Building Code

Passive House

A first Passive House retrofit in Halifax

Once complete, it will serve as an inspiration for others pursuing deep retrofits of existing buildings, an endeavour that offers the most hope for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Halifax.
standard

New standards for sustainable material use

A new set of standards defines minimum sustainability criteria for high-volume materials used in architecture and interior projects.
Canadian buildings scrutinized in OECD review

Canadian buildings scrutinized in OECD review

As part of a biennial review and benchmarking of Canada’s economic performance, a new OECD report looks at progress toward the interim 2030 target and 2050 goal for net-zero carbon emissions.
World Workplace

A recap of IFMA’s World Workplace

In the past, cleaning suppliers, landscapers, and pest control companies dominated FM shows. Not anymore.
Flammable refrigerants spark GHG reductions

Flammable refrigerants spark GHG reductions

Researchers and manufacturers have now done much of the work to prepare for the HFC phase-down, but codes and standards will need to catch up before a new generation of lower-GWP refrigerants can be used.
healthcare facilities 

Guidelines inform resilient healthcare facilities 

Newly released guidelines offer a standard for approaching the planning and designing of healthcare facilities from a resiliency perspective.
Vancouver

Digitizing fire protection for facility inspections

With fire equipment, the biggest culprit for non-compliance issues usually involves obstructions blocking fire extinguishers and hoses from view.
inclusive

A path to fully inclusive community hubs

The idea of creating inclusive community hubs—where people of all ages and abilities can gather together—is gaining significant momentum.
2020 scorecard provides impetus for interprovincial energy efficiency rivalry

Scorecard stokes energy efficiency rivalry

Efficiency Canada’s second annual provincial scorecard takes a detailed look at commitment, outcomes and potential related to 42 energy efficiency indicators, and charts progress, or backsliding, against last year’s results.
first responders

A new home for first responders in Delta, B.C.

The facility brings together a multi-purpose satellite fire station, a live-fire training building, and a municipal emergency operations centre.
Colliers

Windows and doors in the net-zero frame

A wider selection of high-performance windows and doors is expected to hit the market as Canada's National Energy Code continues to push the envelope toward net-zero-energy-ready development.
noise

Not all noise nuisances require a remedy

Noise complaints are a prevalent and challenging problem for facility managers. While the most common are related to a loud residential or commercial neighbour, the
outdoor air

IAQ standards dissect freshness of outdoor air

Guidance related to natural ventilation, particulate filtration and compartmentalization of multi-residential HVAC systems are prominent in the list of identified "significant changes" compared to the incumbent 2016 version of the standards.

New architecture school brings lessons to life

Students of Canada’s newest architecture school won’t have to venture far to see lessons from the classroom come to life. The latest addition to Laurentian

Public-safety facility co-locates first responders

Cambie Fire Hall No. 3 and Richmond North Ambulance Station is the first in a major B.C. city to bring fire and ambulance services under one roof.

Evergreen targets carbon neutrality with retrofit

Evergreen is targeting carbon neutrality in the retrofit of its heritage-designated kiln building at Toronto’s Brick Works site.

Library facility reads like ‘fragment’ of its landscape

The new Waterdown Library and Civic Centre is designed to read like a ‘fragment’ of the Niagara Escarpment over which it cantilevers.