Ontario Focus Spring 2022 by SAB Magazine

ONTARIO Canada Green Building Council

FOCUS

ISSUE 23, SPRING 2022, CAGBC Regional Publication /

ED SACKFIELD ARENA

Renewal project creates welcoming space that connects the community

389 Church Street

Deep retrofit preserves building and improves living conditions

CAGBC leads mindful MATERIALS collaboration hub

LEED Rankings Canada remains a global leader

Accelerating the adoption of low-impact materials

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

SENSING THE FUTURE OF THE RESTROOM. TO DAY.

Sloan’s sensor-operated products are leading the way toward the future of the integrated commercial restroom. With touch-free solutions for greater hand hygiene and cohesive design, that future is now. Learn more at sloan.com/touch-free Shown above: ST-2469 Water Closet with CX-8158 Flushometer in Graphite, Sloan ® XLERATOR ® EHD-501 Hand Dryer in Graphite, Designer Series™ DSG-83000 Gradient Sink with laminated cabinet-style vertical enclosure, BASYS ® EFX-250 Faucet and ESD-500 Soap Dispenser in Graphite, SU-7419 Designer Urinal with CX-8198 Flushometer in Graphite

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS SABMag - SUMMER 2021

Distributed in Canada by Dobbin Sales dobbinsales.com

See the digital version at 9

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

In this Issue SPRING 2022

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Upcoming Events + Workshops

Trinity Bellwoods Laneway House Clear vision, compact design brings families together

Canada remains a global LEED leader Green buildings part of climate action and support healthy, resilient communities

CAGBC releases embodied carbon primer Guide will help building sector seize opportunities for timely and sustainable carbon reductions

Ed Sackfield Arena - Renewal project creates a welcoming space that connects the community

24 Ottawa Station VIA Rail First to achieve LEED certification

CAGBC leads mindful MATERIALS collaboration hub - Accelerating the adoption of low-impact materials

389 Church Street - Deep retrofit preserves building and improves living conditions

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: Ed Sackfield Arena. ZAS Architects. Photo - Michael Muraz.

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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.*

Youth Services Bureau — By the numbers 23.0%

Projected annual energy savings

30.8%

Projected annual natural gas savings

27.9%

Projected GHG reduction

Visit enbridgegas.com/SBD-affordable 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/SBD-affordable for details. To be eligible for the Savings by Design Affordable Housing program, projects must be located in the former Enbridge Gas Distribution service area. © 2022 Enbridge Gas Inc. All rights reserved. ENB 823 03/2022

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A refreshed start for 2022 A message from Canada Green Building Council president and CEO, Thomas Mueller

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Spring issue of FOCUS Ontario, a long-standing partnership between CAGBC and with the Sustainable Architecture & Building Magazine. As we enter the Council’s 20th anniversary year, we remember and value our past and current relationships in the industry that helped move our common aspirations and actions forward to transform the building sector in Canada. Relationships were critical in moving CAGBC’s agenda forward, despite the challenges of the pandemic. By working together, we have made significant progress. Over the last year, we saw unprecedented interest from industry and policy-makers in green building as a solution to climate change, resiliency, health and safety. The acceptance of climate change has driven the widespread adoption of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) frameworks among Canadian corporations and the global announcements at COP26 led to an unprecedented commitment to climate action. We saw this commitment reflected in the federal Ministers’ mandate letters which address CAGBC’s recommendations to increase funding opportunities for zero carbon green buildings. It also drove more market interest in CAGBC services, research and products, including LEED, the Zero Carbon Building standards, and Investor Ready Energy Efficiency certification for retrofits

In Ontario, there has been much excitement regarding the next version of the Toronto Green Standard. These updated sustainable design and performance requirements for new private and city-owned developments come into effect May 1, 2022, focusing on carbon reduction. This is well aligned with our Zero Carbon Building standards which is also reflected in the recent announcement by Toronto Waterfront on the Quayside development’s zero-carbon target. In this issue you’ll see other reasons to be optimistic about what we have accomplished and new market intelligence to advance market adoption. Canada remains a leader in LEED certified space globally, and Ontario is a significant part of that trend. We launched Decarbonizing Canada’s Large Buildings, a study that proves that there is a deep carbon retrofit path for all large buildings. And most recently, we turned our attention to embodied carbon with the release of a new white paper. This momentum will continue throughout our 20th anniversary year. This anniversary will coincide with a new CAGBC brand and website, as well as a return to integrated delivery of green building certification. Finally, planning is underway for the Building Lasting Change national conference on June 1-3 in Toronto’s Beanfield Centre. It is our first in-person conference in three years and a great opportunity for everyone to reconnect and get reenergized about the progress we made to date and the opportunities ahead. Don’t miss it. I hope to see you there. Sincerely, Thomas Mueller President & CEO, Canada Green Building Council

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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.

BUILDING LASTING CHANGE Canada’s premier green building conference returns in person to Toronto’s Beanfield Centre June 1-3. Learn more at cagbc.org/blc. CAGBC INNOVATION SERIES: MORE THAN BEING GREEN – CIBC SQUARE Session Date: April 14, 2022 Duration: 90 minutes Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm Eastern; 9:00am – 10:30am Pacific Format: Online event Join us for a case study in excellence. CIBC SQUARE, through a partnership between Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines, is redefining Toronto by creating much more than physical spaces. This project creates an experience uniquely centred around humans to work, engage, and explore. CIBC SQUARE integrates wellness features for every sense—the air you breathe, the sounds you hear, the food and water they offer, the spaces you interact with, and the environment that surrounds you. The first of its kind in Toronto (and beyond), CIBC SQUARE is a place where a holistic approach to personal well-being and green principles come together to meet and enhance lifestyles. Pricing: Members: Free Non-Members: $20

CAGBC INNOVATION SERIES: A BETTER WAY TO SPEC Session Date: May 19, 2022 Duration: 90 minutes Time: 10:30am – 12:00pm EDT / 7:30am – 9:00am PDT Format: Online event Design teams and building owners have the power to holistically enhance the environmental performance and outcomes of new and retrofit projects. Join industry leaders who holistically integrate environmental performance across all aspects of building projects and learn about tools currently available to reach these goals on budget and on-time. Pricing: Members: Free Non-Members: $20 Session Sponsors Superior Essex Communications

Session Sponsors Ivanhoe Cambridge

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/learn

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

BUILDING LASTING CHANGE Don’t miss Canada’s green building conference.

JUNE PRESENTING SPONSOR

Toronto’s Beanfield Centre

cagbc.org/blc

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

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Trinity Bellwoods Laneway House Clear vision, compact design brings families together By Christine Lolley

The vision came from a young urban couple who, even before the City of Toronto had released its laneway house program, wanted a sustainable home in Toronto’s highly desirable Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood but had a limited budget. The generosity came from the parents, who gifted the young couple the space above their two-car garage on the laneway behind their house.

The Trinity Bellwoods Laneway House is a beautiful example of how generosity and a clear vision can lead to the creation of a modern home nestled in an urban laneway.

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Site plan 1. Proposed Laneway suite 2. Two-storey commercial unit 3. Masonry garage

4. Three-storey dwelling 5. Two-storey dwelling

1. The front elevation and the main entry next to the garage. 2. The new house as situated on the laneway.

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Thanks to detailed planning and an understanding of the approvals process, we were able to place a compact three-bedroom home atop the garage. This was done without infringing on the garage itself, which is used year-round, including in the summer as a second kitchen for canning and preserves. The result is two family homes on a lot that previously held just one. Close enough for the grandchildren to grow up seeing their grandparents daily. Separate enough for everyone to have their own space. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Making the most of the existing construction footprint is a key green home design principle. This house has only 575 square feet per floor but with careful design, we ensured maximum efficiency and utility. This included carefully tucking mechanicals under the stairs and turning a small amount of exposed ducting into a design feature.

Level one

Stepping through the front door off the iconic Toronto laneway, one enters a crisp, white penny-tiled vestibule, with no indication that there is a garage through the wall to the left. A narrow staircase draws one up into the house itself, offering a view to the Toronto skyline through a window.

3. The view from the existing two-storey house showing the rear elevation of the laneway house and the courtyard.

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Level three

4. The L-shaped open-concept main floor contains the kitchen, dining space, and lounge area, with a uniform colour palette of white and matte black. 4

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Sloped roof - Prefinished exposed fastener steel roofing - 1x4 horizontal WD strapping @16” oc with gap at butt joints - 3” rigid mn wool insulation (R12) - Peel and stick underlayment - 5/8 plywood sheathing - 2x8 wood rafter @ 16” oc - 7” CCSAF (R42) - 1/2” GWB

To roof parapet

Prefinished metal roofing Prefinished drip edge Blocking as required for drip edge fastening Prefinished metal siding

Framed floor - Finished flooring - Underlayment as per flooring manufacturer - 3/4” plywood subfloor, glued and screwed - 11-7/8” engineered WD joist @ 16” - 3-1/2” sound batt mn wool insulation - 1/2” GWB

1x4 WD strapping Acoustic sealant between top plates Baseboard Caulking

Level three Exposed floor - Finished flooring - Underlayment as per flooring manufacturer - 3/4” plywood subfloor, glued and screwed - 11-7/8” engineered WD joist @ 16” - 4” CCSAF (R24) - 8” wool batt insulation - Resilient channel - 1/2” GWB

Lap roofing underlayment over air/weather barrier

Exterior wall wood framing w/s steel siding - Prefinished steel siding - 1x4 horizontal WD strapping - 2” rigid mineral wool insulatin R8 - Air/weather barrier - 1/2” plywood sheathing - 2x6 WD stud @16” oc - 5/12 mineral wool batt insulation R22 - 6 mil poly vapour barrier membrane - 1/2” GWB

6” CCSAF

6. The landing of the stair illuminated with a skylight.

LSM rim board to match joist depth Flex flashing over site bent flashing

Level two

5. The stair leading up from the main entry surmounted by the landing of the stair going from the second to third floors. A glass barrier maximizes the sense of openness.

Site bent flashing Existing sill plate and anchor bolt Existing above grade CMU wall - Prefinished steel siding - 2-layers WD strapping @ 16” oc - Sizes variable to align finished face of siding with wall above - Spray applied weather barrier

Existing solid top course

Flashing tape over prefinished metal flashing Prefinished metal flashing

Level one Existing CMU wall Existing slab on grade

NOTE: The project uses Majvest 200 air/weather barrier by Siga, a mechanically fastened, 3-ply membrane designed for above-grade moisture control and air barrier applications. It resists wind-driven rain and snow, while protecting the wall beneath from condensation build-up.

16” x 8” existing footing

Wall section SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

7. The dining room which looks out to the laneway. 8. The reverse view of photo 7 looking from the stair landing back to the living room.

The L-shaped open-concept main floor contains the kitchen, dining space, and lounge area, with a uniform colour palette of white and matte black, and light wood accents. Throughout the house, windows framing the CN tower and various cityscapes make the city a piece of art. Another staircase leads to the third storey. A glass barrier maximizes the sense of openness and a waterfall edge brings sculptural interest. At the landing, there is a cut-out to the stairs that come up off the laneway. This brings natural light to those stairs and means that guests can also be greeted from this different vantage point. The upper floor has three bedrooms and a common bathroom. Because of the planning committee’s requirement for an angular plane on one side of the building, one of the bedrooms and the common bathroom have a sloping roof which, in fact, contributes to the eclectic contemporary loft vibe. While experienced in energy-efficient design and laneway house planning, we were happy to work with builder Joël Campbell of Laneway Custom Build who brought his meticulous construction skills to the project.

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For cost and convenience, we used wood framing and engineered wood as much as possible. Steel was required for the garage drop beam replacement and the new moment frame. Similarly, for building code reasons, the wall along the property line had to be built from concrete masonry blocks (which have a higher carbon footprint), but the other three walls were 2x6 framed. The interior of the concrete masonry wall was insulated with highperformance spray foam insulation on furring. The 2x6 walls have mineral wool batt insulation, followed by a vapour barrier and drywall. The exterior is a rainscreen of mineral wool insulation board, which also offers excellent soundproofing for city living, strapping, and steel cladding. The corrugated steel cladding is inexpensive and highly durable, and can look very sophisticated if designed well and installed properly. The triple-glazed windows have Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (UPVC) frames and deliver very good energy-efficient performance. Having a high level of air tightness, the pre-drywall test for this building was almost at passive house value. The clients chose all-electric systems which meant a slightly higher capital investment and operating costs, but the low carbon footprint was in line with their values. An air source heat pump provides both heating and cooling, while an energy recovery ventilator delivers fresh air and ensures maximum energy efficiency. An electrical connection was roughed in to allow for the eventual installation of photovoltaic panels on the south-facing sloping roof.

Christine Lolley is a principle at Solares Architecture.

Sticks to Concrete Without Primer

Fentrim® 430 grey

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

Ed Sackfield Arena Renewal project creates a welcoming space that connects the community By Marek C Zawadzki

The Ed Sackfield Arena is an addition to a municipal arena and a key component of the David Hamilton Park renewal project. The existing arena was operating at capacity in a growing residential area of Richmond Hill while the park was aging and in need of upgrades to outdoor facilities. The overall goal was to maintain and enhance the park and arena as a social hub and focal point of the community’s recreation and urban life. The expansion program for the arena itself included twinning the existing ice pad, with an elevated running/ walking track on the upper level encircling the ground level rink, and providing new community space and a fitness centre. Designed to LEED Silver, the expansion maintains a low-profile, curved roof design, and a consistent material palette with the original building. 1

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Ground floor plan 1 New NHL sized ice pad 2 Player’s benches 3 Player’s dressing rooms (6) 4 Coach/Referee Rooms (2) 5 Controlled access fitness centre & storage 6 Entrance 7 Stairs & viewing amphitheatre 8 Urban forecourt 9 Spectator bleachers 10 Existing arena 11 Universal washrooms 12 Ice resurfacer, storage, maintenance & mechanical/electrical rooms 13 Elevator

1. The main entrance to the Ed Sackfield Arena which, together with the improved David Hamilton Park, has become a hub of the community’s recreation and urban life.

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Second floor plan 1 Open to ice surface below 2 Roof 3 Fitness equipment room 4 Mezzanine walking track entrance 5 Universal washroom 6 Stairs & viewing amphitheatre 7 Open to lobby below 8 Stretching areas 9 Existing roof 10 Exit stair 11 Elevator

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PROJECT CREDITS ARCHITECTS ZAS Architects OWNER City of Richmond Hill GENERAL CONTRACTOR Bondfield LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Landscape Planning Ltd. CIVIL ENGINEER Valdor Engineering MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Jain Consultants COMMISSIONING AGENT CFMS Consulting Inc. LEED CONSULTING GREEN REASON PHOTOS Michael Muraz

PROJECT PERFORMANCE Recycled materials content: 20.3 % by value Water consumption from municipal source: 9,162 litres/occupant/year Reduction in water consumption: 40% State the reference on which the % reduction is based: LEED 2

Construction materials diverted from landfill: 93.2% Regional materials by value: 35.5% Site Area: 43,593 m2

The orientation of the building takes advantage of the existing topography of the park and also allows for a dedicated entrance through a new playground and community gathering space. A key component of the decision making in the design was ensuring that the facility supported both structured and drop-in activities.

Building gross floor area: 5,672 m2 Energy Intensity: 504.6 KWhr/m2/year [Includes base building and process energy] Reduction in energy intensity based on ASHRAE 90.1: 23%

2. The orientation of the building takes advantage of the existing topography of the park and allows for a dedicated entrance through a new playground and community gathering space. 3. The stairs and viewing amphitheatre looking to the ice pad. 4. The fitness centre. 5. The building has maximized heat recovery opportunities to improve its energy performance. It also includes primarily LED lighting throughout. This results in approximately 23% cost improvement over the ASHRAE 90.1 2007. 6. The track of the mezzanine level where the deck of the vaulted roof has a light-reflective coating to maximize the reflection of daylight.

The 24/7/365 facility presented challenges in optimizing energy efficiency due to the high energy requirements of maintaining ice throughout the year. The design team focused on building siting and design strategies to offset the energy use of the refrigeration systems.

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The building envelope includes significantly more glazing than the traditional arena, which allows views to the exterior while maintaining indoor conditions for keeping the quality of the ice and the ice user experience high, but also features a white high-albedo roof to balance solar heat gain. The deck of the vaulted roof is also coated with a lightreflective coating to maximize the reflection of daylight back down to the ice surface during the day and the artificial lighting at night to reduce the amount of artificial lighting required. We anticipated difficulties in meeting air quality targets, however, with persistence the project obtained 11 of the 15 points available for indoor environmental quality by way of outdoor air delivery monitoring, air quality monitoring of construction during construction and before occupancy, chemical and pollutant source control, and designing for thermal comfort. The 10-hectare David Hamilton Park was renovated and restored concurrently with the Ed Sackfield Arena expansion to include significant areas of restoration with native plant species which require no irrigation system.

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7. The Ed Sackfield Arena maximizes the opportunities for people from all walks of life to enjoy the recreational activities on site. CFMS acted as the independent Cx Authority for the Owner, and completed their assigned tasks required for LEED® certification, ie prerequisite for ‘Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning’ (EAp1), and credit for ‘Enhanced Building Systems Commissioning’ (EAc3).

Stormwater is managed through grassed swales, rain gardens, and infiltration chambers. In addition, plumbing fixtures were specified to be suited to a highly used public building environment while also reducing water consumption as much as possible. All of these measures reduced water consumption by approximately 40% over the baseline. The overall annual energy consumption is 504.6 kWh/ m2 from the combined electrical uses such as lighting, space heating, space cooling, fans, and plug loads, in addition to the natural gas usage for heating, dehumidification, and service water heating. The building mechanical system is based on three packaged units as well as two heat recovery units and one desiccant dehumidifier for the rink. The heat recovery units serve the multiple dressing rooms. The main energy saving features included in the building design are condensing space heat boilers, condensing boilers for domestic and resurfacing hot water, heat recovery on outside air, desiccant dehumidification, variable speed heating pump, lighting design with low lighting power density, occupancy sensors floor lighting control on office floors, and premium efficiency motors.

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The project was able to achieve a significant 51% energy savings in the final lighting design. Similarly, the heating system has contributed to 43% energy savings for the project. The total percentage of savings is 23%, based on ASHRAE 90.1 – 2007 performance compliance, with a consequential reduction in emissions. Building materials were selected for functionality, durability and cost efficiency, with an eye to recycled and regional content, which came in at about 20% and 34% by cost, respectively. Many interior walls are constructed with site-painted concrete block to reduce maintenance requirements and to ensure longevity of the materials in the humid environment of an ice pad. Touches of wood are added to soften the experience for users in key areas such as seating. The exterior is primarily brick to match the existing facility. All of the primary building materials (concrete, brick, aluminum, glass) are recyclable at the end of building service life. Designed to encourage people from all walks of life to enjoy a welcoming space and connection to the surrounding community, the Ed Sackfield Arena and David Hamilton Park renewal project will bring significant long-term savings in energy and water resources.

Marek Zawadzki is Senior Principle at ZAS Architects + Interiors.

Canada’s leading independent third-party building commissioning company since 1992.

www.cfms.ca

905-787-9449

design to transcend dsai.ca | 416 862 8800

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SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

Canada remains a global LEED leader

Green buildings are part of climate action and support healthy, resilient communities

By CAGBC Staff

The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) recently shared that Canada has again ranked among the top LEED territories. Canada placed second globally on the annual list of Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED in 2021. In 2021, Canada certified 205 projects, representing more than 3.2 million gross square meters (GSM) of LEED space. The global LEED ranking is released annually by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It highlights countries and territories outside the United States that are making significant strides in healthy, sustainable and resilient building design, construction and operations. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient green buildings with positive returns on investment. “Over the last two decades, CAGBC members, stakeholders and supporters have demonstrated how certified green buildings support our economy, create jobs and are better for both people and the planet,” said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO, CAGBC.

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“There is much work to be done to meet Canada’s climate and environmental goals. In this critical decade for climate and environmental action, we must accelerate LEED adoption across the building sector to achieve high levels of performance including the pursuit of net-zero carbon emissions. The owners and teams with certified LEED projects have made tremendous progress and are an inspiration as we build our way forward to a more sustainable and low-carbon future.”

Looking at the global picture Mainland China topped the list with more than 14 million GSM certified to LEED in 2021, followed by Canada, India, Republic of Korea and Spain. These top five countries represent the ever-growing international demand for certified LEED green buildings that help reduce environmental impact and support health and well-being. The list ranks countries in terms of GSM of space certified in 2021. The U.S. is not included in the list but remains the world’s largest market for LEED with more than 26 million GSM of certified space in 2021. The full ranking is as follows:

1. 1515 Douglas Street, Vancouver, BC – LEED Platinum (Office) 2. Concordia University’s Applied Science Hub, LEED Gold (Multifunction) 3. Azure Condominium by The Tricar Group (Amenity Lounge, Exterior1) LEED certified (Residential)

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CAGBC releases embodied carbon primer Guide will help building sector seize opportunities for timely and sustainable carbon reductions The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) – with assistance from Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. – recently released a white paper focused on buildings and low-carbon materials. Entitled Embodied Carbon: A Primer for Buildings in Canada, the primer provides the building sector with information and context to better understand embodied carbon and how to address it in new and existing buildings. Embodied carbon from building construction is responsible for 10 percent of all energy-related emissions globally and includes all carbon emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout a building’s life cycle. Through to the year 2050, in Canadian buildings designed for low operational carbon, embodied carbon can represent over 90 percent of total emissions. Clearly, embodied carbon must be addressed if Canada is to meet its climate change goals. For the building sector, most embodied carbon stems from the raw material extraction, manufacture, transportation, and installation of materials used in construction, resulting in upfront carbon released into the atmosphere well before a building is operational. This only re-enforces the need for immediate action to reduce embodied carbon. Increasingly, construction projects are performing life cycle assessments (LCAs) to quantify embodied carbon, and Canada’s building sector is currently transitioning from the basic quantification and reporting of embodied carbon to a stage where reductions must be demonstrated. The LEED™ and Zero Carbon Building – Design™ certification programs already reward projects for reductions in embodied carbon, as will the next iteration (v4) of the Toronto Green Standard.

“Decarbonizing Canada’s built environment will require decisive action on both operational carbon and embodied carbon,” says Mark Hutchinson, Vice President of Green Building Programs at CAGBC. “Embodied carbon must be treated with the same urgency as operational carbon, and owners and developers, designers and builders, and governments all have a role to play.” Helping this transition will be the National Research Council’s Low Carbon Assets through Life Cycle Assessment Initiative, also known as (LCA)2. This initiative was launched to assist the government in procuring infrastructure projects (including buildings) with lower embodied carbon. In support of this goal, (LCA)2 is developing: • Whole-building life cycle assessment guidelines • High quality life cycle inventory datasets for Canadian construction materials • A Canadian life cycle inventory database • Support for the integration of LCA into procurement processes To achieve a zero-carbon society by 2050, all sectors of the economy must decarbonize. Reductions in embodied carbon are a part of this necessary work. This new white paper helps show how the building sector can take advantage of innovations in forestry products, clean steel and lowcarbon cement to help accelerate the decarbonization of the built environment, and in the process, uncover exciting opportunities for meaningful, timely carbon reductions. Read more at https://www.cagbc.org/news-insights

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389 CHURCH ST. REHABILITATION Built in the 1970s, the 13-storey Toronto Community Housing (TCH) building has been completely renovated to modern standards to provide 120 affordable rental apartments. AN

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389 Church Street Deep retrofit preserves building and improves living conditions By Steve Hilditch and Ken DeWaal

389 Church Street, in Toronto’s downtown, is an example of an adaptive reuse high-rise mixed-use residential and commercial project. The original building, designed by Irving Grossman Architect for the Ontario Housing Corporation, dated back to 1971. It was initially designed as transitional housing with a series of suites typically comprised of five single and double bed sleeping rooms with a single shared living/dining/kitchen space, a two-piece washroom and a bathtub room. The building was designed without cooling and with electrical resistance heating, as was common in that era. 1

1. The deep retrofit converted the outdated Toronto Community Housing building to 120 new modern affordable housing units.

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Ground Floor Plan 24

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Typical Floor Plan

Currently owned by Toronto Community Housing, the 13storey reinforced concrete building with masonry exterior walls had reached the end of its useful life without significant renovations. Tenants found the building, exposed on all sides to the heat of the summer sun in a predominantly low-rise neighbourhood, was unbearably hot during the summer. The shared accommodation model was difficult to maintain in an occupied state. As a result, the building was recently fully retrofitted and converted to 120 new modern affordable housing units, providing a safe, inclusive and supportive community for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, gender diverse people, and youth and senior women who have experienced or who are at risk of experiencing homelessness, and is now managed by YWCA Toronto. It is an example of adaptive reuse in a dense urban setting, providing the benefit of carbon sequestering through retention of the existing structure and envelope, while providing building system efficiency upgrades and passive design for a higher performance building on par with new buildings currently under construction. 2. The retrofit included the addition of ramp access to the main entrance and roof terrace.

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The building had many failing and outdated systems, including the building envelope and mechanical systems. In certain locations, the evolution of structural design standards over the last half-century mandated some additional structural improvements. The existing elevators were inadequate in size to meet modern accessibility standards and did not serve the parking garage. The sloped Church Street frontage at the location of the building meant the main building entry was not accessible by other than a flight of stairs.

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Penthouse Floor Plan

Floor plans 1 Garage entrance area 2 Parking ramp 3 Exterior walkway 4 Residential amenity space 5 Storage 6 Pottery studio 7 Bathroom 8 Bike parking 9 Lobby

10 Elevator 11 Garbage/recycle holding room 12 Office 13 Suite 1 bedroom 14 Suite 2 bedroom 15 Stairs 16 Corridor 17 Mechanical room 18 Roof terrace SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

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3. Exterior wall repairs involved metal panel infill around the windows and interior insulation upgrades. The existing underperforming windows were replaced with High Performance Series 400 Commercial Strip Window with Series 325 Awning, 700 Hopper and Series 800 Louver Inserts by Toronto-based Inline Fiberglass Ltd. They meet or exceed the OBC SB10/SB12 Code and satisfy requirements of OBC first and second plane of protection.

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PROJECT CREDITS ARCHITECT Hilditch Architect Inc.

OWNER City of Toronto (Toronto Community Housing) STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Blackwell Structural Engineers, Quinn Dressel Associates MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL ENGINEER WSP

COMMISSIONING AGENT C.E.S. Engineering Ltd. 15

BUILDING ENVELOPE COMMISSIONING RJC Engineers GENERAL CONTRACTOR Turner Construction Canada PHOTOS Hilditch Architect Inc.

Section at window and existing brick wall 1 Foam insulate around window frame 2 Existing drip edge 3 Caulking sealant, entire window perimeter exterior & interior 4 2 layers MDF blocking, moisture resistant 5 Pre-finished aluminum custom double shade pocket 6 Connect framing to shade pocket enclosure. Provide lateral bracing between framing members 7 New window unit 8 41x32 mm bulkhead framing 9 Duct 10 Moisture and abuse resistant gypsum board finish on bulkhead by window 11 Continuous joint caulk with silicone sealant and backer rod at joint b/w window and sill 12 Setback edge profile, c/w rounded top edge

13 Marine plywood sub sill 14 Pressure treated solid support for windows at jambs and sill 15 Caulking sealant, entire window perimeter; leave weep holes at window sill 16 Wrap opening with peel and stick membrane 17 New window sill flashing and counter-flashing 18 Existing masonry sill 19 Foam insulate around window frame 20 Seal vapour retarder to membrane 21 19x89 mm moisture resistant MDF wall base, caulk at floor and wal 22 Peel and stick waterproof membrane sealed to slab and turned up existing masonry wall

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Section at window and existing brick wall 26

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

4. The building interior was fully gutted and all new mechanical systems were installed including integrated ERV systems, highefficiency boilers and air chiller, variable speed fan drives and BAS control systems.

The building interior was fully gutted, including removal of all partitions, outdated mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems and hazardous materials. The existing underperforming windows were fully replaced with high-performance fibreglass windows with advanced glazing. As over cladding of the existing envelope was not possible within the time limitations of available funding, exterior wall repairs and interior insulation upgrades were performed including THERM and WUFI modelling during design. Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) technology was implemented to reinforce building structure and allow for new core penetrations of the existing concrete slabs for new mechanical shafts and risers. All new mechanical systems were installed including integrated ERV systems, high-efficiency boilers and air chiller, variable speed fan drives and BAS control systems to bring the building up to current advanced standards for operating efficiency. Life safety and electrical systems within the building were replaced throughout, including all LED lighting. An emergency power system that allows for continuous use of all elevators, pumps, dwelling unit space conditioning and security systems provides for an additional level of resilience for building occupants. The configuration of the original building lacked sprinklers, cooling systems and air distribution, and was built with a 2.3 m (7’-6”) floor slab to underside of ceiling slab clearance, necessitating innovative integration of the added systems in a very confined floor to ceiling height. The use of BIM technology was essential to the design and layout of these systems, and was coordinated in depth with the trades, construction management team and design consultants.

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5. New kitchens and bathrooms use water-conserving fixtures, including electronic faucets by SLOAN. 6. The mechanical room with Lochinvar Crest condensing boilers and Lochinvar Armor condensing water heaters. Photo: Turner Construction Canada.

This retrofit also allowed for upgrades to make the building fully accessible, with the addition of ramp access to the main entrance and roof terrace, new barrier-free sized elevator to all floors, wider corridors to allow for mobility device movement and accommodations for those visually impaired, including way finding signage with braille. While barrier-free access is provided to all floors, dwelling units and amenity spaces, 15% of the dwelling units have enhanced accessibility features including fully barrier-free washrooms. The savings of not having to acquire a new site, demolish an existing building and construct a new building provided for the cost-effective creation of new affordable housing units and significantly reduced the environmental footprint, while maintaining a presence in a well served downtown core district with public transit, amenities and services only steps away.

Steve Hilditch and Ken DeWaal are principals of Hilditch Architect Inc.

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

Ottawa Station VIA Rail

VIA Rail’s Ottawa station is one of the Corporation’s busiest nationwide. Located at the midway point in its most travelled route, the Québec City - Windsor Corridor, this VIA Rail-owned station in the heart of the nation’s capital is a true traveller’s terminal.

Obtaining the LEED Gold v4.1 certification is a milestone for VIA Rail and a great source of pride for our teams. It brings us one step closer to our green building goal and formalizes our commitment to creating more sustainable and accessible stations and maintenance centres. – Dominique Lemay, Chief Operating Officer

Sustainable travel as the destination The Ottawa station is the Corporation’s flagship station and one of the last of the monumental union stations built in Canada. With its modern aesthetics, this heritage building is located in the city’s east end, an area of commercial and light-industrial buildings. In 2016, VIA Rail formalized its commitment to sustainable mobility through the publication of its first sustainable mobility report. The following year, the Ottawa station was identified as the flagship station where all new sustainability and accessibility initiatives would be piloted. The Ottawa Train Station achieved LEED® Gold v4.1 certification for Operations and Maintenance for Existing Buildings in 2020, becoming VIA Rail’s first station to achieve LEED certification.

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

Sustainability is an integral part of VIA Rail’s strategic plan which prioritizes safe, accessible, efficient, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly passenger rail service. As part of its vision to be the smarter way to move people, VIA Rail embeds environmental, social, economic, and ethical considerations into its strategy and everyday operations. Making sustainable choices when it comes to building management contributes to VIA Rail’s lasting success. For the Ottawa station, VIA Rail placed its commitment to improve the quality of its clientele’s experience at the centre of the renovation project. However, in a high-volume station like Ottawa’s, an obvious challenge to any renovation projects would be not to interrupt operations and keep premises secure for travellers. While the station underwent important renovations from 2016 to 2019 to enhance its environmental performance and accessibility, the LEED certification process for this pilot station didn’t start until 2019. As a globally recognized green building rating system and a symbol of excellence, VIA Rail entrusted the rigorous process behind the LEED certification to ensure their flagship station reflected the Corporation’s sustainability goals.

Initially, the VIA Rail team expected the process would be complex and daunting. However, they were pleasantly surprised by the overall ease of the certification process, the availability of comprehensive tools, resources, and pathways to certification. Using LEED’s policies and best practices, VIA Rail was able to identify further areas of improvement. Those insights resulted in the implementation of the Corporation’s Facility Renovation and Maintenance Policy, Green Cleaning Policy and Purchasing Policy. The Corporation was also able to identify energy reduction measures through the required detailed energy audits. “The certification process allowed us to identify several opportunities to improve the efficiency of the station’s operations, which then led to the implementation of changes to our building management processes and practices,” said Dominique Lemay, Chief Operating Officer. “Ultimately, our goal is not only to enhance the travel experience, but also to go further together. And it is by modernizing our infrastructure and services, and by making them greener, that we will lead Canadians to a more sustainable future.” The station also earned Transportation Performance credits for its convenient location. The Ottawa station connects VIA Rail’s passengers with other environmentally friendly travel options available in the National Capital Region, such as OC Transport light rail, bus services and bicycle access pathways in the warmer months. This allows commuters and visitors alike to access downtown Ottawa and Parliament Hill from virtually anywhere in the Corridor with ease.

A jewel in the National Capital The renovated Ottawa site is an energy efficient building that meets high standards in several key areas of environmental performance, including energy water consumption, waste diversion and human experience. In fact, its electrical and mechanical systems demonstrated superior energy performance, while water use was reduced through low-flow fixtures. The station also achieved a high waste management performance rate, diverting almost 50 per cent of waste from landfills.

Accessibility is another area of critical importance to VIA Rail, and at the Ottawa station, it was addressed through the installation of two elevators to facilitate access to all platforms. A heated boarding platform level with the train door for ease of boarding also features an access ramp with tactile elements for the visually impaired. The Corporation also continuously invests in sustainable solutions for its stations and operations. Some of these initiatives include the 2019 installation of beehives on the rooftop of the station in collaboration with Alvéole and offering a service animal relief area outside the station, as well as curb to platform assistance upon request from passengers.

A first of many As part of its commitment to modernize passenger rail service and contribute to a more sustainable, lowcarbon future, the Corporation is dedicated to creating more environmentally friendly and accessible stations and maintenance centres. In fact, VIA Rail’s priorities include the reduction of its operations’ carbon footprint, the efficient utilization of resources, waste minimization, and highlighting the environmental benefits of rail transportation by convincing more Canadians to take the train. The LEED certification of the Ottawa station was a first for VIA Rail and represents an important milestone for the Corporation, as it marks concrete action in support of its corporate sustainability commitment. The positive impact of this pilot project has inspired VIA Rail to scale up the use of LEED principles and policies in its network. Today, VIA Rail has plans to incorporate green building requirements and credits from LEED at other stations and maintenance centres. In fact, the Corporation already initiated a LEED certification process for its Winnipeg station and envisions more projects down the road.

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

CAGBC will lead the Canadian Hub, a part of mindful Material’s International Hub initiative, to identify regional challenges and opportunities to make healthy low-carbon materials the norm.

CAGBC leads mindful MATERIALS collaboration hub Materials selection plays a crucial role in determining the environmental and human health impacts of building projects. Specifying materials that offer life cycle assessment data, are responsibly sourced and extracted, and use non-toxic ingredients for healthier indoor environments supports climate action and human health by helping create low-carbon, healthy and resilient buildings. Last month CAGBC and mindful MATERIALS (mM) recently announced a new collaboration to accelerate broad adoption of lowimpact materials. Working together, they will encourage a greater understanding of the impacts of material choices and facilitate the Canadian building sector’s shift to better material selection.

SPRING 2022 Ontario FOCUS

As part of this collaboration, CaGBC and mindful Materials will mutually work toward enabling the growth of material transparency and optimization; encourage the sector to deliver a healthier, sustainable, and resilient built environment through better materials; and advance relationships across Canada to support objectives for human health, equity, and environmental well-being as they relate to material choices. CAGBC will lead the Canadian Hub, a part of mindful Material’s International Hub initiative. The international hubs work to identify regional challenges and opportunities to make healthy low-carbon materials the norm. As part of a global network, the hubs build awareness and advocate for materials sustainability. As a primary contributor to the Canadian Hub, CAGBC’s Sustainable Materials Accelerator will share its knowledge and ideas with other global mM hubs and networks.

CAGBC corporate members and founding signatories of the mM Canadian Hub include CertainTeed, Green Reason, Imperial Sign, Mapei, Perkins & Will, and Soprema.

AWARDS

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING MAGAZINE

G RE E N B IAN UI D LD A N 2022 I A

The National Program of Sustainable Architecture & Building Magazine

DON’T MISS NEXT ISSUE SUMMER 2022

OUR ANNUAL AWARDS ISSUE: A full display and description of the 11 winning projects

Thanks to our jury

• Emma Cubitt MArch, OAA, MRAIC, LEED ®AP Principal, Invizij Architects Inc. • Jim Huffman Architect AIBC, FRAIC, LEED® AP Principal/Senior Design Director, B+H Vancouver Studio • Roberto Campos Architect, OAA, MRAIC, ORSA, Partner, Figurr Architects Collective

National sponsors

ARCHITECTURAL

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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 2022 Partners SITE | LANDSCAPING | RAINWATER HARVESTING

COATINGS AND INTERIOR

ACO Systems, Ltd.

Artech Ceiling Specialties

Molok® Ltd.

Century Wood Products Inc.

Roth North America

Dulux/PPG

Wishbone Site Furnishings

Forbo Flooring Systems

STRUCTURE & EXTERIOR ENVELOPE 475 High Performance Building Supply

Ideal Fit MAPEI Inc.

Architek SBP Inc.

ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | HVAC | RENEWABLES

Arriscraft

Acuity Brands Lighting Canada Inc.

CAYAKI Charred Wood/ CFP Woods

Aquatech-Canada

CBC Specialty Metals and Processing

Daikin Applied

Fraser Wood Siding

Elkay

International Timberframes

Fantech

LiveRoof

Klimatrol

NATS Nursery Ltd.

Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc.

Radon Environmental

NTI Boilers

Sound Solutions Inc.

RadiantLink In-wall Heating

Spectrum Unity

Sloan Valve

Thames Valley Brick & Tile

Tempeff

THERMAL, WINDOWS & DYNAMIC GLASS Cascadia Windows & Doors Duxton Windows & Doors

Termobuild VCT GROUP Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc.

ENERsign Windows+Doors

GREEN DESIGN SUPPORT + PROFESSIONALS

Inline Fiberglass Ltd.

Canadian Precast Concrete Quality Assurance

Innotech Windows + Doors

Certification Program

JELD-WEN Windows & Doors

Efficiency Nova Scotia

Kohltech Windows & Entrance Systems

Entuitive

LiteZone™ Insulating Glass

FABRIQ architecture

Vetta Building Technologies Inc.

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