Award

J U N E 2 0 2 5 | 25 Roofing & Cladding Materials P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C R A F T A RC H I T EC T U R E P H OTO G R A P H Y & V I D EO/ CO U RT E S Y N E W T EC H WO O D How today's roofing and cladding offerings are adapting under pressure by ROBIN BRUNET W hether or not they're the result of human industry or a natu- ral evolution, extreme weather has caused many developers to gain a new apprecia- tion for roofing and cladding that withstands severe wind, snow, rain, and other adverse factors. Jeff Ker, senior technical advisor at Engineered Assemblies, says, "We simply can't build the way we used to in many parts of Canada, and fortunately a growing number of clients appreciate that walls, which are the groundwork for the primary passive environmental control system of any building, need to be especially resilient – sometimes even seismi- cally approved. "Our recent work reflects that appreciation and has led to us being honoured with recognition from the Rainscreen Association of North America [R AiNA]." Ker is referring to his company receiving the 2024 R AiNA Award in the New Construction category for the Nova Scotia Community College's Waterfront Campus in Sydney on Cape Breton Island. Completed and opened in September 2024, this campus includes four buildings connected by a series of pedways. Its location, exposed to harsh and ever-changing maritime climate, required close attention to the external structure and facades of these buildings. Engineered Assemblies' longstanding expertise in the design of high-performing, thermally-effi- cient RVRS cladding systems and façade materials was invaluable to the project, and technical excel- lence was achieved through the application of the EA Certified Series program (which provides a pathway to sustainability through engineering, training, and system installation management). Tonality ceramic tiles were chosen by architects Moriyama & Teshima/Barrie & Langille as the pri- mary cladding material, given their resistance to extreme climatic conditions, ease of installation, and their ability to provide a maintenance free façade for decades to come. The greatest test of Tonality came entirely unex- pectedly, in 2022, with the impact of Hurricane Fiona. The project was midway through construc- tion when the category four hurricane ripped through the building site with the half-completed rainscreen substructure and ceramic façade. Ker says, "Fiona got inside and tore 14-gauge studs out of the wall assemblies, but when I asked All Wrapped Up Norwegian Fluted siding in Red Cedar. Nova Scotia Community College Waterfront Campus,Sydney, NS P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J U L I A N PA R K I N S O N /CO U RT E S Y N S CC + EN G I N EER ED A SS EM B L I E S

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