Issue 23 - May | June 2010

Performance Matters: The Next Generation of Sustainable buildings anD communities

Millennium Water, Vancouver

Reflections on the Promise, Process and Performance of a prototype sustainable community
With a long and checkered history spanning more than a decade, several municipal elections and multiple about-turns in design direction, the development of Vancouver’s South East False Creek [SEFC] sustainable neighbourhood, has attracted more controversy than any other planning initiative since Expo ’86. VIEW SPREAD


Insulation Product Types Thermal Mass and Energy Performance The least expensive and essential first step to saving energy is to increase thermal resistance of the building envelope with insulation. Manufacturers provide a variety of insulation types and applications, each having varying environmental trade-offs. more	Darling Home for Kids Green agenda helps the chronically ill The Darling Home for Kids provides high quality respite and palliative care services for families with children who are medically fragile and technology dependent, many of whom suffer from progressive or terminal illnesses. The building sits amid 31 hectares of woodland, among the rolling hills of the Niagara escarpment. more

Charlesbourg Library Partial subterranean infill animates historic district The expansion of the Charlesbourg Public Library, in the heart of the centrally located Trait-Carré historic district of Quebec City, included many challenges, among them how to address the following questions: • How could the new library become a vehicle and a support for memories associated with the site while at the same time meeting all present and future needs ? • How could the new plan and public spaces contribute to the creation of an animated urban environment? more	Salt Building revival Restored heritage warehouse targets LEED-Gold certification The Salt Building is centrally located in Vancouver’s new Southeast False Creek [SEFC] sustainable neighbourhood. Dating from the 1930s, it is the only remaining structure in the first phase of SEFC that connects directly back to False Creek’s rich industrial past of sawmills, shipbuilding, and steel fabrication. more
	Lighting Controls Strategies for Wireless Systems Minimizing the energy consumption for lighting can only be achieved when the lighting is controlled in an efficient manner. The better this goal is achieved, the greater the energy savings. More