The pre-amalgamation City of Toronto introduced a program called ‘Healthiest Babies Possible’ that focused on pregnant women, including teenagers, single mothers and certain immigrant groups, who were at higher risk of having babies with low birth weights [at a rate of 15 – 20% of their population as compared with the Toronto average of 5%].
By David Sisam
The separation of cities from their food sources is directly related to many of the most pressing problems in the world today – climate change, obesity, energy supply, pollution, resource availability, global poverty, and food security. For example, the concerns about peak oil and other future resource shortages have a huge impact on food given the energy intensity of current food production methods and the use of [fossil fuel based] fertilizers.
By Dr Mark Gorgolewski
Across Canada the character of suburban communities is changing. The single-use zoning that for half a century led to the development of separate car-oriented residential, commercial and industrial areas is now being overlaid with more progressive, pedestrian-oriented planning and urban design principles including mixed-use development, neighbourhood densification and the intensification of existing commercial cores. The result will be a new generation of suburban cities around the fringes of our existing metropolitan centres.
By Mary Beth Rondeau
Designing interiors can be an ephemeral pursuit. This is especially true in retail and hospitality projects where clients often want a fresh perspective after only five years. The trend to reinvent, repurpose, and all too often replace, is common in our disposable culture.
By Michael Green
The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation in Penticton is a post-secondary training facility for students entering the new generation of sustainable building trades. With a floor area of 7,000 sq.m the project is by far the largest of Canada’s current contenders for the Living Building Challenge [LBC].
Artistic originality is rarely mentioned in the context of sustainable architecture and construction. For example, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid-like buildings have not found a place in this magazine. In fact, when architects of this avant-garde ilk claim how their buildings do deploy environmentally-responsible features, their claims have seemed to lack credibility or at best sound like secondary rationales. I firmly believe, however, that environmentally-responsible thinking can be a fruitful driver of artistic innovation in architecture.
By Paul Raff
The USGBC has responded to criticism of its exclusive recognition of FSC - certified wood
as eligible for LEED credit by creating its own Forest Certification Benchmark [FCB]. Now in
its fourth round of public consultation, the FCB will offer other certification systems such as SFI
and CSA the opportunity to demonstrate compliance under the 81 criteria currently proposed.
It is estimated that the construction industry consumes approximately 40% of the global material flow, and generates about 33% of the North American solid waste stream. Of the Construction & Demolition [C&D] waste, 15% is comprised of gypsum drywall product. If we want to change these numbers we need to start viewing materials found in the waste stream as resources or commodities rather than as waste.
BY RENÉE GRATTON
SELECTIVE INSULATION is an artist’s studio located in Hexham, UK. The project, which is a small insulated enclosure within a larger working space, is a response to the chilly working conditions in the Old School House, which is now an artist’s facility.
By Stephanie Davidson
