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A builder expert’s essentials for a green home or reno “Green” has been a buzzword over the last few decades. We are bombarded with reality TV shows, websites, magazines and product descriptions that often give conflicting information about their green claims. For builders, sorting through these conflicting claims can be
Big builder pushes the boundaries of green residential development Great Gulf, one of the country’s largest home builders, is simultaneously concerned with being an innovative, forward-thinking company, and a competitive builder in the residential market. This project in Thorold, Ontario was a leap of faith in a market that has
Comfort, durability and healthier indoor air The musty basement smell that we have come to accept as unavoidable is actually quite avoidable. The solution is really very simple – don’t build below grade with walls that were designed for above grade, because they can’t possibly do what you want them
Big makeover brings modern look and function The house is a three-storey flat roof structure with a two-storey addition in the rear. Flat roofs were chosen not only for the modern appearance but for rain water collection and green roof application. The house, with its modern appearance, is appropriately positioned
Time for some respect In 2005, Metric Homes of Carp, Ontario designed and built Canada’s first Energy Star labelled home in Canada. This home was built with dense-packed cellulose as the wall insulation of choice. Their intent was to produce a better built home with a goal of creating “a
The One Planet Reno project set out to create a beautiful and functional family home for four, complete with a home office, while simultaneously minimizing the ecological footprint of construction and eliminating carbon emissions from operations. The comprehensive renovation of a neglected century-old home was chosen as the basis for
JURY COMMENT This project is exemplary for bringing local energy production into view and so elevating public consciousness around ownership and responsibility. An elegant building whose expression is rooted in ’place’; a fabulous example of what more communities in Canada should be doing.
JURY COMMENT The crafting of this project was compelling – from the site planning, through the programming, right down to the execution of the details. The building has a variety of beautifully lit and welcoming spaces, in keeping with the new role that libraries play as community living rooms. This
JURY COMMENT An exceptional project that combines high performance and rigorous planning with interesting, well lit and beautifully detailed interior spaces. These types of buildings generally have high energy intensity, which makes the achievements of this project even harder to ignore.
JURY COMMENT The story behind this project is as compelling as the building itself. The design team looked at almost every green building metric and made an earnest attempt to incorporate the best of each in a truly holistic approach to sustainable design. The result takes a standard Ontario residential
JURY COMMENT A benchmark project with respect to the implementation of green building strategies in Canada. Given its scale, the risks taken by the client and design team in the name of research are huge. Spaces are warm, interesting and well lit, and the metrics are beginning to confirm that
JURY COMMENT The future of city building will require a great deal of attention to be paid to adaptive reuse. This project, which combines a strong sustainable agenda with a beautiful architectural narrative, sets an important precedent. The expression of the passive ventilation system makes a sculptural addition to the
JURY COMMENT A beautiful building with an interesting variety of spaces and an innovative palette of materials and assemblies. The very impressive performance metrics are a testimony to an integrated and in-depth approach to mechanical and other building systems. The combination of architectural excellence and high technical performance is compelling.
JURY COMMENT A beautiful building with impressive performance – the more so because it is a retail facility that needs to attract and engage customers. The site development and integration with the park is carefully considered. MEC raises the bar every time it developes a new store.
Founder and president of the Construction Resource Initiatives Council [CRIC], Renee Gratton wants to stamp out waste from building construction. So she set herself a mission. BY RENEE GRATTON
The Canadian green building market has evolved rapidly over the last 10 years. There are now over 4500 LEED projects registered in Canada, of which over 1500 are certified. The Canadian green building industry and LEED have driven continual improvements in building construction and operation and maintenance meanwhile making real
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