Design

insurance

Snow and ice contractors brave insurance blizzard

Contractors working in the snow and ice management industry are facing a blizzard of challenges on the insurance side, or what many are calling a crisis.
antimicrobials

Hidden dangers of antimicrobial building products

Little evidence exists that building products containing antimicrobials actually prevent disease transmission and lead to healthier populations.
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.
security

Recent thefts draw attention to condo security

A few Toronto-based condos authorized a “safety and security” committee, made up of owners, to research security concerns and solutions and advise the board of directors.
privacy

Data privacy faces renewed scrutiny in condos

Maintaining residents’ privacy is nothing new in condos, but optional vaccine policies are bringing more relevance to the issue of anonymity. .
condos

Aging condos can learn new tricks

As appealing as old buildings are, they do present some unique challenges for residents. Often, these aging developments hang on to old processes.
co-working

Newest co-working spaces cater to hybrid future

As a hybrid work models emerges, new condos will welcome residents into co-working spaces with no one-size-fits-all approach.
condo hotel

Landscaping a new condo hotel in Vaughan

While designing the condo hotel grounds, the approach was to reduce high maintenance turf areas with trees, shrubs and perennials that will maintain their beauty against snow, salt and wind.
governance

5 ways technology is uplifting condo communities

Technology is revolutionizing the way condo buildings operate and positively impacting the lives of residents and managers.
Buckingham Condos

Opening new doors at Buckingham Condos

As society ushers in an era of smart home technology that is more adaptable and efficient, some developers are pushing this to the top of a pile of conveniences.
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.
home

GTA new condo market rebounds from COVID hit

The new condo market in the GTA has not only fully recovered from a pandemic slump, but reached record sales in the second quarter of 2021.
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.
procurement

Three red flags of risky procurement practices

Federal scrutiny of condo procurement should be sufficient reason for diligent condo boards to examine their procurement practices.
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.