Issue 25 - September | October 2010

THE FOREST CERTIFICATION DEBATE view spreads

Two Reactions to the USGBC’s Third Draft Forest Certification Benchmark

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.


REGENT PARK REVITALIZATION Sustainable design and mixed housing aim to make lives better Regent Park is Canada’s largest and oldest public housing project. Located on 70 acres east of the downtown core, it replaced one of Toronto’s worst slums with a “garden city” development that, despite the best of intentions, isolated and stigmatized the community. more	FALSE CREEK ENERGY CENTRE Sewage heat recovery plant an art object in city core The False Creek Energy Centre [FCEC] is an innovative heating plant that produces domestic hot water and space heating for the Neighbourhood Energy Utility [NEU] that serves Vancouver’s emerging South East False Creek community. more

WOOD Sustainable with or without LEED As structural engineers, Fast + Epp have been involved in many leading edge sustainable design projects, working with architects such as Busby Perkins+Will, Hughes Condon Marler and KMBR. Some projects have scored high on the LEED rating system, while others have chosen not to pursue certification. more	ADAPTIVE REUSE VIEW SPREADS Warehouse to Office in Saskatoon Through the mid 2000s, the steady growth in our firm made it necessary for us to look for additional office space. After a lengthy search for suitable premises, a rather unassuming egg warehouse was selected for re-development. more
	THE ECONOMICS OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS 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. more