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DECEMBER 2016 | 33 Green Building Design PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS He adds that when sustainable design goals become key values of the project, full team member integra- tion allows all sustainable design solutions to be optimized to provide best value. "Beyond direct sus- tainable design initiatives, the IPD process eliminates construction waste, increases trade productivity, improves construction quality and ensures the effi- cient uses of materials in design, thereby taking over- all project sustainability to the highest possible level." This education and knowledge sharing is, without a doubt, an integral driving force. But there still remains one significant barrier; the lack of qualitative and/or quantitative measures of sustainability, and the data needed to implement and assess how success can be achieved on future projects. One company that has been working to change this is Diamond Schmitt Architects. The firm has developed a unique database tool called ecoMetrics to improve energy literacy and transparency, and advance the outcome of the challenges to meet the reduction of energy use in building design. In a Diamond Schmitt Architects research paper entitled Energy Measurement Tool: Demystifying Energy Metrics, Targets And Striving For Net-Zero, the authors state that "varying targets and requirements found in industry benchmarking programs such as LEED, Architecture 2030, EnergyStar and local codes have created confusion for designers and the indus- try at large." To help simplify the process Diamond Schmitt Architects and Rowan Williams Davies and Irwin Inc. (RWDI) collaborated on a study entitled Demystifying and Democratizing The Energy Use Conversation to Support The Net-Zero Challenge. The paper demon- strates the importance of ecoMetrics and breaks down the benefits of a live database that showcases build- ing energy simulation model results for more than 50 completed projects through the lens of relevant bench- marking programs. It reveals how the successful management of six key metrics throughout the design process should result in an optimized building design: total envelope U-value; GFA-to-envelope ratio; outdoor air intake rate; heat- ing efficiency; cooling efficiency; and internal heat gain sources. "As the industry seeks to significantly reduce built form energy use, carbon emissions and, ultimately, strive for net-zero – or better yet, net-positive – the professionals engaged in meeting these challenges must grasp a new way of thinking about energy use and design," say authors Birgit Siber, principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects, and Mike Williams at RWDI. Diamond Schmitt Architects principal Robert Graham says "net-zero, net-zero ready and net-positive buildings are now more prevalent within our portfo- lio, demonstrating that a no carbon future is possible." Another aspect highlighted by the paper is how incentives and utilities support can encourage owners to aim for greater reductions. Interestingly, BC Hydro has seen immense success with its New Construction Program (a program that FortisBC is also involved with), so much so that that, in the short-term, they are now fully subscribed with new participants. "About three years ago we saw a surge in develop- ment and program participation and uptake," says Oscar Ceron, program manager at BC Hydro. The program assists building owners, developers and the design industry with resources, modelling support, advanced training and technical expertise and assistance to create high-performance, energy- efficient buildings. Over the course of the program's history the team have re-assessed ways to find new opportunities to help participants achieve their green building design goals. "Projects participating in our program are typically about 20 percent more efficient than code as a ballpark figure," says Ceron. "There's always an evolution and new codes to anticipate. The primary Social Sciences Building at the University of Ottawa. Image credit: D'AMBROSIO architecture