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25 St Clair Avenue East Rehabilitation

Deep green retrofit a flagship model of fed’s sustainability commitments

By Charles Marshall

The rehabilitation of 25 St. Clair Avenue East in Toronto is a flagship project for the federal government; signifying its intention to reduce operating carbon emissions across its real estate portfolio while supporting the health and wellbeing of building occupants. The project demonstrated the viability of deep green retrofits for government stakeholders and the real estate industry at large.

Deep green retrofits are major projects that remake an existing building with the result of saving 30-50% or more in operating energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while targeting improved environmental quality and outcomes for human health. Achieving our climate action goals, such as Canada’s pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, will depend on substantial reductions from the real estate sector. Deep retrofits represent an achievable approach to substantially reducing GHG emissions while improving quality of life for building occupants and the members of the surrounding community.

URBAN CONTEXT

25 St. Clair Ave. E was chosen as a candidate for rehabilitation because of its central, transit-connected location and the significant remaining service life of the existing structure. The east-west orientation of the building lends itself very well to the implementation of passive design principles, including a reduced window-to-wall ratio.

The building is exceptionally well connected to public transit, including the Yonge subway line and the St. Clair streetcar line. The retrofitted building also provides exemplary infrastructure for cyclists; with over 120 bicycle parking spaces; as well as shower facilities. All parking is located below grade. EV charging stations are provided, with more roughed in to meet future demand.

Street trees and planters have been provided on St. Clair Avenue to reduce the urban heat island effect  and contributing to streetscape improvements. These trees require no permanent irrigation systems. A 110 cubic meter stormwater cistern conserves runoff from storm events to reduce strain on municipal infrastructure and release of untreated stormwater into waterways.Both the north and south facades have generous windows, providing daylight and views for building occupants.

A feature stair on the north side allows light to permeate into the building and at the same time, provides a vertical ‘neighbourhood’ for circulation and socializing. The compact form of the building contributes to air tightness and lowered heating and cooling loads, enabling the deployment of low-carbon energy systems.

New walls, windows, and roof surfaces were constructed to remake the façades and allow for appropriate levels of daylight and environmental quality, and to upgrade significantly the thermal performance and air tightness of the building envelope. Glazing surfaces were optimized to maintain thermal comfort and energy efficiency while providing ample daylight; thermally broken punch windows and curtainwall systems with triple-pane glazing were installed to target extremely low U-values for vision glazing.  Solid wall sections were provided with 200mm of semi-rigid insulation and thermally broken cladding supports to achieve an effective RSI value of 4.9 W/m2K. 

BUILDING SYSTEMS

Building systems are designed to complement the highly thermally efficient building envelope and minimize the energy required to provide comfort while eliminating combustion on-site and minimizing operating energy and carbon emissions.

Ventilation is provided from central dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS), improving air quality and reducing the energy required to heat and cool ventilation air. MERV 14 filters remove pollutants and contribute to improved air quality. Ventilation units are sized to exceed the minimum requirements of ASHRAE 62.1 while outdoor air quantities are modulated according to the reading of zone level CO2 sensors.

The DOAS system includes a dual-core regenerative heat recovery unit for very high efficiency. A geo-exchange field is connected to a ground coupled heat pump chiller that will direct heating and cooling water throughout the building as required, including water-side heat recovery.

The design team at Geo-Xergy Systems worked with the architects to create an integrated heating and cooling solution.

The combined system leverages the available energy of the ground source system to provide the highest efficiency in both heating and cooling, while also carefully managing the energy source to ensure it operates reliably over the life of the building.

Project Credits

  • Architect  DIALOG
  • Owner/Developer  PSPC / Government
  • of Canada
  • Constructor  Urbacon
  • Project Manager BGIS
  • Landscape Architect  DIALOG
  • Civil Engineer  LEA Consulting Ltd.
  • Electrical engineer  DIALOG
  • Structural / Mechanical Engineer  DIALOG
  • Building Envelope Consultant 
  • RDH Building Science
  • Commissioning Agent  WSP
  • Renewable Energy Systems  ZON Engineering
  • Ground Source Energy Consultant
  • Geo-Xergy Systems
  • PhotoS  Scott Norsworthy

Charles Marshall, P.Eng. MBA LEED® AP BD+C is partner Engineering & Sustainability at DIALOG.

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High-performance windows for high-performance building

An overview of current practice

The Sundance Housing Co-op in Edmonton underwent a Deep Energy Retrofit using an EnergieSprong-inspired model—Dutch for “energy leap”—focused on dramatically improving the efficiency of existing homes. Spearheaded by ReNu Engineering, the retrofit included prefabricated panels, airtight construction, and electrification to approach net-zero performance. The DUXTON Windows & Doors triple-glazed low-E, argon filled fiberglass windows, for a centre-of-glass R-8, were key to the building envelope upgrade, offering exceptional thermal performance in cold climates. Not only does a Deep Energy Retrofit give a huge facelift to your building, but it also boosts comfort, reduces long-term maintenance and energy costs, and shrinks your environmental footprint—making it a smart, future-ready investment. duxtonwindows.com

The 52-unit apartment development for Halton Region, by Cynthia Zahoruk Architect Inc. and built by Schilithius Construction, is situated in Kerr Street Village, Oakville. The four-storey building is designed to meet Passive House certification standards and tailored to accommodate seniors, promoting the concept of aging in place. All units are fully barrier-free. INLINE Fiberglass PHI Certified windows, designed and manufactured in Canada, contribute to the  success of the project through superior insulation, high-performance glazing, and exceptional airtightness. inlinefiberglass.com

The Wilson Residence, Port Carling, ON is designed to perform in cold climates with ENERsign’s ultra-efficient windows. Built for Passive House and high-performance buildings, ENERsign’s  triple-pane glazing, airtight construction, and superior insulation provide comfort, durability, and energy savings—especially in cold climate. With cutting-edge technology and sleek aesthetics, the windows strike a balance of sustainability, performance, and design. enersign.com

Timbre & Harmony in Vancouver, BC is a newly completed Passive House affordable housing development. The project features two, six-storey L-shaped buildings that achieved an average airtightness of 0.38 ACH50 resulting in a 56% reduction in thermal demands. Innotech Windows + Doors manufactured and installed 375 Passive House Institute certified windows and doors for the two buildings. Architect: Ryder Architecture, General Contractor: Etro Construction. innotech-windows.com

The only hybrid casement window in Canada with an impressive energy efficiency rating of U 0,79 W/(m2 K), the Passive House Series x by Isothermic Windows & Doors is designed to align with carbon-neutral, LEED, and Passive House projects, and to meet the challenges of the ever-changing environment we live in. PHIUS, PHI and AW certified, the Isothermic system is perfectly tailored to suit the North American style. Available now across Canada.    

Translucent daylighting systems by KALWALL are the most highly insulating in the world, improving indoor environmental quality, reducing a building’s carbon footprint, and bringing measurable energy savings to owners and tenants. The KALWALL® 175CW translucent insulated glazing units (TIGUs) allows mixing and matching with other infill glazings and claddings for various façade design possibilities. KALWALL 175CW TIGUs are nominally 1-3/4” and fully thermally broken. kalwall.com

La Cime: Elevating Passive Design with High-Performance Windows – Perched atop Mont-Sainte-Anne, La Cime is a striking example of sustainable architecture, where NZP Fenestration’s passive windows play a key role. Designed to maximize energy efficiency, NZP high-performance windows ensure superior insulation, harness solar gains, and enhance indoor comfort while offering breathtaking views. Blending elegance with cutting-edge technology, they help La Cime achieve Passive House standards, proving that sustainability and modern design go hand in hand. nzpfenestration.com

This Panorama, BC prefab project was built to Passive House standards with an impressive blower door score of 0.38ACH50! It uses VETTA Windows’ triple glazed, PEFC certified wood windows, slides and doors, custom crafted in Poland for unparalleled home comfort to last a lifetime. The windows, ELITE E92 Tilt & Turn with German steel multi-point locking, are PHIUS certified and PHI validated. Lower-level glazing is laminated with R2 rated security resistance. Project Partners: Justin Sherry Design Studio, Collective Carpentry, thinkBright Homes, and Gergely Cserhati, Owner/Builder. vettawindows.com

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Certified Series Project – A Case Study and cladding types

In a recent project in Cape Breton where Certified Series was employed, material selection was driven by durability, and aesthetics, as the environmental influences are unforgiving in this region. A high-performance ceramic cladding system (TONALITY) is featured on the façades of the Nova Scotia Community College, Waterfront Campus (NSCC) started in late 2021.

Collaborating with the architectural teams, EA was able to ensure critical details were included to mitigate the tireless influence of weather on the structure. Drafting and engineering were completed by EA, the system provider. A façade installation team was assigned but did not have specific experience in high performance rainscreen, nor ceramic cladding systems so they were successfully trained and guided through the entire installation process by EA.

Halfway through the construction of the campus, Hurricane Fiona paid a not so warm and fuzzy visit. With only half of the façade assembly in place, and the rest wide open, the façade withstood the might of the tempest and not a single ceramic tile was disturbed. The success of withstanding this significant hurricane was the combination of suitable materials, collaboration and system-focused design and installation.

Not so long ago the greater importance of walls vis a vis thermal performance was recognized as part of the entire building envelope. Now the façade envelope is referred to as the Primary Passive Environmental Control System. Walls are important, and Certified Series provides a pathway to compliance and system longevity that speaks directly to our pursuit of sustainability. The NSCC project was completed in 2024 and has since won first place in the 2024 RAiNA (Rainscreen Association in North America) Awards for design and technical excellence in the New Construction category.

Jeff Ker is Senior Technical Advisor, Engineered Assemblies (founding RAiNA member). Photos: Julian Parkinson.

Other cladding types

The 2,980 sq.m two-storey École Saint-Martyrs-Canadiens has a steel-frame structure and thermal wheels with heat recovery to minimize energy costs. The EQUITONE cladding, installed as a rear-ventilated rainscreen, is a high-density fibre cement facade material consisting of cement, cellulose and mineral materials reinforced by a visible matrix, which can be transformed in any size or shape for crisp, monolithic details. https://www.engineeredassemblies.com/systems/certified-series

Located in Florida’s Lake Sheen community (Orlando), this custom home sits in a hurricane zone, demanding a facade that is durable, UV-resistant, and long-lasting. Trespa® Pura® NFC in Aged Ash was selected for its high durability, colourfastness, and sustainability. Beyond durability, the intent was also to create a beautiful space that could last for decades. Manufactured using patented electron beam curing (EBC) technology, Pura® siding has a smooth, closed-surface for exceptional resistance to impacts, weather and sunlight while also being easy to clean.engineeredassemblies.com/materials

Scanroc is a ventilated facade system with a proven 30-year track record of application and successful testing in Europe. The Scanroc system is engineered to reduce embodied carbon and operational carbon in buildings. It consists of KlinkerStone© BRICK™ (or concrete tiles) fastened to a metal frame structure which, in turn, is attached to the exterior wall and insulated to lower significantly a building’s energy consumption. The system offers reliability, durability, ease of maintenance, efficient manufacturability, and environmental sustainability. www.scanroc.systems

Certified Series

Toward an industry standard of rainscreen façade performance

By: Jeff Ker

When discussing façade solutions with a client I never raise the subject of warranty, unless I’m specifically asked about it. Why? I focus on the performance and relevance of the material in the proposed environment. Success of a material is never about warranty. Full stop.

While the overwhelming majority of quality façade solutions have a reasonable warranty, the fact remains that when a high-quality façade system experiences a failure it is traditionally a result of a design or installation error and not a manufacturing shortcoming. Let me expand on this.

When materials are designed into a project or installed in a manner that contradicts manufacturers recommendations, they run a higher risk of experiencing some form of compromise. Failure to comply with manufacturers’ recommendations traditionally results in no warranty coverage. So what good is warranty when materials are not designed in or installed in compliance with manufacturer’s warranty requirements?

How do we avert this potential catastrophe? The first step would be to implement a process that clearly defines a pathway towards warranty compliance. The second step would be to follow it. Certified Series by Engineered Assemblies Inc. (EA) provides such a pathway by responding to the need for transparency, due diligence, and proper installation.

Certified Series was created to address this issue as almost 100% of cases where a façade material experiences a failure, the end user is left holding the repair bill. Without any warranty coverage, a bill in the amount hundreds of thousands of dollars, in some cases, is not a light subject. Neither is the failure of the building’s primary passive environmental control system.

It is the intention that Certified Series will become an industry standard offering a superior program of delivery and ensuring that all RVRS (Rear Ventilated Rainscreen Systems) system installations are conducted properly and that the façade manufacturers’ warranty requirements are met. Here are a few features of Certified series:

A) Due diligence and transparency are values that can easily be compromised during construction. This compromise can be avoided with a program such as Certified Series where client/Architect, GC, façade installer and system provider are united and share a common methodology through the inclusion of a software program to share shop drawings and progress photos. This allows users to review and provide guidance on any course corrections from as early as design inception to substantial completion.

B) Drafting and Engineering are provided by the system provider as resident technical authority. Further to this they provide a review of the shop drawings to the installer with comprehensive installation training and site inspections.

C) Photographic evidence of the progression of the installation is directed by icons on the shop drawings and required on a regular basis for upload to the aforementioned software platform. This way, all parties have the capacity to review and provide confirmation or recommendations vis a vis adherence to approved shop drawings.

In many ways, Certified Series is a pathway to sustainability. Ultimately the program is a process guiding the material through design and installation in a manner that meets the successful intention of the manufacturer, to reach its expected lifespan, or better. While Engineered Assemblies also takes steps to qualify certain regional specific conditions (seismic, maritime or unique matters of building dynamics) the pathway to compliance is delivered, reaching the highest performance obtainable.

The façade is the outer “armour” of the building’s Primary Passive Environmental Control System. It is the foremost line of defence against the single biggest and substantial dictator – the environment. If breached, all the invested integrity within the envelope is in jeopardy.  It’s imperative to appreciate that durability is not a material property. It is a function of a material and its relationship to its environment. This brings us back to the fundamental principles of material selection, design and installation.

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Clarity and confidence needed to accelerate transition planning

New CAGBC report highlights critical needs and barriers for scaling up deep building retrofits

Despite significant progress in recent years, industry still has a long way to go to accelerate investments that improve the performance of existing buildings. The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) estimates that hundreds of millions of square meters of existing Canadian building space requires retrofitting to meet climate and energy efficiency targets. However, challenges and uncertainties about the best path forward are causing delays in adopting the types of asset transition plans needed to accelerate deep retrofits.

According to CAGBC’s new market report, Rapidly Scaling Canada’s Deep Retrofit Market: Stakeholder Insights into Barriers and Opportunities, among industry participants surveyed, only a slight majority (54%) were planning to undertake new transition projects this year. 

“We know the pressure to decarbonize and improve energy efficiencies is being felt across the industry at all levels. At the same time there are still many barriers for delivering deep retrofits efficiently at scale,” said Laurna Strikwerda, Director, Project Development and Research at CAGBC. “As a critical first step to accelerating the planning, financing and implementation of deep retrofits, we wanted to first better understand what’s currently getting in the way, and how we can better support the industry scale up their efforts.”

The report features perspectives from a broad range of Canadian building professionals gathered during a series of in-person and online workshops in 2024 targeting stakeholders with commercial, multi-unit residential, warehouse and retail buildings. Insights were gathered from over 350 participants.

The report is now available on Retrofits Now (retrofitsnow.ca), a new industry-focused resource being developed by CAGBC to provide the latest information and tools to support real estate transition planning. Retrofits Now is supported by Purpose Building as part of their Purpose Accelerator: Canada’s Private Sector Retrofit Accelerator, funded by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

To download the full report visit retrofitsnow.ca.

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Visit the Directory online for Listings organized by Products Category and by LEED Category

THE ANNUAL GUIDE: 

  • LEED categories noted for the products listed in the following pages are intended to show how these products can potentially help a project earn LEED v4 points.
  • Companies listed in bold  have 1/8-page listings containing more information, and are linked to their websites from the online version of the Directory.
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təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre

Challenging building type achieves double certification, 

and pursuing LEED Gold

By Paul Fast

Completed in 2024, this 10,684 sq.m combined aquatic and community centre in New Westminster, BC is Canada’s first completed all-electric facility to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) Zero Carbon Building Design standard, a significant accomplishment for a building typology that has traditionally been one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters for many local governments.

The name təməsew̓txʷ is derived from hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (the local Indigenous language) and means “Sea Otter House”. Reflecting this Indigenous identity reflecting this indigenous identity, the building is woven into the landscape with a dramatic unifying roof and aims to be the heart and soul of the community and a place for all to connect. The building makes a strong civic statement being sensitive to the natural environment and human-scale experience.

Sustainable design strategies and process

Pools are one of the most energy-intensive building types. To successfully minimize energy use, the design strategy for təməsew̓txʷ applies a passive approach first, considering not only how the architecture can respond to specific site conditions for efficiency and comfort, but how operational conditions, strategies, and expectations inform the design. Reducing demand first, followed by optimizing active systems, ensures a low impact result.

To meet the stringent leed v4 and Zero Carbon Building (zcb) requirements, a range of strategies were implemented to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The building’s compact massing and form factor were shaped by site conditions, with the existing facility required to remain operational during construction, and the need to avoid critical infrastructure running through the site.

Although these constraints limited the optimization of the form, the design still significantly contributes to overall performance. The building features a wide southern section housing the main natatorium, which gradually narrows and steps toward the north, where the gymnasium and multipurpose spaces are located. This design also creates unique outdoor spaces.

The building orientation and program overlay were optimized for energy efficiency, with primary glazing along the south façade and carefully angled overhangs and roof slopes for solar shading and photovoltaic (pv) panel efficiency. The envelope design addresses thermal bridging and emphasizes airtightness, while large overhangs provide shading on the south, east, and west facades. The stepping nature of the façade further enhances vertical shading along the south-west elevation.

Natural ventilation is a key feature, with substantial portions of the envelope designed to open, allowing fresh air into the main gymnasium and creating indoor/outdoor play spaces. The facility also maximizes daylight through large openings and clerestories, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Triple-glazed clerestories above the lap pool ensure abundant natural light, enhancing the space’s ambiance.

Operating energy

Heat recovery ventilators (hrvs) capture waste heat from energy-intensive pool systems. The electric-based mechanical system, supported by heat pumps and back-up electric boilers, significantly reduces carbon emissions. The heat-pump system is supported by back-up electric boilers to help reheat pool water when it’s drained and refilled a few times a year (a very energy intensive process).

The leisure pool and the 50m lap pool are separated by  a glass wall to maintain different air and water temperatures, optimizing energy efficiency and user comfort. This design creates two distinct comfort zones: a warmer area for leisure activities and a cooler environment for high-performance swimming, addressing the discomfort of cold temperatures often noted in other aquatic facilities without this separation.

In compliance with zcb, 5% of the required annual operating energy for the building is generated on site via photovoltaics installed on the roof. Special emphasis was placed on reducing the energy demand of the building, carefully optimizing the system for maximum efficiency.

Water quality

In a first for North America, the təməsew̓txʷ gravity-fed InBlue pool filtration and disinfection system is expected to have a significant impact on patron experience, as well as minimizing pump energy consumption by almost 50% and improving air and water quality.

InBlue uses a drum filter system which has lower water consumption and lower energy requirements. Based on monthly usage since its opening, the filtration system alone is on track to reduce energy costs annually by over $100,000. The biggest benefit from this system is the reduced levels of required chlorine, leading to much better water and air quality for swimmers. Initial results show that the system produces air and water quality far exceeding the standards set out by the Health Act.

Paul fast architect aibc, mraic, principal in charge, hcma architecture + design.

CertainTeed  supplied Type X Drywall Panel, M2Tech Gypsum Board, M2Tech Shaftliner.

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The Dividends of Dissassembly


Reclaiming the value held in buildings

By Brenda Martens

Design for Disassembly and Adaptability (DfD/A) is an approach that facilitates dismantling a product or building at its end-of-use, enabling the recovery of components and materials intact, to facilitate their use in subsequent applications, including complete reassembly. The goal of DfD/A is to keep materials in their highest use for as long as possible.

Historical Highlights

The concept of DfD/A in permanent buildings isn’t new. Indeed, there were industrious (and perhaps morally suspect) parishioners in the 1500’s in Appenzell, a canton in the Swiss Confederacy, constructing homes on their lots, taking advantage of the free lumber from the church-owned forests offered to the congregation for this purpose, then disassembling these houses to sell to others, to be relocated and reassembled on a new site. 

Even earlier, in Japan, techniques for carpentry (Miyadaiku)  allowed for the removal and replacement of the wooden elements of construction. The dismantling, repairing or replacing, and reassembling of the timber parts has resulted in some wooden temples standing for centuries, largely replaced in place.  The Hōryū-ji temple, over 1,300 years old, is the oldest standing wooden structure. After many restorations, only roughly a fifth of the original materials remain. 

Canadian Context

Closer to home and our own time, the C.K. Choi Building at UBC (’96) is a striking early and influential project that demonstrated circular design principles. Under the direction of architects Joanne Perdue and Eva Matsuzaki and structural engineers Diana Klein and Gilbert Raynard, the project aspired to, and succeeded in incorporating salvaged heavy timber from the Armoury Building next door that was slated for demolition.

The Armoury, built in 1941 and used for military training in World War II, was repurposed after the war by UBC for registration, sessional examinations, graduation ceremonies and other assemblies but no longer fit with campus master plans. It provided approximately two thirds of the CK Choi’s structure, but only after the structural engineers had regraded all of the salvaged timber appropriate to its future use, with the knowledge of where it would be used in the new building, overruling the lumber grader’s previous conservative grading.

Brenda Martens, OBC, B.Sc., LEED FellowBCIT faculty and developer of the Applied Circular Economy: Zero Waste Buildings microcredential. with courses on Design for Disassembly, Deconstruction Management and Construction Material Flows.  www.bcit.ca/ZeroWasteBuildings

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Ecole du Zenith


New school a harmonious fusion of education and nature

In partnership with Leclerc Architects, Montreal-based Pelletier de Fontenay has recently completed École du Zénith in Schefford, QC, a project resulting from a series of competitions launched by Lab-École in 2019. Being the first school architecture competition since the 1960s, this major project marks a turning point in Quebec’s educational landscape, renewing the program, organization, and way of building elementary schools in the province.

In partnership with Leclerc Architects, Montreal-based Pelletier de Fontenay has recently completed École du Zénith in Schefford, QC, a project resulting from a series of competitions launched by Lab-École in 2019. Being the first school architecture competition since the 1960s, this major project marks a turning point in Quebec’s educational landscape, renewing the program, organization, and way of building elementary schools in the province.

Project Credits

  • Client  Centre de Service Scolaire Val-des-Cerfs
  • Architects  Pelletier de Fontenay + Leclerc
  • Landscape Architect  Fauteux et associés in
  • collaboration with agence Relief Design
  • Structural Engineer  Lateral Conseil
  • Civil engineer  Gravitaire
  • Electrical and Mechanical Engineer  BPA
  • PhotoS  James Brittain

Edited by Jim Taggart from text  supplied by the project team.

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New all-Canadian platform

Meeting sustainable building compliance in less time

What is it? – EcoSpex is a verified product specification platform designed to revolutionize how construction materials are specified for green and healthy buildings.

Who is it for – EcoSpex supports manufacturers by automating and digitizing the environmental certifications and other relevant documentation of their products on one platform so that Developers, Owners, Architects, Engineers, General Contractors, Interior Designers, and sustainability professionals can cut the time it takes to decide the suitability of products for sustainable building from hours to minutes.

Why Now, Why Canadian?

EcoSpex consulted with the Federal Government, numerous companies and Industry Associations across Canada to discover the need for an all-encompassing, fully digitized one-stop platform that collects, verifies and automates environmental certifications of manufacturers’ products accessible in Canada and suitable for Canadian climates. 

The platform quickly provides an accurate set of documents to assure project teams that a product can meet sustainability and performance goals and compliance with LEEDv4, LEEDv5, WELL®, ILFI, International Passivhaus Institute, Fitwell, Green Globes, BOMA and BREEAM.

EcoSpex Low Carbon Platform allows project teams to:

  • Access a Trusted Process
  • Streamlined Product Evaluation
  • New Product Alerts
  • Get Guidance
  • Powerful Search & Compare Tools

Ready to specify products faster while meeting green and healthy standards?

Contact Julie Scarcella today: julie@ecospex.com

705-445-1256

www.ecospex.com

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