Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1408886
48 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 Electrical & Communication Systems are providing input to a design professional to guide or influence the design very early on in the process," explains Jonathan Lashin, director, estimating. Currently Houle is busy working on the University of Victoria's new Student Housing and Dining Building project, after winning multiple contracts. "We are doing everything from build- ing automation and security systems to lighting. Everything is interconnected." When it comes to trends, Houle is seeing the increased use of wireless lighting controls, which saves labour and provides greater versatility; more demand for EV chargers in both newbuilds and also commercial retrofits; and the increased use of energy metering as a result of Passive House, Net Zero, LEED, and the BC Step Code that are driven by operational data. The increased use of modulization is also keeping Houle's dedicated prefabrication department busy. "We are doubling down on modularization as it leads to less errors and more flexibility in the sched- ule. We don't need to be in the building to work. The last few big jobs we have done have involved modu- larization," Lashin explains. As far as challenges are concerned, high infla- tion on materials and supply shortages are causing some issues, however, Lashin sees this as a short- term issue. What concerns him is the shortage of skilled labour as boomers enter retirement. "The government and industry need to do more to raise awareness at the school level and work to highlight the exciting career opportunities available in the trades. We are fortunate because of our partnership with IBEW to have access to a larger labour pool. Most recently we finished a large industrial project with 900 electricians onsite!" Lashin explains. On another recent project, Houle saw that 15 per- cent of the labour pool was women, which is much higher than industry norms. "We attribute this progress to our focus on inclusion and participation with initiatives like Builder's Code that promotes building a better construction industry that works for everyone." Over at Nightingale Electrical Ltd., Doug Nightingale, CEO, is excited to see the amount of potential work associated with the new Broadway Transit line, specifically the volume of large residen- tial and mixed-use projects. "This should positively affect the electrical and construction industry for a long time to come. Because of the new rules and regulations that the City of Vancouver has imposed on these projects, we expect these projects to take a while longer in the planning stage, but the past has shown that the transit stations are a hub for new, large projects." Nightingale has been working on a number of exciting projects of late, including the River District, River Green (Richmond), Cambie Gardens, 8X, Port Coquitlam Community Center, The Grande (Port Moody), Transit Village (Surrey), and Joyce (Vancouver). As for challenges, Nightingale says the variabil- ity of commodity pricing, shortage of labour, and the real estate market (which is making it difficult for people to live and work in Vancouver, thereby impacting the labour pool) are all impacting the market and new projects going forward. In spite of this, Nightingale says the volume and maturity of the market continues to grow. "Businesses like ours, that have been around for close to 40 years, will continue to thrive as we remain focussed on customer satisfaction and an ever-widening effort to keep our workforce happy and engaged." When it comes to utility companies, BC Hydro continues with its commitment to sustainable energy through electrical innovation. Most recently, in partnership with the City of Vancouver, BC Hydro has created documents to aid in the planning and development of energy-efficient and sustainable construction. The documents promote the advance- ment of electrical control systems like sensors be integrated in order to maximize energy savings. One great example of this is Dockside Green, which is designed to meet the LEED Platinum rating for Core and Shell under the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC). In order to achieve Platinum, the mechan- ical and electrical systems are designed to optimize passive solar and ventilation principles. Operable windows combine low (desk height) and high (ceiling height) air intakes and exhausts, and elongated floor plates optimize cross-ventilation. Narrow floor plans maximize daylighting poten- tial and view access. A retractable, vertical venetian blind system shades the south facade, and two-sto- rey vertical fins shade east-facing windows from the late morning sun. Energy modelling shows that Evolution will consume approximately 48 percent less energy than the reference building. In addition, all hot water and heating energy will come from the Dockside biomass plan. A www.bridgeelectric.com • Commercial • Institutional • High-rise Residential • Light Industrial • Fully Equipped Service Fleet • Engineered Design Build • Serving the Lower Mainland since 1982 604.273.2744 Ask us about our commitment registration #10546 Electric.indd 1 15-11-10 9:22 AM Basalite.indd 1 2021-08-18 7:47