How IPD can transform design and construction

There’s no “i” in team but there is Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), a collaborative approach that is proving very effective for the design and construction of prefabricated mass timber and light-frame wood buildings.

Discover how four different projects applied the collaborative principles of IPD to boost productivity, reduce waste, increase quality and deliver a more integrated client-centered building design.

Case studies include:

Brock Commons Tallwood House, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
Jacobson Hall, Trinity Western University, Aldergrove, B.C.
PriMed Mosaic Centre Edmonton, AB
St. Jerome’s University campus renewal, Waterloo, ON

Innovative characteristics of selected case studies

Source: BC Housing, Strategies for Collaborative Construction: IPD Case Studies

Three of the four projects made use of prefabricated timber assemblies and they show how IPD can get the most out of these building systems.

Combining the best practices of lean construction and Building Information Modelling (BIM), IPD can deliver cost-effective projects of higher quality and value by facilitating greater collaboration among all team members.

Along with the benefits, this report offers candid advice and ways to overcome challenges when adopting IPD. Made possible through the funding of BC Housing and Forestry Innovation Investment, the research is part of an effort to expand the use of IPD in building projects across B.C. to improve construction processes and building performance.

To learn more, download the full report here.

Additional resources:

Canadian Wood Council releases six updated EPDs

The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) and American Wood Council (AWC) have released updates for six environmental product declarations (EPDs) for North American wood products. Originally developed in 2013, the updated cradle-to-gate EPDs include softwood lumber, plywood, oriented strand board, laminated veneer lumber, I-joists and glue-laminated lumber.

EPDs are standardized tools that provide information about the environmental footprint of the products they cover. The North American wood products industry has taken its EPDs one-step further by obtaining third-party verification from the Underwriters Laboratories Environment (ULE), an independent certifier of products and their sustainability.

“Stakeholders in the building design and construction community are increasingly being asked to consider potential environmental and GHG impacts in their decision-making,” said Kevin McKinley, president and CEO of the CWC. “EPDs are transparent and help the end-user to identify the long-term benefits of stored carbon in wood products.”

Based on international standards (ISO 14025), EPDs have worldwide applicability and include information about product environmental impacts such as resources, energy use and efficiency, global warming potential, emissions to air, soil and water, and waste generation.

“Whether you are a developer, builder, designer or consumer, you want to know about the environmental impacts of products you specify and use. EPDs are standardized tools that provide valuable information based on life cycle inventory data,” said AWC vice president of codes and regulations, Kenneth Bland.

“Each EPD also includes an example calculation for determining the long-term carbon sequestration of atmospheric CO2 after considering biogenic carbon emissions during manufacture for the product. This calculation is particularly useful for identifying the long-term benefit of using wood products, which convert atmospheric carbon dioxide, a significant greenhouse gas, to stored carbon.”

EPDs are intended to help purchasers better understand a product’s environmental attributes in order for specifiers to make more informed decisions selecting products. By choosing wood products, builders can reduce the carbon footprint of the materials used during construction, contributing to an overall reduction in global warming.

For more information and to download the updated EPDs for wood products, visit Canadian Wood Council.

Most Canadians support digital contact tracing

A new report from the Cybersecure Policy Exchange at Ryerson University found the majority of Canadians support using a mandatory contact tracing app to go to work or take public transit to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Cybersecure Policy Exchange is a new initiative dedicated to advancing effective and innovative public policy in cybersecurity and digital privacy. The survey of 2,000 Canadians in mid-May found more than 50 per cent of people support making these apps mandatory in workplaces and public transit. Although, only one in four strongly support such an approach.

Support is somewhat lower (46 per cent) for retail or grocery stores making apps mandatory.
In contrast, opposition to landlords or condominiums making contact tracing apps mandatory (45 per cent) surpassed support (30 per cent).

Going forward, the Cybersecure Policy Exchange has five recommendations to ensure this new technology is well-designed and governed to protect Canadians’ security and privacy.

Following privacy-by-design principles and using only Bluetooth technology, not location data;
Using a decentralized approach by keeping contact data on Canadians’ individual devices;
Only collecting, storing and using data that is necessary, including deleting data after no more than 30 days, limiting data use to public health uses only, and deleting the app after the pandemic is adequately contained;
Ensuring the app is used on a voluntary basis only, and passing legislation to ensure that no public or private entities can make the app mandatory to access goods, services, employment or housing, especially considering one in four low-income Canadian households do not have a smartphone; and
Being transparent and maintaining trust, in part through transparent procurement, publicly available source code, comprehensive independent reviews and ongoing oversight.

A review of contact tracing apps implemented in other jurisdictions indicates that no jurisdiction has yet to fully satisfy all these conditions, and should it choose to proceed, states the Cybersecure Policy Exchange.Canadian governments and institutions must ensure the highest standards of privacy and security.

Aoyuan International launches M2M Spaces

One of the first projects to launch in Toronto this spring is M2M Spaces, part of Aoyuan International’s 8.6-acre master-planned community in North York.

Located in the Yonge and Finch community, it includes two- and three-bedroom townhomes and tower suites geared for working parents and multigenerational families. The residences will accommodate larger family sizes as traditionally seen in the suburbs in a vibrant city setting. In addition to the increased privacy, space, and flexible floor plans, easy connections to transit options are also planned.

“We designed this collection to feel as spacious as detached homes – with flex spaces that can be easily converted for a number of possibilities and households – whether that’s working from home or entertaining your kids in the bonus functional spaces,” says Rudy Wallman, Wallman Architects.

Flexible floor plans give residents the choice of an extended living, kitchen, and dining area. In the townhomes, another option incorporates sliding panels that open into a family room on the main level. Inside, abundant natural light streams in through large windows overlooking the greenery of the future new public park or the city skyline beyond.

The homes will also include a switchable smart glass feature in the sub-penthouse units, so residents can change the transparent glass panels to transform to opaque, allowing for quiet time or increased concentration.

Amenities will include an infinity pool on the ninth level, outdoor areas for children to play, gardens inside a private courtyard, a pet spa, and a business centre for those continuing to work from home.

Every suite in the M2M Spaces collection has access to a range of amenities that encourage families and residents of all kinds to lead healthy lifestyles.

“At M2M Spaces, residents will benefit from the abundance of outdoor amenities available to them, whether through recreation, spending time with loved ones, or simply disconnecting,” says Paul Ferris, Ferris + Associates. “Now more than ever we can see how important access to the outdoors and green spaces are for everyone in the city.”

Library renewal project at CMTN starts this summer

The Government of British Columbia is investing $4.4 million into a library renewal project at Coast Mountain College (CMTN) in Terrace, B.C.

Work to renew and refurbish the flood-damaged Spruce Building on the college’s main campus is expected to begin this summer. The Spruce Building was built as a classroom block in the 1970s, with a library in the basement. The loss of a dedicated library space after flooding affected the college’s ability to deliver library services.

In addition to providing students with better access to learning supports, the renewal work will bring the building up to current code standards and improve accessibility for users, along with energy efficiency, air quality and comfort for occupants.

“In these challenging times, our government is working to ensure that we are doing everything possible to support British Columbians in every part of the province,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “The library renewal project at Coast Mountain College is a long-term investment that will give students dedicated spaces to study and learn and will also provide immediate, well-paying construction work for tradespeople in Terrace. The inclusion of Indigenous design and child-friendly spaces will guarantee a welcoming and inclusive building for generations to come.”

The project design team worked with Coast Mountain’s First Nations Council and sought the input of students to design space that supported the college’s First Nations students in its function and reflection of local First Nations culture. The design includes an Indigenous reading circle crafted from local cedar. The wood ceiling design represents the Skeena river watershed.

The new space will include informal learning spaces that will give students flexible technology-enabled work areas for collaboration, quiet study and research. In addition, it will feature a lab where students can attend non-credit workshops, such as career advising, research methods, resumé writing or receive peer-to-peer tutoring. A designated reading area for children will enable student parents to care for their children and continue to study.

BMO Convention Centre expansion design revealed

The Calgary Stampede and development partner Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) have unveiled the design for the expansion of the BMO Convention Centre.

Last year, the Calgary Stampede and CMLC carried out a rigorous competitive process to select the internationally recognized design team now leading this transformation—Stantec, Populous and S2 Architecture. The design team has spent the past 12 months crafting a world-class design that’ll enable Calgary to compete with major convention destinations.

“Calgary’s citizens are world-renowned for their community spirit and their drive to achieve great things,” says Dana Peers, president and chairman of the Calgary Stampede board. “When complete in 2024, the expanded BMO Centre will provide Calgary and southern Alberta a significant platform for economic diversification through growth in both the convention and tourism industries.”

The facility features more than one million square feet of total floor space, including 350,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, and more than double its current rentable area. The interior spaces will be ample and adaptable; meeting rooms will be wired for instant connectivity; flexible breakout areas will facilitate; and outdoor spaces.

“Community spirit, culture, heritage, innovation – how can you incorporate those very different elements into the design of a building that is going to anchor transformation in a district, and a city? It wasn’t an easy task, but I am confident we’ve achieved it with the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta,” says the project’s lead-architect Léo Lejeune of Stantec.

According to Calgary Stampede CEO, Warren Connell, the BMO Centre will be the largest conference facility in western Canada (and the country’s second largest after Toronto’s)

The BMO Centre expansion is also significant for being a keystone project set to catalyze the transformation of east Victoria Park into Calgary’s Culture & Entertainment District.

“This project defines an incredibly important phase in realizing the Calgary Stampede’s and CMLC’s long-term vision for east Victoria Park and Stampede Park,” says Kate Thompson, CMLC president and CEO. “An expanded BMO Centre will bring new energy, talent and revenue into our city while adding another world-class attraction to the area.”

The development permit has been submitted and construction of Hall F (100,000 SF of additional space) is on track for completion later this month. Crews will begin demolishing existing structures in the fall and break ground on the new building next year. The project is scheduled to complete in June 2024.

CMRAO releases reopening guide for managers

Condo managers are adapting to the new environment and are preparing to resume their normal operations, according to a survey the CMRAO conducted in May.

The majority of respondents (85 per cent) said that they have developed plans to help their clients adapt as the government begins easing restrictions, while 83 per cent say they have discussed these plans with the boards of their clients.

Three areas where managers are currently seeking the most guidance include, holding meetings, entering owners’ units and the use of common elements. The CMRAO has published a list of recommendations according to these areas, along with additional recommendations, including following regulations, maintaining social distancing, cleaning common areas, maintaining communications and creating safe spaces, among other items.

The Use of Amenities and Common Elements

As condominiums begin to reopen amenities, CMRAO suggests it is important managers work with their clients’ boards in developing plans that will ensure the corporation continues to adhere to government-issued rules and guidelines, while upholding the safety of the staff and residents of the condominium.

Plans need to be flexible and should adapt as the government provides updated information,
rules, and guidelines. As you develop and refine plans, try to gather as much information as
possible from your clients so that your plans fit their needs.

It may be helpful to start with a listing of all the amenities in the condominium corporation, including details on:

normal capacity of the amenity
cleaning/disinfectant schedules
ventilation systems within specific amenities
reservation systems/processes
hours of operations

Once these details are gathered, managers will be in a better position to work with their clients’ boards to establish new policies as appropriate, such as:

mandatory booking required to use amenities
requiring residents to disinfect equipment before usage
staggering operating hours to allow for more frequent disinfection
lowering capacity to ensure appropriate physical distancing is possible
changing the configuration or allowed usage of specific equipment, such as blocking specific gym equipment or barbecues on specific days so that residents maintain
appropriate distancing

Condominium management providers should also monitor the availability of disinfectants,
cleaners, and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help their clients purchase enough equipment to suit their needs. Whenever possible, condominiums should maintain an adequate supply of disinfectants, cleaning products, and PPE.

Learn more about recommendations to enter units and hold meetings and full results from the CMRAO survey.

Curating social spaces in 2020

Humans are naturally social creatures that crave social spaces. So why shouldn’t our built environment be designed to accommodate and encourage this natural state of being?

A company’s office environment and culture is just as important as the work the business produces. With the increased popularity of wellbeing in workplace design, it has become common practice to create physical environments that positively impact mental health and increase employee productivity.

Due to this shift, private cubicles and offices have significantly decreased, as newly-designed office spaces have opted for open floor plans that prioritize social spaces. Consequently, designers have had to find solutions for defining spaces through the careful curation of flexible contract furniture. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, social spaces are having to readapt to suit new health and safety needs. With flexible furniture options, an office can be easily restructured to provide a safe environment while still keeping an open and social space for employees to work and socialize.

Understanding the benefits of socializing

With the recent shift to working from home, many are missing the connection and socialization they shared with their co-workers in the same way they did pre-COVID-19. It is human nature to want to tap into the emotions of those around us. As we look to return to the office in a safe manner, designing and outfitting offices with the right furniture must consider how to optimize the space to accommodate myriad work and socialization styles, as well as personal safety and health.

A recent study conducted by Gallup, an American analytics and advisory company, found that women who had a best friend in the office were twice as engaged as women who did not have a work friend. Because of the personal connection, these employees were less likely to change jobs, and likely to create trusting relationships throughout their employee network, which lead to greater well-being and productivity throughout teams.

Through the use of a smart and safe open concept floor plan, employees are able to experience more face time with coworkers, allowing them opportunities to chat, collaborate, and cultivate a sense of community. By implementing new distance requirements and furniture solutions, people can still achieve this time together while remaining safe to themselves and to others. Another common concern with office space design is how acoustics will affect workflow—especially for employees who work better with minimal noise distractions.

Breakout and common spaces allow those who prefer casual chatting or brainstorming with coworkers to move away from the main hub of employees and work, while not distracting those who prefer to stay at a more traditional desk space. These areas consisting of flexible modular seating units enable this type of collaborative work and also make it possible for employees to move away from loud groups, to do solo work in a private pod or high-back lounge chair. These flexible, simple solutions help to mitigate sound, provide added privacy, and increase safety between employees.

Embracing differences

The study of neurodiversity is the awareness of stark or subtle differences in how each individual’s brain functions. This approach understands that every human is unique, and the day-to-day choices they make are susceptible to change at any time. With this in mind, it’s easy to see that a stationary workstation solution will not work for everyone.

To help create functional and adaptable spaces, the workplace designers have looked to other sectors for help. Recently, the concept of neurodiversity has been applied to school facility designs in order to help students thrive in different academic environments. As a result, there has been an increased focus on creating continuity between the types of work settings students use in schools, and those they will likely find themselves in after graduation.

If we never stop learning, why should the spaces we inhabit after graduation not take queues from environments specially tailored toward intellectual stimulation? Now that workplace design is being influenced by academic institutions, neurodiversity has found its way into the everyday office and companies are embracing the variety of work, learning, and focus styles that come with hiring a diverse workforce.

The freedom of an agile workspace

Breakout spaces aren’t solely about creating common areas for collaboration. In fact, employers have noticed an influx of conference room bookings due to the challenges posed by open office spaces. These curated areas that can be defined by the right furnishings are also intended to provide respite for employees who need some quiet time, a private phone chat or a place to focus on a challenging task. As we prepare to return to the office, employers are set to expect a significant decrease in office occupancy. These breakout spaces can also serve as flexible work stations for people who choose to not come into the office full time. Rather than filling the office with unused desks, breakout spaces can provide an employee with a space to work that can easily be cleaned when they leave and used by another employee on another day.

Post-pandemic social spaces

Social spaces in offices have taken a new meaning in the post-COVID-19 workplace. There will be a surge in removing personal workstations and the creation of personal storage for employees to easily pack up and set up wherever they like, be that in the office or at home.

By creating a versatile and highly flexible space for employees to come to, they can quickly design their own environments for what works best for their work styles. With furniture options like easily moveable tables, walls, and seats, as well as a wide array of adaptable furniture configurations—from sofas to chairs with writing desks—employees have the freedom to select the most comfortable solution based on the project or time of day. Without personal stations, furniture can easily be cleaned at the end of the day and used by someone the next day without fear of unclean stations.

Charlie Bell is the president of Studio TK. Bell has over 30 years of experience in the contract furniture industry.

Toronto Congress Centre pursues GBAC STAR accreditation

The Toronto Congress Centre (TCC) is the first venue in Canada to pursue the GBAC STAR accreditation for outbreak prevention, response, and recovery.

TCC’s decision to pursue the GBAC STAR accreditation, a program administered by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a division of ISSA, aligns with the introduction of its C.H.A.S.E – Customer Health and Safety Ensured program, which was launched by TCC in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The C.H.A.S.E program takes into consideration the latest science surrounding sanitation practices and preventative technology and addresses every aspect of the TCC and its risk prevention methods. Full details of the program can be found on the TCC’s website.

“As society and economies suffer from the fallout from COVID-19, we have a very important role to play in their recovery,” said David Sutton, TCC chairman and CEO, in a statement. “Our industry builds and runs the marketplaces and meeting places of the world. We connect experts, sectors, and industries. I do not believe there is an ‘on switch’ for the economy to reopen, but the onus lies with us to design a plan to keep people safe. Our C.H.A.S.E program – Customer Health & Safety Ensured – is our comprehensive response to COVID-19, and GBAC STAR will form a substantive part of it. Through the program we will continue to lead our industry out of this crisis and hope to instill a sense of trust and confidence in our customers.”

Opposition to COVID-19 on workplace diseases list

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) opposes the addition of COVID-19 to the list of communicable diseases considered workplace diseases by WorkSafeBC.

VRCA, through the Council of Construction Associations (COCA), is a member of the Employers’ Forum, which has submitted a response to WorkSafeBC’s Discussion Paper titled: Adding Diseases Caused by Communicable Viral Pathogens, Including COVID-19, to Schedule 1 of the Workers Compensation Act.

On April 20, 2020 WorkSafeBC’s board of directors directed the Policy, Regulation and Research Division to amend Schedule 1 of the Workers Compensation Act to add a presumption for COVID-19 (or potentially more broadly coronaviruses or respiratory communicable diseases).

The Employers’ Forum submission notes the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis, not a workplace health crisis. By adding COVID-19 to the list of communicable diseases that WorkSafeBC presumes was caught at work, public health costs will be transferred to the Workers’ Compensation system which is funded by employers.

“From the earliest days of the pandemic, the construction industry has moved quickly to implement enhanced safety protocols to protect workers and operate safely,” said Fiona Famulak, VRCA president. “It is our industry’s swift actions that have enabled contractors to remain open and for thousands of men and women to remain employed, subject to the guidance by the provincial health officer and WorkSafeBC.

Established in 1992, the forum works to maintain a viable and effective Workers’ Compensation system that endeavours to meet the needs of both the worker and employer in a safe and productive workplace. The Employers’ Forum functions as an advocate for all employers and a vehicle through which the employer community communicates on Workers’ Compensation issues.

“We proudly note that, as at May 27, 2020, WorksafeBC had accepted only one claim for COVID-19 from the construction industry while five had been disallowed, three required no adjudication and one remained pending. By adding COVID-19 to Schedule 1, WorkSafeBC will be dismissing the tremendous efforts made by everyone within the industry to operate safely as an essential service and position our province for economic recovery,” said Famulak.

VRCA is encouraging its member companies to each write a letter of support for the Employers’ Forum submission. Individual submissions can be as simple as, “We are members of VRCA, COCA and the Employers’ Forum. We have read and endorse their submission on the proposal to add COVID-19 to Schedule 1 of the Workers Compensation Act.”

Letters of support/submissions must be made by 4:30 p.m., Friday, June 12 and can be emailed to [email protected]. Please copy Dave Baspaly, COCA president, on all correspondence at [email protected].

Worksite Safety Amid COVID-19

Resilience and innovation have always been central to the building industry. However, due to the increased restrictions and challenges associated with COVID-19, the additional processes and measures required to address worksite safety have hurled the sector into unprecedented territory.

Jordan Swail, Project Engineer with RJC Engineers (RJC), has spent years dedicated to the restoration of existing buildings. His most recent projects include window, roof, and wall repair projects on large residential buildings. According to Swail, preventative measures required due to COVID-19 have become a significant issue, particularly for residential building projects, given the much higher occupancy levels, and challenges of physical distancing when residents are staying at home.

To help address these and other concerns about worksite safety amid COVID-19, Swail offers the following advice:

Place barriers around work zones in occupied suites

For properties undergoing intensive work, particularly at occupied suites, construction of temporary work enclosures can allow contractor staff to maintain physical distancing from residents. Modular hoarding products or sealed poly tarps can be installed quickly and provide safe and sealed airtight enclosures. Designated access paths to and from the worksite further reduce touch-points and keep interactions with occupants at a minimum.

“A physical barrier can provide peace of mind to residents who are having their suite accessed by workers, and reduce the potential for conflicts with access requests,” he said.

Separate workers from occupants in shared spaces

In larger multi-residential buildings, addressing the use and access of workers through shared spaces or common areas is an important part of reducing the risk of infection. By requesting workers to limit elevator use to specific blocks of time, placing them on service, and thoroughly cleaning after, the likelihood of residents and workers encountering one another is significantly reduced. Usage times should be scheduled in advance so residents can anticipate the inconvenience. Hand washing and hand sanitizing stations in common areas, as well as the requirement for personal protective equipment, will further reduce transmission.

“Elevators and lobbies are high risk areas where residents may not follow physical distancing guidelines,” warned Swail. “Separating time of use can reduce the risk of infection.”

Update contracts to include COVID-19 requirements

Most pre-existing construction contracts don’t address the current COVID-19 crisis, which has resulted in contractors relying on Ministry of Labour guidance and government regulations. To protect building occupants, owners, and allow a higher standard of care, Swail advises that specific COVID-19 measures be worked into contracts for any upcoming work.

“With COVID-19 impacts anticipated well into 2021, we highly recommend adapting new contracts to address additional scheduling, access, and PPE requirements,” he said. “The ideal time to implement these changes is before the contract is signed.”

Establish specific blocks of time for noisy work

With a larger majority of people now working from home, noisy work has a higher potential for disruptions. Setting a proactive noisy work schedule – for example, two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon – and communicating that schedule to residents through the building management, will allow them to book their meetings accordingly, and ensure some degree of peace is maintained.

“Typical noisy hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm are no longer convenient with more residents likely working from home,” Swail said. “Limiting noisy work hours, or phasing it across different portions of the building, can go a long way to reduce complaints.”

To find out more about worksite safety measures during COVID-19, please reach out to Jordan Swail at [email protected] or visit www.rjc.ca

IICRC revising standard for trauma and crime scene cleanup

The IICRC (The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) is revising the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup. Applications to serve on the consensus body are being accepted until August 31.

ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard defines criteria and methodology used by the technician for inspecting and investigating blood and other potentially infectious material (OPIM) contamination and for establishing work plans and procedures. The Standard describes the procedures to be followed and the precautions to be taken when performing trauma and crime scene cleanup regardless of surface, item or location. This Standard assumes that all scenes have been released by law enforcement or regulatory agencies.

Trauma and crime scene cleanup consists of the following components for which procedures are described in the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard:

Principles of Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup
Safety and Health
Biocide and Antimicrobial Technology
Administrative Procedures, Documentation, and Risk Management
Inspection and Preliminary Determination
Equipment and Tools
Limitations, Complexities, Complications, and Conflicts
Structural Remediation
Vehicle and Machinery Construction
Contents Remediation
Containment and Disposal of Waste or Sharps
Confirmation of Cleanliness

The revised S540 will be developed under the ANSI Essential Requirements as American National Standards. To apply to serve on this consensus body, visit www.iicrc.org/SANSIIICRCS540.

Reinventing the suburbs as vibrant “edge cities”

The Greater Toronto Area is in the midst of a major growth spurt, with estimates from the Ontario government predicting a population increase of 50 per cent over the next 25 years. With international migration driving this rapid expansion, and the growing technology sector spurring a broader business boom, developers and planners have been busy seeking viable, long-term solutions to accommodate the unprecedented growth.

On June 5th, the Urban Land Institute hosted a webinar featuring successful “mega mixed-use projects” currently underway. Looking at transit, employment, health care, education, community facilities and general infrastructure, the panelists presented their master plans for a full spectrum of high-density housing.

“Explosive growth in the GTA has been contained within an ecological greenbelt,” said moderator Rob Spanier, President of Spanier Group and Chair of the Advisory Board at the Urban Land Institute, Toronto District Council. “To accommodate the more than 100,000 new residents per year and the associated economic expansion, municipalities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas have been advancing the development of their urban centres in a way that will ultimately deliver a series of vibrant edge cities.”

Ken Greenberg, urban designer, teacher and principal at Greenberg Consultants, spoke of the Greater Golden Horseshoe, presenting a vision for a multi-centered region leveraging mass transit infrastructure expansion. From Markham to Vaughan, Brampton to Oshawa, Toronto’s satellite cities – once considered auto-dependent suburban communities peppered with strip malls and dormant manufacturing facilities – are now being re-imagined as “work, live, play” destinations with vibrant downtown cores of their own. And at this point, it appears not even the novel coronavirus can stop the momentum.

“Particle accelerator”

Referring to COVID-19 as a “particle accelerator, forcing us to do things in a more resourceful and urgent way,” Greenberg said the pandemic has done anything but waylay the multi-centric vision for the suburbs he and his fellow planners share. “We are in the throes of a major paradigm shift,” he said. “With immigrants and visible minorities making up over 50 per cent of our population, we need to change how we move, live, and access services. We need to move toward a more sustainable future.”

But achieving that future, according to Greenberg, means boldly going back to bikes. It means planning urban centres to be walk-centric versus auto-dependent, with mass transit facilitating it all.

Leslie Woo, Chief Development Officer at Metrolinx, revealed that high-level plans for developing the region have been in the works for more than two decades. “The building blocks started in 2001, but the real catalyst was Ontario’s 2009 investment of $9.5 billion into expanding mass transit throughout the GTA,” she said.

Bringing more confidence to edge city densification initiatives, the province has just announced an additional $60 billion in funding. “This will enable us to invest in stations at the main corridors, technology for smart cars, infrastructure, and the amenities needed for these cities to pivot away from a heavy reliance on automobiles,” Woo said, adding that collaboration and solid planning were integral to the process.

And with several mega mixed-use projects currently underway, it’s no longer just a vision, but a reality in the making.

Bookending the east and west ends of Toronto, the cities of Mississauga and Scarborough are in the midst of welcoming two massive new developments located at Square One Mall and Scarborough Town Centre. Presenting master plans for both sites, Marc Cote, Head of Development at Oxford Properties Group, said the goal is to create “walkable, sustainable mixed-use communities” with open spaces and amenities galore.

In Mississauga, the 18 million square foot development will accommodate 35,000 residents, while supporting employment growth and making proficient use of public and private investment in transit and community infrastructure. The site will include two residential towers (one rental and one condominium) for a combined total of 1,000 new units. Scarborough Town Centre, meanwhile, will include three towers in total offering 1,300 units. In both cases, Cote said that the shopping centres and transit availability were instrumental to the projects moving forward.

West of Mississauga and ideally located on the shore of Lake Ontario, Argo Development Corporation, one of the five partners of Lakeview Community Partners Limited, is embarking on a project known as Lakeview Village (shown in top image). Brian Sutherland, Director of Development at Argo, said the new community will breathe much-needed life into Mississauga’s waterfront as it transforms an abandoned coal-fired power plant into a vibrant, sustainable mega mixed-use community where residential density and job potential abound.

Set on 177 acres, the master plan includes 8,000 residential units, 67 acres for open waterfront space, and a continuous waterfront trail. Features like diverse housing, dedicated pedestrian and cycle pathways, connection to transit, and year-round recreational and multicultural programming have already earned the development a BILD Award for best new community (planned/under development).

Demand for housing amid COVID-19

Despite the economic slowdown imposed by the ongoing health crisis, the four panelists concurred that demand for a full spectrum of housing triggered by the explosion of growth in edge cities is not likely to decline. “The key challenge is to ensure we can continue at speed,” said Woo. “This [health crisis] has driven home the “work, live, play” concept and helped us conceive of an edge city with greater emphasis on hygiene, health, safety and security.”

“It has been eye-opening,” added Cote about the impact of the pandemic on Oxford’s mega mixed-use projects. “It raises questions about the future – about how people are going to congregate, socialize and work.” It also underscores the importance of resident access to open space and nature. In other words, the timing of it all and the valuable lessons currently being learned, are all going to influence the design of future developments in ways that could not have otherwise been foreseen.

“De-concentrating…moving away from one urban centre,” said Greenberg. “If anything, the pandemic has reinforced this idea. People will want to be closer to home, closer to their kids and their neighbourhoods. [COVID-19] has made the concept of distribution throughout multiple urban centres more appealing.”

Canada wavers on airtightness testing

Canada will not become a leader in mandating whole building airtightness testing, or at least not in the near-term future. A proposed change to the National Energy Code that could have made the practice compulsory for construction of large commercial, institutional and multi-residential buildings designed to comply with the code’s prescriptive path has now been withdrawn upon instructions from the executive committee of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC).

The standing committee on energy efficiency (SC-EE) received the decree during a May teleconference as it works on finalizing proposed code changes, which were released for public review and comment earlier this year. “The EC directs SC-EE to revise the proposed changes such that airtightness testing is not mandatory in any compliance path for buildings and houses (NECB and Section 9.36.) at this time,” it states.

The timing might have been opportune for uptake of the measure — provided it was adopted into provincial and territorial building codes — because it would have applied broadly in what is currently Canada’s most buoyant commercial real estate sector. Most newly built light industrial warehouse/distribution facilities adhere to the code’s prescriptive path since there’s rarely a need for developers to take the more complicated performance path involving design and building system trade-offs.

As outlined in last winter’s code change rationale, the CCBFC also calculates warehouses would gain the greatest energy saving benefit from a testing regime to ensure an air leakage rate of no greater than 1.5 litres per second per metre (L/(s.m²)) of 16 modelled commercial, institutional and multi-residential building archetypes — equating to a 31.4 per cent annual average saving across six Canadian climate zones when compared to a baseline of 4.2 L/(s.m²). However, the CCBFC foresees potential energy savings and associated emissions reductions for all building types, which must be found in order to hit Canada’s target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and to achieve the associated goal for all new buildings to be net-zero-energy-ready (NZER) by the same year. It’s anticipated the pending 2020 version of the code will still highlight airtightness testing as an encouraged optional measure.

“In regard to how the requirement could affect and improve building performance moving forward, I think it’s a step in the right direction,” says Mike Rekker, a project manager with Tacoma Engineers Inc. and chair of the Ontario Building Envelope Council’s (OBEC) codes and standards committee. “Looking at some of the goals that were put in place 10 or 15 years ago for where we wanted to be energy-efficiency wise, I wonder if it has taken a little too long to get to this point.”

“We see that airtightness testing has an added value for the public for the comfort of space and its reduced energy consumption, not only to improve on the impact of climate change,” concurs OBEC president Ehab Naim Ibrahim, research and development manager with Gamma North America. “If I receive a new-built building that suffers from drafts, I will be suffering as an investor, as an owner, as a business occupying that building.”

Sealing leaks saves energy and heating/cooling costs

The proposed change would have been a step up from the existing code provision that requires various building assemblies and components to meet minimum airtightness standards. The CCBFC’s code change rationale notes that air seldom leaks problematically from within those individual elements, but rather at the junctures where those elements adjoin with others. When warmer or cooler air, depending on the season, vacates a heated or cooled space, HVAC systems must then respond.

“Various studies have indicated that air leakage could account for up to 30 to 40 per cent of the total energy used to condition the infiltrated air for the building,” the rationale states. “The key to reducing the air leakage of the building envelope is for the worker to properly seal the connections between materials, between assemblies and between the planes of airtightness and penetrations and terminations. A visual inspection does not provide information as to whether these connections are properly sealed or leak air.”

To carry out whole building airtightness testing, trained technicians literally blow air through to measure where and to what degree it escapes. The proposed code change also references the standard, ASTM E-3158, for how that should be done.

Naim Ibrahim recommends three separate airtightness tests during construction: when the building envelope is first enclosed, or typically at about 40 per cent completion; at 80 per cent completion; and at substantial performance. In particular, he sees the first test as key to identifying issues when it is still relatively easy to correct them.

“If you have a minimum threshold that you are going for, if you don’t meet that, you go back and reseal your building,” he advises.

Rekker hypothesizes that a mandated threshold of 1.5 L/(s.m²) tied to airtightness testing would inspire greater focus on workmanship at this stage. “It could be easier, and in your best interest, to pay attention the first time and do things right,” he says.

For low-rise commercial buildings up to three storeys, the CCBFC’s code change rationale pegs the cost of testing in the range of $500 to $5,000, while it could be up to $50,000 for very large complicated buildings. In both scenarios, energy savings are expected to provide a quick payback.

That would be realized through reduction of winter heating and summer cooling costs, albeit with a slight countervailing diminution of the cooling effect of summer’s nighttime and early morning air. Modelling of the 1.5 L/(s.m²) air leakage threshold against a baseline of 4.2 L/(s.m²) revealed a 9 per cent average annual energy saving for the large office building archetype across six Canadian climate zones, a 5.1 per cent average annual saving for the high-rise apartment building and a 10.1 per cent average annual saving for the primary school.

Challenges for implementation and code adoption

Over the course of conducting airtightness tests in 26 commercial buildings on behalf of Manitoba Hydro, the Sustainable Infrastructure Research Group, based at Winnipeg’s Red River College, offered some observations on the “nuts and bolts” of the exercise in its final report from June 2015. Among the logistical challenges, it cites environmental conditions, such as wind intensity or outdoor temperatures, which can constrain when testing can occur. From the vantage point of Manitoba in 2012-2014, it also suggests there might not be a lot of competition in the marketplace for buildings owners seeking service providers.

“Based on our experiences, the testing of large, commercial buildings as a sole source of revenue is not, at present, a viable business opportunity in Manitoba. The capital outlay is high, staffing requirements dictate a diverse set of skills and the market for such services is fairly limited at present,” the report concludes.

Looking to Ontario in 2020, Naim Ibrahim paints a different picture. “Consultants and labs compete in a low range of fees to do these tests. It’s readily available,” he submits.

Much of Canada embarked on COVID-19’s work-from-home regime around the time the public comment period for proposed energy code changes ended on March 13. Since then, CCBFC’s code committees have presumably been in their own homes working through the required steps of the code development process. Once the 2020 version is published, the provinces and territories will still have to adopt new measures into their own codes before they can go into force.

This might have been an obstacle to the rollout of whole building airtightness testing in any case. The CCBFC’s recent directions to its standing committee on energy efficiency state: “The EC has confirmed that the Provincial/Territorial Policy Advisory Committee on Codes (PTPACC) does not support mandatory airtightness (blower door) testing at this time.”

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

B.C. announces $57 million for Surrey schools

B.C. has announced $57 million for new and expanded Surrey schools. The investment will fund construction of a new school in Sunnyside Heights and the expansion of Morgan Elementary and White Rock Elementary to provide better learning environments for more students.

“Students throughout the Surrey School District are beginning to see the benefits of the new and expanded schools in their communities, and we must keep going if we’re going to meet the sustained growth in this vibrant community,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “These investments in Surrey and White Rock schools mean thousands more students will be learning in the inspiring and engaging environments they deserve for generations to come.”

The new, $44-million, 655-seat Sunnyside Heights-area elementary school will be built at 20th Avenue and 165A Street in South Surrey, with $5 million from the Surrey School District, and is expected to be ready for students in fall 2023. It will be built on land purchased in 2019 with $31 million from the Ministry of Education, adding much-needed classroom space to the fast-growing Grandview Heights neighbourhood.

Adding 190 seats to Morgan Elementary, a $10.4-million project, means there will soon be no need for the five portables at the school. Construction on this addition is expected to be underway in fall 2021 for the new classrooms to be complete in December 2022.

The new addition at White Rock Elementary, a $7.6-million investment from the Ministry of Education, will add 195 seats to the K-7 school, increasing capacity to 655 students and reducing the need for portables. Construction is expected to begin on the addition in spring 2021, and for the new classrooms to be ready for students in September 2022.

These investments are part of government’s school capital plan to ensure students have safe, positive learning spaces, no matter where they live. In fewer than three years, the province has announced nearly $2 billion for new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and land purchases for future schools. This includes the creation of nearly 12,400 new student seats at 31 new or expanded schools.

Survey: COVID-19 impacts on construction activity

What is the real impact of COVID-19 on activity in the construction sector? How long do owners and developers think it will take to return to pre-COVID productivity? What long term changes do industry leaders expect to see emerge from this crisis?

Procore put these and other questions to U.S. and Canadian senior executives in its Construction Owner and Developer Survey.

The results provide a snapshot of that leading segment’s market sentiment at an arguable crossroads for the industry. COVID-19’s tsunami-like ripple effect has seen the construction project owner maneuvered into a unique risk environment.

The respondents said they’d taken the following actions:

80% created new procedures
41% established staggered jobsite schedules to allow for social distancing
44% shutdown some project job sites completely.

In addition, 90% found it important to implement work-from-home scenarios.

Respondents also identified COVID-dictated changes they feel have the best chance of being adopted long-term:

78% – Increased use of collaboration technology
56% – Increased use of safety technology
37% – New project bidding and contracting structures
27% – A more robust or diversified global supply chain.

Aggregated responses to Procore’s survey show owners and developers anticipating a range of effects—including decreased capital spends, tightened lending, broad adoption of construction management technologies, and ultimately an industry rebound.

According to survey results, a majority of owners expect an economic rebound by the end of 2020 and are taking positive, actionable lessons from the austere business practices and worker safety considerations obliged by the pandemic. Responses show hints of an owner and developer industry fortifying itself, preparing to emerge from the current difficulties with a strong hand.

In Procore’s survey, owners and developers predicted COVID-19’s impact on their projects to take many forms. Supply chain mayhem, project delays, tenant lease renegotiations—from materials vendor to apartment renter, the scale and depth of the global emergency promised a commonality of disruption that had the effect of uniting once-disparate project stakeholders in the construction owner ecosystem.

Ontario to amend Commercial Tenancies Act

The Ontario government will amend the provincial Commercial Tenancies Act to temporarily halt evictions of tenants eligible for Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) and to reverse any such evictions that have occurred since June 3. This follows similar actions in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

“A moratorium on commercial evictions will bring stability to our small businesses and the employees and families they support,” Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction said.

As announced yesterday, commercial tenants struggling with COVID-19-related financial fallout will be safe from eviction until August 31, 2020. Commercial landlords are encouraged to make use of the CECRA program and/or other arrangements as businesses reopen and begin to generate revenue again.

“We need everyone working together to overcome COVID-19,” urged Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Commercial tenants who can pay their rent, must do so. Landlords should work with their tenants to come to an agreement and use this joint program.”

The Ontario government has committed $241 million for its share of the CECRA program, in which federal and provincial/territorial governments jointly subsidize 50 per cent of eligible tenants’ rent for April, May and June, landlords forgive 25 per cent and tenants pay the remainder. The program was announced April 24 and opened for registrations May 25. Since then, government officials in various provinces have chided commercial landlords for what they perceive as slow or reluctant take-up of the program — a characterization that makes industry advocates bristle.

Michael Brooks, chief executive officer of REALPAC, an industry association with membership from many of Canada’s most prominent commercial landlords, property funds and institutional investors, notes that an extensive amount of documentation is required in the application process. “For landlords who have large groups of potentially eligible tenants, it will take many, many weeks of administrative work to enroll those tenants,” he affirms.

“We certainly have been quite concerned with provincial messaging in Ontario and other provinces, criticizing landlords generally for not cooperating with tenants,” Brooks says. “We think that communication was an unfair generalization that failed to recognize the responsible approaches taken by many institutional and large private landlords to deal with their tenants who are having difficulty, including rent deferral and abatement agreements that go back to March.”