Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1511965
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 | 27 Green Building Design products are the solutions. "Addressing this issue involves ensuring that the entire project team is aligned with key sustainable elements, even in the early stages of project delivery. When manufactur- ers understand our demand for healthier materials meeting infection control standards and testing requirements, we can utilize products that were pre- viously only available in the European market, known for their inherent sustainability," Den Boer notes. ENERGY SAVINGS Undeniably, green building design has emerged as a potent tool in Canada, revolutionizing energy con- sumption patterns. Stuart Hood, VP Institutional at Introba, underscores the vital role of green building principles in reducing energy demand and stabiliz- ing energy usage profiles Hood explains that minimizing the size of the HVAC heat pumps through Passive House design with super insulation and including solar shad- ing in the design make a dramatic difference. "By super insulating the building, the building struc- ture becomes a thermal battery," he says. "In other words, during times of peak demand heating and cooling, production by the heat pumps can be switched off and the building can coast through these times for many hours or even days without changing temperature. Think of it like a thermos flask keeping your coffee hot for hours compared to a porcelain coffee cup cooling off in 20 minutes." All Introba's Passive House work showcases these technologies, however Hood cites one great example in particular: Vienna House, a near zero-emissions rental apartment community in East Vancouver that is about to start construction. Vienna House will showcase innovative materi- als and processes designed to deliver high energy performance with low greenhouse gas emissions. These include prefabricated wall, floor, and ceiling components constructed off-site from renewable materials, building information modelling that will create a "digital twin" of the proposed build- ing, which will in turn allow the project team to optimize all components and systems, and an inte- grated design process that brings all the partners together at regular intervals to maximize efficien- cies and collaboratively solve project challenges as they emerge. All of these approaches, working together, aim to make Vienna House a potential template for other affordable housing projects across Vancouver, the province, and beyond. PERFORMANCE GOALS The past 12 months have welcomed a number of notable trends and innovations, and Greenstone Building Products has remained at the forefront of these developments. Among them is the advance- ment of panelized construction and Building Information Modelling (BIM). "As energy perfor- mance codes are being implemented nationwide, we are thrilled to provide a practical and tested method for achieving any building performance goal," states Tilda Fortier, business manager at Greenstone. "Although it does require some proactive plan- ning, our process offers the advantage of identifying errors that would typically go unnoticed until everything is already delivered to the job site." One remarkable application of Greenstone's ICE Panels can be seen in collaboration with Arctic Modular Homes, a company specializing in energy- efficient housing for Canada's northern regions. By incorporating ICE Panels into their modular designs, they achieved the impressive feat of closing in homes within just 10 days. Another special project in 2023 saw Greenstone ship five eight-plexes and six 12-plexes (a total of 112 residential units) to ICE Panel Partner, NCC Development Ltd., to contribute to the Nunavut 3000 Building Program. Igluliuqatigiingniq Nunavut 3000 is committed to delivering 3,000 new units across the housing continuum in Nunavut by 2030. "ICE Panel construction will assist NCC to meet the energy efficiency requirements of the program, while increasing construction speed in locations with limited building seasons," explains Fortier. HOLISTIC SOLUTION In the past year, FortisBC has made significant strides in its deep energy retrofit program, focus- ing on transforming existing buildings to align with B.C.'s provincial climate action goals. These efforts encompass various regions, including four multi-unit residential buildings and 20 single-family homes in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Okanagan, and Kootenays. These initiatives go beyond conven- tional methods, adopting a holistic approach. By taking a holistic approach that prioritizes the building envelope, these retrofits aim to enhance Architects.indd 1 Architects.indd 1 2023-05-08 12:56 PM 2023-05-08 12:56 PM Proudly contributing to a more sustainable approach to building in the prairies.