Air purifiers often add to indoor air pollution

Air purifiers have become more popular during the pandemic due to concerns about airborne viral transmission. But how safe are they?

Contrary to what some may think, a new study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters has found that while some commercial electronic air cleaners can be effective in reducing primary pollutants and inactivating bioaerosol, many are actually also releasing aerosols and other pollutants into buildings.

Researchers with the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta evaluated the effects of a hydroxyl radial generator in an office setting. This type of generator works as an air purifier by decomposing odours and pollutants and has been marketed to inactivate pathogens such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Ng’s study found that in the process of cleaning the air, the hydroxyl radicals generated by the device reacted with volatile organic compounds present in the indoor space. This led to chemical reactions that quickly formed organic acids and secondary organic aerosols that can cause health problems. These aerosols have been associated with cardiopulmonary diseases and millions of deaths per year.

Ng cautioned that consumers are likely unaware of the secondary chemistry taking place in the air, with the pollutants generated not being directly emitted by the cleaning device itself.

“There are increasing concerns regarding the use of electronic air cleaners as these devices can potentially generate unintended byproducts via oxidation chemistry similar to that in the atmosphere,” said Nga Lee “Sally” Ng, lead researcher.

While previous research reported pollutant formation from various electronic air cleaners (ionizers, plasma systems, photocatalytic systems with ultraviolet lamps, etc.), Ng believes that her team’s study is the first to monitor the chemical composition of secondary pollutants in both gas and particle phases during the operation of an electronic device that dissipates oxidants in a real-world setting.

Ng stressed that future studies on air cleaning technology should not be limited to the inactivation of viruses or reduction of volatile organic compounds but also evaluate potential oxidation chemistry and the formation of unintended harmful gaseous and particulate chemicals.

“More studies need to be conducted on the effects of these devices in a variety of environments,” Ng said. “Electronic air cleaners greatly rose in prominence because of the pandemic, and now there are a lot of these devices out there. Millions of dollars are being spent on these devices by businesses and schools. The market is huge. Our results show that care must be taken when choosing an adequate and appropriate air cleaning technology for a particular environment and task.”

Ng stressed the importance of future studies concerning the unintended effects of electronic purifiers, as these devices are not currently well regulated and do not have testing standards.

“There needs to be more peer-reviewed scientific data on electronic air cleaners,” Ng said. “We hope that additional studies will lead to more government guidelines and regulation.”

The great cleaning jobs reassessment

While cleaning and maintenance is far from the only industry to have seen employment significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are struggling to fill cleaning jobs.

The hunt for trained workers is proving difficult for many companies at present, and considerable discussion is being given to the problems cleaning contractors and others in the professional cleaning industry are having finding workers.

According to Kaivac‘s Matt Morrison, though, the current situation should be termed as a job reassessment rather than a worker shortage.

“Many people are reassessing the work they do, and this certainly applies to professional cleaning,” says Morrison.

A Pew Research Study released earlier this year found that 66 per cent of unemployed people have seriously considered changing their field of work since the pandemic.

However, Morrison adds that cleaning contractors may have more difficulty finding workers than other industry sectors, because, among other factors:

COVID-19 has made many people afraid to perform cleaning work
Wages within the cleaning industry are often too low to attract workers
There is still a negative stigma about being a janitor, and many believe there is no future in cleaning
Some former cleaning workers prefer working in the gig economy because it offers greater flexibility
The industry is viewed as “low tech” by younger workers

“I wish I had a magic wand and could change the perception people have of cleaning, but the reality is [the industry] now have to do things differently,” says Morrison. “If workers are reassessing work, the cleaning industry must do some reassessing as well.”

Morrison continues: “I believe cleaning workers have emerged from the pandemic as essential workers. They keep people healthy.”

Indeed, he suggests that in order to resolve the situation, the industry must address several factors.

Re-evaluate wages
Shift the perception of cleaning by recognizing its importance.
Promote the fact that the industry is going high-tech.
Make it easier to professionally train cleaning workers by using electronic tutors and other new technologies that provide video tutorials.

“This last point is crucial,” adds Morrison. “Well-trained workers feel empowered and valued. Once this happens, they see a future for themselves, the cleaning profession, and the industry.”

Could a Florida condo collapse happen in Ontario?

Following the horrific collapse of the 12-storey Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, people have been speculating whether such a disaster could happen in Canada.

While we don’t know exactly what caused the collapse, we know the following: in 2018, the board of directors received an engineering report finding “major structural damage” to the building, which would require timely and expensive repairs. The report did not warn of imminent collapse, but stated that the repairs would be directed at “maintaining the structural integrity” of the building. At the time of the collapse, these repairs had not yet been completed.

How would this scenario unfold in Ontario? Leaving aside the construction process itself, there are vast differences between Ontario and Florida condominium laws that would have given the Champlain Towers significant added protections following registration.

The 2018 Champlain Towers inspection was conducted because of its county. Miami-Dade requires high-rise towers to be inspected after they reach 40 years of age. Only one other county in Florida (Broward County) requires any inspection after a building is constructed.

By contrast, Ontario law is far more engaged and interventionist. Here, condominiums must establish and maintain a reserve fund, which must be used only for the purpose of major repairs and replacement of the common elements and assets of the condominium. These parts of the condominium complex belong to all owners and generally include everything other than the individual units where people reside. The size of the condominium reserve fund is determined based upon a reserve fund study, which is also mandated by law, to establish the building’s current status and to forecast when repairs will be required. The initial reserve fund study must be completed within a year following registration of the condominium corporation. So right there, the first Ontario building study must be conducted 39 years earlier than the first inspection was required in Surfside.

Of course, hopefully after one year, there will be no required repairs. Thereafter, the reserve fund study must be updated every three years, giving ownership a moving picture of the state of repairs and the rate at which building systems are deteriorating.

If a similar regime existed in Florida, the Champlain Towers board could have identified their maintenance issues at an earlier date. The structural damage would be smaller and less extensive at the time of discovery and there would have been an existing fund to pay for some or all of the required repairs.

The trade-off that exists between the different legal regimes is that the cost of condominium ownership at Surfside and throughout Florida would have been higher if Florida law had reserve fund requirements. Such reserve fund requirements compel unit-owners to pay for reserve fund studies and make regular contributions to the reserve fund. In the absence of any reserve fund, the cost of the repairs, according to the Washington Post, would have cost the Champlain Towers’ unit-owners anywhere from $80,000 to $200,000, depending on the size of their unit. Some of the lower-priced units had recently sold for about $600,000.

For some, the cost of a condominium would have been put out of reach. Ontario forces condominiums to invest in safety measures which will not always be necessary. However, there is a price for safety.

A second difference between Ontario and Florida condominium law is in the treatment of condominium directors. In Ontario and Florida, residential condo directors are selected among the condo corporation’s unit owners. The board is then responsible for hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in operating and overseeing the management of the condominium.

Several years ago, Ontario recognized the need to ensure that these directors receive formal training to learn how to carry out their duties. Mandatory director education is now required within six months of a director’s appointment, failing which they are disqualified. The training is available online and one key area covered is “Maintaining the Condominium’s Physical Integrity”. There are also training modules for contract procurement processes—for both major and minor contracts. These condominium director education materials are relatively short and will not turn new board members into instant experts on all aspects of governance including maintenance. But it helps.

Many things had to go wrong for a building to collapse. If the law is followed, the legal protections in Ontario significantly reduce the likelihood of this tragic event occurring here.

David Taub is a partner at Robins Appleby LLP. He has extensive experience in business litigation where he represents developers and builders, lenders, banks, insurance companies, manufacturers, and commercial landlords. [email protected]

Clarifications

This article has been updated to clarify information related to steps taken by the board of directors and reserve funds.
July 21, 2021

Jobsite Safety & Fall Protection Prep

Whether working on an active construction site or in an operations and maintenance setting, fall protection is critical to ensure the safety of workers and building occupants. From mandatory training and PPE requirements to on-site system documentation, provincial Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations can vary, but industry standards generally refer to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA)—or failing that, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

With that in mind, Kelsey Van Steele, Associate at RJC Engineers who also specializes in maintenance access consulting and fall hazard risk control, says fall protection is generally mandatory for any work conducted at three metres (10 feet) or higher, or when a fall from any height would subject the worker to risk of injury. Meanwhile, all work occurring at elevations of 25 feet or higher requires a written, site-specific fall protection plan.

“Fall protection planning typically includes performing a documented fall hazard assessment, implementing risk control measures, and establishing a rescue plan,” she says. “Additionally, all workers performing work at heights are required to undergo fall protection training suitable to their environmental exposures and the equipment, as well as the compatible PPE they will be required to use.”

In terms of documentation, a system manual must be present and accessible at the building site as part of the system usage process for all permanent fall protection equipment and building maintenance access systems. This includes everything from roof plan drawings through to historical engineering reports, maintenance records and usage logs. Examples of permanent equipment requiring documentation include building maintenance units (BMUs), swingstages, gantries or roof cars, davit systems, fall protection anchors, lifeline systems, and suspended access anchor systems.

Fixed ladders, platforms, and fixed guards generally do not require documentation.

In addition, Van Steeles warns that recently issued industry codes stipulate mandatory documentation for counterweighted guardrail systems (CSA Z259.18). Although this standard has not yet been adopted by all jurisdictions, it is considered industry best practice.

Maintenance & reviews

While all permanent fall protection equipment and building maintenance access systems require review prior to first use, Van Steele says they also must be reviewed annually, at minimum, or more frequently as directed by the engineer of record for the system.

“Load testing and NDT materials testing is required for some types of equipment prior to first use, and then at five-year intervals or more frequent as directed by the engineer of record for the system as indicated in the system manual documentation,” she explains. “Workers have a responsibility to confirm with the building or property manager that the equipment is up to date with reviews prior to use, in addition to reviewing the system manual documentation for any limitations.”

Keeping up with code changes

Code changes can happen often, and as such, they should be monitored. For an example, Van Steele points to recent updates to industry standards governing suspended operations (CSA Z91-17 and Z271-20) that may have implications on documentation, periodic testing, and system layout requirements depending on the type of equipment on the building.

“There are also notable changes to testing and engineering review requirements for active fall protection systems (lifeline systems, fall arrest, travel restraint anchors systems etc.) soon to be issued in the latest edition of the CSA Z259.16 standard (estimated publication later this year),” she says.

Compatibility of equipment

On a final note, Van Steele urges workers to be aware of potential compatibility issues with PPE, connecting components and different fall protection systems or other types of permanent access equipment.

“There is a misunderstanding in the industry that there is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to fall protection equipment, when in fact system equipment, components, and subsystems need to be evaluated for compatibility with one another based on the site-specific conditions,” she warns. “Just because the harness or lanyard says it is certified to CSA standard for that particular product type, doesn’t mean it is safe to use everywhere. Equipment must be selected by a competent person knowledgeable in the area of fall protection for the specific work activity and the environment in which it is being performed.

For more information on jobsite safety and fall protection, please contact: Kelsey Van Steele – RJC Engineers or visit www.rjc.ca

Major upgrade planned for Burrard SkyTrain Station

The Burrard SkyTrain Station in downtown Vancouver is set to get a major upgrade beginning in early 2022.

TransLink announced the two year project will require the closure of the station to allow the work to be done safely and more efficiently during construction.

Burrard SkyTrain Station was originally built in 1985 and has not had a significant upgrade in its 36 years of operation. It is the fourth busiest station on the SkyTrain system and at peak times it is congested with only three escalators and one elevator to move people in and out. Station entrances are hard to access and the station will require upgrades to the electrical equipment in order to meet the power demands of the new station.

The upgrades to Burrard Station will:

Double the number of escalators and elevators to provide greater accessibility and relieve congestion on platforms and at the concourse level;
Relocate the Burrard Street entrance to align with the pedestrian crossing making it easier to get in and out of the station, and provide better access to buses along Dunsmuir;
Redesign the station’s outdoor plaza to put pedestrian needs at the forefront; and,
Upgrade the station’s power supply and mechanical systems.

“These significant upgrades are necessary to keep our transit system operating effectively and efficiently for our customers,” said TransLink interim CEO Gigi Chen-Kuo. “With more than 7.6 million annual boardings in 2019, Burrard Station is the fourth busiest station on our SkyTrain network. These upgrades will greatly improve the customer experience and as the region prepares to welcome one million new residents by the year 2050, this important project allows us to be prepared for additional future demand.”

According to TransLink, closing the station during construction will improve customer and work safety; reduce overall construction construction time for the project; and provide cost savings of approximately $35 million.

Toronto city council approves plan for vacant home tax

The new vacant home tax in Toronto will take effect in 2022.

Toronto city council approved a plan to curb homeowners from keeping their properties empty as the availability and affordability of housing stagnates. The tax is expected to fund housing options and open up supply.

A bylaw supporting this tax will come into effect on Saturday, January 1, 2022, becoming the start of the first tax reference year – a period during which the vacancy status will be used to determine whether the tax is payable. The tax on vacant homes becomes payable for the first time in early 2023, based on the occupancy status during the prior year.

A home will be considered vacant if it has been unoccupied for more than six months during the previous calendar year, or it is deemed to be vacant under the bylaw. However, there are some exemptions, including death of the owner, homes under renovations, snowbirds or if the owner is in medical care.

The initial tax rate will be set at one per cent of the property’s current value assessment (CVA) for the year in which the home is vacant. Using Vancouver’s tax metrics (assuming one per cent of Toronto’s housing stock is vacant), at a tax rate of one per cent on the average Toronto home’s current assessed value, it could generate between $55 to $66 million in tax revenue per year.

Declaring status of home

Property owners will be required to declare the status of their residential home each year, online or via mail. This will determine the home’s occupancy status and whether the tax is payable. Not completing the declaration could signal a unit is vacant and, therefore, subject to the tax.

Certain properties may be selected for audit. If selected, the owner must provide information and evidence to establish whether the home was vacant or occupied during the reference period. To ensure compliance and tax payments are being made as required, the vacant home tax will include provisions including penalties for failure to pay, fines for various offences, and a dispute resolution process.

A final report and tax bylaw will be prepared for council’s review by the end of 2021. The decision requires the enactment of a confirmatory bylaw for the plan to take effect.

East Pointe condo will cater to growing Scarborough area

East Pointe, a mid-rise condo located at 4569 Kingston Road in Toronto, has received approval for 11 storeys in a neighbourhood where eight storeys has been the norm.

To reduce shadow impact, Mutual Developments will be incorporating a step down to the surrounding residential areas of Kingston Road—an avenue designated for focused building intensification.

The project will cater to a wide demographic in a fast-growing neighbourhood, one that is attracting young professionals and post-secondary students due to the close proximity of University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus and Centennial College.

East Pointe is one of 16 projects that Kohn Partnership Architects will be designing to help revitalize the street. With sustainability in mind, Kohn created a combination of a high albedo (solar reflective) and green roof that’s not accessible to residents, but reduces the building’s temperature by reflecting the sun’s UV rays. They’ve also integrated an operation that recovers energy from clothes washers and dryers into the mechanical system for added efficiency.

The building will offer 104 condo units of one to three-bedrooms, starting in the $400,000s. Interior amenities, designed by ESQAPE Design, include a fitness centre, party room, boardroom, and an outdoor amenity area with a grilling and cooking section. Due to the pandemic, the design was revisited to create a tech-efficient co-working space for the work-from-home crowd. The condo units also feature garden suites so residents on the lower levels have private outdoor space, while those on the south side of the upper levels will have views of the lake from their balconies.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2024.

Healthcare facilities management market to grow extensively

A new report estimates that the healthcare facilities management market will grow extensively over the next five years.

The value of the market is approximated to have been US$225 million in 2020. It is expected to grow to over $360 million in 2026, with a CAGR of 8.2 per cent over that time.

That’s according to a report from Mordor Intelligence, which predicts that the COVID-19 pandemic will vastly accelerate the growth of the healthcare facilities market across the world.

Factors contributing to the growth also include rising global healthcare expenses, an increase in the occurrence of chronic diseases, increasing medical tourism in emerging countries, and the increasing population of people aged 65 or older. In America, that demographic is projected to almost double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060.

In the United States, healthcare expenditures are estimated to grow at an average rate of 5.5 per cent per year through 2027, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This is projected to increase 0.8 per cent faster than GDP per year in the same time frame.

Due to the growth of the healthcare facilities management market, facility waste management is also anticipated to see considerable growth over the next several years. Of particular concern is the increase of discarded personal protective equipment, according to the World Health Organization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stresses that as the market expands, healthcare facilities must be sure to provide care for all patients in the safest way possible for patients and healthcare personnel as a response to COVID-19.

New national brokerage launched

Former Devencore executives, Agron Miloti and Jon Bishop, have launched a new national brokerage and commercial real estate advisory firm. Headquartered in Vancouver, CDNGLOBAL also boasts regional offices in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax.

CDNGLOBAL will offer industrial, office, and retail leasing; capital markets and investment sales; tenant representation; investment services and landlord representation; and facilities and project management. Miloti and Bishop are promising clients access to experienced professionals with national reach and global networks.

“As a privately owned firm, the team is neither limited nor influenced by oversized global affiliations, or ruled by mass franchised brokerages with limited compensation models that may not consider regional client needs or specific local market dynamics,” asserts Bishop, CDNGLOBAL president.

Miloti assumes the role of chief executive officer. Andra Nedelcu is the firm’s vice president, national communications and marketing.

Michael Brooks joins WGBC board of directors

Michael Brooks, chief executive officer of REALPAC, has been named to the board of directors of the World Green Building Council (WGBC) and will also serve as treasurer for 2021-22. He joins seven other directors of the umbrella organization representing approximately 70 national green building councils, along with a slate of new chairs and vice chairs for the WGBC’s five global regions.

“These directors and chairs have earned their place as champions of sustainability in the building and construction industry,” says Cristina Gamboa, chief executive officer of the World Green Building Council. “Their expertise will continue to transform the built environment and help the world to deliver on the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

Beyond his role with REALPAC, a leading organization for Canada’s commercial real estate sector, Brooks is executive in residence at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University; special advisor to the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (Property Working Group); and a business advisor to the Canadian government’s Sustainable Development Advisory Council. He is the author of the textbook, Canadian Commercial Real Estate: Theory, Practice, Strategy, and formerly practiced commercial real estate law.

Brooks has been a strong advocate for climate action, ESG (environmental, social, governance) and industry standards and professionalism in all those forums — a track-record that aligns with WGBC’s mission to propel the building and construction sector to heightened resiliency, optimal health and minimal environmental impact.

“I am pleased to be part of this global group focused on achieving net-zero emissions from buildings, indoor health and wellness, and the circular economy,” he says.

Supporting patient networks with digital signage

Better patient experiences result in stronger healthcare outcomes. However, enhancing these experiences means making the healthcare journey as efficient and stress-free as possible for both patients and their support networks.

“Anything you do to improve a hospital visit for visitors has a positive impact on the people they’re escorting or coming to see,” says Scot Martin, CEO of youRhere. “For us, that means using interactive digital communications to provide the directions, hospital updates, and personalized information they need during this otherwise busy and stressful time.”

Pointing the way
Digital signage has a critical role to play in helping patients’ loved ones, care providers, and other supporters. This is particularly true when it comes to showing them the way.

“Many hospitals have been built in stages. They have wings and additions that have been added over the years, which can make them confusing places to navigate for the majority of people who haven’t memorized their layout,” says Martin. “In that respect, interactive digital displays can provide clear and concise directions that cut through the confusion.”

When it comes to hospital directions, “clear and concise” counts. That’s why youRhere employs professionally-trained graphic designers who have experience designing user interfaces for healthcare environments. The result is interactive displays with user-friendly maps and information sources that can assist anyone who walks into
a hospital.

“We try and make those directions as easy to follow as possible by doing things like showing multiple levels on the same screen or enabling people to download step-by-step directions onto their mobile device,” adds Martin.

“Being able to provide personalized directions goes a long way towards lowering a visitor’s stress levels and getting them to their loved one that much quicker,” he continues.

A focus on accessibility
Interactive maps and directories are only effective if they can be used by anyone, regardless of their preferred language or physical disabilities.

“Accessibility is a vital consideration for interactive digital signs,” explains Martin. “We need to make sure that the sign is just as accessible to a person who is two meters tall as it is to someone in a wheelchair.”

For example, youRhere’s digital interfaces include buttons that adjust the height of on-screen menus. They can also feature headphone jacks and braille keyboards for the visually impaired.

Language is also an important part of promoting accessibility. This is especially true in many Canadian hospitals that serve a broad range of communities and demographics who may struggle with following directions or receiving information outside their first language.

“For many Canadians, especially new arrivals, the ability to search for what they’re looking for in their mother language is a huge benefit. That’s why an interactive or digital sign in multiple languages is far more effective and helpful to patients than putting up a bunch of physical English signs and indicators,” notes Martin.

Promoting safety
Anxieties around airborne infections are at an all-time high, and these will likely linger well beyond the current pandemic.

As expectations for hospital hygiene climb, it helps to use digital signage to showcase everything being done to keep hospital staff, patients, and visitors safe (e.g., new protocols, cleaning technologies, real-time indoor air quality (IAQ), hygiene initiatives, etc.).

At the same time, digital signage can also be used to remind all hospital users of their role in mitigating the risks of infection (e.g., wearing masks, washing hands, safe distancing, etc.) and making the facility as safe as possible.

“Rather than one static image on a poster, digital displays allow a hospital to communicate multiple types of information that contributes to a safer overall environment,” says Martin, offering, “You could have a rotating ‘playlist’ on your screen that includes health and safety protocols, information about a new fundraising campaign, updates about a blood donor drive, or even messages thanking staff and volunteers for their work.”

Transportation connections
Few people plan for their initial trip to the hospital, let alone consider how they will get back. Moreover, family and friends who visit regularly may need support in finding the most effective travel option. Whatever the case, digital signage can display up-to-the-moment transit information or connect users to travel alternatives such as rideshares, taxis, nearby public transport, and other options.

Similarly, details regarding on-site parking (e.g., availability, maps, parking
services) can also help first and repeating visitors find their way to and
from home with fewer headaches.

Creature comforts
Visiting a hospital as a non-patient can be overwhelming. Any efforts to make visitors feel welcome and less overwhelmed throughout the journey go a long way towards ensuring guests don’t carry that stress into their visit.

“If you have someone that’s going to be at the hospital for any period of time, you want them to feel at home and make their subsequent visits less stressful,” adds Martin. “So providing information on hospital amenities such as gift shops, guests services, food and beverage options, the location of the nearest pharmacy to prescriptions filled, or what amenities are available near the hospital will help them find what they need to get comfortable.”

It takes a community
The goal is the same in any environment: ensure occupants and visitors have access to the information they need to get to where they’re going and access to supports that will enrich their experience. This philosophy applies as much to malls and office buildings as it does for hospitals, where there is further motivation to assist patients by making visits easier for their care network.

“Getting a patient to their appointment is job one. But beyond that, there’s a lot of other things you can do for the patient and the people helping them that benefit everyone,” adds Martin.

Scot Martin is CEO of youRhere, a leading provider of interactive digital signage
solutions for commercial, retail, healthcare, and educational properties across
Canada.

A fine-tune for effective benchmarking

Effective benchmarking almost invariably entails an extra layer of analysis to account for variables — in climate, occupancy and/or function — that can skew building-to-building comparisons. Enhanced standardized methodologies for gauging energy-use and water-use intensity are now freely available for building owners/managers seeking a consistent, accurate and user-friendly tool to reckon key variables and assess performance across their office building portfolios.

Newly released updates to the REALPAC normalized energy-use intensity (NEUI) and normalized water-use intensity (NWUI) methodologies further refine formulas that were initially developed to support benchmarking efforts that the prominent Canadian commercial real estate organization sponsored last decade. Namely: the 20 by ’15 campaign, a national challenge to achieve an average annual energy-use intensity of 20 equivalent kilowatt-hours per square foot (ekWh/ft²/yr) by 2015; and REALPAC’s 2012 water benchmarking pilot, which analyzed at least 12 months of water-use data from 83 participating office buildings.

Those normalization methodologies have proved instrumental for pegging baseline performance and measuring energy and water-saving progress in a Canadian office inventory scattered across six climate zones, and exhibiting a range of operational pressures and functional constraints. However, the 2021 versions address some emerging needs.

“COVID-19 exposed that the original methodologies had reduced effectiveness in the evaluation of building performance in periods of very low occupant density,” reports Neal Bach, president of Energy Profiles Limited, which led the update project. “Years of analysis of hundreds of buildings also revealed other opportunities for improvement. Both methodologies have been rebuilt to provide renewed clarity on building performance in the present day, and to unleash the next wave of investment in energy, water and carbon reductions over the coming decades.”

Similar to the originals, the updated NEUI and NWUI methodologies begin with a calculation of actual energy-use or water-use intensity. They then apply a series of adjustments to achieve a normalized reading that accounts for asset-specific variables in energy and water demand due to local climate conditions, occupant density and operational timeframes, as well as anomalies such as exceptional energy and/or water demand in enclosed parking areas, data centres, call centres, fitness facilities and restaurants.

Along with Energy Profiles Limited, a 17-member subcommittee stacked with engineering, smart analytics and building performance expertise from REALPAC member companies and industry service providers reviewed and provided comments on the updated baseline model, adjustment factors and computation tool. The latter produces the normalized readings — in an ekWh/ft² or litres per square foot (L/ft²) metric — after users input the required information.

Among changes to the 2021 version, the new NEUI differentiates vacant space, where landlords have flexibility to curtail heating and cooling, from unoccupied sublets, where they are obligated to condition the space. It also introduces new options to determine normalized energy-use intensity in leased space with lower than accustomed (versus pre-pandemic) occupant densities.

Consistent, transparent and verifiable metrics foster confidence

This all aligns with REALPAC’s goal to provide a transparent, simple and credible tool that can facilitate wider uptake of energy and water-use benchmarking and yield further insights and spinoff benefits from an expanded universe of participants. For example, normalization factors to recognize exceptional energy and water-use have proven fruitful for reaching and encouraging owners/managers who might otherwise be reluctant to divulge actual consumption or compare performance against a greater number of more conventional office buildings.

“Many landlords have concerns regarding their office buildings being ‘special’ or ‘different’ and thus not being eligible to participate due to factors such as tenant energy or water consumption,” REALPAC’s stated underpinning principles acknowledge. “The REALPAC NEUI and NWUI methodologies must therefore be broadly applicable and inclusive of most, if not all, types of office buildings and tenant mixes.”

The methodologies are offered as a tool to support building and portfolio owners/managers with internal benchmarking exercises, and are not currently part of any formal voluntary or mandated energy or water benchmarking and reporting program. However, given the profile of REALPAC’s membership, which includes many of Canada’s largest commercial real estate companies and investment asset managers, the normalization methodologies have been influential in generating a growing pool of consistent data that can inform a range of ESG (environmental, social, governance) initiatives.

“Creating solid and trusted metrics is critical for successful energy, water, carbon and waste reductions. REALPAC has been the leader in the field for commercial properties and this is great progress on the alignment of metrics so that different organizations can all talk the same language,” observes Andrew Pride, an engineer and energy management specialist who serves as chair of the National Research Council’s standing committee on energy efficiency in buildings. “The updated metrics are especially timely with so many partially occupied buildings due to COVID-19. It would be great to see the normalization methodologies extended to other property sectors and to include waste also.”

REALPAC hints that could be a possibility, and the computational tool may be augmented so that users will be able to calculate carbon emissions associated with their energy and water-use intensity.

“The REALPAC NEUI and REALPAC NWUI methodologies will be updated periodically over time through feedback and review from industry to ensure that they remain current and valuable to users,” affirms Kristopher Kolenc, REALPAC’s research and sustainability manager. “The methodologies are currently only designed for commercial office buildings, but may be expanded to other asset classes in the future.”

Barbara Carss is editor-in-chief of Canadian Property Management.

GTA rental market recovery underway

A new report from Urbanation confirms that GTA rental market recovery began in earnest during the second quarter of 2021, with a surge in new leases, reduced vacancy, and increased rents, in response to easing lockdown measures.

Notably, downtown Toronto led the growth in rental activity after months of lagging behind other GTA markets. Mass vaccination rollout and gradual reopening of the economy, combined with attractive rent discounts, are accredited with bringing renters back into the dense urban area.

“The GTA rental market began to resemble pre-COVID times during the second quarter, which is a testament to a strong foundation of demand that will only grow going forward as immigration recovers, schools and offices reopen, and expensive ownership housing leads to greater levels of renter household formation,” said Shaun Hildebrand, President of Urbanation. “While new construction activity is also on the rise, the level of supply underway is expected to lag behind demand, creating conditions for rents to continue rising towards pre-covid levels and beyond in the months to come.”

Looking at “newer” purpose-built rental apartment projects completed since 2005, the report indicates an average vacancy rate of 5.2 per cent at the end of Q2-2021, decreasing from a high of 6.5 per cent in Q1-2021 but remaining well above the 2.1 per cent level from a year ago. Vacancy rates averaged 6.9 per cent in the City of Toronto and 1.4 per cent in the 905 region across all new builds excluding those still in the initial lease-up phase.

Signs of recovery

A total of 1,242 new purpose-built rental units were completed and began occupancy during Q2-2021, the second highest quarterly total for new supply additions in more than 30 years (behind the 1,782 units completed in Q1-2019). The new supply, which was entirely located in the City of Toronto, was met with high-level demand, as quarterly net absorptions (i.e. the change in total occupied units) within the rental stock built since 2005 rose to 716 units — four times higher than the level from a year ago (179 units) and 67 per cent above the five-year quarterly average (430 units).

Average rents for units that were available within newer rental buildings completed since 2005 in the GTA were $2,289 ($3.18 per square foot) during Q2-2021, declining 5.0 per cent year-over-year, but rising 1.9 per cent quarter-over-quarter — the first rent increase since the start of the pandemic.

That said, incentives were still prevalent in the market during the second quarter, with 88 per cent of surveyed buildings offering some form of discount. One month of free rent continued to be the most common incentive, followed by two months of free rent.

Condo rental activity soars

The number of leases signed for condominium rentals in the GTA more than doubled from a year ago, surging 108 per cent to 12,747 units — the highest Q2 level on record. Over the last four quarters, condo lease transaction activity reached an unprecedented 50,004 units, which was 58 per cent higher than the pre-COVID peak of 31,696 units leased in the four quarters leading to Q1-2020. Demand in the latest quarter was driven by the former City of Toronto (largely representing the downtown market), where the number of new leases signed grew 129 per cent year-over-year in Q2.

The 7,642 condo lease transactions in the former City of Toronto represented a record high share, indicating a migration of renters back into the core. 2/3 Renters have remained budget conscious during the initial stages of the market recovery and haven’t necessarily been seeking more space coming out of the pandemic. Studios, which experienced the sharpest drop in rents during COVID-19, recorded the strongest annual growth in lease transaction volume of 154 per cent in Q2.

More generally, the smallest condo rentals under 600 square feet represented a record high share (36%) of units leased in the second quarter. As a result, the average size of a condo unit leased in Q2 fell to a record low of 695 square feet. At an average of $2,124, condo rents in the GTA were down 9.8 per cent year-over-year in Q2 but increased 4.3 per cent quarter-over-quarter. In the former City of Toronto, average condo rents of $2,147 grew 4.9 per cent from the first quarter, remaining 12.5 per cent lower than a year ago.

On a per square foot basis, average GTA condo rents rebounded by 5.2 per cent between Q1 and Q2 (to $3.06 psf), with studio rents jumping by 6.7 per cent quarter-over[1]quarter to $3.75 psf ($1,532) but still 12.1 per cent lower than a year ago ($4.27 psf; $1,778).

To find out more, visit: GTA Rental Market Recovery Takes Hold in Q2 | Urbanation

One year on: Keeping facilities clean & safe

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, building managers have continued to play a crucial role in maintaining facilities to maximize cleanliness, health, and safety. Now, over a year later, reopening is the biggest question on everyone’s mind.

While it’s difficult to predict exactly how many workers will return to office buildings and commercial facilities, there’s no question that this is the time to plan ahead. Facility managers should take this time to ensure they are equipped for enhanced cleaning maintenance requirements and begin preparing for their facility’s reopening.

Here are four key considerations to help keep facilities clean, healthy, and safe as they reopen:

Budget for additional operating expenses

It’s clear that facility maintenance has completely changed over the last 16 months or so and will continue to evolve once companies are able to allow their workers to return to the office. Standards and expectations around building health and hygiene will continue to rise, requiring higher operating expenses to meet them. Whether they’re currently operating at a limited capacity or their workforce is entirely remote, facility managers should budget for additional operating expenses to keep employees safe.

The largest expense to budget for is additional labour or janitorial costs for deep cleaning and disinfecting. Not only is it important to consider the additional cost of enhanced daily cleaning, but facility managers should also plan for the cost of disinfecting their entire facility if it’s exposed to a COVID-19 case.

Facility managers should also allocate funds to purchase supplies and equipment that help promote and maintain building health. This includes setting up additional hand hygiene stations, ensuring facilities are stocked with personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff and visitors, and COVID-related costs like signage, posters, partitions, and barriers to help employees maintain physical distancing.

Take time to set up a cleaning program that works

Before the pandemic, many cleaning and hygiene professionals primarily focused on cleaning for appearance. While keeping surfaces and fixtures shining is still an important part of facility maintenance, today the need to clean for health is critical. This is the time to review facility cleaning programs, assess whether they’re meeting today’s requirements, and determine how to enhance them for the future.

An effective office cleaning program should include the following:

Processes to tackle high-touch surfaces. Surfaces like door handles, meeting rooms, elevator buttons, coffee machines, and restroom fixtures should be disinfected at least twice a day. Keeping sanitizing wipes or a disinfectant spray and wiper combo near high-touch surfaces will encourage non-custodial workers to wipe surfaces before and after use.
The right disinfecting products. Not all disinfectants are created equally. Disinfectants have specific kill claims, which outline which bacteria they are effective against, as well as a dwell time, which indicates how long the disinfectant must stay wet on a surface to effectively kill that bacteria. Disinfectants approved by Health Canada have a Drug Identification Number (DIN) which indicates that the product has been thoroughly tested.
Innovative tools for faster, more effective cleaning and disinfecting. Consider investing in innovative products and equipment that will make cleaning faster and more effective so that labour can be allocated to other tasks. Tools like electrostatic disinfecting systems cover significantly larger surface areas with disinfectants more effectively and in less time than traditional trigger sprayers.
Updated training programs for cleaning teams. The right training will help keep teams safe when using cleaning tools and chemistries, improve cleaning quality, reduce turnover, and provide greater job satisfaction. Training courses like the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) certifications are available online and teach cleaning professionals to prepare for, respond to, and recover from biohazards in the workplace.

Plan ahead

With most offices working at a reduced worker volume, this is the time for facility managers to evaluate their existing cleaning programs and prepare for reopening. Along with developing an enhanced cleaning program and sourcing appropriate PPE, facility managers should also set up an outbreak prevention and management plan. Establishing a process for how to handle any potential COVID-19 cases will allow for quick action to prevent the spread of illness and help minimize business disruption.

Mitigate risk: verify and validate results

Today, maintaining clean and healthy facilities is necessary to providing exceptional customer service and meeting employees’ expectations around health and safety. Facility managers are using digital cleaning program management software to log cleaning activities and optimize cleaning resources to verify and validate their results.

Digital cleaning program management systems help facility managers:

Verify that cleaning activities are completed as scheduled
Identify missed cleanings
Immediately uncover and manage training issues
Quickly and easily prepare detailed reporting without having to sift through paper cleaning logs
Validate adherence to cleaning protocols.

Systems like wandaNEXT^™ by Visionstate IoT send cleaning teams alerts when additional cleaning is required and also include location-specific cleaning task lists, real-time compliance reporting, people traffic monitoring, and more.

David L. Smith is the Cleaning Hygiene & Sanitation Director at Bunzl Canada, a national distributor of the cleaning and hygiene products and equipment, food and retail packaging, safety products and industrial supplies that keep over 45,000 Canadian businesses running optimally every day. Bunzl Canada Inc. is a division of Bunzl Distribution USA, LLC.

Surrey begins early works for SkyTrain extension

City of Surrey is moving ahead with early works to get ready for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain (SLS) project. Following the federal government’s announcement of $1.3 billion funding, city council approved capital components of the early works including the widening of Fraser Highway from 96 Avenue to 148 Street and the removal of the digital billboard sign on Fraser Highway.

“I’m really proud that we’re moving ahead so quickly to advance the preparation work for SkyTrain,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “This SkyTrain extension will deliver rapid transportation, and connect our growing communities, while reducing congestion on our roads. It will also deliver well-paying jobs and grow our economy, as we recover from the pandemic. The time has come to get started on this vital transportation project, and the city is ready to go!”

The Fraser Highway Road widening will include improved cycling paths, two lanes of travel in each direction, and enhancements to existing culverts to improve fish and/or wildlife passage. The city worked closely with TransLink in developing an optimal road design to minimize the road footprint and limit tree and environmental impacts, while integrating with SkyTrain alignment.

Road widening is set to begin in July, with instream works in August and September to align with the provincial and federal restrictions for instream works and bird nesting. As part of early works, the city will also relocate the existing digital billboard from the Surrey Sport and Leisure site on Fraser Highway to accommodate the SkyTrain alignment.

This project was part of the 20-plus major capital projects approved by city council as part of the Five-Year (2021-2025) Financial Plan in the 2021 budget.

Yorkdale becomes first Canadian retail centre to achieve GBAC STAR accreditation

Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre has become the first retail centre in Canada to achieve GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA.

Yorkdale’s achievement of the certification reflects a variety of health and safety measures it has put in place to keep employees and shoppers safe during this time.

Some examples include:

Frequent cleaning in high-touch and high-traffic areas using best practices and products identified by health organizations
Signage to guide customer traffic flow, physical distancing throughout the property
Hand sanitizer and handwashing stations available throughout the centre
Curbside pickup with participating retailers.

Yorkdale is Canada’s leading shopping destination, named the country’s most successful shopping centre for the third year in a row by the Retail Council of Canada. Co-owned and managed by Oxfor Properties Group, it hosts more than 270 shops and services as well as the GTA’s largest rooftop solar panel installation and rooftop greenery.

“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our top priority,” says Kimberly Barnard, General Manager of Yorkdale Shopping Centre. “Achieving GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation demonstrates our commitment to ensuring we have high-quality systems in place to help protect our community to the best of our ability.”

Yorkdale’s certification is the latest milestone for GBAC STAR in Canada.

Back in September 2020, Toronto’s Exhibition Place became the first Canadian venue to achieve GBAC STAR accreditation, followed by Vancouver’s BC Place as the first certified stadium.

Since then, numerous facilities have achieved accreditation, including Montreal’s Bell Centre becoming the first Canadian hockey arena to do so.

It’s not just facilities, either.

In February, Manulife Investment Management was the first Canadian real estate landlord to achieve GBAC STAR facility accreditation, accrediting seven of its Montreal properties.

And just last month, Edmonton has become the first Canadian destination and just the fourth North American city to achieve Destination GBAC STAR accreditation. Explore Edmonton secured the certification in collaboration with Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton Destination Marketing Hotels (EDMH), Oilers Entertainment Group, TRAXX Coachlines, Edmonton Convention Centre, and Edmonton EXPO Centre.

GBAC STAR is an industry accreditation focused on ensuring a clean, safe, and healthy environment in public and commercial facilities of all sizes. The program outlines best practices, protocols, and procedures to control risk factors associated with infectious disease, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. GBAC STAR accreditation means that venues’ cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention programs implement best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics like COVID-19.

To achieve GBAC STAR accreditation, facilities must follow specific performance and guidance criteria to show compliance with the program’s 20 elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment to personal protective equipment (PPE) and emergency preparedness and response measures. The program is ideal for facilities of all sizes including, but not limited to offices, restaurants, hotels, airports, stadiums, and other public venues.

MediaEdge is a proud reseller of the GBAC STAR and GBAC fundamentals online course. Please see the program details and links below.

Commercial facility owners looking for GBAC STAR accreditation can follow the link here.
ISSA has also released a GBAC fundamentals online course specifically designed for cleaning workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus fight. Please click here to register and receive a discount off normal prices.

For additional program details and information, please email [email protected] or contact him at (416) 803-4653.

B.C. new clean energy centre receives funding

The new B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy will receive $105 million in funding by the province, the federal government, and Shell Canada. Each are contributing $35 million, collaborating to decarbonize the economy and scale up clean energy.

Scheduled to launch in fall 2021, the centre will bring together innovators from governments, industry and academia to expand B.C.-based clean energy technologies. It will focus on clean fuels, renewable natural gas, low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization and storage. As a member-based organization, it will promote new partnerships and world-leading innovation to deliver emission reductions across the economy while creating jobs and helping Canada meet its goal of net zero by 2050.

“Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time and we are already seeing its devastating effects. Shifting from our reliance on fossil fuels to low-carbon energy requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Premier John Horgan.

“That’s why we are working together with industry and government partners to create a Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy that will build on B.C.’s strengths as a climate leader. By supporting new technologies, we will stimulate investment and create the good jobs of the future.”

The centre’s initial focus areas for funding and project delivery will include:

carbon capture, utilization and storage;
the production, use and distribution of low-carbon hydrogen;
biofuels and synthetic fuels (including marine and aviation fuels);
renewable natural gas; and
battery technology, storage and energy management systems.

The centre will also initiate new technology pathways to accelerate larger reductions on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Centre is supported through the Government of British Columbia’s $10-billion COVID-19 response, which includes the StrongerBC for Everyone recovery plan, and aligns with Shell’s strategy to decarbonize its energy business by 2050.

Consistent, transparent and verifiable metrics foster confidence

Signs of recovery

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