Dedicated to sustainable,
high performance building

Author: Carine De Pauw

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Interview with Mike Manning and Catherine Marshall

The husband-and-wife team at Greenbilt Homes (greenbilthomes.ca) have turned their attention to FlexPlex® – their multiplex building that easily flexes from duplex, triplex, fourplex to single-family. This is a new venture for this 15-year-old Passive House company. Traditionally, Greenbilt has been a custom home builder working with both modular and conventional technology.

1. How did you get the idea for FlexPlex

We started ruminating about multiplexes when our kids were teenagers as a way that they could generate the rental income to afford to own a place. But we wanted them to have the option to enlarge their personal area by removing space from the rental area. Eventually, we came up with a “FlexPlex” prototype. We decided to build a duplex version for ourselves as both our retirement home, and as a retirement income generator. Our FlexPlex could also turn into a single-family multigenerational home if the “kids” have kids and want to live with “Mom and Dad”.  We’re waiting!

2. How did you develop a flexible design and how does it work?

We designed a four 2-bedroom apartment building. Then we stress-tested the building infrastructure by seeing how it would work in a duplex, and a single-family home. We also focused on the aspects of each configuration that make it work and adjusted the design accordingly. There are so many ways the building can flex from one configuration to another, so we’ll give you one example.

If we wanted to turn the upper duplex into two 2-bedroom apartments:

Floor 1: use hidden infrastructure to add an extra bathroom, and in-suite laundry; frame two interior walls and open up a hidden doorway in an existing wall; and move one door.

Floor 2: use hidden infrastructure to add a kitchen; move one door.

3. How can owners benefit from FlexPlex features?

Many buildings become functionally obsolete because they were designed with a single purpose. For example, office buildings with large floorplates likely can’t be adapted to another use. Because of the floorplate and the infrastructure, renovation to change the FlexPlex are quick and easy.

As the FlexPlex can have up to eight bed/bath combinations and four kitchen/food prep areas, there’s a lot of optionality in the design. This building could have multiple configurations as a residence. In addition, it could be a small institutional or hospitality building. 

4. It seems unusual to copyright a construction process.

Why did you do that?

We wanted to protect our IP. But regardless of the legalities, now that we have given SABMag the drawings of the four-unit design, our secrets are out. Perhaps a better question is “why are you sharing this proprietary information?” We are getting toward the end of our careers, and we decided to try to inspire others in sustainable design to keep pushing forward with new ideas. We feel that it’s socially imperative for more innovation to occur to densify sustainably and affordably. We won’t maintain social cohesion if new housing sells at $1,600 per square foot. 
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CAGBC launches Zero Carbon Building Micro-Credential

New micro-credential helps build proficiency in low-carbon concepts and applying the Zero Carbon Building Standards.

The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) recently launched its Zero Carbon Building Essentials Micro-Credential, a new leaning path designed to help green building professionals develop the knowledge neede d to advance carbon reductions.

“The growing demand for low-carbon building solutions requires building professionals to acquire and integrate new skills and knowledge now,” says Thomas Mueller, CAGBC President and CEO. “Drawing on 20 years’ experience delivering high-quality green building training and the expertise we gained from our Zero Carbon Building program, CAGBC’s new micro-credential will provide the key concepts and insights that Canada’s building professionals need to advance decarbonization today.”

The ZCB Micro-Credential was developed to support Canada’s building sector and meet growing demand for low-carbon buildings and retrofits. With only five years left to meet 2030 carbon reduction targets and another 25 years to achieve decarbonization, Canada’s building sector needs to act now to be prepared for the low-carbon future.

The ZCB-Essentials Micro-Credential builds on insights gained from creating and implementing the Zero Carbon Building Standards, Canada’s first and only building standards focused solely on carbon reductions. Now with over a hundred certified buildings and hundreds more registered, CAGBC has created a micro-credential for building industry professionals seeking to better understand zero-carbon concepts.

“Zero-carbon buildings and retrofits require specific skills and knowledge,” said Mark Hutchinson, CAGBC’s vice president of Green Building Programs and Innovation. “Project teams need to be more integrated and collaborative, using common terminology and approaches that everyone involved can understand, from design through to construction and building operations.”

ZCB-Essentials will focus on low carbon fundamentals and help establish an industry-wide lexicon. The micro-credential starts with the live and interactive “Introduction to the Zero Carbon Building Standards” webinar. Five on-demand courses explore key topics including making the business case for zero carbon, Thermal Energy Demand Intensity, the Zero Carbon Balance, Embodied Carbon and transition planning. To complete the micro-credential, a new interactive workshop will provide a practical look at the latest ZCB Standards. 

Participants that complete the micro-credential will receive a ZCB-Essentials badge through Credly, a global Open Badge management platform. With Credly, participants can secure and share their ZCB-Essentials badge, demonstrating their knowledge of zero-carbon principles to clients and employers.

“Launching a micro-credential for the Zero Carbon Building program is one of the many ways CAGBC continues to advance decarbonization in the Canadian real estate market,” said Mueller. “Along with projects to support transition planning, our Learning program is helping prepare the building sector workforce for Canada’s low-carbon future.”

To learn more about the micro-credential, visit cagbc.org/learn.

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Mechanical systems for low energy buildings

By Stuart Hood, Principal, Introba 

When it comes to energy use in buildings, it may seem counterintuitive to say that big savings can cost less than small savings – but this is true if you consider the entire building as a single integrated system. Amory Lovins, co-founder of the green energy non-profit Rocky Mountain Institute, has written extensively on the diminishing returns that are realized when an incremental approach is taken to improving the energy efficiency of traditional building systems; and how the whole building approach to energy conservation can ‘tunnel through the cost barrier’. 

A Whole Building Approach

Whether the demand is for heating or cooling, a whole building approach shifts the emphasis from a reliance on high-capacity active systems to the predictable (and much reduced) energy demand inherent in the stable thermal mass of a building with a high-performance envelope. This translates into an enclosure with a greater thickness of thermal insulation, increased airtightness, structural thermal breaks at balconies and other structural penetrations together with careful detailing of cladding systems, doors and windows, and the minimum number of penetrations of ducts and pipes through the building enclosure. 

In addition, adequate solar shading is required on south, west, and east elevations to control heat gain. The shading should be externally mounted with adequate depth if fixed or using manually operable blinds with easily accessible controls through opening tilt and turn windows.

Improving Energy Performance

This whole building approach is the fundamental premise of Passive House design which, rather than using design models to calculate the percentage improvement in energy performance of a building relative to MNECB or ASHRAE standards, sets absolute energy performance targets that must be verified by detailed calculation and air tightness testing during construction, and on completion.

The required maximum thermal energy demand intensity (TEDI) of 15kWh/m2/year for heating and cooling in Passive House buildings is not an arbitrary figure, but rather the threshold at which traditional mechanical systems with perimeter radiators or fan coils are no longer required. With this level of energy demand,  heating and cooling can be delivered through the ventilation system dramatically reducing the size and cost of the mechanical equipment required. At these levels of passive building performance, relatively small electrically powered heat pumps can deliver the much reduced heating and cooling energy required, eliminating the need for high capacity fossil fuel systems.

This has been the approach used in some of the first generation of Passive House buildings completed in Canada over the past 10 years.  The additional upfront cost for the high performance building enclosure described above is more than compensated for by the much lower capital cost of mechanical equipment, and the reduced operating and maintenance costs experienced over the service life of the building.

Building Resilience

However, the prolonged higher temperatures we are experiencing in the summer months (even in traditionally mild climates such as southwest British Columbia) has now made active cooling using heat pumps an imperative in new construction. These heat pumps can be used in tandem with heat recovery (or energy recovery) ventilation systems, to pre-condition incoming ventilation air.  These requirements can be addressed in the design of buildings of different types and scales, but may be implemented in different ways according to building use, occupant density, the nature of ownership  and the building management protocols.

Equipment

Much of the thermal energy required to heat a Passive House or other low energy building comes from the sun but also body heat, lights and appliances, like TV’s and refrigerators. Indoor air quality, including temperature and humidity control and the removal of contaminants is achieved using heat recovery or energy recovery ventilators (HRVs and ERVs).

• An HRV is a ventilation device that helps make buildings healthier, cleaner, and more comfortable by continuously replacing stale indoor air with fresh, filtered  outdoor air. Passive House requires HRVs to be at least 75% efficient, but models with significantly greater efficiency are commonly available. An 85% efficient HRV, exhausting air at 20oC, will provide incoming air at 16oC, when it is -10oC outside.

• An ERV is similar to an HRV but can exchange both heat and moisture. An ERV can provide control over moisture levels in a building during both cold and warm, humid weather. It exchanges moisture between the outgoing and incoming air providing humidification in winter and dehumidification in summer, both of which are beneficial to human comfort, health and energy consumption.

• A heat pump uses electricity to provide both heating and cooling to a building. These appliances are efficient at transferring heat from one place to another, depending on where it’s needed.

In the winter, a heat pump provides heating by extracting heat from outside a building using either the air or the ground as a heat source and moving it inside. In summer, it operates in reverse, to cool the air entering the building.

Stuart Hood is Principal at Introba. Vienna House text written in consultation with Public Architecture + Communication.

Centralized HVAC systems, such as that supplied by Oxygen 8, provides ventilation from a single large ERV, making routine maintenance, including the replacement of filters, much more straight forward. It also reduces the penetrations through the building enclosure, and the length of cold ductwork inside the building envelope that must be highly insulated to mitigate heat loss.

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Giant Steps autism centre


A giant step for autism

A thorough, highly individualized interdisciplinary approach led to the design of Giant Steps Autism Centre, a cutting-edge facility aiming to transform the way autism services are deployed worldwide. Tailor-made for individuals on the spectrum, this project constitutes a perfect example of the use of architecture as a malleable work tool. More than just a school, Giant Steps is a place of solace – a safe space for the entire community.

For the past 40 years, Giant Steps Autism Centre has asserted its leadership in the provision of services supporting the education and success of people with ASD. As the number of individuals and families affected by autism steadily grows, there was an urgency to develop new ways to respond to their needs. The Centre represents a centralized hub based on four separate but integrated pillars: education, adult services, community outreach, and research.

Giant Steps Autism Centre finds its home in the Technopôle Angus, an avant-garde eco-district guided by principles of innovative sustainable development. With a design informed by the many perceptual differences and sensory challenges often facing people with autism, the Centre integrates the values of its new environment with style, placing innovation at the heart of its achievements.

The architecture is expressed as a concave curve creation that opens into an inner shielded courtyard and closes at the site’s rear embankment. Individuals on the autism spectrum experience both perceptual differences and difficulty processing sensory information.

Any of the senses may be over- or under-sensitive, or both, at different times. Since a child’s development – autonomy, socialization, creativity, and learning – is optimized through sensory stimulation, the building serves as a tool to introduce stimuli at every opportunity.

Vertically, the structure is defined by multiple storeys deployed in step-like fashion, serving to open up the courtyard space. The entrance leads directly to the school’s core, creating a visual link with the courtyard focal point. Lining the building’s massing is a corridor, constituting a shifting space revealing different opening and closing areas. Developed in close collaboration with occupational therapists, the schoolyard is designed to introduce children to many different stimuli.

Project Credits

  • Client  Giant Steps Autism Centre
  • Architect  Provencher_Roy 
  • Project manager  Gestion Proaxis
  • Structural engineer  L2C Experts
  • Concrete Prefabricator  BPDL Inc.
  • Photos  2 and 6 Thibault Carron, 1, 3, 4 and 5 Adrien Williams

Emile Deschenes P. Eng. is Project Manager at BPDL Inc.

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The drive to decarbonization


The Role of Prefabricated Precast Concrete

By Brian J. Hall and Val Sylaj

Prefabrication, an innovative production method, stands out with its unique features that have the potential to yield significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions while meeting current and future construction needs. The fundamental differences between factory prefabrication and conventional site construction offer a reduced carbon footprint, and so a promising path towards a more sustainable future.

With traditional construction, the different building materials are delivered from production facilities to the site where the building is constructed from the ground up. In prefabricated construction, building components are fabricated at an off-site facility and installed at the construction site. Moreover, using prefabricated precast concrete products significantly reduces the waste and energy usage typically associated with construction.

This shift from the building assembly stage to the product manufacturing stage not only minimizes the environmental impact but also supports  a more sustainable approach to construction. The benefits of prefabrication are already being seen, and there is potential for further carbon reduction going forward 

Our Progress to Date

Since the publication of our first CPCI industry-average Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in 2015, the Canadian precast concrete industry has made significant strides, achieving a remarkable 22% reduction in our A1-A3 (Product Stage) embodied carbon (Figure 1). This reduction underscores our unwavering commitment to sustainability and the potential of prefabricated precast concrete to play a significant part in the decarbonization of the construction industry.

In 2015, ASTM published the first industry average Type III (EPD) for the Canadian precast concrete industry, a significant milestone within the wider construction industry. Since then, the Canadian precast concrete EPDs have been updated twice (in 2019 and 2023) reflecting the more comprehensive emissions data that is now available.

The latest EPDs from 2023 introduced a more detailed regional emissions breakdown than just a national average. Four product categories were reported: architectural precast products, insulated wall panels, structural precast products, and underground precast products.

However, the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) community must understand the limitations of EPDs and the differences between EPDs and whole life, whole-building life cycle assessment (wbLCA). Most people focus on just the Global Warming Potential (GWP) reported in the EPDs, but what does this number mean? Can you compare two different building materials’ EPDs and make your choice based solely on the lowest GWP?

EPDs are intended to be used as reference input data for consultants conducting a wbLCA, which includes all the life cycle stages identified in European Standard EN 15804, the most popular global standard for producing EPDs for construction products.

For a full ‘Cradle to Cradle’ life cycle assessment, the stages are (Figure 2):

  • Modules A1-A3 Product Stage
  • Modules A4, A5 Construction Stage
  • Modules B1–B7 Use Stage
  • Modules C1–C4 End of Life Stage
  • Module D Net Benefits and Loads   

Brian J Hall, B. B. A., MBA, FCPCI, MRAIC. Managing Director, Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.

Val Sylaj, P.Eng., Ph.D.  President/Director of Technical Services, Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.

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Canada’s strong upswing

Using Galvanized Steel as the optimal sustainable construction material

By Hellen Christodoulou

Canada has made a range of commitments to sustainability in the construction sector, focusing on reducing environmental impacts, promoting energy efficiency, and enhancing green building practices both domestically and globally. Domestically, these commitments include initiatives like the National Climate and Green Building Initiatives and Net-Zero Energy Ready Codes. Under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, Canada aims for all new buildings to be net-zero energy ready by 2030.

In line with this goal, the National Building Code now incorporates sustainability guidelines. Additionally, the Canada Green Building Strategy (CGBS) was launched to address the environmental footprint of the building sector. Programs like LEED Certification incentivize sustainable construction practices to further reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.

Globally, Canada has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030, as part of the Paris Agreement. To achieve this, the construction sector has embraced stricter regulations, retrofits, and sustainable building practices. Canada is also an active member of the World Green Building Council (WGBC) and the Canadian Green Building Council (CAGBC). Together, these commitments promote low-carbon construction materials, finishes, and methods, helping owners, designers, and specifiers make more sustainable choices.

Recently, there has been a strong upswing to use galvanized steel as the optimal sustainable construction material. Galvanized steel stands out for its full life cycle benefits, which include durability, minimal maintenance, and recyclability. The galvanizing process coats steel with a protective zinc layer, preventing corrosion and significantly extending its service life. This longevity reduces the need for frequent replacements, cutting down on resource consumption, waste production, and energy usage associated with manufacturing and installation. The sustainability benefits increase over time, as fewer repairs result in a smaller environmental footprint.

At the end of its life cycle, galvanized steel remains highly recyclable. The steel industry has one of the highest recycling rates globally, and this closed-loop process reduces waste and conserves natural resources, supporting circular economy principles. Additionally, galvanizing requires less energy and fewer materials than alternative protection methods, resulting in lower emissions during production. Overall, galvanized steel aligns with eco-friendly practices throughout its life cycle, from production to end-of-life recyclability.

For asset owners, galvanized steel offers a high return on investment (ROI) by extending the life of steel structures and reducing the need for costly repairs or replacements. Its high recyclability also adds residual value at the end of an asset’s life cycle. Moreover, galvanized steel’s durability minimizes downtime associated with structural repairs, supporting operational continuity. These factors collectively reduce total lifecycle costs, making galvanized steel a sound choice for enhancing asset performance and longevity.

Almost any structure can benefit from galvanizing, including buildings, bridges, rebar, towers, electric power grids, and other steel structures. Painted galvanized structures, known as the Duplex System, mostly used for infrastructure exposed to the environment, can further extend the service life.

Hellen Christodoulou Ph.D., Eng., B.C.L., LL.B., M.B.A. is Executive VP, Engineering, Sustainability & Business Development at Corbec Inc.

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Kipling Transit Hub


Advanced steel framing cuts tonnage costs  

By Scott Norris

Completed in 2022, the Kipling Transit Hub is a 4,890m2 revitalization of an existing transit station. The LEED Gold station serves as a key transit interchange in Toronto’s west end, connecting GO Transit, TTC subway and MiWay buses under one roof.

The focal point of the project was a new 300m2 bus terminal with a long curving cantilevered roof structure projecting out over the bus parking and circulation area. The $73 million design/build project was led by Ellis Don.

The elliptical shaped roof structure supports a 4,460m2 green roof which contributed to the LEED accreditation. Along with the station building there were many other components including a pedestrian bridge, tunnels, platforms and parking, which will not be covered in this article.

Over the course of the project it was determined that the scope of the structural steel work was expanding beyond the initial budget.  At this point, Steelcon was brought on in a design assist role to determine whether its proprietary SIN beam member could be utilized to reduce cost, overall steel tonnage and improve delivery times.

The SIN beam is a custom built-up beam with a corrugated web section that allows the web thickness to be optimized for the design loads.  The sinusoidal (SIN) profile of the corrugations improves the strength-to-weight ratio of the web by virtue of its geometry. This web optimization along with substantial variability in the flange members resulted in significant reduction in the overall tonnage of steel required for the project.

Value Engineering Approach

The initial design for the elliptical roof structure consisted of typical frames spaced at approximately 8.0m on centre through the middle of the structure and transitioning to radially oriented girders at the west end and cantilever trusses to the east. The typical frames consisted of a central truss spanning between columns spaced at 10.5m, with the trusses then projecting 12.75m beyond the supporting columns and tapered down from 2.0m deep at the centre to 300mm at the roof perimeter.  Between the main frames, secondary open web steel joists support a metal deck on which the roof was applied.

During the design assist review, the trusses at the typical interior frames were revised to long span cantilevered SIN girders. In this application the SIN girders were tapered to follow the initial truss profile. The radially oriented girders at the west end of the roof were also replaced with SIN girders. However, the east end remained as trusses due to the efficiency in this configuration.

The final change involved the replacement of all the secondary framing, open web steel joists being replaced with SIN beams. The framing of the associated ancillary buildings and pedestrian bridge was less suitable for SIN beam replacement and was thus not considered. In all a total of 177 open web steel joists and 11 roof truss members were replaced.

Sustainability Approach

Since this project was designed and built before embodied carbon thresholds and other sustainability targets for structural steel projects became common practice, we decided to review the Kipling project to determine the associated benefits of SIN Beam substitution; notably reductions in global warming potential (GWP). The conclusions from this analysis enable us to extrapolate  to future projects which are subject to carbon thresholds.

Scott Norris B.Esc., P.Eng.is Director, Engineering Solutions at  Steelcan. Photos of completed building: Simon Liao, courtesy Strasman Architects.

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Building Better with Steel

Guidelines for lowering GHG emissions in conventional steel structures

By Scott Norris

Finding ways to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings is on every professional’s mind. While certification programs like LEED, Toronto Green Building Standards, and CAGBC Net Zero Carbon Building Standard have helped guide the industry in terms of reducing the environmental impact of buildings, including Global Warming Potential (GWP), it is an ever evolving mission.

The steel industry has begun to take a life cycle approach, reducing the emissions associated with the production of the material, the construction process, as well as the energy efficiency over its lifespan. Regardless of the building type, occupancy, or design material, it is critical that consultants reaffirm their design approaches to ensure they align with this more holistic goal.

In buildings where, large clear spans are required by the program, a steel structure with conventional cast in place concrete foundations is often preferred for reasons of economy.  Steelwork that is efficiently fabricated off-site offers quality-assured, fully tested, and traceable products. On-site construction is fast and has minimal adverse local environmental impacts. These characteristics lend themselves well to warehouses, community centres, transit buildings, data centres and low-rise offices, among others.

For those involved with these building types for which steel is better suited, the overall embodied carbon in the structure can be reduced in several ways:

1. Design efficiently and purposefully. For example:

a. The consultants must work together to determine accurate design loading; excess loading compounds exponentially in the member design phase.

b. Work with the consultants and contractors to understand serviceability requirements of floors, finishes and curtain walls.

c. During preliminary building layout, opt for bays with a 3:4 rectangular aspect ratio for girders to beams. Also, aim for bay sizes of 7.5m x 10m to 10m x 13m to maximize deck spans and optimize framing weight and depth.

d. Utilize efficient framing systems, such as: SIN Beams, composite beams, gerber girder framing, open web steel joists (OWSJs), trusses, arches and tension only members wherever possible.

e. Avoid inefficient systems such as moment frames, transfers of gravity structure, Vierendeel trusses, etc., wherever possible.

f. Understand the transportation impacts created by the materials that you are choosing. Truck transportation produces 17 kg CO2 / tonne / 100 km, while train is 33% of that and marine shipping is 5%.

g. Prioritize members that are produced using an electric arc furnace (EAF). North American manufacturers typically use EAFs to manufacture steel for hot rolled shapes like wide-flange members, angles and channels.

h. Understand the benefits and limitations of hollow structural sections (HSS). These members are more efficient from a material standpoint, however if they are purchased in Canada, they currently come from basic oxygen furnace (BOF) coil which increases embodied carbon and reduces recycled content. If the HSS is purchased from US mills it is more likely that the coil will be coming from EAF.

This will change in coming years when the EAF mills at Algoma Steel and Dofasco come online in 2026.

i. Understand that plate, and cold form steel is often produced in using BOF. This impacts items such as roof deck for example which has high GWP values.

j. Investigate the use of high yield strength for tension members, simply supported columns, beam columns, and simply supported laterally restrained beams

k. Do not forget about the concrete works. Design foundations, slab on grade, floor deck and other elements efficiently and utilize reinforcement only as required Alternately, use fibre reinforcement instead of steel.

l. Work with the concrete suppliers to utilize low carbon mixes.

Scott Norris is Director of Engineering Solutions at Steelcon.

Find out more about carbon neutral steel designs at  www.steelcongoc.com, follow Scott Norris on LinkedIn or contact him directly, snorris@steelcongoc.com.

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Fast + Epp head office

Urban infill building highlights hybrid construction

Completed in 2022, the Fast + Epp Home Office is an elegant, economic and highly transferable example of an urban densification project whose approach to material use is a pragmatic hybrid of mass timber, steel and concrete.

The four-storey mixed use building is located close to the city centre on the south shore of False Creek, an eclectic light industrial area that has undergone dramatic transformation over the past decade.

The 137.1m x 13.3m site is zoned for an FSR of 3.0, of which 1.0 must be an industrial use located at street level. A 1.2m right-of-way reduced the width of the site, forcing a portion of the industrial use to the second level and making vertical fire separations necessary.

Below grade, the reduced width required the elimination of interior columns in favour of a clear span, post-tensioned slab to accommodate a single row of parking and an aisle. This in turn influenced the design of the above ground structure, where clear spanning glulam beams informed both the subdivision of space and the routing of exposed building services.

These constraints required a pragmatic design response, both in the use of space and choice of materials. This approach resonated with Fast + Epp (both client and structural engineer for the project) and with f2a architecture, which aims “to create buildings that are minimal, energy efficient, have healthy interiors and a direct relationship to their site.”

To maximize leasable area within the zoning envelope, floor to floor heights were carefully manipulated according to use; Level 1 being 4.8m; Levels 2 and 3 being 3.6m and the Level 4 penthouse 2.6m. There is an interconnected floor space (IFS) between Levels 3 and 4. There is a 2-hour fire separation between industrial and office occupancies, with 1-hour required for the other floors and supporting structure.

The IFS forms an atrium, serving as a meeting area and social space for the Fast + Epp office. The lower level has a small kitchen, while the upper level accommodates ‘touch down’ work stations and (being smaller than the lower floors) has access to a roof terrace.

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer Fast + Epp Structural Engineers
  • Architect  f2a architecture
  • General Contractor Companion Construction Ltd
  • Building Code  GHL Consultants
  • Structural Engineer Fast + Epp Structural Engineers
  • Interior Design HCMA Architecture + Design
  • Mechanical Engineering Impact Engineering
  • Photos Michael Elkan
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Navigating the transformation

The evolving role of wood in sustainable construction

By Peter Moonen

Around the globe, the construction sector is in the midst of a profound transformation. Faced with an array of social, economic, and environmental challenges, the industry is adapting to new demands and regulations. As urban populations swell—80% of the world’s population is projected to live in cities by 2050, with Canada already at 81%—the need for affordable, high-performance multifamily housing has never been more pressing. The sector is grappling with rising operational costs, material expenses, and a shrinking labour force, all while striving to enhance energy efficiency and affordability in rapidly densifying urban areas.

The Carbon Conundrum

Decarbonizing construction is a crucial part of this transformation. For decades, regulations have focused on operational energy, pushing the industry toward buildings with minimal energy demand and related monthly costs. Recently, however, there has been a shift toward addressing the carbon footprint of the construction process itself. Wood, with its low carbon emissions, is emerging as a key player in this shift. As building codes evolve to permit greater use of wood, particularly mass timber, there is a significant opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of construction.

In Europe, energy efficiency has long been a standard, and now low-carbon building policies are becoming more prevalent. Canadian cities like Vancouver and Toronto are following suit with initiatives to cut embodied carbon in new construction. Provincial and federal governments are also setting carbon reduction targets in their procurement practices, creating a ripple effect across the industry.

The Rise of Mass Timber

The past 15 years have seen a substantial growth in the mass timber sector in both Canada and the U.S. Building codes are increasingly recognizing the potential of mass timber products, which are now being used in structures previously deemed unsuitable because of their height and/or occupancy . Notable examples include Brock Commons/Tallwood House (Photos 1 and 2) , an 18-storey student residence  at the University of British Columbia and the Fast + Epp Home Office Building, a mixed use, 4-storey infill building in Vancouver. These structures demonstrate the viability of mass timber in high-rise and hybrid construction, blending wood with other materials for enhanced performance.

The Importance of Collaboration

For hybrid buildings such as these, designers and specifiers must work closely with contractors and suppliers to ensure that material choices align with the project’s goals. By fostering collaboration, teams can leverage the expertise of various stakeholders, ultimately leading to more innovative and efficient solutions. The transition from traditional construction methods to a hybrid approach is reshaping the way we build in Canada.

Code Changes

Changes to building codes have been instrumental in this shift. For instance, the National Building Code now allows encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) up to 12 stories, with some jurisdictions permitting up to 18 stories. This increased acceptance is largely due to rigorous research by the National Research Council of Canada and other organizations, which has validated the performance capabilities of mass timber and engineered wood products.

Peter Moonen is National sustainability Manager for the Canadian Wood Council.

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