Operations
Investing in Canada’s aging residential towers
Aging residential towers are in dire need of investment, something the pandemic has underscored given the scores of frontline workers who’ve been disproportionately affected.
Tenant screening in the age of COVID
As COVID-19 continues to threaten Canadians, it is crucial that landlords have the right tenant screening systems in place to attract the ideal resident.
Multifamily energy performance typically vexing
Multifamily and industrial properties are routinely lumped together as favoured investment assets, but asset managers face divergent degrees of difficulty when they seek to mine value from energy performance.
Parcel deliveries create more woes for landlords
With many regions in the throes of a second lockdown and the holiday season well underway, landlords must have a sound policy on parcel deliveries.
Feds to invest $2 billion in energy retrofits
A promised $2 billion investment in large-scale building retrofits will be central to the Canadian government’s job creation ambitions. Energy efficiency champions have plenty of ideas of how and where the funds could be best leveraged.
Air ventilation in multi-residential buildings
Achieving a healthy indoor environment begins with proper air ventilation, especially as buildings become more airtight. Kevin Smith explains the various systems available today.
Building better density key to future development
Dev Mehta, Senior Associate at Quadrangle, explains how building better density leads to healthier, happier occupants.
Converting hotels into multifamily apartments
Given the uncertainty of the travel and tourism sector, could converting hotels into affordable apartments serve as an effective solution to the housing crisis?
The keys to reopening multi-res operations
As Ontario prepares to reopen the economy, what will the upcoming months look like for multi-res operations? Legal expert Joe Hoffer shares important tips to help landlords manage the risks as they navigate their way into "new normal".
Smart buildings harnessed for pandemic response
While climate change may have slipped somewhat from people’s consciousness and priorities right now, it’s noteworthy that the pandemic and climate crises are both problems of exponential growth against a limited capacity to cope.
Energy demand load shifts to residential base
The energy demand load has shifted in sync with much of Ontario’s workforce from commercial to home offices, prompting calls for suspension of time-of-use pricing during the current COVID-19 related upheaval
Accessibility tracks sustainability trajectory
Market pressure and industry competitiveness could propel accessible commercial real estate in the coming decade, much the way those complementary forces have already bolstered energy efficiency and low-carbon footprints.
AI-driven energy management platforms
The apartment rental landscape is changing. Utility costs are rising, creating the need for improved energy management.
Smaller buildings spared Ontario benchmarking
Owners of smaller commercial and multi-residential buildings in Ontario will still be welcome to voluntarily share energy and water consumption data, but a looming deadline for mandatory disclosure has been withdrawn.
Friendlier CHP environmental approvals welcome
It's still unclear how the process of securing environmental approvals for combined heat and power systems will be streamlined, but the Ontario government's recent pledge has been greeted enthusiastically in the buildings sector.
IAQ standards dissect freshness of outdoor air
Guidance related to natural ventilation, particulate filtration and compartmentalization of multi-residential HVAC systems are prominent in the list of identified "significant changes" compared to the incumbent 2016 version of the standards.
Don’t flush money down the toilet
It is estimated that 20 to 25 per cent of all toilets in North America are experiencing leaks at any given time, making toilet leaks the number one cause of water loss in multi-unit residential buildings.