Evolv1 becomes first structure to be awarded Zero Carbon Building certification

Evolv1, a multi-tenant office building under construction in Waterloo, Ont., has become the first structure to be awarded the Zero Carbon Building – Design certification.

Evolv1 has been chosen as one of 16 elite projects across Canada by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) to participate in a two-year pilot of its new Zero Carbon Building Standard.

In order to receive this award, the building had to demonstrate zero carbon design excellence.

“We are incredibly honored that evolv1 has been recognized as the first building in Canada to earn Zero Carbon Building – Design certification”, said Adrian Conrad, COO, Cora Group, developers or evolv1. “This has been a building several years in the imagining, planning, and making. It is the result of a collaborative effort by The Cora Group, our design partner Stantec, and our many stakeholders. It is extremely satisfying for all involved to have our work nationally recognized. Evolv1 represents a project that goes well beyond ‘building sustainably.’ We firmly believe it sets a new benchmark for green building design and construction.”

“CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard is an innovative made-in-Canada solution that supports industry efforts to reduce GHG emissions and grow the low-carbon economy,” explained Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council. “As the first project to earn Zero Carbon Building – Design certification in Canada, evolv1 stands out as an innovator and a true leader for the industry. It is setting a tangible example for building owners and policymakers across the country that zero carbon buildings are technically feasible and economically viable right now. The shift to zero carbon buildings is a critical step in reaching our climate change goals in Canada. Through innovative projects like evolv1 the building industry can lead the way in the fight against climate change.”

The building, designed and engineered by global design firm Stantec and constructed by Melloul Blamey, is also targeting LEED Platinum certification and will produce more energy than it consumes when complete, the Cora Group claim.

“We are proud of how evolv1 expands the definition of sustainability. This project advances the business case and economic model for sustainable design in a multi-tenant building. It’s a building that supports human health and wellness, important characteristics for today’s premiere tenants and their employees,” said Richard Williams, principal with Stantec.

Construction starts on Nanaimo Airport expansion

Construction has started on a $15-million expansion project at the Nanaimo Airport, one of the largest in the airport’s history. The project will add 14,000 square feet, increasing the terminal building’s size by nearly 60 per cent, and help accommodate growing passenger volume.

The infrastructure investment project is a partnership between Nanaimo Airport Commission and the federal and provincial governments. Each government contributed $2.48 million.

The investment will create more comfort for passengers and enhance efficiency and safety. More space in the security area will allow travellers and their baggage to move faster through the screening. Passengers will also enjoy the benefits of a much larger departure lounge, which will have about 320 seats – more than double the current number.

“As the Central Island’s gateway to the world, we know hundreds of thousands of people rely on us for safe, convenient and comfortable travel,” says Nanaimo Airport CEO and president Mike Hooper. “We have carefully planned this expansion to ensure we continue to provide exceptional customer experience during the construction period. By expanding we’ll be better able to meet the needs of our region today and for the next generations.”

The project is being designed by Nanaimo’s Checkwitch Poiron Architects and OMB Architects + Designers. Project manager is Durwest Construction Management.

The tender process for the project has finished and pre-construction work has begun on site with completion expected in 2020. Last year, the airport completed work on the runway apron and lighting to help prepare for the expansion.

In 2016 the Nanaimo Airport Commission board of directors approved a 20-year Master Development Plan for the air terminal building. Nanaimo Airport has set records for passenger volume for eight consecutive years. More than 390,000 people are expected to pass through its gates in 2018.

Transformed Weiser Hall opens at University of Michigan

Weiser Hall, a landmark building on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, recently reopened. The renovated and expanded facility repurposed the mid-century ten-storey tower formerly known as Dennison Building to create a dynamic learning environment.

Weiser Hall is Diamond Schmitt Architects’ third project at the University of Michigan, preceded by the Computer Science and Engineering Building and the Thayer Academic Building. Weiser Hall now houses the International Institute and associated programs of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.

“We took the structure down to its concrete slabs and columns and redesigned the interior with an entirely new plan,” said Donald Schmitt, principal at 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 previous Dennison Building featured concrete corridors that were removed so columns and ceilings could be exposed to enlarge open spaces and bring daylight into the building. Each floor features a unique configuration that accommodates learning space, meeting rooms, offices, conference rooms and student and staff lounges. There are four double-height community commons stacked at the southwest corner, each featuring a biofilter living wall.

Weiser Hall also features a multi-purpose active learning space on the ground floor, in an area that is enlarged by enclosing an overhang with full glazing to create a new gathering space. The top floor was redesigned as an event space, art gallery and boardroom and features floor-to-ceiling bay windows and a commanding view of the campus.

“Weiser Hall is a new, dynamic centre for active and engaged learning – home to our interdisciplinary and internationally-focused LSA centres and units,” added Andrew Martin, dean of the University’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts. “It’s gratifying to officially celebrate Weiser Hall’s opening and the collaborative learning its unique design will foster.”

The building features new mechanical and electrical systems, but not all is changed. It features new thermal efficient windows at the same dimensions as the original windows and a restored brick façade to preserve its context, both with an adjacent building on the campus and the campus itself.

Downtown Ottawa drawing tenant interest

Market analysts foresee less pressure on parking in downtown Ottawa once the light rail transit line, now nearing completion, begins operating later this year. With no new office construction underway downtown, existing class A and B buildings should be well placed as improved transit service draws more prospective tenants to the area.

Colliers pegged the downtown class A office availability rate at 5 per cent at the end of the first quarter of 2018, down 80 basis points from one year earlier. Approximately 283,000 square feet of downtown space was newly leased in the first three months of the year. Downtown also commands the highest rents of any of the city’s submarkets with the average asking net rental rate for class A space at $23.36 per square foot.

In contrast, the Class A availability rate is 13.4 per cent in Kanata, the next largest office node in the city’s west end suburbs. About 19,500 square feet of office space was absorbed in the first quarter, or less than a third of take-up during the first quarter of 2017, while the average asking net rent for class A space was $14.07 per square foot.

“Interest in the downtown core shows no sign of slowing. It’s amenity-rich nature is a benefit for B class buildings, especially with the lack of class A space available,” Colliers’ newly released Q1 report and forecast states. “Tech remains a dominant industry in Kanata, especially when it comes to larger, established tech companies. Start-ups have shown interest in the area, but usually settle downtown.”

Downtown class B buildings and the “fringe core” ByWard Market, Centretown and Glebe neighbourhoods are identified as a good fit for enterprises looking for less than 1,000 square feet and/or co-working space.

“Tenants looking to open a co-working space are likely to take advantage of a central area like downtown to more easily attract tenants from east and west,” the report notes. “Spaces in class C buildings in Centretown are being leased out thanks to their proximity to downtown and its amenities. Old buildings may benefit from fit-ups to give them an edge and stand out to tenants looking in the area.”

Kanata was the locale for the most notable property transaction of the quarter as Fiera Properties acquired four buildings, encompassing 344,000 square feet, for $74.2 million. Otherwise, Colliers reports just six investment sales garnering more than $1 million, with four of those in the $1 to $2 million range. More prominent downtown deals are predicted, though, with the expectation that a 550,000-square-foot two-tower class A complex at Slater Street and Laurier Avenue and a smaller Sparks Street building will go to market this spring.

Citywide, the office availability rate was 10.4 per cent at the end of March, down from 12.2 per cent in March 2017. However, the average asking net rent also dropped — down to $16.50 per square foot from $16.76 per square foot at the end of Q1 2017.

Two buildings are currently under construction in suburban office nodes, bringing just 22,000 square feet of new space onto the market in the near future.

Ontario invests in new Toronto rental housing

Peter Milczyn, Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy, was in Toronto today to announce Ontario’s plan to invest in new Toronto rental housing – specifically, funding toward development charge rebates for developers looking to build high-rise, mid-rise and townhouse rental housing.

“It is important that people in Ontario have an affordable place to call home, regardless of their housing needs or where they live in Toronto,” he said. “More rental housing means more options when looking for a home, all while creating vibrant communities.”

The City of Toronto will receive $60 million to encourage the construction of complete communities that are accessible, livable, walkable, and close to transit and other services. The funding is part of a five-year program to rebate up to $125 million in development charges, a source of income often used by municipalities to help pay for infrastructure needed to meet the increased demand.

The Minister also announced the successful developers that were selected to develop surplus provincial land in the Thistletown area, West Don Lands, and vacant land near Yonge and College streets:

• Dream, Tricon and Kilmer Group will turn two vacant lots in the West Don Lands into mixed income rental homes for nearly 1,450 individuals and families, including retail space and a community hub.

• Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (CREIT) and Greenwin Inc. will transform a site between Grenville and Grosvenor streets into a family-friendly mixed income community, with approximately 700 rental units, retail space and a daycare.

Each site is close to transit and employment, and will have 30 per cent of the units dedicated to affordable housing.

“To keep Toronto affordable for people of all ages and income levels, we need all governments working together to take real action on affordable housing,” said Mayor John Tory. “By answering our call to make surplus provincial lands available for the development of new affordable housing, the Province is demonstrating its commitment to cooperation and helping the City of Toronto address our residents’ housing needs.”

Markham Stouffville Hospital receives prestigious environmental award

Markham Stouffville Hospital has been revealed as the 2018 recipient of the Energy and Environmental Stewardship Award.

The Canadian College of Health Leaders made the announcement on Wednesday and congratulated the medical facility on receiving the prestigious award.

“Markham Stouffville Hospital believes that the high quality patient care, services and programs that the hospital’s staff, physicians and volunteers provide need not come at the expense of the environment,” they said in a press release. “To the contrary, the hospital embraces the concept that environmental sustainability and ecological responsibility promotes overall wellness and is one of the best ways to serve our communities.”

The award will be given to the Markham Stouffville Hospital at the Canadian College of Health Leaders’ Honouring Health Leadership event. For more information about this award and the College’s National Awards Program please visit the College’s website at www.cchl-ccls.ca.

Passive House poised for institutional uptake

Passive House, a voluntary standard for achieving extremely energy-efficient buildings, appears to be poised for wider uptake in institutional projects in Canada. After being largely limited to residential applications, small institutional projects are starting to reach completion and a handful of requests for proposals (RFPs) issued within the last year suggest that large institutional projects are soon to follow.

“It really feels like we’re on the cusp of a big explosion of Passive House buildings, and interest in Passive House, as the standard gets rolled out across all of our building stock, and not just residential-scaled projects,” said Jon Loewen, architect, Perkins+Will’s Toronto office.

Large institutional projects anticipated

Loewen was one in a cohort of his colleagues to become a Certified Passive House Designer last summer as the architecture firm anticipates the standard gaining traction.

Perkins+Will, which specializes in civic and institutional buildings, is already vying to work on some large projects that could be among the first of their size and type to pursue this certification. In one recent design competition, the architecture firm pitched the standard as a pathway to achieving net zero energy.

Passive House is expected to become an increasingly attractive proposition as governments roll out policies aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change. Loewen pointed to the arrival of provincial carbon taxes and cap-and-trade programs as well as tightening municipal energy standards as compelling factors in the case for pursuing the standard.

“Institutions are much more sensitive to the cost of energy than they used to be, and Passive House lines up really well with that, because it’s all about reducing your energy consumption,” he said. “There are hurdles for clients to overcome in the way you think about building the building, and the way you think about operating the building, but it’s very easy for us to quantify the benefits.”

Loewen explained that achieving the Passive House standard means front-loading spending to realize long-term savings and tilting investments toward the building envelope and away from the mechanical equipment.

“We’re creating this high-quality envelope that can be maintained with smaller equipment, rather than a relatively weak envelope that requires a high level of mechanical equipment and complexity in order to maintain a comfortable interior environment,” said Rob Bernhardt, CEO of Passive House Canada.

“For things like the cooling load, for example — that’s the result of solar heat gain — the approach within Passive House is to ensure that the heat doesn’t get into the building — perhaps [using] external shading devices — rather than cooling the building once the sun has been allowed to enter.”

Passive House in Canada

The adoption of the Passive House standard has been geographically uneven since it rolled out in Canada in 2010 after being formalized in Germany in the 1990s (although a house in Saskatchewan has been recognized as one of the earliest examples of this approach). Bernhardt said Toronto and Vancouver are currently leading the pack as the certification builds momentum across the country following slow uptake dominated by residential applications during its early years.

The Anglicization of Passivhaus to Passive House has contributed to the common misconception that the standard is strictly for homes, he said — the German word “haus” directly translates to “building” in English.

As institutions start to eye the standard for large projects, they may face some temporary challenges. Loewen noted that the Canadian market for high-performance building equipment and products is less mature than the European market, making certain items, such as triple-glazed curtain wall, more difficult to source locally.

However, big buildings have some advantages over small homes in pursuing the Passive House standard. For example, said Loewen, big buildings do not require as much insulation as small homes thanks to a lower surface-to-volume ratio. They also stand to have a greater positive environmental impact on the basis of sheer size.

In Penticton, B.C., the less than 5,000-square-foot Okanagan College Daycare has achieved Passive House certification, and a more than 5,000-square-foot community church, slated for construction in Doig River First Nation, B.C., is targeting certification. So is a more than 9,000-square-foot town hall containing offices, meeting rooms and support spaces under construction in Valleyview, Alberta.

B.C.-based HCMA Architecture + Design, which has completed a handful of residential Passive House projects, is now working on even larger institutional projects. Vancouver Fire Hall No. 17, a more than 20,000-square-foot facility, is slated to open before the year is out, and Clayton Community Centre, a more than 75,000-square-foot facility featuring arts and recreation programming is slated to open in Surrey next year. Once complete, Clayton Community Centre (pictured in the rendering above) is expected to become Canada’s largest Passive House facility to date.

“A lot of the institutional buildings are built and operated by municipalities,” said Adam Fawkes, associate at HCMA Architecture + Design. “That’s where the owner-operators are going to see the benefit of paying a bit more on the capital costs, and then having lower operational costs.”

Fawkes added that they are likely to see lower maintenance costs as well, due to the durability of the building envelope produced through the application of Passive House.

Procurement critical to success

Kearns Mancini Architects, which has more than one million square feet of Passive House projects in the pipeline this year, are the compliance architect and Passive House designer for project output specifications for a large building planned for University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus. The 280,000-square-foot, mixed-use student residence stands to become the first of its building typology in the world to be completed and certified as Passive House.

Jonathan Kearns, co-founder and principal of Kearns Mancini, cautioned that it’s critical to get procurement right if Passive House certification is to be achieved. He identified construction management, design-build and IPD as preferred methods of delivery for projects targeting the standard.

Kearns said that high-performance buildings require a new procurement process, even for the design team.

“With the front-end design, typical procurement documents and scoring do not permit alternate design paths strategies which offer design success for the rigourous design standard,” said Kearns. “Also, until Passive House becomes more established in the marketplace, and you have lots of builders who know what Passive House is and know how to build it, we’re averse to stip sum (stipulated sum).”

Establishing an integrated team at the outset of such a project prevents the kinds of errors in execution that can occur when designs are handed off to contractors who are unfamiliar with the standard.

“All it needs is one careless tradesperson to put a hole in the air seal,” Kearns explained. “Then, you fail the air pressure test, and it might take days to find where that hole is if it’s a big building.”

He said that tender documents for projects that are proceeding as stipulated sum should prescribe Passive House training for supervisory staff and trades to avoid this risk.

Institutions interested in pursuing the energy-efficiency building standard on large projects will soon have further guidance. Kearns Mancini is in the process of writing a white paper on how to procure Passive House projects, which it expects to release this spring.

Michelle Ervin is the editor of Canadian Facility Management & Design.

Rendering of Clayton Community Centre courtesy of HCMA Architecture + Design.

Robust demand drives GTA Q1 investment activity

Office transactions accounted for a major share of investment in the Greater Toronto Area’s commercial real estate market in the first three months of 2018. Avison Young reports nearly $2 billion in deals in the sector with a single deal — Dadco Investments’ acquisition of a 50 per cent non-managing interest in Brookfield Properties’ Bay Adelaide Centre — contributing $850 million to that total. Retail, industrial, multi-residential and development land sales values surpassed tallies for the first quarter of 2017, although they dropped off from levels attained in October, November and December.

“Buoyed by solid property fundamentals in every commercial real estate sector, but especially in the office and industrial segments, investors remain bullish on the country’s largest and hottest market,” asserts Bill Argeropoulos, Avison Young’s research practice leader.

Sectoral listings of significant transactions reveal a fairly diverse group of purchasers, while Cominar REIT stands out among vendors, as it offloaded two office, two retail and one industrial property for earnings of nearly $717 million. This includes the $180.9 million sale of the Dixie Outlet Mall to Slate Asset Management and the $90.6 million sale of America Business Park in Mississauga to KingSett Capital.

Total GTA Q1 investment activity equalled $4.3 billion in transactions for the best first quarter results since 2014. Still, analysts point to some stratification in the performance of asset types.

“Investors with existing portfolios are seeing increasing rental returns from core asset classes, such as downtown Toronto office product and GTA-wide industrial investments,” says Richard Chilcott, principal in Avison Young’s capital markets group. “The increasing cost of debt will have some impact on pricing in certain sectors, but the underlying correction in some sectors’ transaction volumes is principally due to a lack of willing vendors.”

Notably, multi-residential is described as “a market starved for product” resulting in a 47 per cent drop in sales value from the fourth quarter of 2017. The two largest deals of the quarter represent more than 40 per cent of $288 million in investment activity. Sienna Senior Living acquired a 10-building portfolio from BayBridge Senior Housing for $67.2 million. Realstar Group’s $51.9 million acquisition of 35 Valley Woods Road, Mississauga, translated into $388.84 per square foot, placing it as the priciest deal on a square footage scale.

A total retail sales value of $781 million was down from $891 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. Industrial property slipped more modestly, to $780 million from $844 million in the previous quarter, while the value decline was more pronounced for development land, dropping to $492 million from $628 million at the close of 2017.

“Industrial land remains in high demand,” notes Bill Sykes, a principal with Avison Young. “Sites that are zoned to permit outside storage remain the most sought after and are selling for $1.5 million to $2 million per acre.”

Sun Life paid $452,500 per acre for the largest land transaction of the quarter — acquisition of 6712 Fifth Line in Milton for $45.25 million. However, Buffalo Group’s $15.4 million purchase of 70 Superior Boulevard in Mississauga from Rogers Media equates to nearly $1.54 million per acre.

Office leasing activity in GTA slightly muted in Q1 2018

Leasing activity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) office market was slightly muted in the first quarter of 2018.

A new report from Avison Young revealed that a lack of suitable office space, particularly in Downtown and Midtown Toronto, has resulted in a slowing of business.

The report states that although last year’s results will be hard to repeat, “record-low vacancy and rising rents in Downtown and Midtown may pave the way for better results in suburban markets in 2018.”

“Coming off a banner year in 2017, I don’t think we were overly surprised by the market’s somewhat subdued, yet overall positive, first-quarter results,” said Bill Argeropoulos, Principal, Practice Leader, Research (Canada) for Avison Young. “In all, demand continues to outpace new supply, and nowhere is this trend more apparent than in Toronto’s growing Downtown market.”

According to the report, transactions inked in previous quarters translated into rising occupancy levels, with first-quarter 2018 absorption registering 655,000 square feet (sf).

Unlike in previous quarters, the suburban markets collectively outpaced the Downtown and Midtown markets by roughly a two-to-one margin. More than 2.1 million square feet (msf) of lease transactions were concluded market-wide in the first quarter – down from the fourth-quarter 2017 result (and the 2017 quarterly average) of nearly 3 msf. This activity was sufficient to lower the market’s overall availability rate to 10.2%, while overall vacancy finished the first quarter of the year at 6.5%.

“With Downtown vacancy sitting at a record-low 2.5%, it has become an extremely competitive market in which to transact given the scarcity of space in existing product, rising rental rates, and no meaningful relief in terms of new supply until 2020. That’s when 2.5 msf is expected to be completed out of the nearly 6 msf now under construction downtown,” Argeropoulos added. “However, the prelease commitment on that 2.5 msf is 43% and rising. Taking into account the success of recently completed projects, and given the deals that are being negotiated today, this space is certain to be fully preleased by the time it is delivered in 2020. Between now and then, some large-block relief can be found in a few smaller development and redevelopment projects that are in progress and targeting 2019 delivery.”

The report also revealed that, on average, starting face rates for deals in class A Downtown space increased 28% in 2017 compared with 2016 – the largest year-overyear jump since the Great Recession.

A blind spot in new EV charging station rules?

The installation of electric vehicle charging stations at Ontario condo properties will be steered by new rules starting next week. But the new rules may have a blind spot.

As the provincial government rolls out regulations designed to support condo owners who want to swap gas-fueled vehicles for electricity-powered vehicles, condo sector professionals suggest electrical capacity could in some cases continue to impede the introduction of this infrastructure at certain sites.

The new rules relax Condominium Act requirements tied to making changes to the common elements that would otherwise have to be satisfied for electric vehicle charging station installations to proceed.

Minister of Government and Consumer Services Tracy MacCharles announced the impending May 1 arrival of the regulations at a press conference earlier this week. She said the move comes as part of the province’s Climate Change Action Plan and follows consultations on how best to facilitate the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at condo properties.

“Condo owners have indicated to us they face significant challenges in seeking condo board approval to install electric vehicle charging systems on condo premises and frustration with the inability to obtain a condo board approval for installation,” said MacCharles.

After conducting in-person consultations with key stakeholders and reviewing more than 600 submissions, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services is adopting two out of the five regulatory proposals it put forward for public feedback last fall. The new rules will essentially limit the ability of boards to reject owner applications to install electric vehicle charging stations as well as restrict the ability of owners to challenge board plans to do the same.

“Part of the problems that we’ve been dealing with is that for condo corporations that want to install it, depending on the cost, it would fall under the section 97 notice to owners,” said condo lawyer Denise Lash. “With these new regulations, it will now be easier for boards of directors to have these stations installed at their discretion, and there won’t be that cumbersome process.”

Boards will still have to notify owners of plans to install electric vehicle charging stations, but owners won’t have the 30 days they are generally given to object to proposed changes to the common elements by forcing a meeting of owners where this type of proposal can be voted down. The only prerequisites for taking this route are that the costs of installation can’t add up to more than 10 per cent of the corporation’s operating budget and the installation itself can’t be foreseen by the board to measurably diminish owners’ enjoyment and use of the property.

Similarly, owners who make applications to install electric vehicle charging stations that satisfy these and several other requirements can expect to receive approval from their condo board.

“There will be certain provisions in the regulations that will deal with what a board can look at in order to determine whether or not to permit the electric vehicle station, so they can’t just arbitrarily refuse it,” said Lash.

The reasons a condo board can reject a condo owner’s application to install an electric vehicle charging station include that a professional qualified to do so has provided the opinion that it would conflict with electrical safety legislation or pose a serious risk of damaging the property or harming its residents.

However, Lash said she’s been told a condo property can only accommodate so many electric vehicle charging stations — an issue echoed by Rob Detta Colli, manager of energy and sustainability at Crossbridge Condominium Services.

“From the electric vehicle owner’s perspective, I think it’s loud and clear that they will only accept a charger in their own spot,” said Detta Colli. “They do not want to move their vehicle back and forth.”

“From the condo management perspective, and from the board’s perspective, that leads them down a road where you know you can honour the first request, the second request, maybe the fifth request, but the sixth person you’re going to have to say no to.”

Electrical capacity varies from building to building based on a variety of factors, including design and location. Detta Colli pointed to inadequate space in a building’s mechanical room for new infrastructure as well as a lack of capacity at the transformer station supplying the building’s electricity as some of the constraints.

The new rules give condo boards some flexibility to ask owners to make changes to their proposed installation, which may indirectly provide options in cases where electrical capacity is a concern. Detta Colli explained that if it’s not possible to accommodate a charging station at a condo owner’s parking space, the condo board could suggest relocating the proposed installation to a visitors’ parking space, as an example.

Crossbridge Condominium Services will be encouraging its clients to have the electrical capacity of their properties assessed so they have that information handy when they start fielding requests from owners under the new rules. Condo boards will be obligated to supply condo owners with the details needed to complete their written applications, which boards will have to respond to within 60 days. Condo boards that take the initiative to install electric vehicle charging stations that meet the prerequisites for using this expedited process will similarly be able to proceed 60 days after notifying owners of their plans.

Once a condo board has approved an owner’s application to install an electric vehicle charging station, the parties will have another 90 days to hash out an agreement which addresses who is responsible for costs, insurance and maintenance (owners are expected to absorb installation costs unless otherwise negotiated). Condo boards and owners who fail to come to an agreement could find themselves headed to mandatory mediation and arbitration, a costly process which Detta Colli said some condo managers worry owners may be eager to trigger.

Despite some outstanding obstacles, he said he sees the potential for the new rules to make it easier to install electric vehicle charging stations at condo properties by introducing a defined, step-by-step process for dealing with applications.

Speaking at the press conference, MacCharles acknowledged some of the other, sweeping changes to Ontario’s condo laws that have started to roll out, which include mandatory licensing for condo managers and training for condo directors.

“Over the next year, we’ll continue to phase in new laws to protect condo owners as we continue to address the growing needs of our condo communities across the province,” she said.

Michelle Ervin is the editor of CondoBusiness.

Sask resumes PST on energy-efficient appliances

Saskatchewan landlords and developers face a six per cent increase in the price of energy-efficient appliances since the provincial government resumed collecting sales tax on previously exempt ENERGY STAR certified products earlier this month. The move was announced in the recently released Saskatchewan budget, which argued that an incentive first introduced in 2003 is no longer needed to influence consumer behaviour.

“ENERGY STAR certified appliances now dominate the household appliance market and constitute the majority of consumer sales in Canada, with the benefit of permanent energy cost savings providing a strong incentive to choose these appliances,” the budget document states. However, less efficient options are still widely available.

“The retraction of the PST exemption will have multi-unit residential owners and developers weighing the cost/benefit when purchasing appliances,” says Jamie McDougald, president of the Saskatchewan Landlord Association and chief operating officer with Deveraux Developments, a home and condo builder and owner/manager of purpose-built rental housing. “With large developments and bulk purchases, the upfront cost savings experienced by buying appliances that aren’t ENERGY STAR rated might be too enticing for some to pass up.”

Purchasers of ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, residential furnaces, boilers and ground- and air-source heat pumps had enjoyed the PST exemption.

“Some 15 years of PST exemption has had a meaningful positive effect for property owners, industry, energy savings and carbon targets,” submits Ted Kantrowitz, chief executive officer of the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition. “Both affordability and capital efficiency matter.”

GBI launches Green Globes Pilot Program

After three years, Green Building Initiative (GBI) is nearing the end of a process that will result in an update to its American National Standard, which was finalized in 2010 and informed the creation of the 2013 version of Green Globes.

ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings is undergoing final revisions using American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved procedures and participation from approximately 100 experts in green building and sustainable practices.

In an effort to maintain transparency, meetings are open to the public, which has led to over 800 comments generated over three rounds of public consultation. The process will conclude this year, resulting in a completely revised American National Standard, which will be titled Green Globes Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings.

“We’ve been really impressed by the level of participation as we watched the industry update this Standard for green building certification,” said Vicki Worden, president and CEO of GBI, in a press release. “We’re excited to work collaboratively with other organizations on education to advance new concepts and best practices that are included in the revision.”

Green Globes is a sustainability rating system for commercial and multi-family buildings. Recognized for its ease of use, flexibility and customization, Green Globes can be applied to nearly every building type and use.

To ensure diversity among building types and geographic locations participating in the pilot program, GBI offered to subsidize involvement for a select number of participants. Current pilot projects include a federal government warehouse in West Virginia, an elementary school in Florida, a mixed-use property in New York, a federal government office in Texas, and a multi-family residential property in Georgia.

Each participating project is assigned a Green Globes Assessor to provide a customized report on achievements and opportunities for improvement. During the pilot program, Assessors are involved to guide and interpret the new criteria.

Revisions to the Standard include the introduction of new sections and criteria, including sections dedicated to site and building resilience, resource conservation, and building risk assessment criteria; the use of a Resource Management Plan and verification of actual performance are encouraged, including with incentives for incorporating renewable energy sources; and projects must attain a minimum score of 20 per cent in each Assessment Area to receive certification, but applicants are able to choose the criteria within the assessment areas that are most relevant to their projects.

“One thing GBI has consistently done well is collect input from users and put that to work in the certification process,” said Eric Truelove, pilot project Assessor and licensed engineer, in a press release. “Green Globes offers a superior delivery mechanism with a user-friendly system that doesn’t simply tell people what to do, it shows them how to do it. This is something users highly value, as it helps them put their green building aspirations into practice.”

One subsidized spot is still available in the pilot project. The pilot project is open to all new construction and major renovation projects. The GBI encourages interested building owners and design teams to contact [email protected] for questions about pilot program participation and certification under the new Standard.

Ontario legislation ensures fair pay for government contractors

On April 17, Ontario introduced legislation that will ensure that people working in construction, building cleaning or security jobs under government contracts will be paid the fair, prevailing wage in those sectors.

The proposed Government Contract Wages Act, 2018, will, if passed, allow Ontario to establish minimum rates of pay for workers in the fields of construction, building cleaning and security services, requiring contractors and subcontractors to pay according to those rates. This fair wage policy would be protected in legislation. This proposed legislation builds on actions the province has already taken to create more opportunity and security for workers in the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, which was passed last fall.

The province is also increasing opportunity and fairness for workers through its Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy, which is the first of its kind in Canada and aims to make workplaces fairer for all women. The strategy includes landmark pay transparency that would require certain employers to report on differences in compensation among their workforce based on gender and other prescribed characteristics; mandate that publicly advertised job postings in Ontario include a compensation range; and prevent employers from asking a job applicant about past compensation or seeking that information through other means.

“This legislation paves the way for protecting workers’ wages by establishing an enforceable requirement that contractors who bid on government-procured construction work must pay their workers fair wages that reflect trade-specific, prevailing rates in each region of the province,” said Patrick Dillon, business manager of the Ontario Building Trades Council, in a press release. “If enacted, the legislation will lead to a significantly weakened underground economy in construction, better worker health and safety, protection of vulnerable workers, and increased productivity gains in the workplace, which will benefit employers and workers alike.”

This refreshed Fair Wage Policy would apply to contracts with all government ministries, and with specified government agencies and Crown corporations. It would cover building security and cleaning services in government owned and occupied buildings, and four construction sectors: roads; heavy engineering; sewers and water mains; and industrial, commercial and institutional.

“Every worker deserves to be paid a fair wage. And every business bidding for a government contract deserves a fair shot. We’re taking action so that employers won’t be able to win a competition by unfairly lowering workers’ wages,” said Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, in a press release issued by the province.

“Restoring the provincial fair wage policy sends a strong signal to the construction industry, that workers who pay taxes and contribute to the well-being of our province should not, and cannot be exploited by the very tax dollars that they (and all Ontarians) contribute. It’s about fairness for workers and about tackling the underground economy in construction,” added Dillon.

If enacted, the Fair Wage Policy wage schedules will be developed through consultation with partners and stakeholders to ensure they are evidence-based.

GTA new home sales plunge 67 per cent in March

The new home market in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) experienced a quiet March, with sales plunging 67 per cent year-over-year to 1,960 total new home sales, reported the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). This figure was also 21 per cent below the 10-year average for the month of March.

The 1,960 homes sold include 1,649 condominium apartments in low, medium and high-rise buildings, stacked townhouses and loft units, according to Altus Group, which provides BILD with new home market intelligence. March condominium sales were below underlying demand levels, according to Patricia Arsenault, Altus Group’s executive vice president of research consulting services.

“Some of the demand that might have normally occurred this year was brought forward last year, helping to set a record year for condo apartment sales in 2017,” she said, in a press release. “After an adjustment period, we expect the monthly pace of condo apartment sales to improve.”

There were 311 single-family homes, including detached, linked and semi-detached houses and townhouses (excluding stacked townhouses) sold in March, up on a month-over-month basis compared to the 265 sold in February. However, March’s single-family home sales were down 77 per cent compared to March 2017 and 79 per cent from the 10-year average.

This year’s new home sales numbers reflect more typical activity in the housing market after experiencing unusually strong new home sales in 2017, noted David Wilkes, BILD’s president and CEO. Last year was the fourth strongest year for new GTA home sales in nearly two decades.

“This year, the cumulative effects of government measures to cool the housing market are likely keeping many potential buyers out of the housing market,” said Wilkes. “Many may simply be taking a wait-and-see approach.”

In March, the benchmark price for new single-family homes fell slightly to $1,207,832, but this price was still 7.4 per cent higher than last year. Meanwhile, the benchmark price for new condominium apartments continued to climb to $742,801, which was a 39.4 per cent increase year-over-year. This increase in condo prices is likely due to the benchmark unit size increasing to 900 square feet from 800 square feet one year ago, while the benchmark price per square foot has increased from $666 last year to $825 in March 2018.

Low supply of new housing assisted in keeping prices high. The supply of both condominium apartments and single-family homes fell again in March, with total remaining new home inventory at 12,457 units, consisting of 8,756 condominium apartments and 3,701 single family homes. Based on the pace of sales in the past year, this amounts to about four months’ worth of inventory, far below a healthy new home market’s nine to 12 months’ worth of inventory.

“If we want to see more housing that people can afford, we need to address this region’s housing supply problem,” added Wilkes. “And for that to happen, we will all need to work together to remove barriers to development, which include outdated zoning that doesn’t support intensification, miles of government red tape, and lack of critical infrastructure.”

Q&A: What China’s plastic ban means for waste management industry

China’s decision to impose restrictions on the recycling of imported paper and plastic has caused a headache for Canadian municipalities. The limitations put in place present a challenging new dawn for the waste management sector.

Colin Bell from RecycleSmart Solutions explains what the ban means for the industry and possible solutions moving forward.

How big of a threat to our planet’s future is the proliferation and dumping of plastic items?

Plastic items that are dumped are both unsightly and dangerous. Aside from the obvious visual clutter one of the most pressing issues that humans should be concerned with is that plastic is getting into the food chain especially in marine animals. Recent studies have shown that microplastics are showing up in the fish we eat in increasing amounts. If we don’t stop dumping plastics we will be essentially poisoning ourselves through our sloppy habits.

Why did Canada ship so much of its garbage to China?

We shipped recyclable materials to China for a few reasons:

North America does not have the processing and manufacturing industries to recycle many types of materials. In many cases the cost of labour makes the current methods of sorting materials only economically feasible in low labour cost countries.

It was easy. Prior to the new regulations coming into place there was a well-established and easy to access market for all kinds of materials, there was no reason to change as the existing system was working. Suddenly the market has changed drastically and it will take some time for the industry to adapt.

A lot of the material being shipped was in fact garbage but due to cheap shipping costs and a low rate of inspections there was not a lot of motivation to change, now with much more stringent regulation a lot of material will stay in North America for disposal which in a way is probably a lot more efficient than shipping garbage around the world.

Now that the ban on foreign garbage has come into effect, what does this mean for our municipalities?

The main issue is going to be finding methods of reducing the contamination in the recycling stream. This is going to be difficult and take years to solve. There are a few ways you can reduce contamination.

First, you can do more source separation which means instead of having residents mix paper, plastic, metal etc. into one bin, you educate and provide citizens with separate containers for paper, plastic, metal, and other materials.

This is a huge change in both citizen’s mindsets and equipment/bins. Remember for a city with a one bin system currently this could mean more than doubling the number of recycling bins that need to be purchased, managed and picked up.

A second way to reduce contamination is by investing in better sorting technology. Recently, Torontonians became aware that black plastic is actually not recyclable in the city’s blue bin system because the plant that processes the blue bin recycling is not capable of sorting black plastics items.

In this case the plant would need to be upgraded in order to sort black plastic, which would then reduce the amount of material that the city is sending to landfill and clean up the sorted material that the city is exporting (or trying to).

Would you say the industry is in crisis? And what are the solutions?

I wouldn’t say the industry is in crisis. However it is undergoing a major shift. For years, China would take anything we ship their way. But as of January 1st 2018, it’s not as easy anymore. This means North America needs to get creative and find new markets. This change of path has already begun as evidenced by the trade data from the US, which shows a huge shift in the end destinations for materials.

In January 2017, China and Hong Kong accepted 77 per cent of recovered plastic exports. By December of 2018, that number had fallen to only 18 per cent. Emerging markets in India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have taken some of the volume but a substantial amount of plastic waste is still seeking a home.

Solutions:

Source Separation – The last few years have seen a move towards more mixed or “comingled” recycling programs where materials are mixed together. While people love the convenience of mixing plastic, paper and metal in one bin, the reality is that it does not create clean and easily recyclable material. If your facility produces materials that can be easily separated, it’s helpful to re-evaluate how the materials can be separated using on site collection systems and containers.

More aggressive sorting will produce higher quality materials, but there is a cost associated either through higher labour costs or investment in more advanced sorting equipment. Overall, source separation may require more work and upfront investment, but in the long-run it will enable the continuous operation of your recycling program.

Start Innovating – If there was a time to take a good look at your current processes and systems it is now. More important than ever, you should review what waste by-products your facility is producing and what you can do with them.

Everything from reusing material in-house or finding a complementary use for cutoffs/by-products should be considered. An example is the auto maker Subaru, which has developed a process in its manufacturing plants where bumpers that are made with imperfections can be reground on the spot to make new bumpers.

Find A Local Source For Your Material – One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. It might take a bit of upfront work, but imagine finding another business across town or next door that needs what you are currently shipping to China (or just found out you can’t anymore).

Often the barrier to finding someone who wants your material is the legwork, but thanks to the internet, the amount of effort required is greatly reduced. Take for example the Austin Material Marketplace where companies are posting and finding homes for all kinds of materials.

Most of these sites are free so there is no real risk in posting and seeing if anyone wants what you’ve got. A good Canadian example is MaterialExchane.ca which focuses on businesses in the GTA area of Ontario.

What will the new regulations relating to waste management mean for property and real estate managers in Canada?

Unfortunately it means waste management and recycling is going to become more time consuming and complicated.

While the recycling market may have transformed, there are still opportunities to responsibly and cost effectively recycle materials. It may take more time and effort but for companies committed to reducing the amount of waste disposed of in landfill/incinerator it’s still possible.

To future-proof your business, it pays to know the resources available to you. They may include specialized waste brokers or consultants who often have relationships or market knowledge that can be invaluable when looking for creative solutions.

Colin Bell is a Managing Partner with RecycleSmart Solutions, a Vancouver based waste and recycling consulting firm that works with businesses to create and implement smart recycling programs. He can be reached at [email protected], www.recycle-smart.com

VRCA launches Zero Emissions Building Centre

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) in partnership with the City of Vancouver , Passive House Canada and the Open Green Building Society has announced the launch of the Vancouver Zero Emissions Building Centre of Excellence (the Centre), a collaborative platform to strengthen the public, private and civic capacities to deliver zero emissions buildings.

As host of the Centre, VRCA will work closely with many key partners as well as industry stakeholders that have voiced their support for this initiative.

The mission of the Centre is to rapidly accelerate the capacity and enthusiasm of local developers, designers and builders to deliver cost-effective, attractive, zero emissions new residential and commercial buildings in Vancouver. Recognizing that knowledge, inspiration, and the building industry itself is not confined to municipal boundaries, the Centre aspires to learn from both local and global leaders and to expand its mission to support zero emissions building across the province.

“The development and launch of the Centre aligns perfectly with our association’s strategic direction to foster an environment that encourages collaboration, innovation and continuous learning across the industry,” says VRCA president Fiona Famulak. “We’re excited to work with our many partners to bring Canada’s first ever Zero Emissions Building Centre of Excellence to life.”

The Centre will be located at the Hive, 128 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver. Helen Goodland of Brantwood Consulting will serve as interim executive director. An official launch of the Centre is planned for summer 2018.

“Vancouver is fortunate to have an innovative and courageous building industry,” says Gil Kelley, general manager of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability for the City of Vancouver.

“I am excited that the city could help to establish this Centre where zero emissions industry leaders from across British Columbia and from around the world will share information and lessons learned in developing cost effective, attractive, zero emissions buildings. Our aim is to create healthier, more comfortable and sustainable homes while creating opportunities for local workers and industry to thrive.”

Acton Ostry Architects announce new associates

Acton Ostry Architects (AOA) has announced new associates Milos Begovic, Mark Simpson and Nathaniel Straathof at the Vancouver firm. The new associates join principals Russell Acton and Mark Ostry; associate principals, Alan Davies and Alex Percy; and, associates Ruth Chau, Derek Fleming, and Matt Wood in leading future growth of the firm.

Milos Begovic joined AOA in 2015 and is currently the project lead for an extensive redevelopment of Vancouver College that includes a campus master plan, academic quadrangle, chapel, middle school, and elementary school with a heritage facade retention.

Mark Simpson joined AOA in 2007 and is currently the project lead for the Lord Tennyson Elementary School and Child Care, which is part of the Vancouver School Board seismic upgrade replacement program and in partnership with the City of Vancouver to expand child care spaces throughout the city.

Nathaniel Straathof joined AOA in 2006. He is currently the project lead for the full seismic upgrade and renewal of the Hebb Building for the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UBC, which was originally designed by Thompson Berwick and Pratt Architects in the 1960s.

Acton Ostry Architects is currently celebrating its 25th year. Over the years, the practice has received more than 100 local, national, and international design awards. Recent notable projects include Brock Commons Tallwood House, UBC Aquatic Centre, York House Senior School, and Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue.