Green Building

June 29, 2009

Contractor gets a homegrown lesson in LEED

Dan Bulley, executive director of the green construction institute, was unprepared for coordinating the construction of the LEED certified headquarters of the Chicago Mechanical Contractors Association. Bulley's experience prompted him to write a booklet offering tips on working with LEED from an owner’s perspective.

June 17, 2009

Carbon-neutral design requires new approach

The leap to carbon-neutral design requires a shift in mindset on the part of design professionals, says Terri Meyer Boake, associate director of the school of architecture at the University of Waterloo.

June 10, 2009

Pilot project set to morph into regular program to save energy

With a Canada Green Building Council pilot for existing buildings scheduled to re-emerge this fall as a full-fledged program, several participants say they plan to use the knowledge they’ve gained to work internally on energy and environmental measurement and performance.

June 8, 2009

Roofing industry can be the key to meeting green targets

Roofing designers, consultants, contractors and other industry members have a pivotal role to play in the movement towards green construction, says a leading building envelope specialist.

June 3, 2009

New solar heating system features fresnel lens

Regular readers know how intrigued I am with innovative technology and what it can do for us. But, what I like the most is when new twists are found for old ideas.

June 1, 2009

Two British Columbia projects among winners of RAIC Awards of Excellence

The Prince George Airport, designed by Vancouver’s McFarlane Green Biggar Architecture Design Inc. was one of three winners in the Innovation in Architecture awards category. The Richmond Olympic Oval designed by Vancouver’s Cannon Design, took home the award for science innovation.

May 25, 2009

Best designed projects earn accolades for British Columbia architects

The best architectural projects in British Columbia were recently given their due at an awards gala in Vancouver.

May 20, 2009

B.C. election results will bring stability to construction sector, McLachlan says

Election results are really about the future, although the outcomes are usually based on the past, and now that the smoke has all but cleared from the campaign busses we can take a look at how the May 12 election results will impact the construction sector in the next few months.

May 13, 2009

Dockside Green LEEDs the way to sustainable architecture solutions

Dockside Green in Victoria has recently been named one of the top 10 examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment. The development earned the highest ever LEED Platinum rating for its first phase, Synergy – breaking a world record for the number of points awarded. The second phase of the project includes the construction of two condominium towers (above), which are nearing completion. Dockside Green was designed by Busby, Perkins Will and the construction manager is Farmer Construction Ltd. Consultants on the project include: RCL Consulting Ltd (civil), Stantec Consulting Ltd (mechanical and electrical), Aqua-Tex Scientific Consulting (environmental) and CN Ryzuk & Associates Ltd (geotechnical).

April 29, 2009

Canadian solar industry expects 100 per cent job growth by 2012

Canada’s solar industry labour force is poised to experience dramatic growth, of more than 100 per cent, over the next three years, according to a survey conducted by the Electricity Sector Council in partnership with the Canadian Solar Industries Association.

March 23, 2009