Wastewater testing facility

Low environmental impact and high indoor air quality drive design

The low profile building is clad with cedar siding, brick and stucco that help connect it to its residential neighbourhood

Completed in 2007, the new 26,340sf water and wastewater testing facility, part of the City of Hamilton’s central sewage treatment plant, sits in a mixed residential and industrial neighbourhood.
The location presented some unusual design challenges including: how to offset the heavy building systems loads and environmental impacts inherent in this building type; how to minimize the facility’s environmental impact on the adjacent residential community; and how to maximize indoor air quality. (more…)

CMHC’s EQuilibrium initiative sets new course

The 12 EQuilibrium houses will be “Net zero” energy: producing as much energy as they use over the course of a year, and could well set the course for the design and construction of future housing in Canada. [Photo: Will Bruder Architects, Ltd.]

The Canadian housing industry has seen several green design initiatives in the past number of years, ranging from R2000 to Super E. To a greater or lesser degree, each of these programs has had the effect of leveraging our newer housing stock to higher levels of performance. (more…)