The growing pressure being placed on energy supply as a result of increasing global energy demand is one of the key challenges that we face and will continue to face. Efforts are under way to find new and improved methods to supply this energy, yet one of the key solutions is to use less energy in the first place. Designing buildings to respond to the climate within which they are located, is one of the most important ways of achieving this aim.

By Johan Bothma, Don Crockett and Jeanette Southwood

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Canada ranks as one of the highest producers of solid waste per capita in the world. A recent survey by Statistics Canada showed that in the year 2002 just over 32.4 million tonnes of waste were managed in Canada with only 25% of this being recycled or reused. Although the figures vary by region, construction and demolition [C&D] wastes account for up to 25% of the non-hazardous solid waste stream.

By Jim Taggart

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While there are many instances of promotion of other materials [e.g. points for fly ash promote the use of concrete], at the heart of the matter is the fact that unlike European and Japanese systems, North American rating systems have been slow to adopt life cycle assessment as a means to quantify the impacts of material choice.

By Helen Goodland

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Adaptable, flexible, demountable, and sustainable, are some of the positive attributes that proprietary partition manufacturers have been promoting for years now. And while such systems have been adopted as standard practice for commercial buildings in many countries, these are still difficult concepts for the construction industry to grasp in our land of plenty, where resources seem as abundant as the space to waste them.

By Renée Gratton

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Performance and longevity in the details

Over the last few years, most commercial and institutional construction in Canada has moved to exterior wall systems in which the building insulation is applied to the outside face of the wall framing and sheathing system. This type of construction, with the air/vapour barrier applied to the exterior sheathing, then insulation and subgirt framing covered with an exterior cladding, has proven effective in Canada’s varied climates.

By Don Delaney

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Best practices for energy and resource conservation

Recreation facilities have long been important gathering places that contribute significantly to the physical and social health of the communities they serve. Recreation buildings must continue to support and enhance this civic mandate, while at the same time addressing ever increasing expectations of environmental performance. Yet as a building type, athletic facilities are typically resource intensive, both in their operation and their utility usage, and typically have a large environmental footprint.

By Robert Allen and Chi Nguyen

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Understanding Glare

Daylight harvesting in architecture is a complicated task as the most prominent characteristic of daylight is its variability. There are many methods of estimating how daylight will benefit spaces but too often the potential for glare is not properly addressed during design. This is especially prevalent in office space environments. A far too common scene is an office space with paper or foil taped to the glazing to keep glare sources from disturbing occupants. This article outlines what glare is, how it can be measured, when it is critical to analyze the potential for glare, and solutions to both keep occupants comfortable and at the same time optimize daylight harvesting throughout the year.

By David Mead

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Improved performance, reduced costs

As more new buildings are becoming LEED certified, the attention is also turning to North America’s existing building stock, which includes many inefficient, poorly functioning, unhealthy, and uncomfortable buildings. Now, building owners are looking to save operating costs as well as get their building LEED EB: O&M [Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance] certified.

By Reg Barsoum and Jon Douglas, with an overview by Susan Buchanan

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Why it really costs nothing

Sustainability is having far-reaching impacts on building standards, codes and specifications. It is being written into municipal by-laws and zoning, with most municipalities choosing LEED® as their green building standard. In the commercial sector, sustainable buildings have become the new benchmark for Class ‘A’ office space.

By Vince Catalli and Ralf Nielsen

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The fifth facade

In the world of Industrial, Commercial and Institutional [ICI] construction, the vast majority of buildings have flat roofs that are often not in view. Yet they exist in the harshest of environments - baked under blazing sun, exposed to wind, rain and snow, walked upon by various trades with little concern for the integrity of the membrane. All of this while performing arguably the most important building envelope function - protecting the interior space below by keeping the exterior elements out.

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