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Sustainability And Carbon


The Masonry Industry Perspective 

By Monica Guzman

As the design and construction industry focuses more intently on reducing the embodied carbon of buildings, masonry manufacturers and manufacturer associations are actively working on developing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to assess and improve the environmental impact of their products. Many of them have already introduced innovative and proprietary technologies aimed at reducing the embodied carbon of masonry construction.

More broadly, the masonry industry is focusing on reducing the carbon footprint through efficient design and specifications, enhancing the energy performance of masonry assemblies, and raising awareness about the energy saving potential of their inherent thermal mass. At the same time, ongoing research is exploring the carbon sequestration capabilities of concrete masonry throughout its service life.

Embodied Carbon Reduction: Concrete Masonry Units

Manufacturers of concrete masonry units (CMUs) are currently developing EPDs for their products, some of them already published their plant specific EPDs, and more are on the way. At a national level, both the concrete block and clay brick associations published industry average EPDs.

For example, the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association – CCMPA published average EPDs for eastern and western Canada. These Type III environmental declarations present quantified, third party verified, environmental information on the life cycle of a product – or in this case, a product type. This, and plant specific EPDs, will enable specifiers to make comparisons between various products fulfilling the same function.

CCMPA has also published a Canadian Industry-Average Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for both normal weight and lightweight CMUs. This LCA was completed to support the development of the Type III EPDs for concrete masonry units conforming to CSA A165.1-04 – Concrete Block Masonry Units, and as part of CCMPA’s commitment to providing transparent information about the environmental footprint of concrete block masonry units produced in Canada.

Monica Guzman, M.Sc., P.Eng. is a Masonry Design Engineer with the Canada Masonry Design Centre in Calgary AB.

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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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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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Amexon Development Corporation wins prestigious IPAX Americas Property Award

The Residences at Central Park project by Amexon Development Corporation has won the coveted IPAX Americas Property Award for “Best Sustainable Residential Development” in Canada.

The globally-recognized IPAX Americas Awards honour outstanding achievements across the real estate sector from nine global regions, awarding projects that exemplify innovation, superior quality, and environmental responsibility.

Amexon’s award-winning Residences at Central Park in Toronto —a 12-acre master-planned community of five towers— contains numerous green technology measures, some of which include:

In the building:

• Vegetated roofs reduce energy consumption and absorb rainwater

• Photovoltaic modules supplement the building’s power needs

• High-performance thermal building envelope minimizes unwanted solar gain and heat loss

• Over 1,500 electric car charging stations service every parking space, including visitor parking spaces, a first in North America

• Energy-efficient LED light fixtures and motion sensors in corridors and common areas

• Intelligent building automation system for heating and cooling controls in common areas

• Next-generation building mechanical systems feature improved air flow and HEPA filtration systems

• Central building water filtration system

• On-site car-share service and bicycle-share service

• Convenient access to transit

In each suite:

• Individually metered electrical and water usage provide control over consumption and water-wise fixtures for showers, sinks and dual-flush toilets

• Individually controlled and programmable comfort systems to control heating and cooling from smartphone

• Low-voc finishes and significant use of hard-surface flooring for easy maintenance

“The Award is a testament to our ongoing commitment to sustainability and forward-thinking design,” said Ashling Evans, General Manager of Real Estate at Amexon Development Corporation.

The Residences at Central Park also recently won the Ontario Home Builders’ Association’s Project of the Year (People’s Choice Award) and named a finalist for the BILD Green Builder of the Year and the OHBA Green Building of the Year.

The project seamlessly integrates with the adjacent East Don Parkland to create a mixed-use community that represents the future of sustainable urban living in North America. centralparktoronto.com

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Existing Building Upgrade Award – Little by Little Studios, Winnipeg, MB

Jury Comment: “This adaptive reuse of a 1950s commercial building is notable for its creative and comprehensive approach. Beyond the improvements in performance, the innovative repurposing of materials, such as tiles into countertops and existing studs into wood screens, make for a very elegant transformation.“

The extensive retrofit of 107 Marion Street in Winnipeg showcases the adaptive reuse of a long-time vacant commercial building. The 300 sq.m building constructed in the 1950s was originally a fruit market with a residence above and is now home to an architectural office and photo studio space.

The ambition for this project was to be a showcase for sustainable construction, taking a “re-think everything” approach: developing creative ways to reuse, re-purposing and integrating salvaged materials from other sources into the project, reducing construction waste through the owners per¬forming the deconstruction work, delivering salvaged material to recycling depots, and donating any surplus for re-use and up-cycling.

Extensive material salvaging and recycling from all components of the existing building was considered from the outset. All usable fixtures, doors, and millwork were donated to Habitat for Humanity, and the demolition was approached as a deconstruction process to preserve materials.

For example, the existing wall partitions were dismantled, with the wood studs set aside for reuse in the new design, over 50 lbs. of nails were removed and recycled, and the plaster sent to a local recycling facility for use as fill in road construction.

The wood studs were reused as a slat system at the interior stair opening and on the exterior front facade of the building as a green wall trellis.  The second storey had hardwood flooring throughout and in locations where wall partitions were removed, was infilled with hardwood salvaged from another local project.

Project Credits

  • Architect  pico ARCHITECTURE inc.
  • Owner/Developer  Little Family Investments Inc
  • General Contractor  K Sleva Contracting Ltd
  • Electrical Engineer Epp Siepman Engineering Inc
  • Mechanical engineer  Epp Siepman Engineering Inc.
  • Structural Engineer  Crosier Kilgour
  • Other Contributor  Epp Siepman Engineering Inc.
  • Other Contributor  pico Architecture Inc
  • Photos  Douglas Little Photography

Project Performance

  • Energy Intensity (Building and Process energy) = 128 kWh/m2 per year
  • Reduction in energy intensity relative to reference building = 36.4%
  • Construction debris diverted from landfill = 30%

The retrofit brings new life to this modest, long time vacant commercial building. The metal cladding is Vicwest AD150 series panels in charcoal colour. Winnipeg-based Duxton Windows & Doors supplied provided fixed, tilt & turn, and slider sash fiberglass windows and series 458 doors.

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Technical Award – GABION HOUSE, Victoria, BC

Jury Comment:  “An exemplar in its suburban context, this project is notable for its many technical innovations. The use of rocks from the site to form its character defining gabion wall is one example of its thoughtful and creative use of durable, low impact materials. Space planning emphasizes functionality and flexibility.“

The Gabion House is a single-family house for a retired visually impaired couple and has been designed to support aging in place. The building features flexible spaces that accommodate multi-generational family events and generous food production and canning facilities. The house is located in a rural community of small farms and woodland parks close to Victoria on southern Vancouver Island. The site  supported the owners’  desire to design for both the present and the future. 

Their design goals for the project included:

  • enable aging in place and appropriate for the sight impaired
  • withstand seismic events, extreme weather and food scarcity
  • support its local ecosystem
  • be made from non-toxic materials with a low carbon footprint
  • be efficient to operate and maintain, and
  • last for generations.

In response to these goals, the Gabion House is Passive House certified and features a post-disaster structural system. The house is self-sustaining, as it can generate its own power and operate with its own water supply and wastewater management system. Battery backup and food and water storage can provide resilience over extended periods.

Another driver of design was that the site lies within a Garry Oak ecosystem, unique to southwestern British Columbia, and among the rarest in the province. Preservation and celebration of this ecosystem, including its many rocky outcrops, were priorities throughout the project.

The overall site design strategy was to work with the existing natural elements, thereby supporting the existing ecosystem. The house is nestled within these outcrops and cantilevers over the lower meadows to the south. One formidable Garry Oak specimen became the focus of the design, with all outdoor living spaces oriented around the tree.

Project Credits

  • Architect  Waymark Architecture
  • General Contractor  Interactive Construction
  • Landscape Architect  Biophilia
  • Electrical Engineer  AES Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineer  Focal Engineering
  • Structural Engineer  Blackwell Structural Engineers
  • Photos  Jody Beck

The pathway leading to the main entry. Cascadia Windows & Doors supplied its fixed and operable fibreglass windows to part of the project.

Forbo Marmoleum flooring is used in the gym and the hallway to the multi-purpose rooms.

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Cold Air Distribution – a novel approach to meeting Passive House cooling loads?

By Andrew Peel

The Passive House Standard was developed with the intent of designing and constructing buildings whose space heating load could be entirely met through the ventilation supply air required for adequate indoor air quality. Early examples, including the Stadtwerke Hannover Passive House estate in Hannover, conclusively demonstrated that this goal can be achieved in practice. 

As Passive House expanded into climates requiring active cooling, this goal was expanded to include meeting the entire space cooling load via the ventilation supply air. However, delivery temperatures of around 13oC limit the cooling capacity of the ventilation supply air to a level that is generally inadequate for this purpose. To increase the cooling capacity, it is theoretically and practically possible to reduce the supply air temperature. Indeed, ASHRAE has developed a designer’s guide to cold air distribution (CAD), a cooling strategy to which ventilation supply air cooling belongs.

To date, CAD has been applied to industrial and commercial buildings.  However, mechanical designers are uncomfortable adopting such an approach for residential buildings, due to three primary concerns:

1) The risk of condensation on the diffuser, caused by an indoor dewpoint temperature that is higher than the colder supply air temperature.

2) The risk of occupant discomfort, due to improper mixing of supply air and room air, leading to air dumping and cold draughts.

3) The risk of mould growth on the interior finish in the vicinity of the diffuser due to reduced surface temperatures.

The author has undertaken laboratory experiments to determine under what conditions CAD is feasible in residential buildings.  An instrumented suite mock-up was created within two identical test chambers located within a rooftop test facility of the University of Toronto. The mock-up was intended to represent a typical residential suite room.

The investigation examined the influence of the following key parameters on the three risks noted above:

• supply air flow rate,

• supply air velocity,

• diffuser type,

• diffuser location,

• insulation thickness,

• air and vapour sealing,

• diffuser coating, and

• position in room.

This innovative solution is a funding recipient of the Phase 2 of the Building for the Future Round of the Housing Supply Challenge. This challenge, administered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, seeks to remove barriers to housing supply in Canada.  Peel Passive House has received funding from an undisclosed source to pilot CAD in six multi-unit residential buildings across Canada. The buildings cover a wide cross section of geographic areas, climate zones, provinces, tenant demographics, small and medium size, rural and urban, and new builds, and retrofits. Beyond implementation, substantial product development is required to meet the more demanding technical specifications and to mitigate common implementation issues in construction. 

Andrew Peel is principal of Peel Passive House Consulting Ltd. Insert this text and link … For more information https://www.peelpassivehouse.ca/
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Embassy Commons

Barren site revitalized for supportive housing and community service

By Emma Cubitt

After sitting vacant for over a decade, the site of the Embassy Hotel has undergone dramatic transformation with the addition of affordable housing, community programming, and new arts and commercial spaces along a busy corridor in London, Ontario.

Originally constructed in the 1900s, the Embassy Hotel in London’s Old East Village drew crowds with live music, and housed the artist-led Embassy Cultural Hub for decades.  The structure was the city’s oldest hotel still in operation, until it was lost to fire in 2009.  After a decade standing vacant, Indwell – with help from Tricar Developments – purchased the land to build much-needed, permanent, supportive housing in order to address the needs of London’s homeless residents.

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified various pressures that the Old East Village had experienced for years, particularly homelessness and its associated negative impacts on lives and businesses. Redevelopment presented an opportunity to provide shelter and supports for vulnerable residents while celebrating and reinvesting in the cultural heritage of the community. 

The former brownfield site now features a 4,560 sq.m three-storey structure with 11 parking spaces. Embassy Commons consists of two primary occupancies: residential and commercial. The building provides 72 new, affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments, but is functionally designed as two ideally-sized communities, each with distinct street addresses.  On a purely human level, it is a place that a diverse range of tenants rebuilding their lives after experiencing homelessness and other debilitating conditions can call home. 

Featuring dedicated space for community programming and office functions, the building incorporates built-in supports for residents, including nursing, addiction guidance, and mental health counselling.  Three commercial units, housing the Squeaky Wheel Bike Co-op, a pharmacy, and Edgar and Joe’s Café, welcome locals to interact with (and reinvest in) their neighbourhood.

With Indwell’s vision of Hope & Homes for All in mind, the intent was to create a supportive housing community which reflected vitality, hopefulness, and uplifting of the human experience for both tenants and passersby.  Key to this inclusive vision is minimizing the project’s long-term environmental impact; thus, PHIUS+ Passive House performance standards were followed.

Energy Performance & GHG Emissions

As design modelling achieved 38% energy savings and 32% emissions reductions when compared to 2015 NECB requirements, Indwell strove beyond their typical PHIUS+ Passive House performance standards for this project, pursuing an additional goal of attaining net-zero operational carbon emissions by adding a 92KW solar array to the roof. 

Design features key to the energy savings included:

  • Final whole building air tightness result of 0.045 cfm/sq.ft. @ 50Pa (meeting Passive House standards)
  • Improved, effective floor slab insulation value, R(IP)-22
  • Improved, effective above-grade wall enclosure insulation value, R(IP)-32
  • Improved, effective roof assembly insulation value, R(IP)-44
  • Optimized window-to-wall ratio (reducing excessive fenestration)
  • Fiberglass window frames with triple-pane glass by INLINE Fiberglass
  • Centralized Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) for residential and common areas
  • Air-source Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pump heating and cooling systems
  • High-efficiency, gas-fired domestic hot water heaters
  • Reduced lighting power density in residential common areas, offices, commercial spaces, and exterior

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  Indwell
  • Architect  Invizij Architects Inc
  • Structural Engineer  Kalos Engineering Inc
  • Mechanical/Electrical Engineer  CK Engineering Inc
  • Civil Engineer Stantec
  • Landscaping Consultant  Ron Koudys Landscape Architects
  • Passive House Consultant 
  • Zon Engineering Inc
  • Project Manager  Graceview Construction
  • Photos  Industryous & Invizij Architects

Mosaic artwork adorns the streetscape in three parts. Inline Fiberglass provided triple-gazed tilt and turn windows.

The interior courtyard and two rooftop patios provide a safe place for tenants to get fresh air. Centralized Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) from Swegon for the residential and common areas contributes to 38% energy savings.

The Squeaky Wheel Bike Co-op. The 72-unit building uses air-source variable refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pump heating and cooling systems by Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada.

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Exterior details for High-Performance Enclosures Rear-Ventilated Rainscreen (RVRS) and Cladding Types

Jeff Ker, Engineered Assemblies

Facades systems have always been one of the most important parts of sustainability. We are only now coming around to realize just how important. Facades, if done properly, will be a rear ventilated rainscreen. They will be part of an outboard insulated envelope and will be high performance. In keeping with that methodology, they will then be the Primary Passive Environmental Control System.

Facades have always been on the front lines so to speak. They are often the single largest building component charged with insulation in addition to being most vulnerable to the substantial dictator – the environment.

Managing the abuse the environment delivers is a holistic endeavour and is only possible with a combination of materials, good design and proper assembly. If we had to pick one ingredient to start with, ventilation is the first. Whether you have a marginally absorbent façade material or not, ventilation is always good – never bad. It helps the entire assembly maintain a handle on moisture.

Having an active plenum, as outlined in the drawing detail, ensures the circulation of air is constant in good times and bad. The plenum can only function best when unobstructed and with the combination of adequate intake and exhaust vents.

Having adequate ventilation/air flow means the substructure supporting the façade material can see a longer lifespan and the insulation can function at its maximum potential in its dry state.

Placing a secondary drainage plane in front of the insulation (behind the plenum) will further thwart the intrusion of precipitation, minimize wind washing, and provide a visually pleasing veil to hide substructure and insulation through open joints of facade panels.

When all the components are chosen and assembled in the spirit of achieving their greatest lifespan, we can avoid premature demolition and concentrate on maximizing thermal performance and moisture management. This, in itself, is a pathway to sustainability.

The RVRS Design Guide by Engineered Assemblies is available for download in EN + FR: https://www.engineeredassemblies.com/systems.

Cladding Types – Numerous, resilient claddings are available for high-performance buildings: metal, fibre cement, ceramic, high pressure laminate, brick, masonry and precast concrete.

Most facade materials can be attached using connectors designed to minimize thermal bridging, such as the Cascadia clip, mentioned earlier, or the TcLip by Engineered Assemblies, which was recently Passive House certified.

The EQUITONE high-density fibre cement facade material is a composite of cement, cellulose and mineral materials, reinforced by a visible matrix, which can be transformed in any size or shape for crisp, monolithic details.

TONALITY is an example of a one-layer extruded ceramic in a size range of 150mm-600mm high x 2,000mm long with hidden fastener attachment in a lift and lock system for installation horizontally and vertically on facades or soffits. It can be supplied in numerous colours and shapes: grooves, waves, and random patterns, for pleasing architectural effects.

High Pressure Laminate, or phenolic consists of kraft paper, decorative paper, resins and coatings. It’s a technology that has been accomplished by many companies around the world. The manufacturers use similar materials and processes, and this technology has had a long life.

FRONTEK, from Spain-based Greco Gres Internacional, is extruded porcelain with inner and outer layers that adds a volumetric and sculptural effect to the facade. Their use on a ventilated facade system has shown FRONTEK panels to reduce outside noise and insulate against solar radiation, provide high resistance to water absorption and abrasion, and facilitate easy handling and installation with all types of facade systems because of their internal honeycomb structure.

Trespa makes a decorative high-pressure compact laminate (HPL) with an integral surface for exterior cladding which is highly weather-resistant, colour stable, impact resistant, and easy to clean. The TRESPA® Pura® NFC is made of up to 70% natural fibres which go through an advanced manufacturing process. All Pura® NFC products are certified according to PEFC™ standard.

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Windows for high-performance enclosures

Windows are obvious critical components of building enclosures, especially those designed for the highest performance of Net Zero and Passive House. Select manufacturers and suppliers are meeting the demands of the high-performance building market which they see as only growing in the coming years.  

Innotech Windows + Doors in Langley, BC shares the views of most select window suppliers that building codes throughout Canada, such as the BC Energy Step Code, is giving rise to a surge in buildings, including single-family homes and multi-family high-rise buildings, designed and built to achieve high energy efficiency, if not the Passive House Standard.

Innotech serves the high-performance market and recently introduced its Defender 88PH+ XI, the first Passive House Institute cold climate certified window manufactured in North America and the first uPVC Passive House Institute cold climate certified window in the world. Both are significant achievements for the North American fenestration industry and long-awaited performance milestones for the North American Passive House building industry.

The Defender 88PH+ XI exceeds the criteria for the cold climate region (or climate zone 2) as defined by the Passive House Institute. The fixed window has a Uw of 0.59 W/(m²K), Uw,inst of 0.60 W/(m²K) and temperature factor of 0.77, while the operable (turn and turn) window has a Uw of 0.60 W/(m²K), Uw,inst of 0.64 W/(m²K) and temperature factor of 0.78. Both the fixed window and the operable window achieve a Passive House efficiency class of phA for the cold climate region, while providing air tightness, water resistance and structural performance.

Inline Fiberglass in Toronto is a pioneer in the Canadian fiberglass window and door industry with the distinct advantage of controlling all aspects of design, production and quality. Beginning with the manufacturing of lineals, using the pultrusion process, to design and final assembly of windows and doors, Inline has earned its reputation for producing high performing windows and doors. The company was an early adopter of fiberglass because the material resists swelling, rotting, and warping for long-lasting durability. Its fiberglass frames are as strong as low carbon steel and eight times stronger than vinyl.

Inline’s Larry Bidner says that its advanced pultrusion technology allows the production of lineals/frames with a higher glass loading than traditional fiberglass frames. This higher glass loading provides a higher strength and a lower thermal expansion rate. Its fiberglass frames expand at virtually the same rate as glass to maintain a tight seal and maintain resistance to leaks and window failures that can compromise energy efficiency and long-term performance. More recently, Inline has introduced its line of fiberglass Passive House-certified windows.

The FiberWall™ series by Duxton Windows & Doors in Winnipeg has been used in Net Zero buildings, both in commercial and residential settings.  The fiberglass lineals in combination with triple-pane double low-e glass and a warm edge Endur spacer result in u-values down to 0.79 W/m2K. Duxton is working toward ever lower u-values for thermal performance, especially as the high-performance building market becomes more important and, as it believes, the BC Step Code gradually takes effect and spreads to other jurisdictions. The company will focus on the casement/awning category which have excellent air-tightness and are familiar to Canadians.

Cascadia Windows & Doors—based in Langley, BC—designs and manufactures commercial grade, high-performance fiberglass windows, doors, and window wall, plus the Cascadia Clip fiberglass cladding attachment.

 Its standard window products—the Universal Series™—boast up to 250% improved thermal performance compared to traditional aluminum windows, making them suited to commercial and residential Passive House projects. In 2023, Cascadia launched a Juliet Balcony product to reduce thermal bridging associated with balconies and is working on an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its windows.

JELD-WEN has a platform of high-performance casement, awning and fixed windows that can reach beyond Tier 5 of the NBC 2020 and that can reach a 0.79 U Value with a variety of glass options offering both medium and low solar gain. The JWC 8500 series is well positioned, with a 26% slimmer frame that allows more natural light while maintaining window strength, to help builders improve their building envelopes and contribute to a lower operational carbon output.

KALWALL in Manchester, NH has developed highly unique translucent daylighting systems which it says are the most highly insulating in the world. It offers museum-quality daylighting™ to improve indoor environmental quality, reduce a building’s carbon footprint, and bring measurable energy savings to owners and tenants. The company has recently launched KALWALL® 175CW, the first in a series of new translucent insulated glazing units (TIGUs) which 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.

Toronto-based VETTA Windows and Doors offers high-quality European triple-glazed windows and doors, all made from sustainably harvested wood and specifically designed for high performance Passive House and Net Zero buildings. This includes PHI certified windows and doors.

According to Carolyn Sedgwick, VP at VETTA Windows & Doors, its products use only wood harvested from sustainably managed forests, a leading method of carbon capture critical for climate resiliency as recommended by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It notes the embodied carbon of its wood windows and doors, when factoring in their carbon sink benefit, at about 0 kg/CO2e per m².

In 2023 the company introduced the Summit C108, a PHI Cold Climate Certified operable alu-clad wood window. With an overall Uw value of 0.65 w/m²K, it delivers exceptional performance and refined  modern design. 

NZP Fenestration in Longueuil, QC specializes in providing high-performance fenestration solutions for Passive House, Net Zero Energy, and Zero Carbon projects. Its Passivhaus-certified windows significantly exceed current standards with its multipoint locking system for optimal sealing, while its triple glazing achieves performance levels of up to R11.4. NZP also offers lift and slide doors available in sizes up to 21 feet with R11.4 glazing; insulated glass swing doors with a multipoint lock system and customizable sizes; triple glazing systems; insulated frames to minimize heat loss; and customizable design to integrate into any project.

Varsa Windows & Doors in Surrey, BC offers the Passive House-certified Rehau Geneo tilt-turn windows and doors (UPVC) composed of RAU-FIPRO®, a proprietary fibre composite material similar to that employed in aeronautic construction and racing vehicles, making it the first fully-reinforced polymer window profile system that doesn’t rely on steel for its strength. RAU-FIPRO also provides excellent acoustical and thermal performance, especially given the absence of steel which can cause thermal bridging. Available as tilt-turn, hopper and fixed configurations, with centre seal and optional thermo-modules, Geneo achieves thermal insulation values up to the stringent passive house standard.

Varsa also offers ALUMIL S91 consisting of the hinged insulated system SMARTIA s91, an alternative for frames with concealed sash and fittings. Its significantly reduced visible aluminum face width maximizes natural light along with high thermal insulation and watertightness. And finally, it is one of the few companies to have a Passive House-certified curtain wall: ALUMIL M7.

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