Sustainable Practices

Why consider doing a building water audit

Canada is in the enviable position of being “water-rich,” according to a July 2013 Frasier Institute study. In 2011, it had the fourth-largest supply of

Something new under the sun in Kimberley B.C.

Off Highway 95A, between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains, where the sun shines more than 300 days of the year, lies Kimberley, British Columbia, population

GTA site showcases stormwater management

About fifteen years ago, Jim Ecclestone found an old, 2000-gallon stainless steel water tank lying in a farmer’s field. The president and chief executive officer

Red tape stifles Quebec’s green roofs

In Montreal, Saint-Laurent borough Mayor Alan DeSousa has a seemingly straightforward goal: to promote green roofs on private sector developments. DeSousa, who received the 2014

Markham’s energy-focused Buttonville project

A couple years from now, construction workers will put shovels to ground as they build a whole new urban community on what was once a

BOMA BESt offers portfolio-based application

BOMA BESt's new portfolio-wide application targets light industrial and open-air retail properties

Next steps in sustainable soil management

Since the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) introduced a web-based soil-matching service last year, responding to the need for sustainable dig and

Extended phase-in for new LEED certification

LEED proponents will now have an extra 16 months to register projects under current criteria before the more rigorous LEED version 4 becomes mandatory in November 2016.

Inventive ways to cultivate green tenants

Although many tenants find value in creating sustainable office environments, over time, green behaviour can slip if property managers don’t foster this culture. However, according

Smart technology offers timely payback

Energy conservation programs, from audits to cost-effective measures for savings, have been a mainstay of consumption reduction strategy. However, existing buildings have the potential to

GRESB survey pegs real estate sustainability

Owners, managers, investors and tenants increasingly look to the GRESB survey's sustainability reporting.

Chemical management for green cleaning

The first step in a green cleaning program is often to switch from traditional to green cleaning chemicals. What facility managers may not realize is

Dealing with the emerald ash borer

Jaime Carnevale explores different treatment methods for dealing with the emerald ash borer and how to identify an infected tree.

The importance of daylighting in building design

Duncan McLeod of London-based Studio McLeod reveals new daylighting trends and ways to incorporate light into existing buildings.

A sustainable community in Canada’s capital

An abandoned industrial site in the backdrop of Canada's Parliament Buildings could transform into a sustainable mixed-use community midstream in the Ottawa River.
REMI

Breaking down GBI’s new rating system

Green building strategist Sandra Lester explains the Green Globes for SI program and how it compares to LEED for Commercial Interiors.

Case study: tenants are the key to saving energy

Oxford Properties has launched an engagement campaign to teach its tenants energy conservation techniques.