior Spaces The design and experience of interior spaces has been transformed through the recent pandemic. Society has an opportunity to press the reset button to look at spaces and human behaviour in a new way through a completely new lens. Interior Designers have a chance to lead the conversation to help clients to re-evaluate their spaces, methodologies, human interactions, and efficiencies. From conceptual design to material and product sourcing, Interior Designers are proactive contributors to the space utilization solutions as we embark on this new age. What is the new way forward? What new pathways will we discover to lead in creating sustainable and resilient spaces through material sourcing, design practices, social and environmental accountability, philosophy, creation and, ultimately, dismantling of interiors.

Join us for an insightful conversation and dialog of planning for sustainability and resilience in transformative spaces while being mindful of inspiration, function over form, materials, collaboration, and human capital.

Wednesday, December 1

How to Effectively Implement Low Carbon Concrete on your Next Project While we will be seeing very significant CO2 reductions in the cement and concrete industries over the coming years as the industry rapidly moves forward with existing and new technologies that drive Concrete to a net-zero goal, there are a significant number of reductions that can be implemented on your projects today. This presentation will focus on the top ten changes that you can implement on your current projects to minimize the carbon impacts of one of the world’s most durable and long-lasting products – ready mixed Concrete.

Smart Car Pulling a Dump Truck?: Zero Carbon is More than HVAC As building owners adapt to a Zero Carbon building future, a major challenge is planning the sequence of upgrades and replacements. Reaching ZC requires a major shift in thinking away from pursuing incremental improvements and short-term paybacks to the super low energy regime many of us have not yet fully grasped. Reducing heating demand by 80-90% requires the building envelope performance to be vastly better than current systems. This allows the heating system to be scaled down to unrecognizably small capacities and different operational assumptions. But how does an owner plan these replacements in a manageable sequence? Replacing the HVAC system due to end of life needs before replacing the envelope could be like trying to pull a dump truck with a smart car.

This presentation will examine pathways to Zero Carbon for existing buildings and strategies for owners to plan replacements with different sequences of critical elements.

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Passive House and the Building Enveope The Passive House Standard is being adopted for more and more projects of every type and size. For building envelope enthusiasts and advocates, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree; eighty percent of the central Passive House design principles such as super insulation, airtight construction, thermal bridge free interfaces, and highperformance glazing, are firmly embedded into good building envelope design practice. This presentation will focus on Passive House building envelope strategies and share practical experiences and examples.

Enhanced Decision Making for a Sustainable Built Environment This session will address developments in analytical and decision-making techniques. The speaker will discuss methods to enable participants to use and explore options further. Learn how emerging insights from the management disciplines can be applied to decisions about buildings including adapting factors including extended and complex life histories or other consideration. The speaker will address the areas to consider such as recent mathematical and conceptual approaches, decision biases, and personality characteristics including risk aversion and optimism/pessimism, and how they all relate to technical and other design decisions. The interactive session will help attendees understand and improve your own decision-making capabilities and propensities for upcoming projects.

Sustainability and COVID: Stories from the Trenches In this session, you will hear stories from real estate owners, property managers and tenants on the impact of COVID on the sustainability programs in their buildings.

Must health measures and sustainability be in conflict or can they work in tandem to improve both the environmental footprint and occupant health? Learn how we can deal with the new reality. Join the panel as they share their experiences and participate in an informative question and answer period.

Decarbonizing Your Building to Meet City of Toronto Requirements All levels of government have reaffirmed their commitments and investment in reducing GHG emissions and accelerating our climate change response. The upcoming City of Toronto’s Existing Buildings Emissions Strategy aims to limit emissions and strengthen TransformTO goals on net zero. The City is investing heavily into this plan by supporting deep retrofits that maximize carbon reduction and community benefits. Owners and property managers have access millions in financing, technical expertise, and support from City programs like Taking Action on Tower Renewal and Energy Retrofit Loans. The Atmospheric Fund case studies demonstrate how energy efficiency retrofits can renew the existing housing stock, reduce operating costs, improve indoor environmental quality and resident comfort, and drive local economic growth. The expert panel will present on how to leverage support programs to make deep retrofits a reality for your existing buildings.

Method of Designing Thermally Resilient Buildings In the face of climate change, and as building codes and standards evolve to promote increased building energy efficiency and reduced carbon footprints, it is important to ensure that buildings can withstand prolonged power outages during extreme weather events to provide habitable shelter passively. This presentation will focus on going beyond typical compliance energy modelling procedures, to demonstrate a new approach to guide early stages of building design to improve passive performance. The speaker will highlight the critical measures that need to be addressed effectively to achieve high levels of thermal autonomy and passive habitability and provide practical examples of how the methodology is applied in professional practice. The presentation will answer the questions why passive systems performance matters, what design measures are available to enhance thermal resilience in buildings and how energy simulation tools should be used to model thermal resilience.

Thursday, December 2

Building Back Better, Together The panel of experts will explore important topics including climate change, sustainability and resilience; potential impact of technologies like AI and robots on design and construction; future directions for urban planning and development; remote and virtual work; implications for reconciliation and indigenous communities; managing anticipated challenges in the labour force and supply chains; opportunities in government stimulus programs and in the private sector; affordable housing and social infrastructure; collaboration strategies like Integrated Project Delivery and Alliancing; and, so much more!

Smart Buildings: Evaluation Programs and Overview Essentials to Improve Building Performance The Smart Building market has received a boost resulting from the pandemic and the need for improved indoor air quality and other smart features as we return to the workplaces. This session will review the various smart building definitions, design challenges, rating systems that are under development and the features and perspectives from various developers. The speakers will discuss what makes a building smart? How can you evaluate them? History of smart building rating systems.

What are the rating systems under development? Who are the developers? What different perspectives do they bring to their versions? The session is a non-technical overview and would be of interest to all those involved in the improving building performance.

Young Leaders: Exploring Paths to Career Growth and Their Role in the Workplace This panel discussion will bring together a diverse group of Young Leaders to discuss the value of mentorship and coaching, importance of continued learning, and methods for overcoming challenges. The inspirational panelists will leverage their unique backgrounds, career paths, and areas of expertise in order to share insights for young professionals looking to grow in their career; as well as, best practices for employers and managers looking to attract and retain new talent.

Tender Forms and the Tendering Process: What You Need to Know This discussion will look at some challenges caused by unbalanced contracts, and how to avoid one-sided supplementary conditions. The speakers will address how to recognize great tender forms; shorten, simplify, and standardize; and provide practical tips on making the process less complicated. Topics will include how the use of processes such as prequalification can provide more favourable outcomes for your projects.

There will also be a review of the highlights of the new CCDC 2 documents.

Environmental, Social, & Governance: Best Practices and Strategies for You to Consider!

As we recover from the COVID 19 pandemic, a new and exciting trend is emerging towards the adoption of ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) culture. ESG is already being widely adopted across many of the major players in the multi-residential industry. What can we learn from the early adopters? How is it resulting in a positive impact on staff, and most importantly, the end customer, their residents? We will hear from a panel of industry leaders on how ESG is changing the way they think and operate in the communities they serve. We will further explore how ESG could change how we approach stakeholder relationships and advocacy strategies.

Understanding the Process of Integrating Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Your Buildings The growing popularity of electric vehicles and new municipal regulations have created a challenge for building owners and developers. The infrastructure in existing buildings is limited and was not designed to accommodate all the electric vehicle charges required.

Energy management systems are an alternative to an upgrade of the main switchboard and a new utility feed to fit the new demand. The speakers will outline the process to understand the capacity of their building and help property owners and managers determine the right approach to follow. The speakers will discuss examples from multiple projects including single-family, multi-unit residential, and commercial buildings.

This presentation is designed for property managers, developers, architects, engineers and building professionals who will be integrating EV charging infrastructure in their buildings.

Alternative to Net Zero Housing: The Super-Semi Demonstration Project Join us and learn the difference between embodied carbon and operational carbon and why the difference is significant when talking about low carbon, near zero housing. How does embodied carbon relate to energy efficiency? How do you measure embodied carbon?

How does this tie into our governments’ approach to a carbon tax and the impacts that homebuilders will see in the escalating costs of building materials? Country Homes has built a demonstration home in its Milton subdivision that will measure the cost effectiveness of a house built to net zero and an adjoining unit built to low carbon net zero cost. Policy makers are targeting net zero by 2030.This presentation will seek to foster a good discussion about whether net zero is a viable target. This session is vital for architects and designers, home builders and policy makers about how to chart the course forward to reduce carbon emissions for residential houses.

Strategies for Overcoming the Labour Shortage Today Join the diverse panel for a discussion on the strategies for overcoming the labour shortage. Learn about the current labour challenges of the Construction industry, internal tactics for any size of organization, government funding and programs including internal leadership programs to bridge the skills gap. Don’t miss this insightful and information session that can help you grow and thrive in the coming years.

Back on Track: The Road to Achieving Sustainability Development 2030 and 2050 Goals As property managers, developers and owners examine their new projects, scale-up retrofits, and capital expenditures for existing buildings, how can they ensure they are making decisions that will help meet the 2030 and 2050 National Sustainability Development goals.

This session would be focused on the existing building assets in current portfolios and the road map to help achieve the 2030 and 2050 goals. How can companies align their sustainability strategies and documentation to meet multiple programs and requirements? Join the panel as they share best practices and ideas for property managers, operations and asset managers, owners, developers, and project management consultants.

Mass Timber and Moisture Management: A Contractor’s Perspective Buildings utilizing mass timber structural systems are becoming increasingly common in Ontario as a result of building code changes and an increase in domestic manufacturing capacity. We have worked hard to proactively understand and research how these new materials may pose new construction risks and deploy measures to mitigate these risks on our construction projects. This presentation will cover various moisture management strategies to be considered from fabrication, transport, on site erection through to commissioning to ensure your project is headed for success.

Maximizing your ROI in Designing for Wellness Designing for wellness in a post-COVID work environment is a necessity to entice people to return to the workplace. Clients can find the generalization of ‘wellness’ confusing. What does this really mean and how we can approach this from an integrated human resource, information technology and real estate perspective is important to creating a holistic solution. Every organization has a limit on budgets.

The speakers will provide definitive methods for designing for ‘wellness-oriented’ environment and where organizations should spend their money to maximum ROI. This presentation includes a particular focus on designing for women in the workplace.

This session will give you tools for client discussions and help them understand the implications of various ‘wellness related’ solutions.

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December 1 - 3, 2021 Metro Toronto Convention Centre

FORWARD TOGETHER. FASTER TOGETHER. STRONGER TOGETHER.

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Health & Safety Precautions in Effect

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Proof of Vaccination Required

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Online & In Person Opportunities to Reconnect with the Industry

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Complete Overview of the Built Environment

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Highly Curated Line-Up of Installations, Activations and Demonstrations

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Educational Programming Focusing on Key Themes: Sustainability & Resiliency; Construction Technology; Property Management Technology and Architecture & Design

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Accreditation by BOMA, OAA, BSSB and CAHPI

Supported By:

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THEBUILDINGSSHOW.COM

Decarbonizing cement As we move towards 2050 targets for green building, embodied carbon is increasingly important to staying under the emissions budget and limiting global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. What is embodied carbon? It’s the product of the materials and construction methods we choose. This value is often stretched over the life of the building to reflect durability, the idea that a building built to last is likely better than one that will need constant repairs. However, the reality is that those emissions are all fully released up front. Like netpresent value in the financial world, a ton of carbon emissions today is worth more than a ton of carbon emissions tomorrow.

Of all the opportunities to reduce embodied carbon, the most significant is in concrete. Concrete is the most widely used building material, cutting across both buildings and infrastructure. And despite strong and promising market growth of alternative low-carbon materials including wood and biomaterials, concrete will continue to be a critical material for construction.

POTENTIAL AS A CLIMATE SOLUTION Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from concrete is a national priority. Natural Resources Canada and the Cement Association of Canada have committed to develop a decarbonization roadmap for the industry. For the designing construction industry, there are a few significant ways to reduce emissions today, and some very promising opportunities emerging.

In the immediate term, there are two opportunities to reduce emissions from concrete. The first is simply to minimize the amount of concrete projects use. This involves looking at how much concrete is required for the project and optimizing its use. This requires designers be conscious of how design choices such as massing impact material requirements. In many cases, designers are evaluating alternative low-carbon materials like mass timber to replace concrete, but nothing is as effective as just using less material.

One area in relation to embodied carbon that has been overlooked is the impact of land use planning. Infrastructure like roads, sewers, and transit require concrete. There is no realistic substitution. Lowdensity suburban development oriented around the automobile results in huge amounts of embodied carbon, seldom considered in any municipal carbon strategies. CaGBC has been in discussions with researchers at the University of Toronto to better understand the relative carbon impacts of different development patterns, but at present there isn’t a well-established practice for evaluation. With more research we hope to understand the impact of embodied carbon from infrastructure and the importance what we build and where we build it.

The second way designers can have an impact is to specify concrete with lower embodied carbon. This can be achieved by selecting concrete that uses alternatives to cement, such as fly-ash. However, cement companies are also innovating in their manufacturing process is to minimize the emissions related to fuel use. Specification of low-carbon concrete will be aided by transparency around manufacturing practices, including the publication of environmental product declarations (EPDs).

One of the most promising areas is the potential to use captured carbon in concrete. A number of emerging technologies are adding carbon dioxide into cementitious materials and aggregates. This could be a potential game changer because the sheer volume of concrete used is large enough to materially impact atmospheric CO2 with widespread adoption. It would not only reduce the net CO2 emissions from concrete but, unlike carbon sequestration, it creates an economic opportunity for carbon capture.

There are still issues to be clarified, particularly around calculating the life-cycle carbon impact of these new products. We need to understand how to benchmark them against traditional concrete and understand any impacts to durability and to natural carbonation in concrete. CaGBC continues to explore this area with industry partners. We are excited to how views of embodied carbon from concrete are shifting from overlooked, to a concern, to a promising climate solution.

Jeff Ranson, Senior Associate, CaGBC

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CLIMAVENETA AIR TO WATER HEAT PUMP SOLUTIONS AS THE CONVERSATION SHIFTS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY, EMISSIONS REDUCTION, AND BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT A HEAT PUMP CAN EXIST IN A WIDE VARIETY OF SIZES AND TYPES TO SUIT ENDLESS APPLICATIONS – WHEN DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY.

ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SOLUTIONS ARE OVER Heat Pumps provide an advantage in reducing carbon emissions because they are powered by electricity, and when the electricity is from clean sources, like wind or hydro, they can heat buildings at a fraction of the carbon emissions of traditional fossil fuels.

Heat pumps also offer a better Coefficient of Performance, or COP, which is the ratio of thermal output to power input. A heat pump’s COP will be influenced by outside air temperature and at worstcase conditions will typically be at or above two, and at optimal conditions can be four or even higher.

A niche subset of heat pumps that are quickly gaining momentum in the Canadian market are Air-to-Water Heat Pumps, which, aside from electric boilers, are the main alternative to the traditional fossilfuel based boilers commonplace in today’s hydronic heating systems.

Heat pumps sound attractive, so when it comes to hydronic systems, why are they still lurking in the shadows?

Any heat pump will have practical limitations due to the refrigerant that is being used, and it will eventually shut off when it can no longer effectively provide useful heat to the building. This is commonly referred to as the low ambient cut-out temperature. When it comes to designing with Air-to-Water Heat Pumps, the most critical design consideration that the Canadian market is fixated on, and the first question to come up when you start the heat pump conversation with a Contractor or Engineer is:

“SO… WHAT ABOUT THE CUT-OUT TEMPERATURE?” In cases where the design temperature is below the cut-out temperature, an auxiliary heat source will be required. However, it is important to recognize that outside temperatures are colder than the cut-out temperature for relatively fewer hours of the total heating season.

Consequently, the technology is often dismissed early in the design process because it does not fit a set of prescribed criteria. While the cut-out temperature is an important and valid question in an evolving regulatory era where sustainability and the environment are paramount, it is now only a smaller piece of the larger puzzle of a more resilient, low-carbon built environment. While they may be a new technology for some, that doesn’t mean they can’t do the job as the technology is proven in the Canadian climate.

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LOW-CARBON HYDRONIC SYSTEMS FOR NET ZERO GOALS It’s no surprise that gas-fired boilers have been the norm in Canada in hydronic systems for decades due to inexpensive natural gas, the simplicity of designing with hydronic boilers, and the relative low cost of the systems themselves.

The design criteria that engineers use to evaluate a particular design is undergoing substantial change as the market shifts to meet our emission reduction targets. While heat pumps are comparable today in operating costs to traditional gas boilers, as fossil fuel prices and carbon taxes rise, they will soon save building owners money over conventional technologies.

AIR-TO-WATER HEAT PUMPS CAN BE SHOWN TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE OVERALL CARBON FOOTPRINT, REDUCE NATURAL GAS USAGE, AND ENERGY USE INTENSITY (EUI) WHEN DESIGNED PROPERLY INTO THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM. THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL BE A FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK OF THE ZERO-CARBON BUILDINGS OF THE FUTURE. Building and energy codes, as well as the metrics used to define what constitutes a “cutting-edge” and sustainable design, are becoming more stringent. Limits on Energy Use Intensity (EUI), Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI), Greenhouse Gas Intensity (GHGI), among other metrics, are being closely scrutinized, and the bar is consistently being raised. Meeting EUI, TEDI, and GHGI targets may be optional for many today, but they will soon be incorporated into building and energy codes so we can achieve net-zero in new buildings by 2030. This, as well as increases to the federal carbon tax which will further drive investment in clean energy sources, will move the industry towards electric heating solutions and further improve the case for heat pumps.

AIR-TO-WATER HEAT PUMPS ARE ONE PART OF A WIDER SOLUTION, BUT IF THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION IN HYDRONIC SYSTEMS, THEN OUR ONLY CHOICES ARE ELECTRIC RESISTIVE HEAT OR HEAT PUMPS. Do Air-to-Water Heat Pumps have limitations? Yes, but there are workarounds. In a lot of cases, an auxiliary heat source will be needed. However, this should not be viewed as a negative, but rather a benefit by providing buildings with resiliency and redundancy, and the potential for flexible dual-fuel systems if a natural gas boiler is selected. The market dynamics and criteria to define what constitutes a good HVAC design are being redefined, and many engineers have already future-proofed their designs and buildings by mastering and implementing the technology in retrofit and new construction projects alike.

It’s not so much a matter of if Air-to-Water Heat Pumps will become the norm for hydronic systems, but rather when the market will recognize these as viable alternatives and understand how the technology fits into a low carbon building.

SO INSTEAD OF ASKING “WHAT IS THE CUT-OUT TEMPERATURE”, THE REAL QUESTION IS “WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE USE OF THE HEAT PUMP WHILE IT CAN OPERATE?” To find out more information about Climaveneta and our line of products please contact us at www.climaveneta.ca.

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CaGBC Awards celebrate Canadian projects and innovators CaGBC recently announced the winners of the 2021 CAGBC Awards. The annual awards celebrate the projects and leaders transforming Canada’s building sector by accelerating and scaling buildings with exceptional performance across environment, carbon emissions and human health factors.

“This year’s submissions speak volumes about the passion, dedication and innovation of the green building sector,” said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of CaGBC. “Considering the challenges of the past 18 months, the achievements they represent show what we can do when we move forward together. As the pandemic continues to weigh on us, the green building projects and people we honour today demonstrate how together we can action on climate change, resiliency, adaptation, and environmental and human health.”

THE WINNERS OF THE 2021 CAGBC AWARDS ARE: Vivian Manasc, Principal Architect, Reimagine – CaGBC’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winner is Vivian Manasc for her contributions to green building in Alberta and across Canada. For the past 35 years, Vivian has led integrated sustainable design teams with Reimagine (formerly Manasc Isaac, which she co-founded) for a wide variety of projects, frequently working in partnership with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. Vivian’s trailblazing nature helped the firm score Alberta’s first LEED Certified building, and the first LEED Gold building in the Arctic. Her work beyond the firm has included serving as President of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada and helping launch the CaGBC. She was recognized for her leadership in green building with the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2017. This award is sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric Canada.

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Ontario winners include Toronto’s Lisa Bate and the 25 York Street project, Hamilton’s mcCallumSather, and Ottawa’s AMPED Sports Lab GREEN BUILDING LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Lisa Bate, Global Sustainability Lead + Advance Strategy, Principal at B+H Architects is the Green Building Champion Award winner – One of Canada’s global sustainable design ambassadors, Lisa has for decades brought her diverse expertise to a number of organizations. At B+H she has led pioneering projects like the Zero Carbon Building Standard-certified Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation. She has also been featured in media coverage regarding topics from the ROI of green building practices and advancing carbon neutrality, to gender parity and building resilient cities and structure in a post-COVID world. Additionally, she has served as Chair for both the WorldGBC and CaGBC and was a representative to the UN’s Environment Programme—Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative. This award is sponsored by Oxford Properties Group. mcCallumSather, Green Building Pioneer winner – mcCallumSather exemplifies the definition of a pioneer, breaking new ground and helping grow a broader understanding of sustainable building practices. Over 25 years, the firm has built an impressive Southern Ontario portfolio, with both lower-profile projects which were often the first LEED-certified building in a municipality, to more prestigious projects that to this day push the boundaries of sustainable and efficient design. This award is sponsored

by Enwave Arman Mottaghi, Emerging Green Leader winner – Co-founder and CEO of Lambda Science, a Vancouver start-up that uses artificial intelligence to help homebuilders create cost- and energy-efficient building designs, Arman is already a thought leader and innovator in the green building space. Through Lambda, he has developed partnerships with five B.C. cities and helped more than 200 builders build more energyefficient homes. This award is sponsored by DIALOG. Ben Henderson, City of Edmonton, Government Leadership Award winner – As Council Chair of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) program of FCM, City of Edmonton Councillor Ben Henderson has provided exceptional leadership and guidance during a time of significant growth for funding allocations to green building capital projects and municipal capacity building. During his tenure, Ben has facilitated the provision of millions of dollars to Canadian communities, enabling investments in green initiatives, and been a stabilizing force as the liaison between GMP council and FCM’s Executive committee. This award is sponsored by Stantec.

Left to right: Zero Energy Buildings Learning Centre at BCIT, 25 York Street, and the AMPED Sports Lab and Ice Complex.

Zero Energy Buildings Learning Centre at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Inspired Educator winner – Created to support the construction industry’s transition to the new BC Energy Step Code and new City of Vancouver Zero Emissions Building bylaws, ZEBLC provides a full suite of training courses that are short and hands-on. This past year as part of the pandemic response, they transitioned from their unique classroom with 25 full-scale building assemblies to an online offering.

Despite this disruption, more than 500 individuals have benefited from live construction demonstrations and lectures broadcast by the Centre since March 2020.

Susan Kapetanovic-Marr, Ed Lim Technical Expertise Volunteer Award winner – Susan is a long-standing, dedicated volunteer who goes the extra mile to provide the expertise needed to continually advance sustainable buildings in Canada.

Director of Sustainability with Canderel and a professional engineer in Alberta, she has been an active CaGBC volunteer for a decade, starting with the Sites-Water Technical Advisory Group in 2011, a committee that she continues advise to this day. Susan also provides her extensive knowledge to the USGBC’s Water Efficiency TAG and their Location and Transportation TAG. Additionally, she recently joined the International WELL Building Institute’s Water Advisory Group and joined the LEED Canada Steering Committee in 2020 to provide broader market and technical insight for CaGBC’s green building programs.

GREEN BUILDING EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS: MEC Vancouver, New Construction Award winner – This mixed-use mass timber building at the gateway of Vancouver’s Olympic Village embodies the values of MEC and its customers. In addition to impressive water reuse and conservation elements, the project’s thoughtful design means that it contributes nearly twice as much energy to the Neighbourhood Energy Utility as it consumes. Photo Michael Elkin Honourable mention, Humber College, Barrett Centre for Technology. This award is sponsored by Morguard.

25 York Street, Toronto, Existing Building Award winner – This LEED EB:O+M Platinum building in downtown Toronto not only sets an exceptionally high bar in greenhouse gas, energy and water performance, it goes the extra mile in committing to the well-being of its occupants and in empowering tenants to help the building achieve its sustainability goals.

The Confluence, Summer Village of Waiparous, Alberta, Inspiring Home winner – This residence on a previously developed site helped push the residential marketplace towards environmentally friendly products and manufacturer transparency.

Its net positive energy and water performance is especially impressive given the location’s extreme climate.

Photo Pavel Hajek This award is sponsored by Enbridge.

Ottawa’s AMPED Sports Lab and Ice Complex, Zero Carbon Award winner – The AMPED project provides a shining example of how even a commercial building with an energy-intensive use in an extreme climate can lower its greenhouse gas emissions by almost 90 per cent. AMPED achieved this by using an advanced predictive learning software, a building and ice plant automation system, energy retrofits, custom build and design strategies, the removal of combustion fuels through electrification, and renewable energy generation technologies. This award is sponsored by Entuitive.

Lindsey Kent, University of Calgary, Andy Kesteloo Memorial Student Project Award winner - This fourth year Civil Engineering student project focuses on the redevelopment of Rundle Manor, an affordable housing complex in northeast Calgary. Judges noted the project’s technical sophistication, especially the depth of engineering considerations, designed with a practical eye to today’s construction industry and code framework, as well as the community’s need.

FALL 2021 Ontario FOCUS

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YOUR LEED v4.1 QUICK-REFERENCE

Canadian Directory of Products and Services for Sustainable, HighPerformance Building

Visit our on-line Directory to see hundreds of listings of companies which supply products and services for sustainable, high-performance building.

Listings are organized by Product Category and by LEED v4.1 Category.

Our LEED v4.1 Directory is created with the help of our partner:

Our 2021 Partners SITE | LANDSCAPING | RAINWATER HARVESTING

COATINGS AND INTERIOR

ACO Systems

Artech Ceiling Specialties

Molok® Deep Collection™ System

CBR Products

Roth North America

Dulux/PPG

Wishbone Site Furnishings

Forbo Flooring Systems Masonite Architectural

STRUCTURE & EXTERIOR ENVELOPE

Teknion Limited

475 High Performance Building Supply Architek SBP Inc.

ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | HVAC | RENEWABLES

Arriscraft Building Stone

Acuity Brands

CBC Metals and Processing

Aquatech

Fraser Wood Siding

Daikin Applied

LiveRoof

Elkay

NATS Nursery Ltd.

Fantech

Radon Environmental

Klimatrol

Thames Valley Brick & Tile

Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc. RadiantLink In-wall Heating

THERMAL, WINDOWS & DYNAMIC GLASS

Sloan Valve

Cascadia Windows & Doors

Tempeff

Duxton Windows & Doors

Termobuild

ENERsign Windows+Doors

Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc.

Inline Fiberglass Ltd. Innotech Windows + Doors

GREEN DESIGN SUPPORT + PROFESSIONALS

Kohltech Windows & Entrance Systems

Canadian Precast Concrete Quality Assurance

JELD-WEN Windows & Doors

Certification Program

LiteZone™ Insulating Glass

Efficiency Nova Scotia

Pollard Windows Inc.

FABRIQ architecture

Dynamic Glass SageGlass

RJC Engineers Sustainable Forestry Initiative

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