BOMI Canada presents Vyetta Sunderland Scholarship Award

Augustine Imade is this year’s winner of the Vyetta Sunderland Scholarship Award, given to a Canadian student who is in pursuit of advancing his or her property management career or entering the property management field.

BOMI Canada with the support of BOMI International, established the annual $2,000 scholarship in recognition of Vyetta Sunderland’s focus on excellence and her lifelong commitment to education. Having served as Chairman of BOMI Canada from 1999 to 2004, Vyetta went on to be a long serving member of BOMI International’s Board (2000 to 2015) and served as their Chair from 2008 to 2011.

Imade is the property manager for Keegano Housing Co-operative, one of Edmonton’s oldest housing co-operatives. He is committed to his professional development along with the education of others. As a volunteer teaching undergraduate math and physics, he also volunteers at his church as well as with the United Way.

In response to accepting the award, Imade noted that the scholarship represented an opportunity to fully focus his attention on achieving the best that he can be in property and facility management.

BOMI Canada says he represents the focus and drive characteristic of many BOMI students and would like to congratulate him on being this year’s recipient.

Slow progress to achieve B.C. climate change goals

A report by the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) finds that little progress has been made towards climate change goals as set out in the BC Climate Action Charter, which was signed by the province of B.C., the Union of BC Municipalities, and local governments 10 years ago. To achieve emissions reductions, local governments agreed to take action (with provincial support) towards “creating complete, compact, more energy efficient rural and urban communities.”

But the report finds efforts to shift travel to public transit, walking and cycling has been slow. Despite commitments to reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020, GHGs associated with personal transportation (the largest GHG contributor in B.C.) remain near 2007 levels. If this trend continues, B.C. will not meet its 2020 commitment to reduce GHG emissions

The report recommends strengthening the Charter’s smart growth foundations by better integrating land use and transportation planning in B.C. communities.

“The connection between land use and transportation is often overlooked in climate strategies,” says REFBC CEO Jack Wong. “Accommodating population growth in existing neighbourhoods helps to support diverse housing and transportation options that, in turn, lower municipal infrastructure costs and reduce community GHG emissions.”

While the B.C. government has steadily increased spending on transit, these investments have been outpaced by spending on infrastructure that supports personal vehicle travel. The report finds that, for every $1 spent on transit between 2008 and 2011, $4.50 was spent on roads and bridges. For 2017 to 2020, road and bridge spending is projected to increase to $6.50 for every $1 allocated to transit.

Stronger integration of land use and transportation planning will help the province meet its climate action targets. To support this, the report makes 10 recommendations to provincial ministries.

Recommendations include:

Use market-based tools to expand transportation choice and more fairly share the costs of transportation infrastructure.
Update community GHG reduction targets and provide provincial support to meet them.
Reinvest in B.C.’s Community Energy and Emissions Inventory (CEEI) system to provide defensible transportation sector data.

The report was commissioned by the Real Estate Foundation of BC as part of its research on sustainable built environments in British Columbia. The report was prepared by Boston Consulting, with review and consultation from the Smart Growth Task Force.

Download the report at bit.ly/growing-smarter

Keeping floors clean during seasonal storms

Knowing how to regularly keep facility floors clean during unexpected weather conditions can plague businesses.

“A clean floor speaks volumes about a business,” said John Engel, director of marketing for Cintas. “If the weather causes customers and employees to track in mud, rain and debris, the floors see the worst of it. By following a comprehensive floor cleaning program, facilities can enjoy peace of mind and know they’re doing their best to protect and project a positive image onto customers.”

To help protect floors before and after a seasonal storm, here is a cleaning checklist from Cintas to ease the task and enhance a floor cleaning program.

Schedule periodic deep cleans. Floor deep cleans use cleaning chemicals, dwell time and high-pressure steam to sanitize and remove buildup and accumulation of dirt and grime. From hard surfaces such as tile and natural stone, to wood or vinyl flooring, periodic deep cleans help improve the static coefficient of friction by removing layers of dirt that accumulate over time.

Implement a matting program. Businesses without proper entrance matting will have a hard time keeping floors clean and hazards such as dirt, debris and precipitation at the door. In addition to eliminating the accumulation of slippery excess moisture and puddles, ISSA states that entrance matting of at least six feet can remove 40 per cent of soil, 12 feet can remove 80 per cent of soil and 36 feet of matting can remove 99 per cent of soil.

Perform daily cleaning. Spills, tracked in debris and dust accumulation can cause floors to become sticky or slippery. Supervise employees to ensure intermittent floor cleaning is performed at regular intervals and immediately after spills. Consider using floor mops with an on-board cleaning chemical reservoir, such as a pulse mop, to quickly clean up spills throughout the day.

Use the correct dilution for cleaning chemicals. Incorrect cleaning chemicals or the wrong dilution may not clean as well as intended and may cause floors to be sticky or slippery. Make sure employees know which products to use, where to use them and how to dilute them properly. Consider installing an easy-to-use, push-button cleaning chemical dispensing system that ensures the correct dilution to optimize cleaning.

Upgrade your cleaning tools. Tool selection is an important step in ensuring floors are properly cleaned. Microfiber cleaning tools offer superior cleaning performance and better infection control than traditional mops and towels. According to Rubbermaid, microfiber products are proven to remove 80 per cent more dust and dirt than traditional mops, ensuring floors are cleaner.

Consider using a dual-chamber mop and bucket system instead of a traditional mop and bucket when cleaning floors. Dual-chamber systems separate dirty mop water from the cleaning chemical solution to prevent dirt from being mopped back onto floors.

Red River College awards project to Diamond Schmitt

Winnipeg’s Red River College has awarded a $95-million Innovation Centre project to Diamond Schmitt Architects in joint venture with Number TEN Architectural Group. The 100,000-square-foot facility will include new construction and a repurposed downtown heritage building to create state-of-the-art facilities in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.

Diamond Schmitt and Number TEN were selected for their combined team experience designing flexible, collaborative educational space that can easily be adapted to suit evolving learning methods.

“We are excited to work with Red River College to design a facility that prepares students for their careers and enables both the college and the business community to work together,” said Sydney Brown, principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects, in a press release.

In an effort to help students bring their projects to marketplace development, the Innovation Centre will feature a pitch session room and open teaching areas that Red River College calls “collision” spaces that accommodate students working together alongside industry and social service partners.

The federal government contributed $40.6 million in funding towards the project through its post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund (SIF), which requires a fast-track construction timeline. The project is currently in the design stage, with the expectation that construction will begin within 12 months, according to Red River College president Paul Vogt. Red River College plans to implement a major fundraising campaign to raise an additional $54.8 million to support the project’s development.

The new facility will be located at Red River College’s Exchange District campus and will include the century-old Scott Fruit Building. Another existing structure will be demolished to make way for the project and building site preparations are currently underway.

“Red River College is a forward-thinking institution that recognizes the important role that innovation and industry partnerships play in creating the best opportunities for today’s workforce,” added Doug Hanna, a partner at Number TEN that led the design for Red River College’s new Skilled Trades and Technology Centre, which is currently under construction. “Our team combines Diamond Schmitt’s industry-leading experience in the design of similar facilities across Canada with Number TEN’s reputation for design excellence in the Winnipeg market.”

The Condominium Authority of Ontario launches

In its first month in operation, the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) fielded 330 calls and 130 emails from condo directors, managers and owners, and registered 524 condo corporations.

Registering the remainder of the province’s estimated 10,000 condo corporations before the end of the year is a focus for the new non-profit organization as it works to increase awareness of its services, said Tom Wright, chair of the CAO. In the days leading up to the official launch of its operations, a poll of 1,000 people found that only 14 per cent of respondents had heard of the authority.

The CAO was established under changes to Ontario’s condo laws aimed at improving consumer protection, which are being brought into effect in phases starting this fall. The authority began providing information services Sept. 1 and is scheduled to begin providing director education and dispute resolution services Nov. 1.

“Right now, the most common issue we’re dealing with is the matter of how does a condo become registered, which is a requirement,” said Wright.

Wright said the CAO has been hearing from representatives of condo corporations that were missed in its mail out of information packages. Identifying and tracking down accurate addresses for all of the province’s condo corporations has proven challenging in the absence of a public registry, which the first of what will become annual filings will help to create.

The CAO is now calling on condo boards and managers to email [email protected] to request the invitation codes required to register for condo corporations that have not received them. The authority needs to get corporations registered to collect the assessments that will support the CAO’s operations, which are expected to run on a projected annual budget of around $10 million.

The assessment, to be paid by owners via common fees and remitted by condo corporations, works out to roughly $1 per unit per month. Due Dec. 31, the first assessment will capture the seven months spanning from the beginning of September through to the end of March.

In addition to fielding inquiries about registration, the CAO has been receiving general questions about condo living, such as obligations to pay special assessments and responsibilities for repairs and maintenance. Wright said the calls and emails the authority receives will inform new content as it builds out its website, which is intended to serve as a 24/7 resource for condo directors, owners and residents.

The CAO is also receiving questions about accessing condo corporation records, the first type of dispute that will eligible to be heard by the Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT) when its services become available Nov. 1.

The CAO’s board recently named Ian Darling the first chair of the CAT — a position which attracted a lot of interest, said Wright. He said Darling saw the role of the tribunal much the same way the authority did, being to resolve disputes versus to hand down rulings.

“It would not be a traditional tribunal that is there basically to make decisions,” Wright said of what the CAO’s board envisioned. “That’s a last resort.”

Conceived as a cheaper, faster alternative to taking condo disagreements to court, the tribunal will offer dispute resolution services in three stages, the last of which involves an adjudicator handing down a binding ruling. Before that, parties will have to attempt to resolve their disagreements through guided negotiation, and, failing that, assisted resolution with help from a tribunal member.

The person who makes the application is required to pay user fees for each stage of dispute resolution, which escalate up to $200 total.

All of the tribunal’s services, including formal adjudication, will be offered electronically as opposed to in-person, making it the province’s first online-only dispute resolution system.

With demand for the tribunal’s services difficult to predict, starting out with a scope limited to disputes about access to records will allow the tribunal to focus on delivering the best possible service, said Wright.

“Although it’s based on a system that is being used in the province of Quebec, it’s been adjusted to the Ontario setting, so we wanted to make sure it’s working,” he said, “because the last thing we want is frustration on the part of people who want to use it.”

Once the system has been tested, the government is expected to amend the regulations to add other types of disputes to the list of issues that can be taken to the tribunal.

The CAO is currently testing training for condo directors, which will be available for free online and become mandatory to complete for directors elected from Nov. 1 onward. The four pilot modules cover the basics of condo living, the laws governing condos, director roles and responsibilities and community leadership.

Whether director training improves the governance of condo corporations is one way Wright will be measuring the success of the authority. How well-used the tribunal is and how quickly disputes get resolved are other benchmarks he said he’ll be watching.

“Bottom line: [The CAO] will be seen as the trusted source for information about condo living in Ontario,” said Wright. “That, to me, is the measure [of success].”

Meanwhile, with each passing week, the authority is seeing its website traffic and call and email volumes grow as it works to raise its profile, said Wright.

“We want people to be aware of the resources that are available to them, primarily through the website,” he said. “We’re also very interested in feedback in terms of: What is it that the CAO can do that will help you to make your condo community a better place to live?”

Michelle Ervin is the editor of CondoBusiness.

New FRPO report looks at Vacancy Decontrol

The Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) released its second research report authored by Shaun Hildebrand of Urbanation. The first FRPO report, released two weeks ago entitled Ontario Rental Market: Measuring the Supply Gap addressed the current rental housing market, noting a shortfall of 6,000 rental units in supply annually.

The new FRPO report entitled Ontario Rental Market: Renovation Investment and Role of Vacancy Decontrol highlighted the economic importance of vacancy decontrol, noting $5.2 billion in renovation investment since 2012. Key findings of the new report also include that three quarters (77 per cent) of purpose-built rentals in Ontario received renovation expenditures of $5,000 or more since 2012 with a total investment of $5.2 billion as a result of vacancy decontrol.

As FRPO asserts, “Vacancy decontrol is a key component on Ontario’s Rental Tenancies Act. With the next provincial election approaching, it is important the industry detail the economic contribution and impact of this policy.”

FRPO will be offering a webinar with Shaun Hildebrand on Thursday, October 26th at 11 am as he provides more detail on his two reports. Registration is $25 for members and $40 for non-members.

More details can be found at the FRPO Webinar site.

Warmer weather to boost fall rodent activity

Summer-like conditions this past September and now October will contribute to higher rodent activity in the fall season, according to pest management experts who see a lot of action during warmer weather when rodents produce healthier litters than in colder months.

“The more food available and litters born, the more rodents will be seen,” says Alice Sinia, Quality Assurance Manager, Regulatory/Lab Services for Orkin Canada.

Orkin Canada branches in southern Ontario already reported a 20 to 25 per cent increase in rodent calls this past summer. The heightened activity is said to stem from a combination of higher temperatures and the construction season, as sites provide more temporary shelter, food and water.

“Construction also drives rodents out of their natural habitat into the open and to neighbouring homes and buildings,” says Sinia. “Consequently, people see them more. There is also plenty of food available during summer, which can support vibrant rodent populations overlapping in some areas.”

This activity is expected to prolong itself into fall, also because the unseasonably warm weather after August may allow more rodents to survive, reach maturity and reproduce. Parts of Ontario have already seen heat warnings in September, and Environment Canada is predicting a warmer-than-normal October in specific areas.

Once cooler autumn temperatures kick in, more rodents may be scurrying into facilities for shelter.

“Unlike other animals that retain body heat, mice aren’t accustomed to cold weather and will die very quickly,” says Peter Power, president of Power Pest Control. “They have to find ways of getting into buildings to stay warm.”

Rodent Entry Points

Key entry points depend on the facility, but Power suggests facility managers pay attention to sealing pipes that enter a building and checking for any structural issues, such as a crack in the foundation or a gap large enough for a rodent to stick its head through.

Maintenance staff should perform general and thorough inspections of the structure and facility to identify all potential entry points, adds Sinia. Any opening more than one-quarter inch (six to seven millimetres) is big enough for mice and half an inch is big enough for rats. Besides cracks, crevices and pipes, she suggests checking openings in walls voids, holes around utility lines, unscreened vents, ventilator grills, poorly sealed or unsealed exterior doors (door seals) and sidewalk gratings.

Loading dock doors are also popular entry points, says Power, who has noticed oversights when working in commercial facilities. He recommends making sure the overhead dock door and bristles and brush are tight when closed, and ensuring mechanical traps on both sides of the dock door are checked regularly and are clean and in good working order.

“In addition to mechanical traps on the interior, businesses can use exterior bait stations so that mice and other vermin can feed on the poison to help reduce populations around the facility,” says Powers. “Commercial establishments should always have a proactive not reactive pest control plan for integrated pest management, and a technician should be able to understand what they can and cannot do because of certain protocols.”

Get out of the Rat Race

Since rodents are attracted to food, a lesser known source of nourishment is bird seed, says Powers, which is often scattered around bird feeders at homes and even long-term care facilities.

Monitoring and inspecting for rodent activity on a regular basis is crucial, adds Sinia. When it comes to rodent proofing and sanitation, here are some more tips from Orkin:

Seal all identified holes with appropriate rodent proof-material; for example, use less than one-quarter wire mesh or galvanized wire cloth. Plug holes and screen unused or defective drains.
Eliminate potential habourage sites by practicing good landscape management. Get rid of dense shrubs, weeds and vegetative coverings around the building, which provides protection and breeding sites for rodents. If possible, maintain at least a 21-inch vegetation-free strip around the building using gravel. This will prevent attraction to the building and burrowing in the foundation.
For proper garbage management, clean food spills and crumbs promptly and regularly, especially in schools. Eat food only in designated areas to help prevent food littering.
Use proper garbage receptacles and empty them promptly and regularly to help prevent rodent activity.
In schools, eliminate clutter in classrooms and storage areas, such as the janitor’s room, cafeteria and dry food storage areas.

QuadReal Property Group expands executive team

QuadReal Property Group has added three new senior appointments to its eight-member executive team to help drive corporate and investment strategy.

Roger J. Chouinard, chief legal officer and corporate secretary and Garry P. Herdler, chief financial officer join Dennis Lopez, chief executive officer as the most recent additions to the QuadReal executive team. The executive team’s formation comes a year after QuadReal was created to manage and grow bcIMC’s $24.5 billion global real estate portfolio.

“Over the past year, we have attracted an accomplished group of proven industry leaders with experience and expertise in all our key markets – Canada, the US, Europe and Asia Pacific,” said Paul Cantor, board chair, QuadReal. “With our full executive team in place, we will deliver on our commitments to provide peerless service to tenants and residents, best-in-class investment and development partnerships, and a workplace that inspires and rewards employee excellence.”

The executive team also includes the following executives who have been with QuadReal since launch: Steve Barnett, chief operating officer; Remco Daal, president, Canadian Real Estate; Jonathan Dubois-Phillips, president, International Real Estate; Diane MacDiarmid, chief talent officer; and Susan L. MacLaurin, EVP, corporate communications.

“I am proud and privileged to lead this talented and motivated team of real estate and business leaders,” said Lopez, who brings to QuadReal a track record of success in CEO, CIO and MD roles at large real estate asset management and investment firms. “We are moving forward with ambition and conviction, in Canada and global cities around the world, to continue to develop communities where people want to live, work and play.”

Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, QuadReal Property Group is a Canadian real estate investment, development and management company operating on a global scale. The company’s $24.5 billion portfolio spans 23 global cities across 17 countries.

Site launches to promote universal access to menstrual care supplies

HOSPECO, a leading supplier of vended menstrual care products, introduced a new microsite, which contains resources to help people start their own Period Partner campaigns, as well as product information, case studies, and tools to guide businesses looking to join the movement.

The Period Partner initiative values the belief that menstrual care products are necessities, too. Tampons and pads should be readily available in every public restroom outside the home. HOSPECO has worked with various women’s organizations to advocate for universal access to these products. The company hopes to generate a change in what is expected in well-appointed, away-from-home restrooms.

Almost every person who menstruates has experienced an unexpected need for menstrual care supplies away from home. In fact, in an American survey, 86 per cent of people reported that they’ve started their periods unexpectedly in public without the supplies they needed.

“The bathroom equality movement is real and these products should be as readily available as toilet paper and just as free,” said Bill Hemann, HOSPECO vice president of sales and marketing. “We hope the new microsite will continue the conversation about this important issue. It’s time for public restrooms to evolve into the 21st century. It shouldn’t have taken this long.”

Amber Trails Community School in Winnipeg named Greenest School in Canada

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Canada Coalition for Green Schools named Amber Trails Community School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the winner of the annual CaGBC Greenest School in Canada competition.

Located in the heart of a new neighbourhood in North Winnipeg, Amber Trails is a 78,000 square foot newly constructed building that acts not just as a school, but as an open and accessible hub within the community.

Besides achieving more than a 50 per cent reduction in water use, the school achieved more than 68 per cent in energy savings and a lower carbon footprint with a combination of geothermal heating and cooling, radiant floor heating, low-flow fixtures and other initiatives.

Each classroom has three large windows and a partially glazed wall separating the classroom from the hallway, allowing for fresh air, outdoor views and natural light to come into the classroom. They say this has many positive impacts on the mental and physical well-being of both students and teachers.

In addition, a student-run organic vegetable farm was developed last summer, enabling students in the farming club to work together with a farm coordinator to cultivate a mixture of more than 20 varieties of vegetables, which are sold to staff and community members.

The school received LEED Platinum certification in 2016, and won the CaGBC’s Excellence in Green Building for New Construction award in May 2017.
“By weaving sustainability into the culture and curriculum of their LEED Platinum certified school, Amber Trails is teaching its students the most important lessons about our natural environment, while inspiring them to be next generation leaders,” says CaGBC President and CEO Thomas Mueller.

Amber Trails will receive a $2,000 cash award to put toward a new or ongoing sustainability project. The CaGBC Greenest School jury is comprised of green building industry experts from across the country.

The emerging talent of architect D’Arcy Jones

Vancouver architect D’Arcy Jones spends a great deal of time thinking about potential – the potential to transform a space, to maximize a site or to inject fresh life into an older building.

The desire to create thoughtful, high quality and intensely detailed designs has guided his firm’s work, which has been predominantly residential (often challenging renovations) but is now expanding into non-residential.

Although Jones has been practicing architecture since 2000, he only became a registered architect four years ago. The path to professional registration was untraditional, but his talent and tenacity has earned him a national reputation for innovative, efficient and modern design.

While architects typically train or intern in established firms before opening their own firms, Jones became self-employed right after graduating with a Master of Architecture degree and has never looked back.

He ran a one-man architectural practice out of his home in Vancouver’s west end before moving to an office in Mount Pleasant in 2005.

His early design achievements have not only earned him clients, but also prestigious industry accolades. His firm D’Arcy Jones Architecture (DJA) received two 2017 awards that recognize exemplary promise and distinguished architecture: the AIBC Emerging Firm Award and the RAIC Emerging Architectural Practice.

Earning recognition provincially and nationally within two weeks was “a big honour” and validates the hard work that’s been put into creating good designs, says Jones.

These awards join a string of other prominent ones already received. In 2014, Jones won the Ronald J. Thom Award for Early Design Achievement from the Canada Council for the Arts, which recognizes outstanding creative talent and potential in architectural design early in a career. There have also been two Canadian Architect Awards of Merit and the inaugural Arthur Erickson Memorial Award.

His firm also won a 2017 AIBC Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture Medal for Friesen Wong House. Built on a rocky hill in Coldwater, B.C., the design was budget driven but Jones was able to deliver a technically sophisticated house structurally and thermally. The house complements its homeowners’ lifestyle and rustic setting, featuring long cantilevered concrete slabs, burned fir planks, raw concrete blocks and steel sheets.

“It’s a stand out project because it was so successful,” says Jones. “The burned wood technique was done by the owner and his dad and will last without the need for stain. The house has twice the R-value that code requires and no air conditioning.”

Regardless of the project size or type, the firm’s approach is to have an open mind, clear ideas and to balance budgets with excellence and technical accuracy. DJA’s design process focuses on quality craftsmanship and fostering close relationships with builders.

“We do tons of drawings for every project…so much is determined by the front end work and design work,” he says. “We are tenacious about how our projects are built so finding the best builders is as important as creating good design.”

It was his early interest in drawing that led him down the path to architecture. Born in Fort St John, Jones grew up in Abbotsford and enjoyed drawing and building. A drafting class in Grade 11 sparked that interest further, and he would go on to obtain two bachelor degrees in environmental design from the University of Manitoba (1995) and Dalhousie University (1997). He then received a Master of Architecture degree in 1999 at the University of Manitoba.

Jones designed his first project in 1996 – a house commissioned by his parents – and it was so successful that he began working for himself right after finishing architectural school.

“I’ve never been traditionally employed,” he notes. “I’ve joint ventured with architects when I needed someone registered and that’s how I logged my time as an intern.”

Today, DJA is a nine-person firm and projects include housing, renovations, galleries, interiors and commercial spaces in a distinct modern style. While many of the details and ideas from early projects inform current ones, each project is treated as a “clean slate” to create something unique.

Jones runs a challenging work environment where everyone (interns, juniors or seniors) is responsible for leading two to three projects. He believes this offers a better rounded experience than being restricted to specific tasks.

“I like to be involved in every job and I’m always in the loop. The focus is to deliver a high quality product no matter what the project is,” he says. “We do turn away more work than we accept – to maintain that quality.”

DJA has current and completed projects throughout B.C., as well as in Ontario, Switzerland, California and Washington.

Now that he is licensed, Jones is broadening the scope of the firm to include non-residential projects such as commercial and institutional buildings as well as larger multi-family residential.

“We only want to work on non-residential that are very boutique and design driven – not market driven,” explains Jones, adding the goal is to grow the portfolio to be 50/50 in residential and non-residential.

Sustainability is also integrated naturally into DJA’s design process, often through the use of robust and common building materials over exotic and imported materials.

“Even with modest materials, design can be thoughtful and creative,” he says. “My favourite projects use stucco and drywall.”

A good example is the Brown Cabin on Hornby Island, which embraces crude stucco and wood to achieve a modern sensibility without being elaborate. Another highlight project is the Monte Clark Gallery where rustic industrial materials were executed modestly to transform a former derelict paint shop into a popular art space.

Most of the firm’s work has been “intense renovations” of single-family homes. And it all began with the 430 House, which is a stunning example of the retention of an iconic Vancouver building form. While the entire foundation and structure of the house were retained, Jones completely reimagines the Vancouver Special with contemporary and gracious spaces. The success of that project created a huge demand for his firm that subsequently led to other renovation projects.

DJA’s commitment to innovation means embracing the most sophisticated technology available. So while the recent slate of building code changes (provincially and locally) might be daunting to some, DJA has been specifying products that meet today’s code for more than 10 years. Jones cites windows as an example.

“We’ve already been using the best European windows we could find so we didn’t bat an eye when the code changed here,” he says. “We pick quality and large window sizes to maximize on views and the bonus is they are thermally sophisticated.”

As for the future, Jones believes for Vancouver to grow to the next level, single-family home neighbourhoods will have to evolve.

“They shouldn’t be replaced by towers, it should be row houses…like New York did on the Upper West Side and East Side,” he says. “We’re working on a few projects like that and there is a growing conversation around the issue.”

Jones also gives back to the industry by sitting on design panels, teaching and lecturing. He was an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, teaching studios and serving as a thesis advisor and guest critic. Most recently he was a guest critic at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design.

Outside of work, the 45-year-old is a father-of-three and enjoys travelling, art painting and being a “perpetual student” through YouTube lectures.

Cheryl Mah is managing editor of Design Quarterly

Office buildings urged to be facilitators of change

Creative programming can add value to properties in an increasingly competitive leasing environment, but such unique elements aren’t at the forefront of the office sector, which is predominately ruled by traditional concepts. Such is a mindset that has to evolve, according to a panel of industry insiders who recently spoke at the Real Estate Leasing & Strategy Conference in downtown Toronto.

“If office buildings don’t become facilitators of change, they will dry up,” said Dermot Sweeny, president of Sweeny & Co Architects. “Office buildings typically have a negative connotation. They look like they shut down at a certain time; we associate them with toil and with being late. But they could be the most powerful facilitators of positive change.”

Developing unique buildings and attracting tenants with amenities were key topics posed by moderator Stephen Messinger, partner at Minden Gross. The panel highlighted examples as they discussed how collaborative zones, common meeting rooms and areas, outdoor spaces, fitness centers and creative food courts can differentiate a property and be built into underutilized spaces. Here are some transformative ideas to consider when thinking about an office property as a facilitator of change.

Density and demographics

For Evan Weinberg, senior property manager at Cadillac Fairview, density and demographics are key themes when thinking about programming strategies to win over tenants.

“The amount of people working per square foot has evolved over the past ten years and will continue to rise,” he said. “There are expectations around the types of spaces we’re offering and opportunities for collaborative and engaging spaces that extend beyond the traditional office space. There are additional pressures and opportunities to capitalize on that.”

In terms of demographics, employees working in the core of a downtown see the office as an extension of their live-work-play atmosphere. As a result, their expectations of what a work experience means include shareable moments that are experiential.

The audience was reminded that millennials are the largest generation entering prime spending years on the brink of home purchases, families and marriage. They are also more educated than previous generations.

“Better educated workers are a strong indicator of higher spending power,” said Messinger. “They demand customization, personalization and the real estate industry is responding by offering better places to eat and be entertained.”

More per square foot with less square feet

For Sweeny, millennials are pushing the commercial real estate community to understand that urbanism is better than suburbanism and life is more important than spending time on transit or in a car.

“What the smart phone has done is it’s brought all kinds of experiential things to us during the day no matter what we’re doing – we’re relating to other people,” he said. “As this happens, we become more urban and want a higher quality of life.”

During his first 15 years in the office sector, the conversation revolved around getting the leasable areas up.

“Now, there is tremendous transformation in the office world where people are wanting more per square foot by having less square feet and doing things on the basis of what people want. It’s all about that life experience; they want to be social, they want collaboration space, they want higher quality food accessible to them all the time, better coffee. But really, it’s about being social. We’re generally becoming far more urban.”

Attract people outside of work hours

Whether it’s a farmers market or musicians coming in to perform for an hour or two, thinking beyond the square box performa is key for Brad Keast, vice-president of development for Osmington Inc., the head lessee of Union Station’s revitalized retail landscape.

The transit hub has become more of a destination infused with creative programming. A food court with traditional tenants now features “amazing operators” who offer a new reason for people to be there.

“At Union Station, we know commuters are there four hours a day, so for the other 20 hours, how do you bring people down there?” posed Keast. “What programming do you implement to attract people, but more specifically, attract the people who are shopping in stores that the event is happening right in front of?”

For a building manger in the office or retail sector looking to increase value with these collaborative zones, Keast suggests really understanding the property’s advantages and what type of tenancy it’s trying to attract. Ultimately, the programming will support the tenants.

When building infrastructure around programming, instead of renting items all the time, build them into a property and treat the people coming — performers, musicians, farmers, etc. —with respect, and pay them accordingly.

For example, Osmington dedicated 1300 square feet of leasable space to build a secure green room for performers to use, just for the purpose of supporting the property’s programming, which will lead to more consumer traffic.

When Sweeny & Co Architects repositioned the BC Gas building in Vancouver, all the potential developers wanted to remove the raked theatre seating. The purchasing developer left it in and charged an hourly rate. Now, it’s used by performers at night, handed over to building tenants during the day and leased seven out of every ten hours, in turn, generating huge revenue.

Make it new

Madeleine Nicholls, vice-president of retail for Dream Office REIT, expects to see more demand for creative programming in the future.

For future developments, she suggests engaging the community and asking them what they envision the development looking like, which will get them thinking about the property years ahead.

She also pointed out Dream’s existing projects, such as the 30,000-square foot outdoor space at Adelaide Place that featured 12 food vendors, eight days a week and brought in thousands of people over the past summer, not only office tenants. Adding a unique feature like that for a short period of time creates anticipation and makes it “new.” It’s also low cost and adds the social aspect of interaction.

“People are looking for a sense of community, social interaction and this big blending of work life and home life. People were picking up produce before they left for the evening as there are not a lot of grocery stores in downtown Toronto.”

Dream recently purchased 135 properties in the Netherlands, from Marin Group who had a chronic vacancy issue in several buildings, which pushed them to rethink their strategy and create more common areas on the ground floor, with cafes and lounges, and are now fully occupied, with companies from surrounding buildings using the spaces for meetings.

In the past, said Nicholls, people thought the leasable square footage had to be 95 per cent behind the front door. Now it’s really swinging and could be 70 per cent behind the front door and 30 per cent in the lobby where they mix and mingle.

“Cities are becoming more important,” added Sweeney. “Your first thing is your lobby: how it works, how it feels, that it’s not only integrated with the building, but more importantly, how it’s a part of the city — it’s a living room on the city.”

Become the location

“For years, people in real estate have always said ‘location, location, location,’ but it’s the buildings that change to become the location, which will be the most sought after in the future,” said Sweeny.

He pointed out King and Bay as a desirable location, but asked the audience to think about what location people want to be in once they’re there.

“It will come down to desire,” he said. “You’re going to start to see buildings facilitating change, and those that don’t, will die.”

Toronto’s Canoe Landing Centre breaks ground

Construction has officially started on the Canoe Landing Centre, a multi-use facility located on the site formerly known as Block 31, at the corner of Fort York Boulevard and Brunel Court in Toronto’s CityPlace neighbourhood.

Integrated with the adjacent Canoe Landing Park, the new facility will include two elementary schools, in partnership with the TDSB and TCDSB, a community centre and a child care centre. Jean Lumb Public School (TDSB) and Bishop Macdonell Catholic (TCDSB) will each have a capacity of 550 children ranging from kindergarten to the eighth grade. Canoe Landing Child Care Centre will serve a total of 54 children, from infants to preschoolers. The mixed-use facility, designed by ZAS Architects, is expected to open in September 2019.

“I’m excited that families living in higher density communities such as this one will have access to these much-needed services,” said Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 20 Trinity-Spadina) in a press release. “Not only will this facility fit with the surrounding architecture but it will be seamlessly integrated with the very popular Canoe Landing Park to provide more public space for the community to enjoy.”

The facility will feature a green roof, shared gym, separate outdoor play areas for each age group and various energy efficient elements within a modern, three-storey structure.

In 1992, Canadian National Railways transferred ownership of Block 31 to the City of Toronto. Since then, the city has entered into an agreement with the TDSB and the TCDSB to develop the site. Development levies were used to fund the facility’s construction.

“I am thrilled that schools, a community centre and child care are becoming a reality in this amazing, growing neighbourhood,” said TDSB Trustee Ausma Malik. “This collaborative project sets an example for how together we enrich and meet the needs of a vibrant and high density community. The benefits will be felt now and for many generations to come.”

Toronto strives among successful world cities

Toronto is gaining status as a global player. A new report from JLL groups it with 10 “contenders” in a penultimate tier of successful world cities pushing up against the alpha “big seven” of London, New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul.

The rankings arise from an algorithmic analysis of 26 recognized leading indices that peg cities’ performance in areas such as knowledge industries and innovation, human and social capital, infrastructure and reputation, along with a broader overview of more than 300 indices that score and benchmark some aspect of urban life. Analysts also applied JLL’s own extensive research on investment transparency and commercial real estate markets in drawing their conclusions.

“Increasingly, these indices have a bearing in how we understand city dynamics, guiding investors, businesses and workers as they make location choices and shaping the viewpoints of visitors, students and entrepreneurs,” the report’s executive summary maintains. “They cover an evermore diverse range of attributes that signal where cities are heading. They point to which cities have the ingredients for future success and help steer the real estate industry in its response to the rapidly changing urban landscape.”

Data from all sources was used to assess cities’ ability to attract business, foster growth and provide for the needs of residents and visitors — categorized into 10 sometimes overlapping “imperatives for a successful city”. This underpins the designation of the 10 contenders, which also include Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, Amsterdam, Chicago, San Francisco, Madrid, Sydney and Washington, DC.

Contenders are also benchmarked against seven core characteristics that the top echelon of cities possess. Including:

Corporate presence with a critical mass of corporate headquarters and global enterprises such as finance, professional services and media;
Gateway functions facilitating two-way movement of people, investment, trade, tourism and information;
Scale and size of market and populations to support agglomeration, growth opportunities and capital investment;
Infrastructure platform to connect and support firms, workers and visitors’
Diverse and skilled talent pools;
Specialization and innovation to produce and commercialize knowledge, products and services; and
An attractive global brand and identity that projects the city’s core values.

In highlighting some of the city’s qualifications as a contender, the JLL report states: “Toronto combines diverse business sectors with a very strong institutional presence, and the city may stand to benefit from potential immigration reforms in the U.S., especially with regards to attracting tech talent.”

There are still challenges in quantifying data and making city-to-city comparisons for some of the attributes of urban success such “thinking long-term” or “creating a well-run city” — metrics for how cities plan for growth, balance their fiscal responsibilities and tax loads, manage infrastructure debts and invest in resilience — while the 10th category “going global” specifically applies to emergent regions beyond North American and Europe. However, Toronto scores well on most of the more conventional business-oriented matrices that rank performance.

This includes: third on the list of the world’s most transparent real estate markets; fourth for city brand and reputation; ninth for attracting and developing talent; and 14th for knowledge and innovation. The 19th for investing in infrastructure is the second highest placing for a North American city after New York in 9th and just ahead of San Francisco in 20th. As well, Toronto’s absence from the top-20 list for priciest office space could be another factor in luring global business.

In the three year period from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2017, Toronto saw US $2 billion of commercial real estate investment to tie with Atlanta as the 19th most active global market. This falls short of all but Beijing, Madrid and Amsterdam in the list of top 17 cities, and mirrors Toronto’s 14th place status in the overall rankings.

Opportunities to advance may be found in major trends and influences that JLL identifies as city-shaping forces. Brexit and other geopolitical shifts have brought new uncertainties since the previous report on world cities was released two years ago, while housing affordability, socioeconomic inequality and air pollution are tagged as particular challenges for the big seven.

“The threats of conflict, displacement, protectionism, populist domestic policies, slowdowns in productivity and tensions between the big cities and their nation states all alter perceptions about which cities appear to be ‘safe bets’ or present higher risks for investment,” the report observes.

IDIBC celebrates design excellence

The Interior Designers Institute of B.C. (IDIBC) held its annual Awards of Excellence event on Sept 29th in downtown Vancouver. The annual IDI awards celebrate design excellence in B.C.’s professional interior design community.

This year the judges awarded 16 Awards of Excellence and 13 Awards of Merit in various categories.

Adler University by Public Architecture + Communication won an Award of Excellence and was also singled out for the prestigious Robert Ledingham Award for project of the year (photo above).

“We are very proud of this year’s Shine entrants. Their projects demonstrate the highest level of design expertise that is only gained through the education, experience and examination that culminates in a registered interior designer and that sets our members apart from others in the industry,” said IDIBC president Patricia Desmet.

The 2017 Awards of Excellence winners included:

• Food and Beverage: Northland Properites for Shark Club, Sports, Bar & Grill
• Food and Beverage: Perkins + Will for Orchard Common – Open Kitchen
• Multi-Residential & Sales Centres: Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects + Designers for Station Square
• Residential: Project 22 Design Inc. for White Gold Cabin
• Residential: HB Design for Mather’s Residence
• Public & Institutional: Proscenium Architecture & Interiors for BMO Theatre Centre

The People’s Choice Awards, as voted for online, went to LIV Interiors Inc. for Brentwood Presentation Centre.

Look for full coverage of this year’s IDIBC Awards of Excellence winners in the fall 2017 issue of Design Quarterly magazine.

Don’t forget the outliers in office ergonomics

In many workplaces, multiple workers share the same desk or standing work counter.

However, not all people are created equal and height differences can create challenges. For example, at a grocery store checkout, shorter employees may have soreness in their shoulders and upper back when using the cash register, whereas taller employees may have low-back pain when reaching down to scan items.

This topic has taken on increasing importance in office environments more recently as the use of shared or “hoteling” workstations has become more common. These workstations are shared by many workers but need the flexibility to support different body sizes.

So how can workstations be modified to support many different sizes of workers? There are opportunities to design both seated and standing workstations to fit different workers and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury using both high- and low-cost solutions.

Here’s a look at some of the options for creating spaces that are comfortable for all workers, whether they’re working from seated or standing workstations.

Seated workstations

Selecting the right seating is one of the most critical considerations for seated workstations. An appropriate office chair allows all workers to adjust the chair to fit their body and feel comfortable while sitting.

First, adjust the seat height to allow the worker to sit with their feet flat on the floor and thighs at a 90-degree angle. If, when seated, workers can’t place their feet flat on the floor, a great option is to place a foot stool underneath the work surface. Not only does this provide support, but it also allows workers to change postures while seated.

Next, adjust the seat depth so that, when seated, all workers are able to fit two fingers between the edge of the chair and the backs of their knees.

Then adjust the arm rests so that the elbows rest at a 90-degree angle, which will help to prevent the shoulder and upper-arm pain many workers complain of.

Finally, adjust the lumbar support to maintain the natural curvature of the spine to give the low back the support it needs.

The office chair should fit the body like a comfy pair of shoes. It should not pinch, cause numbness, or feel uncomfortable. If it does, adjust the settings so that they feel right.

Another important consideration for the seated workstation is the keyboard tray, which comes in different styles. Look for a tray with a single surface for both the keyboard and mouse to eliminate any awkward reaching during mouse use, which can cause wrist and shoulder pain.

If the chair’s arm rests are set up at the optimal height, then adjust the keyboard tray so that the wrists maintain a neutral or flat position without any excessive bending. For any seated work, adjusting the arm rests and keyboard tray will eliminate almost all pain and discomfort of the shoulder and low back.

Standing workstations

Standing workstations can create more discomfort than seated workstations, especially in the feet, legs, and low back. Regardless of size, all workers using standing workstations should wear good shoes. All standing workstations should have either a bar or other raised area on the ground to allow workers to change posture and include soft matting for cushioning. Another option is to include a raised chair to support workers when working.

For standing height workstations, the appropriate height for the work surface is typically based on elbow height. A standing height work surface should be set to between 90 and 115 centimetres, or 35 to 45 inches, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

The height of the work surface depends on the types of tasks performed at the work surface. For example, if the work surface is a reception desk with a computer, the height of the work surface should be on the lower end to accommodate the keyboard and reduce any shrugging of the shoulders when typing. Or, if the workstation is for manual work such as in a kitchen, grocery check-out, or assembly area, the workstation should be even lower to leave enough clearance for tools or other equipment used to complete tasks.

There are many different high- and low-cost options for accommodating different-sized workers who use standing work surfaces.

The first and easiest way to accommodate all workers is the automatic, height-adjustable work surface. (It is also the most expensive option.) Many different assembly plants and grocery stores use height-adjustable work surfaces to limit the amount of awkward bending workers do. With an automated system, the ideal heights can be recorded for each worker so that, during their shift, they can adjust the height to fit them.

Other, lower-cost options are manual ways to adjust the workstation. For shorter workers, the focus is to bring the worker closer to the work surface to minimize soreness and pain in the shoulders and upper body. The correct height can be achieved with either a raised platform or a height-adjustable stool (similar to an office chair). Taller workers need to have the work surface come to them. Raised platforms or table-top mechanisms to adjust height can reduce awkward bending and discomfort of the low-back area.

Multiple workers using the same workstation can present different issues and opportunities for an organization. It is important to understand the types of tasks that are to be performed at each workstation to be able to design it to fit the worker.

There are many different high- and low-cost solutions to reduce risk factors for musculoskeletal injury and allow a smooth transition between different workers using the same area. By creating a workstation that fits the tallest and smallest workers, all workers will be able to perform their job better, be happier, and face a lower chance of experiencing discomfort or sustaining an injury.

Aaron Miller is a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE) and an ergonomic consultant based in Kelowna, B.C. He can be reached at [email protected].

Nova Centre to get major connectivity boost

When the Nova Centre development in downtown Halifax is complete, it will be one of the most technologically connected commercial hubs in Atlantic Canada, spanning two city blocks.

Argyle Development recently announced that Rogers Communications will provide all connectivity infrastructure for the mixed-use community hub, which will, ultimately, invigorate the whole Halifax business community.

Rogers has laid thousands of kilometres of network fibre in the one million square foot building, ensuring private, secure and dedicated network fibre for all tenants, including banks and financial services, the Halifax Convention Centre, restaurants and all future businesses that move into the building.

In addition to Wi-Fi for tenants, this investment will allow more than 10,000 people inside the Convention Centre, and 3,000 in common areas to access free high-speed.

“The Nova Centre represents the best of Nova Scotia: her people, entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking” said Joe Ramia, president of Argyle Development. “With these state-of-the-art infrastructure investments from Rogers, this historic development will truly lead the way in showcasing the capabilities of high-speed, connected technology and the benefits they brings to businesses in this region.”

Three Rogers-built network connection telecom hubs and 54 satellite communications rooms in the complex will power all network and communications systems throughout the Nova Centre facility.

Rogers has also named the plaza in the centre of the complex Rogers Square, which will house more than a thousand people for outdoor activities and festivals. Rogers will also open a retail space in the building in 2018.

Photo: From left: Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, Tom Turner, Senior Vice-President of Enterprise Business for Rogers and Joe Ramia from Argyle Development.