gb & ss magazine - september 2012

FALL 2012

Vincent cALLebAut ARcHitectuReSustainable Architecture for the 21st century

BUILDING ENVELOPE ISSUE: ImPrOVING ENErGy EffIcIENcy

canary District

27

Teeple Architects

21

Victoria common

12

cathedral Hill

44

Green& SuStainable StrategieS

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� From the Editor: Vincent Callebaut Architecture

4 Bionic Arch, a Sustainable Tower. Taichung Ecopolis, Taiwan 10 Full Building Air Leakage Testing: How Big is the Hole in your Wall?

1� Sustainability Charrette for 915 Unit Development in Kitchener

18 Savings by Design: Designing in Efficiency and Sustainability

�1 Earth Mothers in Peterborough: OAA Award For Sustainable Convent

�4 How Building Envelope Meets Smart Grid

�7 No Stone Unturned. Canary District Developers Pull Out all the Stops to Create Unique Sustainable Neighbourhood

�0 CORAL REEF: Matrix and Plug-in for 1000 Passive Houses

�6 LiveWall®: New Planted Wall System Achieves Simplicity and Sustainability

�8 Number One with a Bullitt: Seattle Office Building Touted as Greenest Commercial Structure in the World

41. Environmental Visitor Centre Gets a Serious Green Makeover

44 WINDMILL DEVELOPMENT GROUP Green Development Strengthens Iconic Ottawa Church

47 #1 Tip To Making Your Business Website 10 Seconds More Attractive

48 Starting with a Tight Building Envelope to Reduce First Costs

50 Bringing it Home: How TRCA’s Green Home Makeover is Supporting Green Renovation and Market Transformation

5� First LEED Platinum Residence in Greater Toronto

FALL 2012

VincentcALLebAutARcHitectuReSustainableArchitecture for the 21st century

BUILDING ENVELOPE ISSUE: ImPrOVING ENErGy EffIcIENcy

canary District

27

Teeple Architects

21

Victoria common

12

cathedral Hill

44

GreenGreen& Su

BuildinBUILDINGGreen& SuStainable StrategieSBuildinGCONTENTS

FALL 2012

On the cover: Bionic ArchVincent Callebaut

Architecture

10 38

From the editor

Revolutionary, dreamer, futurist - take your pick. All words aptly describe ground-breaking Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut, whose controversial eco-projects around the world have taken green designs to a whole new level.

He’s not quite a household name across Canada yet, but that is changing; and changing fast. His visionary concepts have been called, to put it mildly, controversial, but there is no doubting the breath-taking quality of the work.

His imagination and inventiveness know no bounds; his creativ-ity is one of a kind. It’s that good, that unique.

With countless magazine articles written about him in multiple languages, this leader in green architecture, focusing on sustain-able and low-emission living, simply envisions possibilities that none of his peers ever approach.

This all sets him apart.So who is this craftsman who has set the architectural establish-

ment on its ear?Any way you look at it, Callebaut’s career has forever been on

a fast track. Born in 1977, by �000 he had already graduated from the Institute Victor Horta in Brussels, leaving with the best diploma project prize.

A year later, the European Community sent him on his way professionally by awarding him the Leonardo de Vinci bursary. He was heralded for his dynamism, his force of expression and conceptual coherence.

By �00�, he was off and running, the awards and praise adding up, and he had already cemented a reputation as an eco visionary, based on his ideas, and how he combined nature with raw concrete and steel.

Magnificent, inspiring, amazing … these plaudits were routinely used to sum up his work.

He touched down in Canada briefly back in �004, coming up with design for The St. Lawrence Panoramic Gardens near Quebec City. His creativity found a way to transform the area near the St. Lawrence River and the Montmorency Falls. Intoned Callebaut: “Like a bridal veil, two long waterfalls emphasize poetically the meeting place between river and cliff, between Nature and Man.”

Two of his most recent eye-opening green endeavours are called Bionic Arch (in Taiwan) and Coral Reef (in Haiti).

In Taiwan, he had his work cut out for him. His green tower, the Bionic Arch, was challenged to symbolize the new Taiwanese dynamic for the �1st century. Said Callebaut: “It included an environmental integration of the park and the green land, the inte-grations of green vertical platforms, sky gardens and living façades, interaction between human and natural environments.

“It actively contributes to the development of the use of new

sustainable energies (solar and wind-generated power, coupled with botanical and bio-technologies), and emphasizes cohabitation and respectful attitude in order to reach even higher standards than regular green buildings. It will become the new landmark of sustainability, 100 per cent self-sufficient with CO� zero-emission.”

In Haiti, Callebaut tackled this challenge: Creating eco villages for 1,000 Haitian families affected by the �010 earthquake. He found himself inspired by an organic form of corral and ended up placing pre-fabricated modular living units on top of seismic piers in the water off the mainland.

But that was just the start, as is his style. From there, he made sure each family would have a plot of land to grow their own food, a tropical ecosystem for local fauna and flora was established, and gray water recycling plants were set up.

To top it all off, the entire complex was carbon neutral and power would be generated from marine currents, thermal energy conversion under the pier, solar photovoltaics and wind turbines.

Going the extra mile, as usual. And it’s our pleasure to present more of the influential

architect’s insights in this issue of Green Building & Sustainable Strategies magazine. Enjoy.

Greg McMillan EditorGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies

Vincent Callebaut Architecture

Bionic Arch, a Sustainable TowerTaichung Ecopolis, Taiwan

For the hundredth birthday of the creation of “Taiwan R.O.C.”, the main aim of the Taichung City Government is to honour the local build-ing traditions and symbolize the new Taiwan

dynamics into economic, political, social and cultural achievements.

International model of the green building of the �1st century, the innovative and pioneering design of the Bionic Arch is part of the new master plan “Taic-hung Gateway – Active Gateway City”, the future urban oasis for lifestyle, innovation, culture and biodiversity in the heart of Central Taiwan.

The green tower combines and surpasses the nine major indica-tors defining a green building by law, and intensifies the relation between the building site and the surrounding Taichung Gateway Park, including an environmental integration of the park and the green land, the integration of green vertical platforms, sky gardens and living façades, interaction between human and natural environ-ments. It actively contributes to the development of the use of new sustainable energies (solar and wind generated power, coupled with botanical and bio-technologies), emphasizes cohabitation and respectful attitude in order to reach even higher standards than regular green buildings.

Raising awareness of climate changes and the need for environ-mental protection, Taiwan Tower will become the new landmark of sustainability, 100% self-sufficient with CO� zero-emission, there-fore contributing to the government’s policies in terms of energy saving and carbon emission reduction.

1. THE SITEThe Project site is included in the Taichung Gateway City. The site

area is approximately 4.4 hectares but the footprint of the Bionic Arch does not exceed one hectare and respects the oblique line for setback distance from Road �0M-8�.

Name: Vincent Callebaut ArchitectBorn: in 1977Nationality: BelgianDiploma: in �000 awarded with René Serrure First Prize at ISAIVH, Brussels, BelgiumWebsite: www.vincent.callebaut.org

Host Organization: Secretariat:Taichung City GovernmentSponsor:Urban Development Bureau, Taichung City GovernmentProject Title:Taiwan Tower Planning, Design and Construction Supervision Service ProjectContract Performance Location:Xitun District, Taichung CityConstruction budget: NT$ 6.588.000.000Delivery: December �016

Iconic Landmark, the green tower will be the sustainable key of the future centrally-administrated Taichling special municipality

Affiliated facilities, inside view of offices located in the lower portion of the structure with individual entrance

Taiwan Tower, main observatory at Tor Sky Gardens and restaurants creating a charming lookout in the sky

The museum of Taichling city development, spacious and impressive lobby for visitors

Taiwan Tower is centered at the intersection of the two main axis of the new master plan: “Park Avenue �” from North to South and the pedestrian “Green Corridor” linked the two R&D districts from East to West.

The concept of the tower is the development of a vertical land-scape in the continuity of the park, like a green double ogive arch, keeping the perspective views clear between the main districts.

This Bionic Arch integrates directly all sustainable technologies and its design presents an aerodynamic geometry inspired by

Nature in the axis of dominant winds.

2. THE PROJECT CONTENTSThe whole room program is superposed vertically as a vertical

urban forest recycling the atmosphere and the fog of Taichung. All facilities and equipments (exhibition rooms, lobby, information center, lobby elevator, shops, restaurants, observatories, laboratories and offices) will be transformed into real suspended gardens in the sky.

The three main functional entities are organized as follows:

2.1. TAIWAN TOWER

With its �80 meters above ground level (490 meters high above sea level), the Bionic Arch will become the highest building and the most important visual focus in Central Taiwan, including sightseeing and recreational functions. The observatory is higher than the Dadu Mountain in order to give to visitors a panoramic view on the Taiwan Strait and Taichung Harbour.

An environmental quality monitoring station will be set up for use by related researchers and as an R&D base hung in the sky to develop new sustainable energy sources suitable for the Shuinan area.

Beside its sightseeing functions, the tower will also embody a telecommunication base.

2.2. MUSEUM OF TAICHUNG CITY DEVELOPMENT

The Taiwan Tower experience starts from the Museum of Taichung City Development on the ground floor, which will feature exhibitions on the city’s development including history, urban and rural tug-of-war, urban design and planning, industrial develop-ment, telecommunication, sewerage, fire prevention, flood and disaster control transportation, etc.

A model of the City will also be on display to help citizens learn about the identity of the city they live in.

The museum’s operation will integrate civil participation, cultural recreation and ecological practice to exemplify the energy and dynamism of the new Taichung Ecopolis.

An environmental information center will provide the education promotions such as energy conservation, carbon reduction, and ecological city.

2.3. AFFILIATED FACILITIES – OFFICES

The Affiliated Facilities (offices, meeting rooms, archives, public facilities, etc…) are located in the lower and middle part of the structure and are accessible through four individual entrances.

3. THE SPATIAL DESIGN CRITERIAS

3.1. ELEVATORS

The vertical circulation layout is divided into four decentralized cores of staircases and elevators with air pressure control system. These four cores with exoskeleton structure planted with living green walls lead to all the twenty three decks. In the axis of the central wind turbines, two high speed elevators of 48 peoples each give direct access to the main observation posts at the top of the tower.

3.2. FIRE CONTROL

A global net of water sprinklers is used at first to extinguish the fire and all the functions are divided into various compartments with spatial separations. If the fire breaks through the partition, the upper and lower floor levels generate positive pressure. The negative pressure of the floor on fire lets the fire burn out, while at the same time people are informed to evacuate. The Bionic Arch includes two sets of fire escape ladders to evacuate downwards, and an outdoor platform at an appropriate floor level.

Absolute symbol of zero emission living and eco-city, Taiwan Tower is a new oasis of lifestyle, innovation, culture and biodiversity

88 Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL ��010101�� Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies 99FFFALLALLALLALLALL ��010101��

3.3. STRUCTUREThe structural concept “exoskeleton” and the design of the

structure takes into consideration the earthquakes factors, typhoons and also reviewing the September 11 attack.

The space structure of the building itself, which has the longer lifetime period, considers the possibilities of enhancing its flexibility.

All the suspended gardens are very flexible platforms designed to evolve with time. In fact, the interior planning offers a maximal flexibility to respond to future changes in functional and spatial requirements. The double deck system also participates to this maximum potential of flexibility for the maintenance and replace-ment of wire/line equipment of water, electrical utilities and air conditioning in order to extend the building’s overall lifetime usage.

3.3.1. SEISMIC RESISTANCEThe Bionic Arch has the ability to resist to the largest earth-

quakes in the future within elastic range. The ends of the main beams are made of resin, designed with plasticization in order to prevent the building from damage.

The structural strength is assured by seismic technologies as isolator floor, visco-elastic dampers, bracing frame structure, etc.

3.3.2. WIND RESISTANCEThe bionic and aerodynamic shape of the tower is specially

designed to reduce wind impact and to accelerate it in the direction of the three vertical wind turbines in order to minimize structural vibration. The design of the structure includes the addition of a damper device to prevent typhoons or strong winds from generat-ing an uncomfortable situation similar to seasickness.

4. GREEN ARCHITECTURE

In �00�, the Taiwan government began implementing the “Green Architecture Promotional Project” in conjunction with the Green Silicon Island policies, to assiduously attempt with a green architectural plan to preserve the ecological environment.

As a pre-condition to the application of the building permit, the project requires first to obtain a Certificate of Green Building Candidate.

The goal is to respect and to largely exceed the nine major indexes for green architectural compliance audits in order to reach the Diamond level certification referring to the criteria of LEED: “minimization of earth resources use, to produce architecture with the least waste”.

The Bionic Arch presents pro-active objectives to answer to these nine major indexes :

1. Planting Green: Encouraging more production of Oxygen, greater absorption of CO�, cleaning the air, achieving the homeostasis for urban climate warming effects

2. Water Conservation: Improve the capacity of the land to store water, to provide the ground with a rich microbial environment able to support organic life and to reduce the need of drainage.

3. Daily Energy Efficiency: Reduce the amount of energy needed by the air conditioning system and lighting, Encourage re-use applications of waste energy.

4. Carbon Dioxide Reduction: Use the design and construction processes to achieve improvements whereby reductions in CO�emissions result, and by lightweight minimized architecture, resiliency, and re-usability of materials to accomplish reduces CO� emissions.

5. Waste Reduction: Refers to the production during the construc-tion process of Cut and fill non-Balancing Design, wasted soil, building materials waste, and easily dissipated dust particles.

6. Water Resource: refers to the ratio of the building’s actual water use to an average water use, or the “water consumption conservation ratio”.

7. Wastewater and garbage Improvements: establish tools to certify a hygienic environment control and improve impact assessment.

8. Protection of the Biodiversity: Improve the ecological quality with porous environment encouraging ecological ponds, water ponds, permitting multi-scaled biodiversity, protecting native

species and flora. This index is organized into 5 thematic cat-egories : “Ecological Network”, “Microorganism Resting Place”, “Vegetation Diversity”, “Soil Ecology”, “Ecologically Symbiotic Architectural Design”.

9. Refinement of the Interior Environment: refers to evaluating the indoor environmental quality for noise protection, ambient lighting, air flow, interior design, air quality, and environmental factors which may impact on occupant health or comfort.

Thanks to its suspended gardens, real bio-reactors for purifica-tion, the tower becomes a pro-active architecture built respecting its environment, recycling air, water and wastes and giving a new symbiotic ecosystem for the sub-tropical multi-scaled biodiversity of Taiwan. The architecture interacts completely with its context climatically, chemically, kinetically and socially to better reduce our ecological footprint in urban area.

The Bionic Arch is a didactic prototype of ecological experimenta-tions using the most advanced technologies in terms of self-suf-ficient energy construction, in order to better reveal its applications in the contemporary society.

The design is based on the integration of all the renewable tech-nologies with its crystalline glass skin made of heat insulation solar glass and photovoltaic cells, and with its three vertically superposed wind turbines. Its energetic results are positive and enable to assure not only the self-functioning of the tower but also the nocturnal lighting of the Gateway Park.

The Bionic Arch is the new icon of sustainable development in the heart of Taiwan, the new “Green Silicon Island”! GB

Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architecture

First positive-energy building in Taiwan, the Eco-Tower cenerates solar and wind power coupled with planted living facades.

10 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL �01� Green Building & Sustainable Strategies 11FALL �01�

On its own, this raw result may not mean much. But when benchmarked against in-dustry guidelines, the OAA office building is performing well. The building has �0% less air leakage through the building enclosure than the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) standard. This is a very strict standard that governs construction of all new U.S. Army buildings. (See the graph for the full set of benchmarked results.)

The thermographic scan did, how-ever, pinpoint a number of isolated areas throughout the building enclosure where air leakage is occurring. While these isolated leaks do not have a significant impact on the overall air leakage, these breaches could be contributing to local areas of concealed deterioration. Where there is air leakage, there is a greater risk of condensation, which can result in metal corrosion or mould.

The testing also showed that air leakage was occurring through the mechanical sys-tem dampers when they are in the closed position and around some of the dampers/ducts where they penetrate the enclosure. The impact of this air leakage is significant. The volume of air leaking through these components when they are closed was the same as 66% of the air leakage through the rest of the entire building enclosure.

What did the test results mean for OAA’s building management strategy?

The full building air leakage test provided the architect and building owners with accurate, detailed information to help them focus their building management strategy.

Given how air tight the building enclo-sure was shown to be, Halsall recommended against large scale building enclosure air sealing retrofits as this would result in only marginal gains in energy performance. Instead, we advised the OAA to focus on adjusting or replacing the mechanical damp-ers and on sealing isolated air leaks. This strategy is expected to have better energy saving results and also improve the building enclosure durability.

Air leakage testing helps owners understand their building. Knowing how your building is performing allows you to make educated management decisions and choose appropriate remedial actions. In short, you can plan for the right repairs at the right time. Conscientious owners who want to reduce their carbon footprint, improve occupant comfort, and protect their asset for the future should consider full building air leakage testing to find out how their building really stacks up.. GB

Jake Smith is a Project Manager with Halsall Associates’ Restoration team. Halsall is a national building engineering firm with over 50 years’ experience in designing, evaluat-ing and renewing buildings. Contact Jake at [email protected]

ASHRAE (Leaky Enclosure)

ASHRAE (Average Enclosure)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Measured Results for OAA Building

ASHRAE (Tight Enclosure)

Air Leakage Rate at 75 Pa (L/s/m2)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3

Distributed by:

www.eco-building.ca1-877-741-3535

Air leakage is responsible for a host of building problems: high energy bills, poor indoor air quality, occu-pant discomfort, wall deterioration

(which is often concealed), and a higher carbon footprint. Until recently, owners of large buildings had few options at their disposal to test air leakage performance of their building enclosure (walls and roof) in a quantitative way.

Today, advanced technologies – a combination of sophisticated computer software, blower doors, pressure gauges and infrared imaging – is making it possible to actually measure full building air leakage performance, and start to pinpoint where the leaks are coming from. This information enables building owners to make informed decisions resulting in more efficient and durable buildings.

Case Study: The Ontario Association of Architects Headquarters

These new technologies were recently put to the test at the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA)’s Toronto three-storey headquarters where architect David Fujiwara is managing the Association’s building en-ergy review and maintenance plan. As part of Fujiwara’s mandate to improve energy efficiency at the �0-year-old building, he engaged Halsall Associates to evaluate build-ing enclosure air leakage performance.

Working with Building Science Corpora-tion (BSC), Halsall conducted full building air leakage testing using a series of automated blower doors and pressure gauges controlled

by a central computer. Halsall also used infrared imaging to scan for the source of air leaks. The testing was performed under the watchful eye of �0 guests, including OAA members, councillors and staff, who were invited for a first-hand demonstration.

How the test works To test for air leakage, it is important to

create a pressure-controlled environment. This means blocking off intentional openings in the walls and roof, that is, closing oper-able windows and doors, sealing air intake and exhaust vents, and shutting down all the building’s mechanical equipment. This preparation work is a big part of the process and results in trapping yourself - and in this case our �0 guests - in the building. Luckily, the first stage of testing took less than an hour and everyone survived the “lock down.”

Once the building is prepared, the testing works by using blower doors to force air in to, then out of, the building. This creates pressurized and depressurized scenarios which are then measured and logged. As the wind can affect building pressure, a baseline wind reading is taken on all the elevations before starting the test, in order to correct for wind effects.

The blower doors maintain a constant pressure within the building relative to the exterior. Since the building is not perfectly air-tight, air will leak through breaches in the wall assembly, usually at joints between different cladding components. The testing employs the basic principle that the air flow rate in through the blower doors will be the same as the aggregate air flow out through all the leaks in the building enclosure, and vice versa. Advanced computer software enables Halsall to check readings in real

time. In the case of the OAA, for example, we could tell right away when a door was opened because the computer display would show a sudden pressure drop.

The total air flow through the building enclosure can be expressed in a number of ways. We can divide it by the total wall/roof area to help compare the results to other buildings of different sizes (benchmarking). We can also convert the total air flow to an equivalent size hole through the building enclosure. This effectively combines the area of all the small holes and cracks into one aggregate hole, which helps one visualise the amount of air leakage.

For the second part of the test - to actually identify the air leakage locations - Halsall conducted a thermographic scan. The building is first scanned while the interior space is being pressurized, then again while undergoing depressurization. When the outside temperature is cool, so are the exte-rior wall surfaces. Interior air that leaks out will warm up nearby cladding components and produce a “heat signature” that can be detected with infrared equipment. The pres-surized and depressurized scan results are then compared. As Halsall Project Principal Dave De Rose explained to the assembled audience, “If the hot spots appear the same under positive and negative pressure, this indicates a thermal bridge. If the readings are different, there is air leakage.”

How air tight is the OAA building? If you add up all the small cracks and

holes in the building enclosure, the com-bined hole is about one quarter of a square metre. In other terms this is the same as 0.91 L/s of air flowing through each square meter of the building enclosure when a pressure of 75 Pascals is induced across it.

BUiLdiNG eNVeLoPe

By Jake Smith, P.Eng.

Full Building Air Leakage Testing: How Big is the Hole in your Wall?

Photos courtesy of OAA

1� Green Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL �01� Green Building & Sustainable Strategies 1�FALL �01�

VICTORIA COMMON Finally at large-scale, a centralized

district heating and cooling system is being studied for an inspiring 915-unit residential community in Kitchener, targeting to achieve LEED® Gold certifica-tion. If finalized, it will take natural heat from the ground using ground source heat pumps; and when more heating and cooling is needed it will be supplied by a combined heat and power (CHP) system, which uses natural gas in a miserly, ef-ficient way. It will also eliminate cooling towers, reducing the amount of water needed for AC. In addition photovoltaic solar panels will generate more electric-ity than needed, defraying utility costs further.

Bruno Suppa’s time has come. Thirty years ago he was talking about alternative energy systems in the homes he was building.

But there were cost and technology obstacles. Since then he has done ev-

erything right, gradually incorporating green tech, learning the pros and cons, and building his company, Queensgate Development Group into a strong player. Driving change without going broke means using an engineering charrette.

CHARETTES FACILITATE CHANGECharrettes are for technological turn-

ing points, especially when the stakes are high and it is time to commercialize a new direction. So on a sizzling hot July morning this year, Suppa brought together a world of experience to plan Victoria Common. About a dozen engi-neers from across Canada and the USA, Architect Mark Zwicker, plus a visiting geothermal-CHP specialist from Italy; they all gathered in a semi-darkened meeting room in Toronto’s hipster Liberty Village to talk about the proposed green heating and cooling system. The charrette defines the current state of the sustainable build-ings industry: holistically integrated and poised to go large-scale.

Sustainability Charrette for 915 Unit Development in Kitchener

• Targeting LEED® Gold certification, Victoria Common’s state-of-the-art Green Energy System, provides sustainable, eco-nomical heating, cooling and electricity.

• It features a unique co-generation system with its own generators that come on when the system senses that hydro power from the city’s electrical grid is more expensive than generating the community’s own power.

• This means residents can use power at any time of day or night and not worry about being charged premium rates. It also provides emergency power during city brownouts or blackouts.

• Victoria Common’s geo-exchange system together with it’s co-generation produc-tion provides 100% of the community’s heating and cooling with very little use of natural gas, so it is virtually emission-free.

• When there is unused energy, it is stored in various locations, ready to be used when needed – nothing is wasted.

• Solar panels will also be placed on the roof of each building at Victoria Common, saving residents money by reducing the community dependence on the city’s electrical grid.

• From its energy-efficient low-E argon-filled windows to its environmentally friendly landscaping, Victoria Common’s green design thinking means significant savings and greater resale value for those who purchase a home here.

• Roof areas will be coated with highly reflective membranes in order to reduce heat gain in summer months.

• Ontario’s largest green district energy community which adds up to energy price stability over time..

• Advanced recycling system for separate recyclable materials.

• Collection of storm water for irrigation.

Victoria Common Targets LEED® Gold certificationDesigned to achieve LEED® Gold certifi-cation, Victoria Common is implement-ing one of Canada’s most advanced green energy systems for new home communities. With three primary com-ponents, the system will decrease the amount of fossil fuels required to heat and cool all buildings within the commu-nity’s master plan, as well as generating its own supplemental electricity. This will reduce the carbon footprint in com-parison to buildings using conventional energy systems.

FeAtUre StorY


THE CONVERSATION IS CHANGINGCHP district plants now offer compelling

business cases because renewable system costs are decreasing and control systems can be programmed to manage and store energy and electricity like never before. This is more important to condominium buyers because governments are no longer playing down the fact that tradi-tional utility costs are likely to increase significantly in the near future.

Suppa describes Kitchener-Waterloo as Canada’s Silicon Valley and says this demographic appreciates walkable communities, homes that are powered by environment-friendly sustainable technology and are affordable over the long term. About half of the first building in the development was sold as soon as it was offered.

The question for the charrette is what is the best combination of technology, building practices and financial models to ensure investors make money, while using green technology. The lead engineering firm is Stantec, which has probably been more innovative than most other large (conservative) engineering dynasties. Stantec has 1�,000 employees.

They talk about a special spider plow, designed for farming, but now being adapted and used for cost-effective large-scale horizontal geothermal projects. They talk about an innovative recent solution in which geothermal boreholes were inserted within the structural piles holding up a WestJet building in Calgary; and a geoex-change system at UBC that replaces natural gas and saves more than $600k per year.

They describe new floor mat products from Uponor and others that make production scale radiant heat installs quicker and save 60% on energy.

SAVING ON UTILITY COSTSSergio Giuseppini, who has used co-gen-

eration technology for five European IKEA stores, talks about a �00-unit residential project in Rome that uses CHP and geo,

similar to what the charrette is considering today for Suppa’s project. He notes the importance of knowing your goals from the beginning. Suppa reinforces that he is seeking to ensure Kitchener condominium owners don’t pay as much as others for

utilities. This will soon become important to homeowners all over North America. He is also wondering if Ontario’s Microfit program will mean that some solar will make sense with this project and help generate electric-ity and revenue.

Tom Phelps from Stantec in North Carolina reviews a comparison of levelized costs for various technology configura-tions such as CHP, geo, solar, natural gas condensing boilers, biomass, coal and so on. These include capital, operating, financing and other costs. He notes that generic CHP releases less pollution and now usually costs less to the end user than utility distributed generation. He says the latter leaks 67% of its heat, while CHP loses just �0%. Phelps suggests to Suppa that marketing plans which would promote CHP for backup emer-gency power are not as strong an argument as ongoing cost advantages.

Geothermal expert Gino Di Rezze talks about his many years of hands-on experi-ence and some of the new drilling and heat pump technology available. He has worked on major projects in numerous locations and comments on new Ontario regulatory specifics.

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As Reliance Home Comfort’s “green guy“, I am most fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a variety of green building and

sustainable development organizations, contributing volunteer hours and expertise to educating and informing our builder clients, advocating on the industry’s behalf and manag-ing Reliance’s interests in the area of developing codes and standards.

Working on projects like BILD’s Archetype Sustainable House, TRCA’s Green Home Makeover, CMHC’s Equilibrium Houses and our customers many “ Discovery Homes” has given me the opportunity to learn about new and evolving technologies, advanced building practices and policy and programs that are leading the market transformation to a more sustainable built environment.

One of the most interesting by far is one I have just begun working on in my role as Chair for Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC) – facilitating Enbridge’s Savings by Design program.

Savings by Design is Enbridge’s latest

market transformation initiative targeting new home construction. The program pro-vides design assistance and direct to builder financial incentives for exceeding minimum energy efficiency standards within the

Ontario Building Code. Rooted in the principles of Integrated Design, the program introduces the new home construction sector to the fundamentals of the Integrated Design Process (IDP).

Sustainable Buildings Canada is a nonprofit organiza-tion dedicated to advancing building performance through IDP. For the past 10 years, and beginning with the Federal Government’s CBIP (commercial buildings incentive program)

followed by the Enbridge’s High Perfor-mance New Construction (HPNC) incentive program, SBC has been educating com-mercial practitioners and training simulation modelers through their Integrated Design Charrettes and signature Toronto Green Building Festival.

When Enbridge was mandated to invest in Conservation and Demand Management programming in the residential sector they turned to SBC to adapt their IDP program for

delivery into the low rise housing sector.After extensive consultation with Indus-

try stakeholders, Builders, Energy Auditors and Sustainability Consultants - and follow-ing Ontario Energy Board approval, Enbridge has launched the Savings by Design market transformation initiatives.

Qualified Builders are eligible to receive design assistance through an SBC facilitated Integrated Design Charrette workshop and are then eligible for financial incentives of $�,000.00 per home that achieve a performance verified, net energy reduction of �5% over the current Ontario Building Code requirements of SB-1�, and subject to the programs terms and conditions.

Enbridge works with the existing energy performance evaluation and certification channels to streamline the application pro-cess. The same channels used for certifying homes to ENERGY STAR and EnerGuide, using the same validation tools – energy simula-tion software and envelope performance testing – the blower door test – to confirm the savings threshold has been achieved. Enbridge then pays the incentive, directly to the builder. Where Enbridge’s Savings by Design program differs but supports Industry labeling like ENERGYSTAR and EnerGuide, is in their approach to acceptable measures.

Continued on page 20

By Larry Brydon

Savings by Design Designing in Efficiency and Sustainability

SUStAiNABLe iNitiAtiVeS

��00 Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL ��010101�� Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies ��11FFFALLALLALLALLALLALL ��010101��

Continued from page 18

While NRCan approved measures are limited to the performance elements of the home and it’s systems, Enbridge’s Savings by Design program builds on their success by incorporating measures that encourage and enable the efficient operation of the home by its occupants. All off switches, in home energy displays, set back thermostats and solar ready installations, all conven-tional Conservation and Demand Manage-ment measures, get equal treatment by the program, allowing additional energy credits in accounting for the net energy reductions.

Additionally, Savings by Design uses a net gigajoules metric, as opposed to the EnerGuide 0 to 100 scale. This allows incre-mental examination of the contribution of each measure or technology to the overall net energy reduction, allowing for a more transparent cost benefit evaluation. Net Gigajoules consumed, and Gigajoules per square meter are two metrics being con-sidered by NRCan for the next generation EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) currently scheduled for release in �014 following public review and comment.

A secondary program benefit derives from the expertise solicited to participate

in the design charrettes. Consultants and Academics are engaged by SBC to provide insight, to validate and to advise on measures and technologies as the builder is led through the process of identifying and qualifying measures from “dirt to doors” using an integrated and iterative approach. The program introduces academic research-ers from the provinces leading sustainability and building science programs, drawing on professors and their students to introduce cutting edge technology while exposing the research to the rigors of real world problems in the Building and Development Industry. Leading Consultants, experts in their fields, provide insight into opportunities, costs and barriers, grounded in their experience working within the Industry today.

With the pilot program launched and several charrettes completed, the response has been outstanding with proponents returning surveys indicating their expecta-tions were exceeded, the process deemed valuable and the targets achievable. The real test will be on uptake, and the number of Builders that go on to build homes eligible for the incentive. I expect that most of them will.GB

Larry Brydon is a Senior Account Executive with Reliance Home Comfort, Chair of Sus-tainable Buildings Canada and Chair of the Evaluator Council for EnerQuality Corpora-tion’s Board of Directors.

Enbridge’s Savings By Design initiative is unique to the residential new con-struction sector in North America. The program connects builder proponents to the latest technical expertise and know-how, and not just related to energy performance.Builders are exposed to the latest developments and techniques in low impact development including storm water management, community design and transportation alternatives.

The free flowing format of the in-tegrated design workshop allows for a creative examination of a variety of alternatives and options in a non-threat-ening environment.

To date, the outcomes have been extremely exciting, with a number of builders finding unexpected solutions to specific challenges, demonstrating both cost savings opportunities and the potential for increased market value of their product.

Michael Singleton - Executive Director at Sustainable Buildings Canada

GreenGreen& SuStainable StrategieS

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Women in Green

They may be a little older on average, but the Sisters of St. Joseph in Peterborough are not old-fashioned when it comes to the sustainability

of their new Motherhouse. It is the first LEED Gold building in the Peterborough area, and it won a �01� Ontario Association of Architects Award of Excellence.

After a long history of expansion since 1890, and then a certain amount of decline by �000, the Sisters began to talk about upgrading their old 19�0s Peterborough facility and their continuing mission. A primary focus has always been ministering to the needy. For the new convent they also made ‘a harmonious relationship with the earth’ a key goal. They sold about 44 of the property’s 50 acres and by �009 had created a new 56,500-square-foot building with a fly-ash concrete structure and recycled steel skeleton.

Teeple Architects and Enermodal Engineering designed a highly sustainable space that includes an 80-seat chapel, main gathering area, (featuring stained glass from the old building), dining room, kitchen, library, beauty parlour, lounges, exercise room, administration offices, sister’s residences and an infirmary. The two-storey complex is built into the side of a slope as a literal expression of harmony with the earth. It is anchored on locally quarried ledge rock limestone. The upper portion is clad in white fiber-reinforced cement paneling. Its freeform rhythm and generous windows bring an airy, bright, light, heavenly glow to the proceedings.

DIVINELY INSPIREDTo mitigate solar gain the building

is oriented for a north-south axis with overhangs shading the south side of the

building. The roof is mostly white reflective thermoplastic, except for a small green roof near the south side. Double-pane argon-filled low-e windows also contribute to reduced heat island effect, while optimizing natural light. The thermally efficient fiberglass windows and semi-rigid insulation of basalt rock and recycled steel slag provide a contemporary, efficient envelope.

Two high-efficiency modulating, condensing boilers, a variable speed cooling tower, and distributed water source heat pumps are used for heating and cooling; with energy recovery ventilators as needed. Building managers have been trained to optimize use of the sophisticated controls system. The Sisters can also use operable windows for added ventilation. Savings are more than 4,000,000 mega joules per year and �8� tons of CO�.

Earth Mothers in Peterborough

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Efficient 4 litre toilets, 1.9 litre/min faucets and 6 litre/min shower-heads help control water usage. Landscaping is mostly native or adaptive, drought-resistant plants. The green roof and other areas are supplied by rainwater collected from the white roof and stored in a cistern. Projected water

savings are about 6�7,000 litres or 40% per year.

LIGHT FROM THE HEAVENSMost spaces within the building are

adequately naturally lit for daytime. Interior light systems employ occupancy sensors,

cutting density to about ��% below ASHRAE standards. A local manufacturer modified lamp chandeliers to fit compact fluorescents. Exterior fixtures emit light below 90 degrees from the horizon, minimizing impact on the night sky.

The new facility features full recycling separation, low emission adhesives, seal-ants, paints, and coatings to improve air quality; and during construction $700,000 was saved by recycling �8 different materials. In addition 79% of construction waste was diverted from landfill and a large quantity of materials were locally sourced.

The hope is that the building will outlive its hosts and become a seniors home in the future. The adaptation should be easy. The infirmary provides �4-hour nursing care for 1�, while the rest of the building offers full accessibility, railings, call buttons, resilient flooring, and contrasting color between walls and floors.

The Sisters have created a highly detailed how-to powerpoint and joined the Greening Sacred Spaces network to share their experiences. “We need to heal the planet from our excessiveness,” they say. “And to learn new sustainable practices that are harmonious with the wondrously evolving web of life.”. GB

24 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL 2012 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies 25FALL 2012

Three recent events I attended have helped drive home the message that it’s time to move to the next level of building – having

more structures meet the smart grid and be sustain-able.

And that means taking a sustainable approach which requires a life-cycle evaluation of all the op-tions; from aesthetics, to environmental, to smart grid integration benefits.

The three events that had the issue of energy as major themes were about Building Integrated Photo-voltaics (BIPV), Building Envelope Solutions (BES) and Smart Grid Canada (SGC).

They looked at improvement to the building envelope, the addition of renew-able energy and connecting to the smart grid. Key points made showed that, while there may be high initial costs, but there are definite, long-term benefits. And that

in order to attain sustainable – meaning GREEN, intelligent, smart, high-performance and net zero – buildings, an integrated

design approach using life-cycle costs is required.

The BIPV event at Toronto Harbourfront showed the inte-gration of photovoltaic in the beautiful façade artwork of Sarah Hall. The potential for more BIPV and the challenges of inclusion in the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) feed-in tariff (FIT) program were discussed. As we build and retrofit our buildings and energy grids to be smart, BIPV will be more prevalent.

A report by NanoMarkets, LC, a leading nanotechnology industry market research and analysis firm, entitled BIPV Markets-2011, showed the challenges and complexi-ties for BIPV acceptance given the many different types, costs, and efficiencies.

The aesthetic concerns require the BIPV to be part of the building surfaces. The

renewable electricity production should be measured, and not wasted, by overcoming inefficiencies in the building, considering its higher costs and possible financial incen-tives from the utilities and government that are paid for by all energy customers.

As a member of a building-to-grid (B2G) group developing the next smart grid roadmap, I am constantly trying to get the utility experts talking to the building experts so we bring down the silos of the past and develop the future integration of buildings and energy systems.

The smart grid efforts are focused on ap-plying the information technology prevalent in our society today – as part of the electric, gas and water utility infrastructure – so the production, delivery and end use of these utilities will be enhanced and managed in real time. This will lower the rate of the increase in energy and water costs as the utilities replace the antiquated systems that currently have little information capabilities. They must be built to meet growing end-use demand.

Continued on page 26

By David Katz

BUILDING ENVELOPE

How Building Envelope Meets Smart Grid

“Waterglass” Harbourfront Center by Sarah Hall Studio. The envelope, which combines BIVP and state-of the-art heat-mirror technology with glass art, is the first of its kind in the world. Photograph courtesy of Sarah Hall Studio.

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Continued from page 24

At the BES event, a perspective on glaz-ing and the update to the Ontario building code, with the significant energy efficiency requirements, was discussed. And it was timely as recent incidents of falling glazing shows that safety must come first. The event provided presentations on fenestra-tion but it also highlighted the convergence of the energy and building envelope objectives.

One new technology, electronically tint-able glass, was presented by Helen Sanders, vice-president at SAGE Electrochromics, Inc. In addition to the examples of facilities that were using the tinting glass to provide shad-ing in real time as the sun moves across the sky, she showed a slide called the ‘Impact of Façade Technologies On Energy Usage in U.S. Building Stock’ from an LBNL report 60049, by Arasteh et al.

This showed the quads of energy use for heating, cooling and lighting for each façade. The most energy used was for the current building stock and average current windows that require the most heating and cooling energy.

It pointed out that less energy is required for low-E films and dynamic and triple pane units. There are significant energy savings in all three energy-usage examples with integrated insulating dynamic façades.

They showed how the technology

works. As daylighting is recognized as the contributor to better occupant performance, the integrated building automation system increases natural light, reducing electric lighting, solar gain, glare and cooling while harvesting the daylight when available. It could also provide demand response capabilities when the grid is taxed by air-conditioning load.

Additionally, recent research studies by the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) show that building auto-mation has extended beyond the traditional heating and cooling controls to include the lighting, daylight harvesting, automated shading, and now tintable windows.

CABA’s ‘Bright Green Building’ report showed the convergence of the GREEN and intelligent building rating systems and how they complement each other.

Some of the challenges relate to the owners’ concerns about the perceived additional costs and how to pay for them. It should be noted that while renewable en-ergy currently has higher initial costs, they are fueled by the sun, wind and water at little or no cost and provide environmental benefits.

The higher costs of the innovative building envelope technologies that provide long-term energy savings and production should be evaluated using life-cycle costs. Energy prices are rising. There are utility financial incentives to lower the initial cost

and low cost financing available to make “bright” green buildings a reality.

There are many shading and other glaz-ing options. Some are external to the build-ing and they provide excellent opportunity to bring natural light into the building, while also being available to shield the building at times when the solar gain is extreme.

A case in point: Dr. Thanos Tzempelikos, M.A.Sc., Ph.D. recently performed significant energy modelling and produced a study called ‘The impact of Solarmotion-controlled exterior louvers and interior shades on building energy demand for different locations’ for Construction Special-ties, Inc.

All in all, with these types of industry events and studies, it’s shown that a sustainable approach requires a life-cycle cost evaluation of all the options from the aesthetics, environmental and smart grid integration benefits.

So let’s have the buildings meet the smart grid and be sustainable. GB

David Katz is President of Sustainable Resources Management and a former Financial Evaluations Officer at Ontario Hydro where he applied life-cycle costs and multi-attribute scoring to major capital expenditure decisions. He currently consults to building owners and represents sustain-able solution technology companies. He can be reached at [email protected]

Impact of Façade Technologies on Energy Usage in US Building Stock

Arasteh et al., LBNL report number 60049

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Current Building Stock

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies 27FALL 2012

To say no stone has been left unturned in building Toronto’s next great neighbourhood would be a grand understatement.

So remember this name – Canary District. Chances are people will be talking about this unique revitalization of the city’s West Don Lands today, tomorrow and for many years down the road.

There are, of course, many reasons for that, but the green factor cannot be ignored. When finished, the area mostly known for its industrial rail land will be transformed into a vibrant mixed-used sustainable community with a distinct urban architectural design.

It’s a mammoth challenge. However, real estate developer Dundee Kilmer Development Limited confidently feels it is up to the task.

Jason Lester, president of Dundee Kilmer, in an article published in the Globe and Mail newspaper, was quoted as saying “we’re going to create the most sustainable mixed-use development that the

city has ever seen.”Mostly, feeding off the fact that the overall de-

sign meets LEED Gold criteria, the area aims to be self-sufficient and an urban village where residents can live, work and play.

First things first, however. Commissioned by the Ontario government, Dundee Kilmer has been entrusted with the construction of housing at the 35-acre site for 10,000 athletes and coaches for the upcoming Pan American Games in 2015. And, unlike similar sports-related projects, which often experience fluctuating design and construction costs, this development is set up to avoid overruns.

When the 2015 event ends, the same buildings will be altered and sold as approximately 5,000 townhouse and condo units. Included in that will be daycares, schools and community centres. And Dundee Kilmer is committed to inserting mid-rise, mixed-use development, a progressive public-private funding template and generous recreational spaces into the mix.

By Greg McMillan

No Stone UnturnedCanary District Developers Pull Out all the Stops to Create unique Sustainable Neighbourhood

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING

Canary District Condominiums: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects for DundeeKilmer Integrated Design Team

��88 Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL ��010101�� Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesFFFALLALLALLALLALL ��010101��

multiple designers, put forth a fresh hybrid of architectural design ideas. They remained true to contemporary architectural mores, but were also able to bring their own special aesthetics to the table.

And the four firms wholeheartedly em-braced the challenge of the core principles placed before them. Those included:

A healthy, green community: As touched on above, key considerations were given to environmental, economic and social sustainabilty. Each design element contains those characteristics.

Increased walkability: The secondary system of pedestrian routes also follow the paths of two former CNR rail lines, with connected courtyards, laneways and paths combined to form a continuous network.

Interconnectivity: This is cutting edge – creating a connection between old and new neighbourhoods in the area, augment-ed by a a modern design principle. Building scales and heights have been designed with a simultaneous architectural diversity and consistency in mind. All buildings in the eight-block-long district have been designed using similar materials in different ways, while façades will be recessed and roof heights will differ, creating a one-of-a-kind architectural flow.

Urban life: Future residents will be pleased to note that care has been taken to provide an extensive network of parks and balance of private and public spaces, as well as easy access to public transportation.

Gateway features: Called gateposts, the historic CNR and Canary Restaurant/Palace Street School buildings are being restored and integrated. There will be framing views to Don River Park and Toronto’s downtown skyline. Again, these elements will help to ensure openness and flow between established local neighbourhoods and the Canary District.

The Front Street connection: Painstak-ingly, each block in the village was designed to connect to a Front Street extension, which will serve as the main street. Then, at the base of each building, there will be cafes and restaurants, including retails stores. To further perpetuate the sense of neighbour-hood, there will accessible recreational and community services.

A tip of the hat to Jane Jacobs: The late Toronto urban planning visionary was known world-wide for her ‘eyes on the street’ mentality, which was centred on creating a safe and connected urban environment. Some of the features adapted in recognition of Jacobs include large-scale building windows and balconies, with open and transparent streetscapes. This concept

provides a connection between the street bustle and residents living above. Further-more, laneways and side streets will feature loft studios and town houses at the base to attract creative entrepreneurs and families. Interestingly, the ground floors of all Canary District buildings are pedestrian-friendly, uniformly designed to six metres in height.

In the project’s promotional video, they talk about people, not infrastructure. They talk about community. They talk about cre-ating a lasting vitality and ways to minimize urban stress.

All in all, not bad for a former industrial backwater.

Not bad at all .GB

www.baker-re.comToronto's on-line condominium source

X

blog.bakerrealestate.com

twitter.com/bakerinc

Canary District Condominiums Courtyard-Bridge: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects for DundeeKilmer Integrated Design Team

Canary District Condominiums Courtyard-Bridge: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects for DundeeKilmer Integrated Design Team

Canary District Condominiums Courtyard-Bridge:

Additionally, the master site plan for Canary District shows that construction will be phased in, starting with Canary District condominiums, then moving on to a George Brown College residence, a YMCA, market condominiums and “affordable” rental housing.

The YMCA facility, by the way, to be built at the corner of Front and Cherry streets, will be the largest in Toronto. It will also serve as a training centre for athletes during the games. A full �0 per cent of the housing in the Canary District has been targeted as “affordable” and the George Brown Residence will have accommodation for 500 students.

The Canary District – which gets its name from the now-closed Canary Restaurant that operated from a 19th century Cherry Street building since the 1960s – will be known for

its walkability, with an extensive pedestrian network designed by architects to maximize green spaces with laneways, courtyards and terraces. The goal – to zero in on a health and wellness motif.

But the area will not be confined in any way, shape or form. Far from it. The community will be set up with links to mesh seamlessly with the nearby Distillery District, Corktown and St. Lawrence Market. And the connections will continue with new pathways and the extension of Front Street into a pedestrian promenade augmented by improved public access to Lake Ontario and the Don River Park.

A further creative twist was added by the use of four different architecture firms – Daoust Lestage Inc., Alliance and KPMB Architects, and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller.

This cooperative approach, involving

Front Street Promenade : DundeeKilmer Integrated Design Team

Canary District Condominiums Courtyard: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects for DundeeKilmer Integrated Design Team

Neighbourhood Parkview: DundeeKilmer Integrated Design Team

CORAL REEFMatrix and Plug-in for 1000 Passive Houses

Called «The Pearl of West Indies», Haiti was during a long time the most visited country of the Greater Antilles representing the occidental

third of Hispaniola Island. Devastated in �010 by an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, the country has now to be rebuilt from new innovative architectural and town-planning concepts.

The Coral Reef project plans a matrix to build a three dimensional and energy self-sufficient village from one and only standardised and prefabricated module in order to rehouse the refugees from such humanitarian catastrophes. This basic module is simply made of two passive houses (with metallic structure and tropical wood facades) interlocked in duplex around a transversal horizontal circulation linking every unit.

Inspired from a Coral reef with fluid and organic shapes, the overall project presents itself as a great living structure made of two waves dedicated to accommodate more than one thousand Haitian families.

These two inhabited waves undulate along the water on an artificial pier built on seismic piles in the Caribbean Sea. From concave curves to convex curves, the housing modules are aligned and piled up by successive stratums such as a great origami. Between the two inhabited waves is created a sumptuous interior canyon in pixels with terraces and cascades of food gardens.

Actually, the laying-out in stag-gered rows of the plane-parallel base modules enables to superimpose the passive houses in cantilever and to multiply the vision axes towards an endless number of perspectives. Each roof of each module becomes then an organic suspended garden enabling to each Creole family to cultivate its own food and to use themselves their own wastage as compost.

This canyon is a true tropical ecosystem for the local fauna and the flora. Ode to the urban biodiversity, it is also the central axis of the com-munitarian life of this futuristic village and respectful of its environment. Between the waves of these ecologi-cal housing, the sinuous lines of the anti-seismic basement (absorbing the vibrations in case of earthquake) integrate the public functions of the social life. Aquicultural farms welcome pisciculture pools whereas the purification plant lagoons recycle the used waters before rejecting them in the sea.

The Master Plan can evolve and extends itself according to the «plug-in» principle. The urban framework of this ecological village remains thus undetermined, flexible and develops itself continuously according to the time and the space. New extension modules, also prefabricated in factory and brought by cargo will be actually added such as a giant meccano set to correspond to the needs of inhabitants completing the basic matrix.

The visible sinuosity of this built landscape is structured by eight spine columns integrating all the vertical circulations linked together by two horizontal storeys crossing through a straight line the whole vil-lage from end to end. The whole set forms a compact orthogonal system that distributes all the flows through each module.

The project is eco-designed and integrates all the bioclimatic systems as well as the renewable energies. Actually, the sea thermal energy conversion is made in the coverage of the pier by using the difference of temperature between the superficial waters and the deep waters. The kinetic energy from marine currents is converted by hydro-turbines under the pier into electrical energy; the sinusoidal pergolas on the roof attract the solar energy by photovoltaic panels and a park of spiral wind turbines is planted in the great tropical garden that covers the logistical basis.

Taking advantage of the same natural and climatic conditions from the beginning as its neighbour island, Dominican Republic, Haiti is one of the countries that profits from one of the biggest potentials to reinvent a new sustainable urbanity and to implement the biggest chal-lenges of reconstruction as a matter of urgency. The Coral Reef prototype project is in this context of humani-tarian crisis a positive and dynamic answer fighting for the sustainable industrialised and standardised re-building of collective social housing of humanitarian and environmental high quality in disaster area. GB

Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architecture

�6 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL �01� Green Building & Sustainable Strategies �7FALL �01�

Q: First, what is the basic benefit of a green vegetative wall?

Transforming an ordinary wall into a vertical green landscape adds a living, organic element to a building. Green walls are visually appealing, inviting and inspiring, healthful, and beneficial to the environment (especially for moderating the urban heat island effect).Q: What are the basic types of green wall systems?

There are trellis and cable systems and planted wall systems. With the first, a metal trellis structure or set of cables are attached to the side of building and support vines that grow from the ground up. Planted walls have soil (actually, an engineered growing medium) in a set of containers attached to a wall. Thus, planted walls provide soil for the plants all the way up the wall to the height of the installation. Q: Vines… that prompts the question why not just grow ivy on a wall?

Ivy-covered walls are the most traditional form of green wall. As a horticulturalist and nurseryman, I am reluctant to speak ill of any plant.

BUiLdiNG eNVeLoPe

Green Walls Should Be Good for Plants: a Conversation with Dave MacKenzie

LiveWall®: New Planted Wall System Achieves Simplicity and Sustainability

Dave MacKenzie

The team of horticultural scientists, landscape professionals, architects, roofing specialists and green building experts at Hortech, Inc. (Spring Lake, Mich.) who created LiveRoof® — the green roof system proven in more than 600 installations — have launched a new plant-ed wall system, LiveWall®. In this interview, Dave MacKenzie, horticulturalist and president of Hortech and its LiveRoof, LLC and LiveWall, LLC subsidiaries, discusses some basic questions about green walls and the new LiveWall system.

Manufacturer of LiveRoof® Introduces a Planted Wall System Designed in Harmony with Nature

LiveWall Q&A

We grow and sell ivy. But English and Boston ivy both lack colorful flowers. And they can be temperamental and aggressive. In areas of cold winters, English ivy is prone to wintertime dieback. In warm climates, it can be a chore to keep it out of windows and siding. Boston ivy is more hardy but even more aggressive.

Even when vines are grown on a freestanding trellis or cables adjacent to a wall, vines have limitations when it comes to green wall aesthetics, design and function. Q: Such as?

There is only so much creativity that a landscape architect can bring to a green wall design when constrained to using only vines. I mentioned the lack of colorful flowers with ivy. In addition, it can take years for vines to grow and climb up to make an entire green wall green. A planted wall can support a variety of plants — annuals, perennials, succulents, tropical plants and even herbs and vegetables — and can be a complete green wall from day one. Plus, with soil in all the containers all the way up the side of a wall, planted walls provide more shading and insulation for the building.Q: When did you start working on a planted wall system?

Well, we started getting questions about green walls almost as soon as we introduced LiveRoof in �006. We began formal R&D ef-forts on planted walls in �008 and put four years of system evaluation and prototype testing into LiveWall.Q: Why did you decide to develop your own planted wall system?

Because we could not find an existing system that was simple to install and plant, easy to maintain and change, and good at growing plants. The biggest surprise in our tests of current systems is that even many easy-to-grow, resilient, disease-resistant plants (like Hostas, Sedums, Alliums) kept dying. No matter what we tried in terms of irrigation, pruning or fertilization, we could not keep plants healthy in the systems we tested.

So, just like in our development of LiveRoof, we set out to bring our horticultural expertise to bear to understand the problems and design a better system to solve them.

Q: Your WallTers look like window boxes.That was the inspiration. The idea of window boxes as the model

for wall planters came up in our discussions with other horticultural-ists, including Ed Snodgrass [internationally renowned green roof and vegetative wall expert and consultant] and David Fell at Hawaiian Sunshine Nursery, our licensed regional grower and distributor in Hawaii.

The reason that window boxes work so well is that they provide proper orientation for roots and stems and allow for irrigation like rain. The engineering challenge was to design a vertical system that could scale up and make it practical to install and maintain an entire planted wall with perhaps hundreds of boxes. That included devising a set of components to make it a complete system. Q: What does LiveWall cost?

Of course, I have to say that it depends. For a professionally installed system, the price range is about $90 to $1�5US per square foot (depending upon the size of the system, local labor rates, and the type of plants). That is all-inclusive: green wall planning and design, pre-installation consultation and technical assistance, all the system elements and components (including irrigation), all the plants, delivery, installation. Q: How is LiveWall distributed and serviced in Canada?

Just as with LiveRoof, we have a national network of licensed regional growers. In Canada that includes LiveWall Ontario (Mt. Brydges, Ontario), Pépinière Premier Plant (Saint-Sulpice, Quebec), Eagle Lake Turf Farms Ltd. (Strathmore, Alberta), and N.A.T.S. Nursery Ltd. (Langley, British Columbia). They can customize plant selection for every LiveWall project. They can deliver the module inserts abun-dantly vegetated with locally cultivated plants that are full-grown and flourishing for instant results and lasting beauty. GB

From the makers of the LiveRoof® hybrid green roof system, LiveWall® solves the

problem of plant die-out in vertical growing systems by

giving the plants an orientationand environment which

parallels nature.

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�8 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL �01� Green Building & Sustainable Strategies �9FALL �01�

It was a daunting task – setting new global standards for environmentally-friendly design and construction – but the powers that be at the helm of

Seattle, Washington’s $�0-million Bullitt Center have never looked back.

They were aiming to create the green-est, most energy-efficient commercial building in the world – a self-sufficient structure, if you will, that would firmly cement the city’s reputation as being at the forefront of the sustainable building

movement.The aspirations for the six-story, 50,000

square-foot building, due for completion in the fall of �01�, were ambitious to say the least.

The project was meant to change the way buildings are designed, built and operated to improve long-term environ-mental performance and promote broader implementation of energy efficiency, renewable energy and other green building technologies.

By Greg McMillan

Number one with a BullittSeattle Office Building Touted as Greenest Commercial Structure in the World

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High standards indeed, however they were all part of a quest to meet the lofty demands of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), the world’s most strenuous bench-mark for sustainability.

“We went into this project fully aware that it could redefine the way we work,” says Brian Court, the project architect and design lead for the Bullitt Center.

“This has to do with the notion of performance-driven design process. I have to say that it truly has changed the way we

work. We developed a toolkit on this project that has already affected numerous other projects in design.”

Conceived to function entirely off the grid, a solar array will generate as much electricity as the building uses and rain will supply as much water as needed, with all wastewater treated onsite, including composting toilets.

Aiming for the sky was a necessity if they were to meet the stringent LBC requirements. Not only does LBC insist on

net-zero energy and water systems, but projects must also use half the energy required to get LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum certi-fication.

“There is a lot of interest in the project,” says Mr. Court, an associate with the Miller Hull Partnership. “We have gotten informa-tion requests from numerous locations world-wide, and we even had the President of Bulgaria come to Seattle for a presenta-tion and tour.

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“We have also received a fair amount of criticism as well but are comforted that so many people are paying attention – of not only sustainability, but energy, toxicity of materials and environmental footprint.”

The project originated with the Bullitt Foundation, whose mission statement reads: “To safeguard the natural environment by promoting human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest.” It’s vision? “A future that safeguards the vitality of natural ecosystems while accommodating a sustainable human propulation in healthy, vibrant, equitable and prosperous communi-ties.”

Miller Hull Partnership, and their collabo-rators, were challenged to develop a core of concrete, steel and and timbers with a

life expectancy of �50 years. This is a far cry from the standard 40-year life span applied in commercial buildings’ value appraisals. Those tweaks didn’t come without added budget costs, which led to financing realities for the estimated $�0-million project being subjected to some criticism and controversy.

But that did not deter the Bullitt Founda-tion.

And during the course of construction, Mr. Court said the team has shifted gears, adapting to a number of design discoveries made.

“Our ability to quickly analyze natural daylight levels at all stages of the design process has taken a quantum leap forward,” he says.

“Energy and water efficiency gets a lot of

attention on this project, but we have been equally excited to learn more about heavy timber as a structural system; discoveries we made while conducting life-cycle analysis on various structural systems.

“Timber has so many great qualities from an aesthetic point of view that its environ-mental virtues are often overlooked.”

At the end of the day, they believe the end product will remain true to one of its core intentions – to create an office place where every worker has access to fresh air and daylight; to create a healthy human environment that is more pleasant and productive than most commercial buildings.

As it turns out, however, it seems Bullitt Center has actually outdone those basic objectives – and by a longshot, at that. .GB

Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies 414141FFFALLALLALLALLALL ��010101��

For over �0 years the Kortright Centre, has been one of Canada’s leading environmental education centres.

With over 1�0,000 visitors annu-ally, including 70,000 students, the Kortright Centre plays a key role in educating genera-tions of youth and adults about nature, and the environment.

In �005 the Centre, owned and operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), launched a bold new vision for Kortright called “The Living City Campus” www.thelivingcitycampus.com . This vision would see Kortright grow to become a key strategy of the TRCA’s platform to help Toronto become a more sustainable and livable city. The Campus would become an innovation centre for sustainability that would be based on state of the art demonstrations, sustainable build-ing/technology research, and education and training centre for students, homeowners, trades and professionals.

Seven years later the Campus has

become one of Canada’s largest, publicly accessible, demonstration, research and education Centres for green buildings and sustainable technologies. The Campus demonstrations include:1. Ontario’s first LEED platinum commercial

building;�. The Earth Rangers 60,000 sq.ft LEED Gold

building;�. � LEED Platinum houses; and4. The largest education demonstrations

of renewable energy technologies in Canada.In addition, within two kilometers radius

from Kortright, in the City of Vaughan, you can find � more LEED gold buildings.

In the heart of the Campus is the Kortright Visitor Centre. The Visitors Centre is the gateway to all the natural, cultural and built wonders on the �50 hectares of pristine greenspace, along the Humber River. The Kortright Visitors Centre is, a �0,000 square foot, � level open concept post and beam structure, with a 140 seat theatre, 8 classrooms, café and gift shop.

Environmental Visitor Centre Gets a Serious Green Makeover

By Alex Waters

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Building Re-skinningStarting September �01� the stage �

re-skinning process will commence. The re-skinning will improve the durability of the external cladding, while at the same time improving the thermal efficiency and air leakage of the walls, roof and floor, as well as enhancing the day lighting inside the Centre. Currently the Visitors Centre has �0 year old Western Cedar cladding that is peeling off the surfaces due to the lack of ventilation behind the siding. The siding will be replaced by Eastern White Cedar, a locally grown sustainable wood. The finish will have a surface treatment that protects the wood while allowing it to gray naturally, which minimizes the operational maintenance of the cladding. While the walls, floors and ceiling are open the contractors will be able to properly seal and insulate the exterior structures. The wall insulation will go from R 1� to R�0, the floor from R 8 to R �0, and the ceiling from R14 to R ��.

When visitors walk into the existing building they see beautiful 60 ft exposed Douglas Fir vaulted ceilings. Unfortunately it’s relatively dark and cuts the visitor off

from the enormous 100 ft plus maple trees which surround the building. To help reconnect the visitor to the outdoors, and provide some natural lighting, the architects increased the amount of windows and skylights on the forest valley side of the building. To maintain comfort all the windows will be triple pane, low e, argon filled windows with a max.U value of .�9 and a maximum SHGC of 0.�7

Renewable Energy System:The last stage of the retrofit will see the

renewable energy system installed in �01�. Ontario is fortunate to have a progressive green energy policy which uses a Feed In Tariff or FIT program to incent both com-mercial and residential owners to install photovoltaic (PV) solar systems to provide electricity to the central grid. The incentive is a �0 year contract to sell photovoltaic generated electricity back to the grid at a preferred rate of 54.9 cents/kwhr. In �01� Kortright will be installing a 100kw photovoltaic system as part of its solar dem-onstrations and PV research. This system will generate approx. $60,000 per year and will

offset all the electric bills for the Centre. The system will pay for itself in eight years and have an ROI (return of investment) of 11%. Although the system is not energy neutral, it is certainly cost neutral.

ConclusionThe retrofit of the Kortright Visitors Centre

is a vibrant and vital part in moving the sustainability agenda forward in Ontario for the next thirty years. This retrofit plan will reduce energy and operation costs as well as expand the green infrastructure demonstrations and learning programs at the Living City Campus. The retrofit also will reinforce the vision of the Campus as a destination for homeowners, school groups, trades, and professionals wanting to see and learn about innovative sustainable actions for the environment, infrastructure and lifestyle opportunities, making the Living City Campus one of Ontario’s most unique and sought after demonstrations and learning experiences. GB

Alex Waters is a Senior Manager at The Living City Campus at Kortright www.thelivingcitycampus.com

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This visitors centre is the hub of all the educational/training/recreational programs, and activities that are featured at the Campus. The Kortright Visitors Centre also acts as a trailhead guiding visitors to either a natural adventure (hiking, skiing, orienteer-ing, geocaching, birding and dogsleding) or lessons in the latest sustainable energy or green building demonstrations in Canada.

Although the Visitors Centre is a beautiful structure, it is quite ironic that it is the antitheses of the progressive demonstration on the property. The Visitors Centre was fall-ing apart from the inside out, with a failing electric heating and cooling system and a roof in desperate need of repair. The Centre did not even have a ventilation system, and relied on the enormous amount of infiltration around its doors and windows to provide fresh air for the hundreds of inhabit-ants. In fact, before some serious weather stripping was installed years ago, visitors could see 1 ft snow drifts inside the building after a winter storm.

Considering the state of the building, the TRCA has turned this infrastructure liability into a sustainable opportunity. With the exception of the Visitor Centre, all the build-ings on the property demonstrate excellent examples of commercial and residential green buildings practices for new buildings. The Kortright Visitor Centre represents an opportunity to address the largely untapped stock of existing building in the greater Toronto area.

Currently 5�% of the GTA commercial building stock is over �6 years old, or older, and over 50% of the energy used in these buildings is for space heating and cooling. Commercial buildings contribute about 1/� of the GTA GHG’s emissions and consume �7% of the electricity and 17% of the natural gas. Studies have shown that commercial retrofits could reduce building energy consumption by nearly 50%.

The Kortright Visitor Centre retrofit is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the en-ergy, water, and resource saving opportuni-ties for commercial retrofits, and expand the existing green infrastructure demonstrations and educational programs on site. Between the building enhancements, exhibits and programs, Kortright Visitors Centre hopes to become the beacon that demonstrates, educates and motivates other building owners to learn more about the enormous opportunities available to the save money and reduce their carbon footprint through a green retrofit.

In �010 Levitt Goodman Architects were hired to design a retrofit plan for the Visitors Centre with the goals to improve:1. The thermal efficiency and reduce energy

use by min. 50%.�. Thermal comfort for visitors�. Indoor air quality4. Day lighting 5. Durability of the structure and minimize

on going maintenance6. The indoor experience for the visitors by

building creating a sense of connection with the surrounding environment. The retrofit plan designed by Levitt

Goodman achieves all the goals of the TRCA, as well as allowing the Visitors Centre to re-main open during the entire re-construction process. The plan consists of � major stages and will take � years to implement.

1. Upgrade the heating/cooling system and install a ventilation system

�. Complete an entire re-skinning of the building

�. Renewable energy installation

Heating, Cooling, VentilationThe old HVAC system was an all-electric

force air and baseboard heating system with no ventilation system. The HVAC system was the highest priority of the retrofit, as � of the six heating units were out of commission, with parts no longer available for purchase. Because natural gas was not readily available, the TRCA decided in �011 to install a ground source heat pump system. The installed system has 18-5�5 ft vertical wells producing 6�5, 000 btu of heat and 677,000 btu of cooling capacity, distributed amongst 6 heat pump units. Although GSHP systems have a high upfront cost, the operating costs should reduce the Centre’s overall energy cost by 50%. The GSHP is also electrically based, which matches the Centre’s future desire to install a 100kw photovoltaic system.

To improve the indoor air quality and thermal comfort, the building envelope would be completely re-skinned, insulated and a new Energy Recovery Ventilation System would be installed. As the building cantilevers over the Humber Valley, the ventilation system takes advantage of the cool air in the valley to help keep the building cool during the summer shoulder seasons.


Green Development Strengthens Iconic Ottawa Church

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WINDMILLDEVELOPMENT GROUP

CATHEDRAL HILL IS BREAKING GROUNDA groundbreaking ceremony in

August marked the beginning of a new project by Windmill Developments called Cathedral Hill. It also broke new ground metaphorically, as the project will repre-sent very contemporary achievements in terms of sustainability, heritage, advanced architecture and modern partnerships. Built on-site with Ottawa’s historic Christ Church Cathedral on Sparks Street, it will be an answer to some of the church’s challenges, and it will become the landmark that visitors notice first as they enter downtown from the west.

It combines all the elements of modern condominium living and building: Green technology, stunning natural views from a �1 storey tower, sumptuous design of interiors, courtyards and accompanying townhouses, downtown location advantages, a walkable, friendly neighbourhood and a community-enhancing development partnership.

NOT-FOR PROFIT PROGRAMIn some parts of the world churches

are struggling to redefine themselves within their community and to survive financially. Windmill Developments has created a model that helps such organiza-tions revitalize themselves while remaining viable and becoming more environmentally responsible too.

Cathedral Hill is good example of this

idea in action. The church was able to le-verage its real estate and key location, and by partnering with Windmill, will increase both its community visibility and the local population base. The developer benefitted from a perfect location for its latest project and the church received prepaid �00-year lease revenue, and should grow, as new owners move into the area.

Today’s non-profit groups are faced with high utility bills, deferred maintenance, and ongoing operational costs. The funds being used for upkeep might be better spent furthering the core mission of their organi-zations. BuildGreen Solutions, a consulting arm of Windmill, has developed a unique program aimed at optimizing assets of not-for-profit groups, schools and churches

and helping them to turn maintenance liabilities into sustainable funding sources.

ENERGY EFFICIENTIn addition, Windmill Developments

would have to be considered one of Canada’s greenest builders, and Cathedral Hill one of the greenest projects in Canada. It will be target LEED Platinum and is

expected to achieve between 40% and 50% greater energy efficiency than the most recent �01� Ontario Building requires from a project with its footprint. It will feature strong envelope thermal design standards an innovative HVAC system, contemporary water management, lots of natural light and is designed to limit the need for automobile travel.

Cathedral Hill wall sections will be doubly insulated on the inside and on the outside, followed by more exterior insulation, and finally a special cladding material. This achieves overall thermal resistance of approximately R��, far exceed-ing code, increasing thermal

comfort and reducing energy consumption.

Preventing the natural movement of heat toward cooler spaces has tradition-ally meant adding mechanical heating and cooling, depending on the season. Cathedral Hill’s energy efficient double-glazed Low-E windows are designed to include an insulating barrier, rather than a thermal bridge, between the outside and

Townhouse

Courtyard

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inside portions of the window frame and between the two panes of glass. This is critical insofar as up to 50% of heat transfer can be via poorly designed windows and doors. Window coatings help control heat gain from the sun in warm temperatures and also keep the heat within the suites in cooler seasons.

VRF HEATING & COOLINGThe project will employ a rare and highly

efficient heat pump process for heating and cooling. The �00-ton system will use Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology to regulate the flow of refrigerant between the condensing unit and each of the indoor units in accordance with the capacity requirements of the building. Because the heat pumps will be centrally located, it will be possible to move heat from one side of the building to another, without having to use fuel to make more heat. Depending on the outdoor temperature and sun exposure, the VRF system will simply move hot refrigerant to where it is needed.

The system’s inverter drive varies the compres-sor speed to match the building’s heating or cooling load, which is constantly changing. Partial load conditions prevail for more than 90% of operation time and inverter-driven technology takes advantage of this, so VRF systems produce significant energy savings. There is no refrigerant-to-water heat loss as with a chiller system. This means the compressor can maintain a higher suction pressure for more efficient operation. VRF systems also don’t have lengthy metal ducts that cause heat loss. Instead they save en-ergy and allow each indoor unit to operate individually, with separate adjustment of the environment in each area. In addition, VRF system heat pumps are in the me-chanical rooms, not within the suites, which reduces system noise and saves space.

It is also being designed so that excess heat can be moved, as available, to supplement the domestic hot water heating function, further controlling project energy costs. In addition each suite is equipped with a quiet enthalpy-wheel-based Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV).

GREEN LIVINGDigital meters in the suites will connect

the user with environmental conditions and the costs they are incurring. This is a more integrated approach to energy manage-ment, and has been proven to reduce energy usage. Suites include Energy Star appliances and all common areas will be lit

by extremely efficient LED lighting systems, to reduce the electricity load required by the project.

To minimize unnecessary fresh water use, toilets in the townhouses and on the first five floors of the tower will be flushed using a rainwater harvesting system. A 1�5 cubic meter rain harvest tank and 1�� cubic meter stormwater overflow cistern will be built into the project.

Cathedral Hill is located near the Gatineau/Ottawa bike trail system. Frequent transit service in the corridor is only a few blocks from its front door. By �017, the LRT

will be complete and a nearby station is expected to be included. Windmill is also in talks with a bike rental service and a car sharing service, either or both of which may be incorporated at or near the site.

High envelope conservation standards, an innovative HVAC system, contemporary water management, limited automobile travel; it all adds up to an almost religious sensitivity to our natural environment. And with its modern church partnership, urban living advantages, innovative architecture and heritage aspects, Cathedral Hill truly is ground-breaking. GB

Lobby

Parliament View from the 16th Floor NE corner

Kitchen Bath

Do you think that your website has the ‘stick-ing power’ necessary to keep visitors

engaged?According to Jacob Nielsen1,

whom the New York Times called “the guru of Website usability” provides this sum-mary: ‘Users often leave web pages in 10–�0 seconds, however, pages with a clear value proposition can hold people’s attention for much longer’.

There are many factors that drive visitors away, and plenty of reasons why they linger on and return to a given page. Let’s agree that the first 10 seconds of the page visit are critical for users’ decision to stay or leave. The question remains: what can and should you be doing with such limited time?

#1 Tip: Communicate your Value Proposition

What does Value Proposition mean?“Why should I buy this product, service

or idea?” asks your customer. Your value proposition must answer this, in a compelling way. It’s a short statement that clearly com-municates the benefits that your potential client gets by using your product, service or idea. It “boils down” all the complexity of your sales pitch into something that your prospect can easily grasp and remember.

Here’s an example of what a real estate firm may sound like: “We at Home Corp Real Estate help homeowners sell and buy property. We guarantee that your home will be sold in �0 days or less, or we’ll buy it ourselves.”

What do I do with it? Think of your value proposi-

tion as the foundation of your online marketing plan. It will forever help you stay on course, as it serves as a reminder of what separates your brand from your competitors. Everything that you do online, from messaging, content, offers, ebooks, case studies, white pa-pers, video should be delivered in a way that it supports your

value proposition. It’s not about you; it’s about your

customer.David Meerman Scott�, author of The

New Rules of Marketing and PR defines it this way: “the most important thing to re-member, is to put your products and services to the side for just a little while and focus your complete attention on the buyers of your products. You must put your entire focus on helping your customers succeed.”

Creating customer value, that’s the proposition.

Every page on your website is an opportu-nity to market your brand and the value you bring to the visitor. Think about what makes your business or service distinctive. Why is your offering preferable to other options for solving the need? Do you have something special that’s worthwhile to share? Is there some way to highlight how you’re distinct from others?

Keep these thoughts in mind as you develop your own unique value proposition:

1. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes to find the answers.

Who is your potential customer? What

do they do and what do they need? What problems do they need solved? What does the customer value most?

2. Know your competitors. Think again from your customer’s perspec-

tive and ask how your product or ideas create more value than your competition. What can you do with your idea, knowledge of your market to really improve their lives, health, financial situation, status, prestige, etc... over and above your competition.

3. Know how your product solves a need.

Identify what the rational and emotional benefits of solving the need are? How does the product, service or idea solve the problem or offer improvement? What value and results does it offer the customer?

4. Proof of concept. How can you demonstrate that your ap-

proach has worked to solve similar problems for others? How do you substantiate your claims? How do they know that what you say will happen, will actually happen?

5. Uniqueness. Why is your offering preferable to other

options for solving the need? Do you have something special about you that are worthwhile to share? Is there some way to highlight how you’re distinct from others?

Producing winning results is greatly dependent on the inclusion of a solid, well-defined value proposition that’s incorporated into your business Inbound marketing plan.

Does your company have a UVP (unique value proposition)? If not, will you be devel-oping one for your business. Let us know if you found this article helpful. GB

Murray is a marketing professional with over twenty-five years worth of experience, the last ten of which he has spent working as an online marketing specialist, helping independent businesses grow and thrive by leveraging the power of the Internet.To learn more about his firm WhiteSpace, and the latest trends affecting Inbound Mar-and the latest trends affecting Inbound Mar-and the latest trends affecting Inbound Marketing and Social Media, visit WhiteSpace.on.ca or call Murray directly in Toronto at 416 449-9559.

1. How Long Do Users Stay on Web Pages? Jacob Nielsen, Alertbox, September 12, 20112. The New Rules of Marketing and PR. David Meerman Scott, John Wiley & Sons, 2007

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By Murray Sye

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Starting with a Tight Building Envelope to Reduce First Costs

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By Monica Karamagi

For builders, building green and reducing energy consumption must always be tempered with bottom line costs. Fortunately, what leads to reduced energy usage and lower monthly utility costs for property owners can also mean reduced costs for builders. This is achieved when the builder takes a system-wide approach to

energy efficiency. When builders use a system-wide approach, the cumulative life cycle

operating costs are lowered. This is because the building’s monthly operat-ing costs are lowered. In this scenario, high quality mechanicals, smart control strategies and efficient lighting strategies are all key pieces of the puzzle, but energy efficiency really starts with the building envelope.

When builders think of the building envelope, they tend to think in terms of R-value, construction types, aesthetics and more recently, the total U-value and continuous insulation.

With the energy reduction that tight buildings provide, HVAC systems can be significantly downsized, saving upfront costs.

There is another aspect that is being recognized in contributing to the building en-velope – air tightness. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), uncontrolled air leakage in a typical building can account for as much as �0-50 percent of a building’s heating and cooling costs. The reason is simple: every bit of outside air that enters the building through air infiltration must then be heated, cooled and/or dehumidified to get back to a thermostat’s set point.

Spray polyurethane foam (spray foam or SPF) insulation helps builders achieve air tightness goals. It acts as an air barrier, vapor retarder, weather resistant barrier and continuous insulation. It is also helps build-ers reduce material costs and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) tonnage. Spray foam can also help builders achieve LEED® Canada (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

Material CostsWhen a tight building envelope is

achieved with spray foam insulation, build-ers often see reduced material costs across the board. Because closed cell SPF (typically used in Canada) provides an extremely high R-value (in the range of 15-16 cm), builders can meet R-value requirements using �x4 stud members, as opposed to the �x6s often required when insulation needs to be thicker to meet R-value requirements.

In addition to reducing lumber usage and costs, using �x4 framing leads to savings on window and door extension jambs and provides additional square footage.

HVAC ReductionsPerformance and design of mechanical

systems must match the performance of

the building envelope. With the energy reduction that tight buildings provide, HVAC systems can be significantly downsized, saving upfront costs. However, several other considerations must be made: • Ventilation rates and strategy as “fresh

air” is no longer supplied through the gaps and cracks in the building

• Use of sealed combustion or power-vented combustion equipment to prevent flue gas spillage and back-drafting

• Detailed sizing analysis (e.g., Manual J) to achieve a right-sized HVAC system that does not short cycle and ensures comfort, and minimizes upfront and operating costs

• Proper system design and equipment selection to ensure humidity control for comfort

• Good duct design to ensure sufficient air mixing and distribution

LEED CertificationCommercial and high-end residential

buildings are increasingly designed with LEED Canada certification in mind. LEED assigns points based on energy savings, water efficiency, CO� emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Spray foam insulation provides valuable points in several areas in the pursuit of LEED certification:• High quality insulation• Air tightness. A typical commercial

building has air leakage rates of 0.017 to 0.045 cubic meters per minute (cmm) per square meter (sm) at a pressure of 75 pascals. ASHRAE defines a tight building as one with leakage rates of 0.00�cmm/sm at 75 pascals.

• Design flexibility to easily accommodate ducts in conditioned spaceSpray foam can also contribute in less

obvious ways. In the LEED Materials and Resources category, closed cell spray foam can assist in achieving points for material efficient framing. Closed cell spray foam increases the racking strength and facilitates use of wider structural member spacing.

When buildings are constructed with a system-wide approach, and given a tight building envelope, they can provide construction cost savings for the developer, as well as energy efficiency over the life of the building. GB

Monica Karamagi is the regional marketing and industry affairs manager for Huntsman Polyurethanes. www.huntsman.com/sprayfoam.

LEED® Canada is a registered trademark of Canada Green Building Council (CGBC).

Example of air leakage points that exist in buildings.

Open cell spray polyurethane foam being applied in wood stud cavities.

505050 Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable Strategies FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL ��010101�� Green Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesGreen Building & Sustainable StrategiesFFFALLALLALLALLALL ��010101��

The Makeover is a resource for building industry professionals looking to learn more about green renovation. Product information sheets, which include costs and benefits and supplier contacts, are available on the project website, along with a series of short renovation videos. TRCA’s STEP (Sus-tainable Technologies Evaluation Program), part of the Living City Campus at Kortright Centre for Conservation in Vaughan, will be monitoring energy and water consumption and landscape LID (low impact develop-ment) performance over the next two years (visit www.sustainabletechnologies.ca and www.thelivingcitycampus.com). Tours of the home are also offered to interested groups and residents. Homeowners Paul and Marisa and their family are also a fantastic resource. They have seen the changes first hand, are taking a keen interest in sharing their experience with the community and industry, and after all, know their home best!

It’s not enough to simply create a demonstration project like this and hope it makes an impact. It has to be part of a larger program that makes it appealing for people to make change. This is why TRCA, in partnership with public and private sector partners, is leading a residential retrofit program for the whole neighbour-hood. This one-window program, called the

Green Home Discount Package, includes incentives and discounts on a series of strategic indoor and outdoor home renova-tions that homeowners are likely interested in given the age of this neighbourhood. The message and incentives have been custom designed for County Court, and have been informed by our local social marketing research. The pilot program was launched this summer and will continue through �01�with local promotion, tracking, homeowner recognition and program evaluation. GB

To book a tour of the Green Home Make-over in Brampton, call (416) 661-6600 ext.

5778. To see renovation videos, product information sheets and more learn more about the Green Home Discount Package and SNAP, visit www.sustainableneighbour-and SNAP, visit www.sustainableneighbour-and SNAP, visit www.sustainableneighbourhoods.ca/makeover.

1 Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. Summary Table: Occupied private dwellings by period of construction and condition of dwelling, by census metropolitan area [available at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil125c-eng.htm]

2 Part of the Region of Peel’s Water Smart Peel program. Visit www.peelregion.ca/watersmart-peel/outdoor/fusion.

With energy costs on the rise, and summer water restrictions across many municipalities, homeowners are increas-

ingly considering the energy and water efficiency of their home, and turning to their contractor or trade professional for advice. With almost half of the private dwellings in the Greater Toronto Area over �0 years old1, and home renovation on the rise, the question is, how can we help make it truly green? There may be no shortage of emerging technology in energy and water management out there, however for some innovative products, consumer markets may not be strong enough to support competi-tive pricing. So with “green renovation” now a mainstream buzzword, and trend setters starting to adopt some of these, how can renovators and homeowners identify strategic renovations, estimate the return on investment, and understand ongoing maintenance considerations? Marketing transformation towards efficient products is already happening in areas such as low flow toilets, water efficient washers and natural gas furnaces. But for older homes with poor insulation, mid-efficiency appliances and fixtures, how can we accelerate this change?

Governments and utilities are struggling with the same issues. With aging energy

and water infrastructure on a large scale, they want and need to encourage energy and water efficient in the homes they service. Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA), one of �6 Conservation Authorities in southern Ontario, is working with these partners in strategic planning and education to homeowners and the building industry in support of sustainable resource use, achievement of conservation goals and a healthy environment.

Local demonstrations designed to educate homeowners and renovators are a key part of our collective effort. Earlier this year, TRCA, along with a number of key public and private partners, unveiled the Green Home Makeover, an innovative project designed to:

• Showcase innovative eco-friendly home improvements and retrofits for single detached homes;

• Educate homeowners and the building industry on new technology installation and maintenance;

• Support monitoring and evaluation of innovative sustainable technologies; and

• Provide an on-the-ground illustration of retrofit benefits and connect people with how-to information.The Makeover is part of the County

Court SNAP (Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan) being developed by TRCA, Region of Peel, City of Brampton and the community (visit www.sustainable-neighbourhoods.ca). This visionary and

measurable Action Plan will transform the older neighbourhood to improve the local environment, prepare for climate change and make it a better place to live, work and play. Through local demonstrations like the Makeover, it connects on a personal level with property owners, encouraging behavior change and learning about what they can do at home to save water, energy and contribute to a greener community.

Located at 71 Turtlecreek Boulevard in Brampton’s �0 year old County Court suburban neighbourhood, the Green Home Makeover showcases sustainable indoor and outdoor renovations that will have big energy and water savings. Renovations includes a high-efficiency HVAC system, improved basement and attic insulation, weatherization, energy and water efficient appliances, drain water heat recovery, Energy Star windows and doors, ultra low flow toilets, rain barrels, a rain garden, permeable driveway and walkway and water efficient Fusion Landscaping®�. The Makeover was made possible through donations of product and time from Lead Platinum sponsor Reliance Home Comfort, Platinum sponsor Sears Canada, Gold Sponsor Green Saver and numerous Silver sponsors. Other partners include Enbridge Gas Distribution and Hydro One Brampton as well as green building, water and landscape industry associations.

As part of the integrated design process led by Sustainable Buildings Canada, the team confirmed the most appropriate fea-tures to include in the home and estimated potential future savings. This includes: a reduction in total energy and water consumption by 50%; an EnerGuide rating increase from 58 to 76; improved home comfort and indoor environment; reduced rainwater runoff and improved water qual-ity; and an attractive outdoor landscape and improved biodiversity.

By Shannon Logan, Toronto and Region Conservation

How TRCA’s Green Home Makeover is supporting green renovation and market transformation

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“Swifter, higher, stronger” is the English translation for the original Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” which celebrates the

relentless pursuit for improvement in hu-man endeavours, particularly on the athletic field. Rating systems such as LEED recognize achievements in sustainable building. For 72 years the world’s fastest sprinters strove to break the 10-second barrier until 1968, when Jim Hines finally did so; but by 2012 in London seven men ran the final race in under 10 seconds.

For Jim Hines it was wonderful to be first, as it now is for architect William Dewson. Just before the London Olympics began Dewson’s team became the first in the Greater Toronto Area to achieve a LEED for Homes Platinum designation for a residen-tial project on Farnham Avenue. The home was featured in the Spring edition of Green Building and Sustainable Strategies Maga-zine.

“All building projects require passion and commitment from those involved to be successful, but with a sustainable building, these attributes are required in spades,” said Dewson. “Each and every one who participated in 27 Farnham Avenue held fast to their enthusiasm from the beginning to the end.”

The team included Kyle England, who was Dewson’s Team Leader, Eric Adelman and Matt Brooks of South Park Design Build, Philip Drader of Mindscape Innovations who was the Provider QAD, and Kyle Anders of Greenscape Building Consultants who was the Green Technology & Energy Rater.

The project was a 4500 square foot, six bedroom detached home and scored 96.5 LEED Canada for Homes points for Innova-tion and Design Process (10/11), Location & Linkages (10/10), Sustainable Sites (17/22), Water Efficiency (6/15), Energy & Atmosphere (25/38), Materials & Resources (14.5/16), Indoor Environment Quality

(12/21) and Awareness & Education (2/3).

In other words LED strip lighting; lots of skylights and big Loewen triple glazed operable windows, a reductive cooling sys-tem and six ton geothermal ground source system; 25 bifacial solar panels; a white roof; an energy recovery ventilator; HEPA air filtration, an ultra-insulated envelope

with exterior walls and structural framing wrapped with polyisocyanurate foil panels to eliminate thermal bridges; window shim and joist cavities filled with spray foam from soy/vegetable oils and polyethylene from recycled plastic bottles; PIC joints, seams, fixture wells, filter housings, electrical and communication boxes and vent ducts all carefully taped and caulked; Energy Star ap-pliances; no or low VOC paints and flooring; low flow plumbing and dual flush toilets;

drip edges, sealing and extra membrane to control moisture and water flow; drought-tolerant native landscaping with no invasive species; a dry well and a permeable parking pad; 80% recycling of demolition waste; re-claimed brick, struts and joists; and more.

Congratulations to Bill Dewson and his team for their Olympian achievement with the first LEED Platinum residence in Toronto. A new benchmark has been set. Now let’s smash beyond it! GB

First LEED Platinum Residence in Greater Toronto

LEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMESLEED FOR HOMES

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With our comprehensive Savings by Design program, builders participate in an Enbridge Integrated Design Process (IDP). The IDP brings together experts in energy ef� ciency and sustainability to identify ways to maximize energy performance in your new construction buildings. In addition to covering the cost of the IDP, Enbridge also provides incentives to help you implement the IDP’s recommendations to achieve 25% or more above Ontario Building Code (2012).

To qualify for the program, your project must be a minimum of 100,000 square feet.

To learn more, call Mary Harinck at 416-753-6258 or email [email protected]

Savings by Design

EAQ850_GreenBuilding_Ad.indd 1 12-05-16 12:25 PM

gb & ss magazine - september 2012

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