Building Systems

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.
windows

‘Windows’ of opportunity for home retrofits 

In low-rise homes, including condos, up to 35 per cent of heated air can be lost through the windows during the heating season.
condos

Existing condos: rising to modern standards

New regulations from multiple levels of government are forcing condominium boards and property management companies to consider more than just a simple cost-benefit calculation when examining repair and retrofit options.
electric

Electric ride-sharing is the newest condo amenity

Residents of a freshly built mid-rise in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto have a fleet of electric vehicles waiting for them to use, whether that’s for a trip around town, a weekend getaway to the cottage or visiting family out-of-province.
health

High-rises bringing health to new heights

Urbanites living in two up-and-coming condos won't have to escape their homes for fresh air and water.
EV

Plugging into the future of EV charging

New buildings are subject to laws and regulations, which require them to be compatible with EVCs.
BOMA BC energy

Greening Ontario’s housing sector

Ontario’s housing sector emits more greenhouse gas emissions than any other province, primarily due to its high population rate. In the province, residential buildings are
reserve funds

Reserve funds ignore climate target impacts

We should be asking our reserve fund planners to look at the Paris accord target dates and compare the end-of-life replacement of our gas-burning appliances against the target dates.
EV chargers

Scanning the road ahead for EV-ready condos

As the country moves to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, questions are brewing among people living in multi-unit dwellings.
SAIT partnership

Digging into the coming geothermal boom

While the relevance of geothermal has been percolating for years, the buzz is that more developers are starting to pay attention.
hydro

Gaps flagged in new CDM programs

After 2022, companies must use their own funds to reimburse embedded energy managers, but will be offered “an enhanced level of technical support and resources.” It's a move some see as more short-sighted.
green building

Creating a condo sustainability plan for 2021

A sustainability plan and budget should be made with the mindset of plan and prevent, instead of react and pivot.
benchmarking

Why benchmarking small buildings still matters

While building codes and standards help regulate efficiency in new buildings, existing buildings have been operating with little oversight and, in fact, no insight at all into how energy and water was being used in our cities.
climate change

Are condos prepared for climate change?

While many condos haven’t yet experienced the major effects of climate change, statistics and case studies foreshadow the impacts that could come.
LEED Platinum

Energy efficiency powers condo to LEED Platinum

Perched on the edge of the waterfront, south of the Distillery District near Sugar Beach, Toronto’s first LEED Platinum high-rise condo stands in the Bayside
outdoor air

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.