Building Envelope

embodied carbon

Reducing embodied carbon in capital projects

Condo owners now have the opportunity to understand the embodied carbon impacts of capital replacements work at their buildings.
WELL

WELL evolves into residential communities

Minto Communities is the first developer in Canada to pilot the WELL for residential program, which sets out to create healthier homes.
reserve funds

Overhauling reserve funds in Ontario

As the landscape of aging condos continues evolving, the need for adequate reserve funds to pay for these repairs assumes greater importance.
noise

A guide to understanding noise in condos

Resolving noise complaints requires an understanding of how sound moves through a building and the obligations of a condominium.
condo

Actuaries garner new insight into condo finances

The Canadian Institute of Actuaries’ latest insight statement on the longevity of condo infrastructure explores several risks.
condo managers

Ontario condo managers grapple with price hikes

As multi-residential buildings grapple with rising construction costs, condo managers in Ontario are experiencing the impacts up close.
capital project

Unconventional ways condos can reduce capital project costs

Ongoing challenges to capital replacement project costs are wreaking havoc on already stressed reserve funds and causing anxiety for boards and property managers throughout the province.
HST

Construction costs rattle the condo industry

Construction cost increases are a significant concern if a condo needs to complete work in the next year or so. But the concern isn't just the here and now.
maintenance and repair

Cases shed light on maintenance and repair obligations in condos

Maintenance and repair obligations of both owners and condo corporations are defined in the Condominium Act, which sets out the minimum default obligations. T
reserve fund

Condos at high risk from reserve fund shortfalls

The growing crop of condo owners across Canada will likely encounter huge annual fee increases and lump-sum payments due to low reserve fund contributions, authors of a new research report are warning.
surfside

The fatal flaws behind the Surfside condo collapse

Building failures of this horrific scope are seldom seen in North America. But it is important to examine what happened so we can learn and prevent similar collapses in the future.
condo collapse

Could a Florida condo collapse happen in Ontario?

How would this scenario unfold in Ontario? Leaving aside the construction process itself, there are vast differences between Ontario and Florida condominium laws that would have given the Champlain towers significant added protections following registration.
windows

Condo windows: repair or replace?

For condo buildings built in the 1980’s or 1990’s, there is likely a window project coming up in the reserve fund study.
fire code

Condos lag on fire code compliance

Fire plans may need an overhaul as the resident population ages, building systems are updated, and renovations alter the layout of floors or rooms.
real estate

Insurance crisis affecting reserve fund planning

The insurance crisis in condominiums is affecting how boards are planning for disasters in Ontario.
renter preferences

New report identifies shift in renter preferences

A new report from Local Logic identifies distinct shift in renter preferences due to imposed lifestyle changes since the onset of COVID-19.
insurance

Canada’s condo insurance crisis

Impacts of the hard insurance market are trickling into condominium corporations across Canada, challenging boards and managers in their wake.