Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 29 Green Building Design PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT STEFANOWICZ G Leading industry experts are driving green building design to a net-positive future by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI Global commitment to green building is transforming the built environment with green building continuing to double every three years, according to The World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report by Dodge Data & Analytics (formerly McGraw Hill Construction) and United Technologies Corporation. The top sector for green building growth globally is commercial construction, with nearly half (46 percent) of all respondents expecting to do a green commercial project in the next three years. While definitions of green building design con- tinue to evolve, it's fair to say that the current term – which describes a building that is sustainable, energy efficient and considers the health of its occupants – is widely accepted here in Canada. However, there are still many obstacles that need to be overcome before green design becomes the norm. "Demand for green building systems continues to grow steadily," says Corry Martin, electrical engineer at Williams Engineering Canada. "Every project seems to be pushing the envelope more and more, and what was considered novel a few years ago is now becoming mainstream. Owners are recognizing that the payback is so fast from the initial construction that it makes sense to go green." At Williams, Martin has noticed the biggest advancements are being made with mechanical and electrical systems. "Of course there is a limitation as to what you can do with lighting and the most efficient light is the one that is turned off. However, we are see- ing greater integration with occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting, clever use of fenestration and even photocells that automatically dim the fixtures," says Martin. Smart controls are indeed the future, with integra- tion being the key to utilizing various technologies in green building design. "We are now integrating security cameras with exterior light controls. We now have tech- nology that can differentiate between people walking past or a branch moving in the wind. We can make the security cameras talk to the outside lighting, so it knows when to turn on or off. This can save around 20 percent of the overall lighting demand," explains Martin. Brent Whiteley, VP at Parkin Architects Limited, agrees that the trend with green building design is to consider not just the building envelope, but impacts of all materials and systems that make up the building's life cycle. "We work with a lot of health care clients, so we have to be very critical of the materials we use. We have advocated for many years to reduce the use of PVC containing materials as they emit VOCs and are shown to be toxic to premature babies. In addition, we have stopped using vinyl, and instead opted for lino- leum and rubber, which are natural, easy to maintain and the recycled content is high. We also tend to use bare polished concrete, which can look great when done well, is cost effective, lasts and has those life cycle benefits," says Whiteley. Admittedly, green building design becomes more of a challenge when you are dealing with tight budgets, so it is often left to the project team to come up with sus- tainable solutions. "For a lot of our health care clients, green building design is a minor component; it is about functionality of the space. We try to show them there are obvious health benefits to incorporating green building materials. Some want to see the same prod- ucts they have used in the past, they want consistency. People don't like change, so you have to ease them into it and show them it will cost them less in the long run," says Whiteley. A perfect example of this is the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care in London, Ontario where the mechanical systems used reclaimed heat from the IT systems. "I see the most potential in the integration It's A Goal! University of British Columbia.