HBP use should be intergenerational: QFREB

For many years, the Québec Federation of Real Estate Boards (QFREB) has supported the Canadian Real Estate Association’s efforts to have the federal government enhance the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP). The QFREB has proposed raising the maximum withdrawal and allowing use of the HBP on an intergenerational basis, among other things.

The QFREB has released a statement welcoming the Québec Liberal Party’s commitment to negotiate with the federal government for the maximum HBP withdrawal to be doubled from $25,000 to $50,000.

“Considering that half a million Québecers have used the Home Buyers’ Plan since it was created in 1992 and that it has been losing momentum in the last few years, an improvement to this plan is good news,” said Patrick Juanéda, QFREB president, in a press release. “Raising the maximum will also more faithfully reflect the rise in real estate prices in recent years.”

To assist first-time home buyers in their quest for home ownership, the QFREB has maintained that parents should be able to withdraw amounts accumulated in their RRSPs for transfer to their children, so they may be able to more easily buy their first home. The Québec Liberal party’s commitment to allow use of the HBP on an intergenerational basis could help increase the province’s home ownership rate, which is below the nation’s average. In Québec, the home ownership rate stood at 61 per cent in 2016, while throughout the rest of Canada, it was 68 per cent.

“This is a step in the right direction. The next step, in our view, is to help homeowners get through major changes in their lives. The federal government should allow people who have already benefited from the HBP to use it again, under certain conditions, such as loss of a spouse, a separation, a work-related relocation or a decision to shelter an elderly family member,” continued Juanéda. “I urge the other political parties that have not yet done so, to announce the measures they plan to implement to facilitate access to home ownership in Québec,” he added. “Young families seem to be at the heart of this election campaign, but this aspect has been almost absent from the discussions.”

Protecting contract final payments

A frustrating recent trend in the construction industry is the improper withholding of the final construction payment by the owner. In a number of recent discussions with contractors, we have been informed that owners have been waiting until the final invoice to dispute changes, allege project deficiencies and costing issues in most cases raising issues significantly smaller than the final draw, essentially holding the contractor hostage to either conduct repairs or absorb some additional costs.

Although it can be impossible to protect against every possible way that an owner might attempt to withhold payments, this article aims to inform contractors of some potential safeguards that can be embedded in their contracts to protect the final payment.

Payment Certifier

On larger projects it may be viable to have an independent third party involved to act as a payment certifier. This role can be filled by a consultant such as an architect, engineer, or other experienced professional. A payment certifier is generally put in place to determine if a project reaches milestones that trigger payments, such as foundation, drywall, or occupancy. As an independent third party, the payment certifier should not be interested in taking sides but merely determining if the level of completion accords with the release of an associated payment. A properly worded contract with reference to the powers of the payment certifier should take the power out of the hands of the owner and allow the contractor to rely on their work to trigger payments. If after certification an owner continued to withhold payment, the contractor would be in a much clearer position to lien or terminate. Although it would be convenient to have a payment certifier on every project, the cost of hiring an independent consultant can be prohibitive on many projects.

Other Contractual Terms

Additional contractual terms can also be used to clearly protect against the owner’s retention of the final payment, however such terms must be negotiated in advance to be effective. One way contractors can protect themselves is to modify the language surrounding the deposit or retainer for the project. In the normal course, the parties will often agree that these amounts are to be used during the construction process to account for costs incurred by paying portions of invoices as they are issued. This type of provision puts the contractor in a position of weakness at the end of the project as they no longer have the leverage of stopping work on the project in order to pressure the owner into providing payment.

Instead of following this practice, the terms can be amended to allow the contractor to hold those deposits/retainers as security until after the issuance of the final project invoice. Once the final invoice is issued the contractor can use the deposit/retainer amount required to cover that final invoice and return any remaining funds to the owner. These changes can put the contractor in a position of strength at the end of the project instead of the normal position of weakness. This can also be achieved by having a minimum amount held as a deposit/retainer throughout the course of the project, still allowing for payments to be made from those funds while requiring the owner to top them up throughout the project.

Another strategy that can be used, in conjunction with modifying the deposit/retainer terms or on their own, is to amend the payment terms to have more funds due earlier in the project. This can limit the contractor’s exposure to the risk of larger outstanding amounts having a significant impact on their business. This can also be achieved by using invoicing and project management strategies that leave minimal meaningful work near the end of the project (meaning the expensive work would have to be paid earlier to keep the job going) to again limit the amounts outstanding at the end to potentially be withheld by the owner.

Limiting occupancy or possession within the terms of the contract can also help to manage the contractor’s risk. Terms can be added to an agreement to allow the contractor to withhold occupancy or possession of the property until all accounts have been settled between itself and the owner. This however may only be a short-sighted strategy, as the owner will have rights in the property as the owner that can be difficult to limit. The owner can potentially go around the contractor to obtain any necessary approvals, or simply take possession of the unit when the contractor is not in possession.

Documentation

One further level of protection that the contractor can use to protect the final payment (and any other potential disputes) is to document everything. Although this can be cumbersome in some circumstances it may mean the difference between prompt payment and a drawn-out process to obtain funds owing. Having the corresponding documentation to support amounts invoiced, project changes and cost discussions can be invaluable in compelling the owner to provide prompt payment. If a dispute arises, the party with the most complete documentation will often come out on top.

Although having signed confirmations is the best practice, it can often be impractical during the day-to-day operation on site. The use of simple follow up emails or text messages regarding discussions, changes or instructions can go a long way to avoid potential disputes in the future.

The protections afforded by the practices outlined above are by no means the only options when it comes to protecting the final payment on projects. They are also not perfect solutions, however they can provide peace of mind to the contractor when undertaking a new project.

Nathan MacDermott is an associate at Pihl Law Corporation in Kelowna, practicing in commercial litigation and construction law.

Bow Valley College wins AASHE sustainability award

Bow Valley College has been awarded a campus sustainability achievement award by The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). It’s the only Canadian post-secondary institution to win the international award.

The AASHE Sustainability Awards provide global recognition to the individuals and organizations leading the higher education sustainability movement.

The college was recognized for its innovative recycling program and high compliance rate. Traditional recycling and composting programs, and special programs for fabric, plastic gloves, batteries, pens, IV bags, cooking oil, and electronics recycling enabled the college to increase its recycling rate from 19 to 76 per cent in only four years.

“Our initiative was launched in 2016 in conjunction with the City of Calgary’s recycling and composting bylaws,” said sustainability co-ordinator at Bow Valley College, Amy Spark who helped launch the initiative. Spark received the award on behalf of the college and was also a guest presenter at the annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

“We are trying to recycle not just easy items, but as many items as possible. The goal is to be a leader in waste and recycling and inspire other post-secondary institutions to follow suit,” Spark said.

Spark said her plan for a more environmentally friendly campus is to maintain momentum, further education, and move toward waste prevention.

Other winning colleges and universities are from such countries as Cameroon, Israel, Sweden, France, and Britain.

To learn more about sustainability at Bow Valley College, visit their website.

Hospital privacy curtains may harbor dangerous germs

Privacy curtains in hospitals can become breeding grounds for resistant bacteria, posing a threat to patient safety, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) and the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

The pilot study tracked the contamination rate of ten freshly laundered privacy curtains in the burns/plastic ward of the Health Services Center in Winnipeg over 21 days.

By day 14, 87.5 percent of the curtains tested positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a pathogen associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In contrast, control curtains that were not placed in patient rooms stayed clean the entire 21 days.

Researchers took samples from areas where people hold curtains, suggesting that the increasing contamination resulted from direct contact, being frequently touched and infrequently changed. None of the rooms where the curtains were placed were occupied by patients with MRSA.

Measures to take to reduce the spread of germs include:

“The high rate of contamination that we saw by the fourteenth day may represent an opportune time to intervene, either by cleaning or replacing the curtains,” said the study’s lead author, Kevin Shek.

“Keeping the patient’s environment clean is a critical component in preventing healthcare-associated infections,” said 2018 APIC President Janet Haas.

“Because privacy curtains could be a mode of disease transmission, maintaining a schedule of regular cleaning offers another potential way to protect patients from harm while they are in our care.”

Assessing the impact of rent control

Since receiving Royal Assent in May of 2017, the Liberal government’s Rental Fairness Act (RFA) has been an ongoing concern for Ontario’s rental housing sector. Now, more than a year later, a shift in government has put rent control back in the spotlight with new research suggesting the hastily-formed restrictions applied by the previous government did little to ease the province’s affordability crisis.

In fact, the prevailing opinion among market researchers, developers and landlords alike is that the RFA is having quite the opposite effect.

In September, REALPAC released its latest policy backgrounder, “Assessing the Impact of Ontario’s Rent Control Regime”, in which it points to the fundamental flaws of the Act, concluding that the feasibility of new purpose-built construction has been reduced. It also points to the increased cost of rents for new tenants, imposed development risks for investors, and eroded property rights for landowners.

“Ontario’s rent control policy needs to be seriously reconsidered,” commented Michael Brooks, CEO of REALPAC. “It was brought in with limited consultation and was meant to address a problem that was misrepresented and misunderstood. Not only has the expanded rent control failed to slow down continuously increasing rents, but it also acts as a disincentive for the construction of new rental units—a key goal for the Government of Ontario—despite high levels of institutional capital ready to invest in it. It has become clear that in order to provide the rental accommodation Ontarians desperately need, the Government of Ontario should shift the focus from heavy-handed policies to market-based tools to enhance housing supply.”

As explained in the report, rent control regulations are based on the expectation that the government should intervene in the rental housing market to ensure rents are not increased at a pace existing tenants cannot afford. These restrictions either create a price ceiling that prevent rents from exceeding a certain level, or establish a percentage rate cap up to which rents can increase over a specific period. The goal of these policies is to shelter lower income current tenants from the ebbs and flows of the real estate market, without decreasing the amount of rental housing currently available within the market.

REALPAC’s research ultimately suggests that despite protecting existing tenants staying in place, rent controls will make long-term affordability worse by dis-incenting new supply available to future renters.

Trish MacPherson, Executive Vice President, Operations at CAPREIT, couldn’t agree more. “The passing of the Rental Fairness Act has put pressure on landlords to re-evaluate the potential for new purpose-built rentals and to charge higher rents for new developments from the inception of leasing activity,” she said. “This has a large impact on renters in terms of affordability and can also reduce the supply of new rental housing.”

Meanwhile, Toronto-based Urbanation, a leading consulting and analytics firm that tracks big picture issues and local market trends affecting rental and condominium development, has been conducting its own research since the RFA was introduced. A big takeaway according to the firm’s president, Shaun Hildebrand, is that even though the province’s rental supply is increasing, new development simply isn’t able to keep up with growing demand.

“Immediately following the introduction of rent control for new development, a number of planned rental projects were cancelled and converted to condominium in the GTA,” he observed. “There was also a slowdown in the number of new proposals for rental projects. Nonetheless, the supply pipeline of new rentals is still growing as developers foresee the long-term demand potential and realize the extent by which rents have escalated in recent years. The fact remains that the condominium sector is unable to supply enough secondary rental units to accommodate the demand.”

Furthermore, Hildebrand pointed out that under rent control, tenant turnover has declined, putting further downward pressure on vacancies. “In the end, because of the strength in market fundamentals for rental, we will see more supply developed, but not nearly as much as it would have without rent control. So supply will still be a big issue for many years to come.”

Working toward a reasonable solution: encouraging, rather than thwarting new construction

To rectify a rental housing supply crisis now gripping Ontario, REALPAC asserts that the Ontario government needs to begin by treating developers as partners in city-building initiatives rather than opponents. “Any intervention by government needs to ensure the long-term sustainability of existing stock and encourage the construction of new purpose-built rental housing.”

Among other initiatives, REALPAC recommends the following policy options to incentivize further development of purpose-built rental housing in Ontario:

A complete rent control exemption for newly constructed rental units;
Allowing more liberal annual rent increases for existing units to better cover cost inflation and maintenance;
Allowing decoupling of utilities and maintenance costs from gross rent;
Elimination of HST taxes on purpose built rental.

To read REALPAC’s full report, visit: realpac.ca

A Cleaner First Impression

Public perception can make or break a business, and that perception can be magnified at such venues as sports arenas and other large facilities where first impressions and good experiences go a long way towards ensuring repeat visits.

“You only get one shot at a first impression,” says Steve Spencer of Spencer Consulting. “If their first impressions are good, customers are likely to come back. If their impressions are bad, you may not see these customers again; and if they do return, they’re going to remember that bad impression.”

A facility’s entrance, the lobby/reception area, and restrooms are the areas most likely to inform that first impression. Not only should these areas be well designed and attractive, but they need to be well maintained on a continual basis.

Overcoming Large Venue Challenges

The specter of negative publicity can give nightmares to those in charge of facility maintenance. However, there are many opportunities for janitorial or sanitorial (jan/san) distributors who are hired to help these providers overcome such obstacles.

This year, Joe Davis, a senior account executive with Procter & Gamble (P&G) Professional joined Steve Spencer to tackle the topic of “Public Spaces and Sports Arenas: What They Say To The Public,” during a recent ISSA seminar for cleaning industry professionals. Here, he outlined several unique challenges to maintaining large venues, such as sports arenas and other public spaces:

Multiple sectors within one location (e.g., hospitality, foodservice, and athletic facilities);
the need for a large cleaning staff, which can lead to greater employee turnover challenges and additional training requirements; and
larger risks of public infections.

“Whether it’s a university, professional sports stadium, or another large facility, there are a number of reasons why scale is important,” said Davis. “This includes added health and safety concerns and the addition of many touch points. Think of all the different places visitors can be found within a public facility after they have paid for their tickets and are ready to be entertained.”

Preventing a PR Disaster

It makes economic sense to operate a properly cleaned and maintained public facility. When spectators experience a good stadium environment, for example, they tend to purchase more food, return more frequently, and have a more enjoyable experience.

“Image is everything when maintaining a large venue, as is finding efficiencies that save both time and money without sacrificing the cleaning process,” Davis said. “That’s why it’s essential to work with the right partners to ensure quality. Implementing a proper cleaning program with the right partners is not only a cost saver for many companies, but it can also be a profit saver as well.”

Davis also highlighted the unique demands placed on large-scale cleaning operations for such venues as the Olympics. If anything goes wrong, such as a viral outbreak, the negative publicity could be magnified throughout the world.

Take, for example, the 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Russia, where maintenance crews cleaned after 5 million people, took care of 2 million square feet of surfaces, and washed more than 30,000 linens every day.

“Imagine all the impressions made on visitors at this event. Then imagine if a pathogen had been able to spread through the foodservice area where so many international travelers were staying and enjoying the Olympics,” Davis said.

No doubt, business can be negatively impacted if things go awry. And indeed, noted Davis, there have been several restaurant chains in recent years that have had to overcome negative publicity resulting from foodborne illness outbreaks.

“It’s important to make sure a venue’s cleaning staff is well trained, and that there is a contingency plan in place if something bad does take place,” he added, noting, “It’s not always about the cost of a (cleaning) program, but rather what you invest in to make sure that program (or lack thereof) doesn’t cost you more in the long run due to negative publicity.”

Getting it Right (The First Time)

There are several considerations for getting a large-scale job done right the first time. First, Davis stressed, is to simplify training programs, where possible, for those staff members in charge of keeping a large-scale facility clean. As well, its important for jan/san distributors and anyone in charge of facility maintenance, to truly understand and teach the difference between “cleaning” and “disinfection.” He noted that “cleaning” is the act of removing soil from a surface. “Disinfecting,” on the other hand, is the act of killing/reducing microorganisms from a surface that can cause disease, odors and/or spoilage.

“Many people do a great job of cleaning surfaces, but it’s better to use a disinfectant to complement the cleaning power of a detergent. This is done to remove pathogens that can make people sick,” he explained, adding, “Multipurpose products that can clean and disinfect in a single step may provide the best value.”

Lastly, Davis suggested maintenance professionals in charge of large venues work to streamline products used by their staffs to make the cleaning process simpler and more efficient. Jan/san distributors can help through recommendations and training.

Davis concluded his presentation with advice gleaned from Jan Matthews, who was head of cleaning and catering at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Words of wisdom included:

Select vendor partners who bring added-value to a business, not just cost savings;
be clear on requirements and expectations when contracting;
develop a strong measurement model and ensure it is enforced;
put a mechanism in place for customer feedback, and then act on this feedback; and
ensure that workers understand, and are recognized for, the importance of their jobs.

“Cleaning can be an unpleasant task, and it’s sometimes a thankless job. The more these staff members are given good training and products to work with, while having their work accurately measured and are properly rewarded, the greater the chance there will be a positive outcome,” added Davis.

Contact Steve Spencer at [email protected] and Joe Davis at [email protected] for more information.

Medical cannabis a prescription for uncertainty

Despite the vast new potential pool of recreational cannabis users, tenants and condominium owners with medical authorization to grow and consume cannabis may still trigger some of the most contentious debates in multi-residential buildings. Landlords and condo corporations have options to prohibit or control smoking within units, while Canada’s Cannabis Act, coming into force on October 17, limits cultivation for personal use to a maximum of four plants per household. However, residents with medical authorization will remain largely exempt from those conditions.

Rental housing industry advocates have been urging the Canadian government to review and modify rules for the quantity and/or growing locales of plants that medical users are currently allowed to cultivate. This formula is based on the number of plants deemed necessary to yield a patient’s prescribed daily dosage with few accompanying guidelines beyond some recommended safety and security measures.

“In one case, I have seen a Health Canada registration certificate authorizing up to 49 cannabis plants in an apartment unit with no requirement for consent from the landlord,” reports Joe Hoffer, a partner and specialist in municipal and tenancy law with Cohen Highley LLP. “I have seen what amounts to a full blown grow op with high-level lighting, humidity controls, tented areas of the floor duct-taped together and the parquet flooring lifted and scattered about.”

“It can lead to absurd situations,” concurs Hans Brouillette, director of public affairs with CORPIQ (Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec). “We recently heard from one of our members who had to contend with a tenant who was authorized by Health Canada to grow up to 244 cannabis plants for personal use.”

Quebec, along with Manitoba, is one of two Canadian provinces where it will be prohibited to cultivate recreational cannabis in any residence. Fines for doing so have been set at $250 to $750 in Quebec and $2,542 in Manitoba, although both provincial stipulations contravene federal legislation and are vulnerable to a court challenge.

Setting terms for in-suite cultivation

Regardless, Hoffer advises that landlords and condo boards should still have room to manoeuvre. In most cases, residents will have other medical cannabis supply options so a prohibition on growing it in their homes would not obstruct their access to the product. Additionally, medical users’ rights have to be balanced against those of their neighbours.

“In my view, it would be an abdication of duty of care for landlords to permit grow ops in a multi-residential setting because they have to protect the property, health and safety of all residents,” he submits. “Fire and mould threats — and also security issues, in the case of 49 plants sitting there tempting miscreants — warrant imposing a rule.”

Alternatively, landlords can employ special lease conditions for circumstances in which they must accommodate plant cultivation on a larger scale.

“They should have a set of terms and conditions in place, usually implemented via an amendment to the tenancy agreement,” Hoffer says. “For example, that would require the tenant to have proper liability insurance with coverage for damage from grow operations, and indemnify the landlord for any damage caused. It should also cover compliance with property standards and environmental regulations, permission for regulatory officials to inspect and reimbursement for the cost of any environmental compliance orders.”

In the new recreational regime, he predicts landlords and condo boards will respond with varying degrees of discretion if residents overstep limits — either the four-plant ceiling in the Cannabis Act or a total embargo imposed through lease agreements or condo bylaws — for in-suite cultivation.

“Start with a letter telling them to cease the operation,” Hoffer says. “If there is no compliance, you can issue an N5 (to notify termination of tenancy) in an apartment context or threaten a court proceeding in a condo context.”

Nevertheless, rule breakers may be difficult to detect. Property managers will be able to inspect units, after giving advance notice, if there is a lease term or condo bylaw in place to prohibit cultivation. Otherwise, rental housing landlords would have the opportunity to check during annual or semi-annual unit inspections. Officials authorized to enforce the Cannabis Act — typically government inspectors or police — can only enter a dwelling unit with the resident’s consent or a warrant.

Moving smokers outdoors

Multi-residential dwellers with medical authorization to smoke cannabis could stand out from their neighbours simply by staying inside, since they will be exempt from any ban on smoking in units. In contrast, both Quebec legislation and Ontario’s Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, which is now progressing toward adoption, effectively push most residents of non-smoking buildings outdoors if they want to light up — where they will have to stay at least nine metres away from any premises where smoking is prohibited.

Beginning with the October 17 legalization date, Quebec landlords will have 90 days, until January 15, 2019, to invoke a cannabis smoking ban in tenants’ units. Notably, the newly elected Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government is on record supporting CORPIQ’s position that tenants who claim exempt status should be required to provide their landlords with documented proof of their medical prescriptions. The former Liberal government had rejected that proposal as an invasion of privacy.

Nearly half of the respondents to a June 2018 CORPIQ survey allow tobacco smoking in their buildings, but only 14 per cent of that group intend to be similarly lenient about cannabis. Recent communications in the September 2018 issue of the association’s publication, PROPRIO, reminds members they must consider all tenants even while accommodating medical cannabis users. That includes a legal opinion predicting the provincial tenancy regulator, la Régie du logement, will be called upon to mediate.

“In theory, even if a tenant obtains the right to smoke cannabis for medical reasons, he or she should not cause problems for the building’s other tenants,” reasons Damarys Pineda Machado, a lawyer with Gagnon & Associés Avocats. “If the owner notes that the tenant is disturbing other tenants’ peaceful enjoyment, the owner must send a formal notice to the tenant concerned. The owner could also suggest alternatives to smoking cannabis, such as using it in edible form, which would eliminate the second-hand smoke and resolve the complaint.”

CORPIQ will host seven educational seminars — six in French; one in English — in Quebec’s six largest cities between October 9 and 24 to explore details of the provincial and federal legislation that affect housing providers.

Health and safety vigilance

Adults will be allowed to smoke cannabis in almost every area of Quebec and Ontario where tobacco cigarettes are permitted. How that translates to multi-residential living will become more apparent in the days, weeks and months after October 17.

Fire safety experts note that balconies, doors and windows will be the primary exit and entry points for smoke and/or pungent odours since smoke cannot travel through fire separations between units. It’s plausible to expect formerly covert cannabis smokers will have an atmospheric impact, but that might happen somewhere outdoors in the prescribed range for smokers at least nine metres from any building entrance.

“Some people who were previously hiding it inside their suites might now be smoking it on their balconies,” hypothesizes Michele Farley, president and senior code consultant with FCS Fire Consulting Services Ltd. “However, if you consider the experience with tobacco, it seems like fewer people are smoking in their units.”

She suggests property managers may want to step up vigilance in common areas where smoking of any kind has long been prohibited. In particular, some buildings are already plagued with scofflaws smoking tobacco in the stairwells.

“I guess the question is, how much worse is this going to get?” Farley muses. “It’s also a good time to remind people that butts of any kind should never be thrown from a balcony.”

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

Fresh and Clean and DryIt: A healthy outlook

James Lee Senter, best known as Lee, is among the most recognizable figures in the professional cleaning industry. A well-known public speaker, inspector for all the major carpet manufacturers across southern Ontario and an Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification approved instructor who also presently serves as president of the Canadian Flooring, Cleaning and Restoration Association, Senter has made a name for himself as the go-to guy when something needs to be fixed.

“I’m an education hog,” laughs the owner of both Fresh and Clean and DryIt. “Because of my never-ending thirst for knowledge and honest passion for the business, I get a lot of referrals from many of the large janitorial companies when they’re faced with troublesome tasks like stubborn stains. I’ve become a handy person to have on my competitors’ side.”

Senter’s focus on offering premium or, what he calls, “problem-solving services” has really taken off in the last few years thanks to the reputation he’s garnered.

A fixture in the industry for four decades now, Senter is also known for being green before his time – a pathway he took out of necessity. In 1979, one year after he landed his first job as a carpet cleaning technician at Ottawa-based Dominion Carpet Cleaning, Senter was diagnosed with hepatitis C, which was then called non-A, non-B hepatitis. The news was unexpected – 95 per cent of people with the potentially lethal virus are unaware they have it, according to the World Health Organization, likely because it often doesn’t trigger any symptoms.

“The doctors determined the cleaning chemicals I was using were attacking my internal organs and I was told I either had to get out of the business or change what I was doing,” he says matter-of-factly.

Having found his calling, Senter chose to find a way to do his job using chemicals that were less hazardous to his liver, such as powdered enzymes as a cleaning pre-spray (though his sinuses have paid the price of daily use), and non-toxic household items like peanut butter to tackle chewing gum and other sticky residue in carpet, egg whites to get rid of coffee splotches, sour milk to eliminate ink and lemon juice as an all-purpose stain remover.

With a new lease on life, Senter uprooted and moved to Toronto in the late ‘80s, where he was employed as an early morning newspaper delivery man while, at the same time, working in the marketing department of a local cleaning company. Looking to grow his savings, Senter squirreled away his cleaning-related paycheques to avoid spending his hard-earned cash only to find out it was all for naught.

“One day, an employee came in and told me his cheque didn’t clear and it soon dawned on me that I had a wallet full of cheques that were worthless,” Senter recalls. “I immediately went to the owner to air my grievances and quit but instead of giving me my money and sending me on my way, he offered me 50 per cent of the business.”

This second life-changing event marked the beginning of Fresh and Clean in 1988, the name purposefully chosen to signify a fresh start for Senter. But despite his optimistic outlook and best efforts to grow the business, his new partner failed to change his precarious ways and Senter sold his share after just two years. Shortly thereafter, the company went under.

“My partner was no good with money, so I guess it was doomed for disaster from the get-go,” he says.

But in 1993, Senter resurrected the company name as Fresh and Clean’s sole proprietor and moved it in the direction he originally intended. At first, carpet cleaning was the main source of business but as the textile floor covering lost market share to hard surface flooring in the ‘90s, Senter diversified – a strategy that has proven successful time and again. First, Fresh and Clean offered hardwood sanding and then gradually moved into laminate floor maintenance, but the payday never fully materialized as he had hoped. That’s when Senter decided to adopt a green marketing strategy.

“It made perfect sense,” he says. “Not only was I committed to using products that would reduce the risks of adverse health effects but I had become a carpet and upholstery cleaning instructor for Chemspec, a growing specialty chemical distribution company that was the leader in green cleaning products.”

Fresh and Clean soon became known for using eco-friendly cleaning solutions and was the first building service contractor certified under the Canadian Sanitation Supply Association’s green sustainability program. Its primary cleaner is a 100 per cent food-based, scent-free product that has achieved the prestigious Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval.

At the forefront of adopting the best products and practices, newer tools in the company’s green cleaning arsenal include a proprietary cleaning pre-treatment for heavily soiled carpets — a plant-based micelle surfactant – which, again, is safe to use and has no significant odour, HEPA vacuums that filter the air and microfiber cloths that trap the dust particles, resulting in not only a cleaner environment but a healthier one, too.

Around the time that Fresh and Clean began to gain more market share because of its green cleaning policy, the company branched out into water damage restoration as another road to growth. But in 2006, Senter suffered a setback, albeit a temporary one.

“My insurance company told me I had to divest Fresh and Clean of its disaster restoration services or it would cease coverage,” he explains. “Instead of dwelling on this, I saw it as another opportunity to move ahead.”

So, that same year, Senter established DryIt, whose mission is to dry flooded facilities “in place,” wherever practical, instead of removing building components, remediating and rebuilding. This strategy minimizes downtime, is less costly for clients and leads to a more sustainable business, he says.

Today, DryIt provides a variety of emergency services beyond water damage restoration, including mould remediation, asbestos testing and removal, fire and smoke damage cleanup, trauma scene cleanup and specialty drying.

In addition to expanding its service offerings, Senter’s two companies have increased their geographic reach beyond Toronto to serve more than 5,000 residential and commercial spaces across the entire GTA, as well as in Hamilton and Barrie, Ont. He expects Fresh and Clean’s customer base will further grow because of its new partnership with the world’s second largest retailer, Costco, which Senter forged in June.

“After Sears shuttered its doors in Canada earlier this year, the people behind the retail chain’s carpet cleaning launched Costco carpet cleaning in which we’ve been hired to do the jobs,” he explains excitedly.

Though looking forward to what the future holds, Senter is still very much grounded in the present, which involves overseeing the rollout of an online review system. A significant investment, it will provide Fresh and Clean customers the opportunity to rate their service. Clients that score lower than a five will automatically receive a return visit to address outstanding issues.

“We’re taking a very proactive approach to make sure the job is done to our customers’ satisfaction,” says Senter, adding he intends to personally train one person with his skill set to remove stains at no charge upon such follow-up calls. “We are in the people-pleasing business and this will set us apart from others in the marketplace.”

As for DryIt, Senter is in the final stages of perfecting a second online system. Three years in the making, it will enable clients to track their insurance claims in real-time when it launches in November.

“Unlike the cleaning industry, quality of work is not the top priority in the disaster restoration business,” he explains. “What’s important to these customers is that workers are on time and the project is finished promptly, followed by professionalism and then work quality.”

When ranking what matters most to him, Senter says he hopes to leave a legacy for raising the bar of health and safety in the cleaning industry.

“I want people to realize through my education efforts that there are great repercussions if we don’t respect what we do,” he says. “I’m a perfect example: I’m allergic to mould, I suffered liver disease as a result of the chemicals used in the cleaning industry and have full flown DDD (degenerative disc disease) from performing repetitive movements with incorrect posture, or poor ergonomics. Despite the sector’s progress, it’s important not to ignore that the cleaning industry still consists of a lot of chemistries and practices that can cause severe harm to human beings.”

Clare Tattersall is the editor of Facility Cleaning & Maintenance.

Photos by Robyn Russell.

No renter should be without tenant insurance

The recent high-rise fire in Toronto’s Jamestown district has once again demonstrated the importance of tenant insurance and just how careless some renters can be when it comes to protecting their possessions.

It isn’t the first time temporarily displaced renters have had to learn the hard way that the landlord isn’t always responsible for their losses, and nor will it be the last. While professional managers take diligent steps to ensure every tenant who signs a lease is aware that tenant insurance is a requirement, often this step is skirted. A landlord may demand evidence of insurance before move-in; follow up with yearly reminders and emphasize again and again that the landlord is under no obligation to assume responsibility for events that are beyond their control. Yet still some tenants refuse to buy it, putting themselves at risk.

Some of the sneakier tenants will even go so far as to obtain insurance prior to first occupancy only to terminate it right after move-in. That said, if the landlord can show that a reasonable effort has been made to impress upon the tenant the importance carrying tenant’s insurance, there’s little more that can be done. Terminating the lease for failure to insure is a non-starter for many reasons.

Landlords have a legal obligation to maintain their properties in a safe and livable condition. It is their duty to ensure that the integrity of the building’s envelope is well maintained and that the systems within the building work properly and safely. It is not the landlord’s responsibility to predict events that cannot be expected, and which fall outside of the reasonable right of the building occupants’ expectations of good maintenance and management.

Where a tenant can make a case that negligence on the part of the landlord (or its employee or agents) was the cause of a loss, then the tenant has every right attempt to recover that loss. This does not, however, extend beyond the market value of what was damaged. A simple case in point is that there is no recovery right to have older contents replaced with their newer equivalent. For that reason, tenant insurance policies provide coverage on a “replacement cost” basis, recognizing that there might otherwise be a financial hardship that the tenant is unable to handle. The cost of “new” is normally higher than the value of “used”, which is the limit of the legal responsibility that any landlord might have, assuming negligence is evident.

Tenant insurance policies, in the same fashion as home insurance policies, also provide assistance in paying for temporary lodgings if the apartment is untenable. Thus, the insurer helps maintain the tenant’s monthly living costs at the same level as that of being in the apartment, even though the hotel bill is going to be much higher during the repair period.

The reality (based on the best empirical evidence available) is that about one half of all tenants do not insure. Where the damage is unexpected and unpredictable, the onus is on the tenant to prove the landlord’s liability. A tenant who won’t pay a few hundred dollars for insurance is one who can hardly afford to hire legal counsel to take on the landlord. The result is usually vocal complaining that the problem was not created by the tenant and thus the responsibility is automatically that of the landlord. For the landlord, this becomes uncomfortable identification in the press and also, ultimately the loss of one or more affected tenants.

Despite this being a long-standing problem, very little has developed into a solution. The reasons are fairly obvious: for starters, tenants are voters too and it would be a bit scary for anyone seeking political office to try to suggest to the renting public that tenant insurance is mandatory. On occasion, insurance brokers have attempted to create programs for larger landlords wherein tenants are offered such policies, perhaps even at a discount, but the fact that the purchase of tenant insurance is not enforced, or enforceable, renders such attempts meaningless.

One option would be to take a page out of the leasing business, wherein the lessee’s failure to provide ongoing evidence of insurance allows the leaser to build an insurance charge into the leasing contract. If a landlord were to add a small charge to the monthly rent (perhaps $25) where the tenant has not proven the existence of coverage, he or she could then use that money to arrange insurance for the tenant through an insurer. However, the right to levy that charge would have to be enshrined in the lease. Failure to pay would essentially be the equivalent of being delinquent in the payment of rent and allow the landlord, if it so wished, to terminate for non- payment. We can easily assume that few tenants would want to face eviction for not having paid that small additional amount.

This problem of uninsured displaced tenants, following an unpleasant event, will not go away until all tenants have some form of insurance at a cost that, to this day, is pretty insignificant.

Andy Schwartze, BSc., MBA, CIP, is an insurance broker specializing in property management and real estate. He can be reached at: [email protected]

GTA home sales rise 1.9 per cent in September

According to the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB), there were a total of 6,455 home sales in September 2018, an increase of 1.9 per cent year-over-year. The average selling price for September 2018 home sales climbed 2.9 per cent on an annual basis to $796,786. The MLS Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark price was up by two per cent over the same period.

There were 15,920 new listings in TREB’s MLS System in September 2018, a drop of 3.1 per cent compared to September 2017. With an increase of sales year-over-year and a decrease in new listings, market conditions have become tighter, resulting in many buyers finding it more difficult to find a home that meets their needs.

“While higher borrowing costs and tougher mortgage qualification rules have kept sales levels off the record pace set in 2016, many households remain positive about home ownership as a quality long-term investment,” said Garry Bhaura, TREB president, in a press release. “As the GTA population continues to grow, the real challenge in the housing market will be supply rather than demand. The Toronto Real Estate Board is especially concerned with issues affecting housing supply as we move towards municipal elections across the region.”

After preliminary seasonal adjustment, home sales climbed 0.2 per cent on a monthly basis in September 2018. The average selling price after seasonal adjustment declined by 0.5 per cent month-over-month.

“Generally speaking, annual rates of price growth have been stronger for higher density home types in 2018, including condominium apartments, townhouses and semi-detached houses,” added Jason Mercer, TREB’s director of market analysis. “In many neighbourhoods, these home types provide more affordable home ownership options. This is why a policy focus on increasing mid-density housing options throughout the GTA is important.”

Perkins+Will marks 10 years as greenest employer

Perkins+Will celebrates its 10-year milestone named as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers by Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2018 competition. The architecture and design firm has a long history of sustainability leadership that includes the promotion of environmental awareness in its workplace culture.

The firm’s commitment is demonstrated in a number of initiatives such as alternative transportation subsidies, cycling facilities, composting and landfill waste diversion programs, sustainable product procurement, and an employee-managed organic rooftop garden. The office has achieved LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Platinum Certification, hosts a living green wall to improve air quality, and operates with passive ventilation during the summer months.

“Environmental leadership has always been an integral part of our culture and everything that we do,” says Susan Gushe, managing director of Perkins+Will’s Vancouver office. “Whether it’s a building we design or in our own operations, we continue to strive to not only have a positive impact on the environment, but promote well-being in the workplace.”

Over the past 10 years, Perkins+Will’s initiatives have expanded to include workplace well-being, pledging to certify all its North American offices to the Fitwel standard. The office encourages health and wellness with active design through interconnecting stairs, open daylit workspaces, fitness benefits, and yoga classes.

Further demonstrating their commitment, the firm employs more than 1,000 LEED accredited professionals worldwide and encourages LEED certification within six months of hire. Other paid courses include a Passive House certification course hosted in-house annually that has resulted in the addition of 16 Certified Passive House designers on staff.

Having received over 70 green building awards, the office continues to lead in sustainable design through its work on projects such as Marine Gateway — the first mixed-use livable community of its scale in North America that integrates transit, and VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre — the first Living Building Challenge certified project in Vancouver.

Current projects include West 8th and Pine — a mixed-use development that endeavours to comply with the City of Vancouver’s new Zero Emissions Building Plan and is participating in the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Pilot Program.

In addition to Canada’s Greenest Employers, Perkins+Will also celebrates its sixth consecutive year named as one of B.C.’s Top Employers. Among the reasons for the firm’s selection are tuition subsidies, referral bonuses, year-end profit-sharing for all employees, and matching RSP contributions.

Beedie announces corporate rebranding

One of Western Canada’s largest private industrial developers, Beedie has announced a corporate rebranding where all facets of the company will come together under a single name and be known as simply Beedie.

“Bringing our various components under a single name underscores that we all operate on the same core values and principles established by my father,” said company president, Ryan Beedie. “We carry on my father’s legacy of uncompromising quality, dedication to customer service and commitment to communities, and his legacy reminds us of how far we’ve come and where our shared vision will take us in the future.”

Beedie was founded in 1954 by Keith Beedie, who passed away last year at the age of 91. Beedie has built more than 25 million square feet of industrial space, as well as hundreds of single-family homes and higher-density mixed-use projects. Add to that Beedie’s private investment arm and more than 39 million dollars raised for charities, and you get one of the most active and community-aware corporations in British Columbia.

A strong component of the Beedie legacy is in giving back to the communities where Beedie builds. The company’s evolved philosophy, Built for Good, captures the build quality and service reliability that clients and purchasers have come to depend on from Beedie over six decades. It also speaks to the company looking forward to continue creating developments that balance the well-being of people, community and commerce.

“We are known for our uncompromising quality, dedication to customer service and long-standing commitment to communities,” said Beedie. “Our rebranding brings this focus to the forefront.”

Chandos to build research centre for CNL

National contractor Chandos Construction Ltd. has announced that as managing partner of CBS JV Corp., it has been selected as the first negotiation proponent to construct the Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre (ANMRC) for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). The project will be delivered using Integrated Project delivery (IPD). Chandos is the managing partner of CBS JV Corp, which also includes Bird Construction and Sullivan Construction.

The project has a total budget of $250 million and construction is scheduled to begin in 2019. CNL’s ANMRC will be one of the largest active research facilities to ever be constructed in Canada, and will enable world-class research in nuclear energy, public health, environmental stewardship and global security. This project is part of the revitalization of the Chalk River campus and will consolidate key capabilities from a number of older facilities that are scheduled for decommissioning.

“This is an exciting new project for our team,” said Tim Coldwell, President of Chandos Construction, in a press release. “Given the scale of this new facility and the complexity of the nuclear infrastructure within it, we will be working closely with the technical experts in CNL, and our IPD partners. We will also look for opportunities for members of the local supply chain in the Ottawa Valley to participate in the delivery of this project.”

Overall, services provided by the ANMRC will be critical to the life extension and long-term reliability of existing reactors, including Canada’s CANDU nuclear power reactors and other designs which are used around the world.

Formica Canada launches design competition

This year, Formica Canada is launching a new design competition challenging Ontario’s interior design and architecture students to create a booth design featuring new Formica products.

The Design My Formica Booth Competition invites students to use their creativity to design a booth using Formica products for the opportunity to win cash prizes and have their design used as the company’s official booth at the Architect@Work trade show, which will take place from April 3 to 4, 2019, at the Enercare Centre in Toronto.

The competition invites applicants to design an innovative 8’ x 8’ x 8’ booth concept using three Formica Laminate collections, namely DecoMetal, Formica Infiniti ColorCore2 and HardStop, with a focus on the new colours and designs introduced for 2019. The booth should attract attention and highlight these collections’ new design and colour additions, many of which will be officially launched on November 5, 2018.

The entries will be judged by a distinguished panel of industry and design professionals, including Maria Bannon Turvey, Formica Canada Inc. Ontario A&D Specialist, Formica Canada Inc. marketing team members and Linda Kafka, marketing and sales manager at Architect@Work Toronto and IDC board member.

The first prize winner will receive a $1,500 cash award and a ticket to the Architect@Work trade show, where they will participate in a meet-and-greet. The winner will also have their booth design created and used as Formica’s official booth for the trade show. The second- and third-place winners will receive cash awards of $500 and $250, respectively, and will each receive a ticket to attend the Architect@Work trade show.

“I’m very excited to see how the students will integrate the spirit of the new Formica products in their booth designs,” said Kafka, in a press release. “It’s a great opportunity for them to think outside the box and let their creativity flow, while respecting specific criteria.”

Interested design and architecture students, or students in any related discipline, can enter the competition from October 1 to December 31, 2018. Winners will be announced to the public on February 7, 2019. For more information, please visit http://www.formica.com/studentcompetitions.

Preparing your facility for hurricane season

Although hurricanes are lesser known to hit Canadian cities as hard as the United States, they can still have a significant impact on Canadian communities. Canada’s hurricane season spans June to November, with activity peak in September.

As with any emergency, being prepared is the best way to lower the risk of property damage.

“Damage can range from some minor water infiltration around doors and windows to major flooding, due to storm surge or from swollen rivers and lakes,” said senior project manager, large loss North America for FirstOnSite Restoration, Jim Mandeville.

Whether you’re a property owner or manager when preparing for storms, businesses are reminded to take the following steps to minimize a hurricane’s impact on their facility:

Backup plans
Mandeville advises facility managers to have backup plans for access to their facility.

“If the road you would normally use to get there is cut off by flooding is there another way you can get in and out of the business?”

Maintenance and renovations
Mandeville also suggests keeping up on the maintenance of your facility. For example, making sure that drains and catch basins in parking lots are clear.

Furthermore, if you have scheduled renovations coming up Mandeville says you should consider alternative building materials and styles in order to mitigate the damage to your property during storms.

“There’s definitely some newer roofing products that are more resilient to wind,” he said.

Facility managers can also look into advanced plumbing solutions and resistant glass for impact-resistance windows.

The “human side” of preparation.
Beyond having emergency supplies ready, Mandeville suggests managers talk to staff about how prepared they are for the extreme weather conditions.

“That human side of [preparing for a hurricane] is something often neglected by businesses. We’re always focused on our facilities and equipment, we forget that ‘hey, we need those people that make that equipment work too’”

Other ways to prepare your property for a hurricane:

Board up your windows
Protect your property against flooding
Secure loose outdoor objects
Check your roof
Trim your trees
Install surge protectors
Back up electronic devices
Create an inventory of your property
Ensure you have adequate insurance coverage
Stay informed

Following the storm, Mandeville urges facilities to get someone qualified — such as a FirstOnsite restoration expert — to have a look at the facility to determine what needs to be done to get the business back up and running again.

Visit FirstOnSite Restoration to see more on the ten ways to protect your property from hurricane damage.

BOMA Canada awards honour the best in CRE

The Canadian commercial real estate (CRE) industry celebrated yet another successful year at the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada National Awards Gala, which took place at the Hyatt Regency Calgary on October 3, 2018. The Awards Gala topped off the 28th anniversary of BOMEX, Canada’s Building Excellence Summit, which ran from Oct. 1 to 3.

This year’s gala presented recipients with a total of 22 awards, recognizing achievements in the CRE industry from across the country.

The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) awards were presented to 10 recipients that demonstrated quality in commercial real estate buildings and rewarded excellence in building management. Judges selected recipients based on a number of factors, including building standards, community impact, tenant relations, energy conservation, environmental performance, regulatory compliance, sustainability, emergency preparedness, security standards, and the training of building personnel. All entrants must be BOMA BEST certified to apply.

Bentall Kennedy was honoured with two TOBY awards this year: one in the Under 100,000 Square Feet category for 161 Portage Ave. E. in Winnipeg, Man., and the second in the Medical Office Building category for Cochrane Community Health Centre in Calgary, Alta.

QuadReal Property Group also won two TOBY awards: one in the 500,000 to 1 Million Square Feet category for Livingston Place in Calgary, Alta., and the second in the Over 1 Million Square Feet category for Southcore Financial Centre in Toronto, Ont.

Other TOBY awards went to Colliers International for Winnipeg’s 330 St. Mary Ave. in the 100,000 to 249,999 Square Feet category; Morguard for Ottawa’s Performance Court in the 250,000 to 499,999 Square Feet category; in the category of Corporate Facility, BGIS took home the award for the Preservation Centre in Gatineau, Que.; FCR Management Services won in the Mixed-Use Building category this year, for Edmonton’s Meadowlark Health and Shopping Centre; Primaris Management Inc. took home the award in the Retail Building category for Calgary’s Park Place Shopping Centre; and Menkes Property Management Services took home the award for Suburban Office Park – Mid Rise for Mississauga’s AeroCentre.

BOMA Canada’s National Earth awards recognizing excellence in resource preservation and environmentally sound commercial building management. Awards are handed out to buildings that have made significant efforts to address environmental issues.

This year, three Earth awards were presented; all went to Calgary-based recipients. Honourees include Hines Canada Management in the category of Office Building for Eighth Avenue Place; FCR Management Services’ Seton Gateway, which was honoured in the category of Retail Building; and Calgary Courts Centre, which was presented to SNC Lavalin O&M in the Universal Facility category.

BOMA Canada also presented its Pinnacle awards, which recognize role model companies that demonstrate standards of excellence and acknowledge innovation, teamwork, outstanding customer service and commitment to clients. This year’s Above & Beyond award was presented to B.G.E. Service & Supply Ltd. (The Filter Shop) in Edmonton, while KRP Properties of Ottawa won a Pinnacle award in the category of Innovation. The Customer Service award went to Toronto‘s Oxford Properties Group for Waterpark Place.

Before presenting this year’s BOMI Vyetta Sunderland Scholarship, Peter MacHardy, BOMI Canada Chair, acknowledged the passing of Georges Corbeil, a dear friend of the BOMA and BOMI family. Georges was a dedicated instructor, mentor and leader in the commercial real estate industry.

This year’s BOMI Vyetta Sunderland Scholarship went to Omar Jesus Montes Casanas of Toronto.

BOMA Canada presented its inaugural Net Zero Challenge awards this year in three categories: Most Improved, Innovation and Best in Class. The Natural Resources Canada-supported awards recognize the leadership of owners, developers, designers, and/or managers of buildings which demonstrate significant progress along the path towards net zero energy and/or carbon neutral. On hand to make the presentations was Jay Khosla, Assistant Deputy Minister, Energy Sector, National Resources.

The first-ever Most Improved award went to Menkes Property Management Services for 4711 Yonge Street in Toronto. Two awards were presented in the Innovation category – Choice Properties REIT won for Montreal’s Le 100 Alexis Nihon office building, while Earth Rangers Foundation was honoured for Woodbridge, Ont.’s Earth Rangers Centre for Sustainable Technology. The Best in Class award went to Manulife Real Estate for Vancouver’s 980 Howe.

To round out the evening, BOMA Canada’s President, Anne Marie Guèvremont, presented the prestigious BOMA Canada Chair’s Award, which is presented to an individual that makes valuable and long-lasting contributions to BOMA and supports the organization in a meaningful way.

This year’s Chair’s Award was presented to Randal Froebelius, President and Founder of Equity ICI Real Estate Services in Toronto, Ont.

The gala drew to a close with the announcement of next year’s BOMEX, which will take place September 9 to 11, 2019, in St. John’s, N.L.

View all of 2018 BOMA Canada National Award winners here.

Living wall at University of Michigan wins award

Diamond Schmitt Architects has been awarded the Interior Green Wall Award of Excellence for an innovative living wall within a campus building at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Weiser Hall, formerly named Dennison Building, is a repurposed mid-century 10-storey tower that was taken down to its concrete slabs and columns and redesigned with an entirely new plan. Each floor features a unique configuration with learning space, meeting rooms, offices, conference rooms and student and staff lounges. The building is home to the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts.

“We saw the opportunity to include four double-height living walls, each one above the next, as the central feature of community clusters that prominently anchor the building and overlook the campus,” said Don Schmitt, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects, in a press release. “The renewed building now provides flexible, day-lit spaces, community clusters and greater accessibility with highly sustainable design features.”

The green wall award was presented to Diamond Schmitt at the CitiesAlive conference, which took place in New York City on Sept. 27, marking the seventh time the firm has been presented with a Green Wall and Roof Award. The award-winning living walls were developed by NEDLAW Living Walls and their commercial application was pioneered by Diamond Schmitt.

A living wall biofilter is an active filter system that removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. The exposed roots of tropical plants turn airborne pollutants into their benign components, water and carbon dioxide. The living wall is connected to the building’s HVAC system and provides cleansed and humidified air to enhance the building’s fresh air supply.

Anecdotal evidence on living walls shows they result in lower absenteeism, higher productivity and an improved sense of wellbeing by occupants of buildings that feature them. “Bringing the outdoors inside has a positive psychological effect,” continued Schmitt.