All posts by Giulio
The search is on
LJM Developments constantly looks to incorporate green living into their projects
A Burlington-based development company has one very telling guiding principle – to provide sustainably appropriate designs with its ever-growing list of green projects.
It’s not a wish list, either, for LJM Developments; it’s a fact of life. With a track record that showcases the eco-centred attitudes of LJM, there are many examples that highlight their ‘living green’ mentality.
“LJM Developments is constantly looking for ways to innovate its designs and technology to incorporate green living and more efficient use of energy,” says Shaheryar Mian, Business Development Manager at LJM. “The company looks forward to introducing future projects with this very important environmental initiative in mind.”
One has to look no further than three projects currently in development, under construction, or completed. Mian pointed to Waterview Condominiums in Grimsby, as well as Appleby Gardens Condominiums and Ironstone Condominiums, both in Burlington.
Waterview’s Phase 1 is now 75 per cent sold. Phase 2 is launching in Spring 2015. There will be close to 300 condos in three high-rise towers – a first, Mian says – and LJM plans to utilize geothermal energy at the site. Compared to a resort-style setup, there will also be a rooftop terrace, with each unit facing out onto Lake Ontario.
He points out that “people can walk out to the lake and have access to the beach right there. We find that the building has been selling really quickly, especially given that it’s the first building of its kind in the area.”
Another project that personifies modern green living is Appleby Gardens at the corner of Corporate Drive and Appleby Line. Right away you notice how residents can easily access basic amenities close by. They are within walking distance of restaurants, fitness facilities and shops. Better still, they are kitty-corner to grocery stores, schools, green spaces, trails, the QEW highway and the Burlington GO station.
“We also put in independent unit controls for heating and cooling,” Mian says. “There is also independent suite hydro metering, and some appliances are Energy Star.”
Appleby Gardens, he says, “is an area that has developed tremendously in the last five years. And it’s just four kilometres from Lake Ontario. It sits in the middle of a developed neighbourhood, and a place that’s very attractive for young couples and young people, as well as couples who wish to retire there.”
Perhaps the Ironstone project best demonstrates LJM’s green track record. Completed a couple of years ago, and fully occupied now, Ironstone provides a setting that appeals to families wanting to live in an urban neighbourhood, yet also seeking a green lifestyle.
Standing out as one of the first high-rise residential buildings in Canada with full geothermal heating and cooling throughout, it was a trailblazer, to be sure. With the market fluctuations of oil and gas, never more evident than in today’s marketplace, the sustainable energy source proved an attractive addition.
But LJM took their green initiatives even further, starting with a 1,500-square-foot rooftop courtyard. Residents, then, were able to enjoy outdoor living, capped off with an outdoor hot tub. There are also outdoor kitchen facilities, dining and lounge areas. The list goes on. Other green initiatives include water conservation through low-flow faucets and toilets, auxiliary solar elements, a room for recycling, and secure bicycle parking. Even during construction, LJM utilized green construction practices, using building materials with recycled content and waste management reduction procedures.
“It transformed Burlington’s skyline and became the tallest building in the city at the time,” says Mian. “It was the first green building in the area and was recognized across Ontario for its green initiatives.”
With over a decade of unsurpassed excellence, LJM Developments is a recognized industry leader in real estate development. The company has developed highly-acclaimed signature projects that are a perfect synergy of world class architectural design and cutting-edge construction quality. The company has launched key initiatives in Southern Ontario, including Toronto, Burlington, and Grimsby.
Ground-breaking – in more ways than one
GeoSource Energy has been riding the geothermal wave for over a decade
To say there’s been a swing in the learning curve about geothermal energy would be an understatement.
Back when GeoSource Energy began cementing its reputation as a ground-breaking leader in the field back in 2004, there were a lot of myths about the process, says company CEO Stan Reitsma, but today awareness of the technology is increasing and “it seems at least now that many developers have heard of it, either positive or negative. But at least they know it exists.”
Because of the inroads made, Reitsma sees nothing but positives in the near future.
“Based on ongoing conversations with clients, potential clients and different levels of government, we see that the technology, in general, is starting to get a buzz associated with it,” Reitsma says. “People are starting to see the true advantages of it and seriously looking at implementation of it, or have already included it in their buildings.
“Now, with the anticipated increases in the cost of natural gas, we can see nothing but positive with geo in the foreseeable future.”
In the past decade, he says the type of geothermal work has changed a lot. At one time it was almost all residential with geothermal grants to retrofit houses, with very little being done commercially. Now, he says, the business has transitioned.
“I think, both commercially and privately, it’s matured an awful lot in the past 10 years,” says Reitsma. “It’s not quite mainstream yet, but it’s becoming that way.”
One trend he’s noticed is that once developers utilize geothermal in one building project, they tend to follow up with the same technology on subsequent jobs.
“That certainly suggests to me that they like it,” Reitsma says. “A lot of our job is education and we’ll continue to do that.”
To that end, Reitsma points out that he strongly believes GeoSource stands out among its competition.
“What makes GeoSource different is our dedication to innovation and quality in design and installation,” he says. “ We continue to look for improvements such as higher performing grouts and heat exchangers and cleaner, more efficient and faster drilling techniques and rigs, all to improve the economics and assist moving geothermal mainstream. We are challenged by many things such as geology and weather, but our investment in equipment, people and systems allows us to control our challenges and successfully deliver on-time and on-budget.”
Not one to stand pat, Reitsma points out that there have been some key changes to the geothermal industry that GeoSource is on top of.
He says there are several important developments, including pending changes to the Ontario Building Code, targeted for 2017, that would require significant reduction in energy use. That, in turn, means that developers of office and multi-residential buildings could be facing changing code requirements.
“And as we see it, geothermal offers a reasonably simple way to meet those requirements,” he stresses. “Other options such as an improved envelope may become limiting, more costly, or less desirable for the end user.
“With geothermal, the developer is not forced to make other large changes, something they are definitely adverse to do.”
Another development to be aware of, he says, is the availability of finance options for geothermal systems. Now, long-term financing that was previously limited to common area condo equipment, for example, is now available for the geothermal part of the a building.
“We are also seeing the entry of several large utility type companies that are willing to provide turnkey geothermal systems or purchase them once constructed,” Reitsma notes. “Because geothermal is competitive with conventional HVAC systems, the return on investment is attractive and risk is low because geothermal systems are simple and robust.
“Finally, broader understanding of geothermal systems and experience gained on recent projects is leading to improved implementation of the technology.”
Web / http://geosourceenergy.com
Founded in 2004, GeoSource Energy Inc. is a Canadian-based geothermal drilling corporation whose focus is provision of safe, high-quality, and cost-competitive geothermal vertical loop installation service to geothermal heat pump installers and contractors in Southern Ontario. GeoSource Energy is dedicated to using the latest geothermal drilling technology to ensure each installation is completed to the satisfaction of every customer and contractor. Its goal is to make geothermal energy available and affordable for the average Canadian home or business owner.
KINGSHORE Windows & Doors known for high-quality products and top-notch service
When it comes to windows and doors, it seems KINGSHORE Windows & Doors Inc. has all the bases covered.
“When we started KINGSHORE we wanted to build a brand that would be recognized for high-quality products,” says co-owner Frank Plasa. “As an example of our top-notch service, we make it our policy to double-check every product before it leaves our shipping doors.”
Says co-owner Donald Cain: “If we wouldn’t put the product in our own home, then we won’t put it in yours.”
KINGSHORE spends considerable time sourcing materials and suppliers that complement the company’s level of quality, the co-owners agreed. They say high-end custom homes, mid-rise buildings, renovations and large remodeling projects are their specialty, adding that they have some of the best ratings for windows on the market today.
In addition to manufacturing vinyl windows, KINGSHORE recently started to manufacture aluminum windows. “We had so many requests for aluminum windows for both residential housing and for mid-rise buildings that the decision to manufacture came easily,” says Plasa.
With so much information available today on the internet, Plasa says many consumers are dropping into the KINGSHORE showroom, knowing exactly what they want. “We have builders and architects who send their clients to our showroom to meet with us,” he explains. “We spend the time to educate them on all the products we have. No pressure, it’s part of the service we offer. We try to help them make their decisions as pleasant a buying experience as possible.”
Plasa says KINGSHORE does very little advertising, explaining that the majority of business comes from referrals and repeat business. “It’s a real sense of satisfaction when we receive a call from someone saying they were referred to us. We know we are doing things right.”
KINGSHORE carries a complete line of custom homes’ products, matching the needs of the homeowner, builder, architect or designer. They manufacture vinyl windows with multi-points locks, folding contour handles, with dual glazing or triple glazing options. They also manufacture all aluminum windows for those huge wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows.
“In addition, we carry a complete line of wood windows as well as wood interior windows with an aluminum cladded exterior,” Plasa continues. “Both these types of windows and doors can come primed, painted or stained, depending on our customers’ needs. Bi-folding doors, oversized lift and slide doors add ventilation and beauty to any home.”
Recently, says Plasa, KINGSHORE had a request for a very high-end product from Germany. “As a result, we now import an amazingly high-end tilt and turn product line from one of Germany’s top manufacturers. That’s why our tag line is ‘Solutions for every Project.’ No matter how big the home, how modern the look or how customized the product must be, chances are we can fill the requirement.
“With so many mid-rise buildings under construction and planned in Ontario, our ability to manufacture aluminum windows and doors for the first-floor retail units and vinyl windows for the higher levels ensures the projects meet their budgets.
“Our windows are tested to meet and exceed stringent code requirements and our ability to be a single source supplier ensures customer delivery schedules, colour
coordinations and complete product requirements are all achieved. We have numerous mid-rise projects scheduled each year and that number is growing. With our unique ability to offer different types of windows with different features and benefits we are attracting many interested builders, developers and architects seeking something different, something special for their project, and that’s what we do.”
Cain agrees that “your remodeling or renovation project has never been so easy,” with KINGSHORE. “We take the time to answer all your questions and provide solutions to any obstacles. Product options, colour options, glazing options – they are all detailed during our consultation stage. Each home goes through our production line one at a time. Every employee is focused on quality, not quantity. That’s why we have so many referrals. Our installers are some of the best in the industry. They represent our company during the entire remodeling process so it is important to have the best.”
Lepage Millwork has been manufacturing window and door products for over 50 years. “Their quality is absolutely amazing,” says Cain. “We have put these products in numerous homes throughout the city and they complement any home style and décor. Specialty shapes and bar patterns, custom-styled wood doors can all be achieved. Bring us your drawings or pictures from a magazine and chances are we can have it made for you.”
If it’s tilt and turn windows and doors you need, KINGSHORE imports from Kneer-Südfenster in Germany. “This product line is like furniture” say Plasa. “I have been in the windows and door business for over 32 years and I have never seen quality tilt and turn products like this. Available in all wood, wood with exterior aluminum cladding, all vinyl, or vinyl with exterior aluminum cladding, these tilt and turn products can be used in remodeling projects, new custom homes, as well as mid-rise buildings. Their quality and energy efficiency is hard to match.” (Also available for passive housing projects.)
The proper Balance
Upscale builder combines high-end reputation with green acumen
The Balance Building Group has methodically built its reputation since beginning operations back in 1960; a reputation that hinges on its growth as an upscale homebuilder.
Along the way, Balance has been cognizant of the swing to more sustainable construction practices and brings that acumen to the table, as well.
“We see the sector growing as clients are becoming more knowledgeable about green building and costs of materials are becoming more feasible,” says Balance owner Mauro Capovilla. “And we certainly have noticed that clients have been looking into conserving energy and maintenance costs.”
Keeping that in mind, the Balance focus continues to pay the utmost attention to detail, says Capovilla, adding that “we offer a variety of commercial and residential services such as luxury home design and upscale home renovations and additions.”
When clients ask about green components, Capovilla says his company researches every request in-house and with its associated trades.
He cited, as an example, the work done for an urban renewal project at a
property on Lisgar Street in Toronto, which featured a total upgrade of
all energy-related components so that minimum standards were exceeded.
Balance also takes pride in its recognition as an environmentally-friendly contractor, with all debris removed and disposed of in a legal manner – absolutely no illegal dumping.
This conscientiousness certainly extends to all facets of the Balance operation, with luxury custom home design and building, with modern basement finishing and comprehensive project management part of the mix.
Capovilla points out that Balance’s reputation as a renowned, high-end homebuilder has positioned the company as a premium provider for extraordinary, luxurious estates. He says Balance looks forward to “creating your luxury, dream home, masterpiece” in the future.
“If the frame is strong, it provides the necessary support for everything that follows,” he says. “But if it’s weak, no amount of finishes can hide its flaws. From the foundation walls, to the framing of the structure, to the final exquisite features, inception to completion, we can turn ideas into reality.”
As master builders, explains Capovilla, Balance knows what it takes to create a masterpiece. His team provides a seamless mix of experience, creativity, knowledge and integrity to design and build a client’s vision.
Specializing in distinctive, elegant solutions that cleverly conceal modern conveniences, Balance provides one-of-a-kind details, period reproductions and specialty finish work that make each home reflect the dream of its owner. Utilizing skylights, clerestory windows and gallery level lighting, Capovilla believes the strategic use of light is seminal to the architectural solution.
“Our architects combine their extensive knowledge with award-winning interior designers, to create beautiful monuments to luxury living,” he says. “Whether we are designing and building a new custom home or completing a major renovation on an existing home, we strive to offer a superior home building experience.”
Custom framing is at the heart of the Balance philosophy and a core feature of its business. Capovilla says its custom homes and residential framing projects are examples of some of the best framing in Ontario.
“Our list of accomplishments includes multi-million dollar mansions, custom home construction, and lavish upscale home renovations,” he says. “The pride and craftsmanship that goes into the work we produce as luxury homebuilders is simply unmatched.”
Capovilla added that Balance continues to strive, and source, new and alternative products and methods that provide for sustainable buildings.
“Reliability, honesty, and quality workmanship are traits we pride ourselves on,” he says. “However, nothing says more about our unsurpassed commitment than what our customers say about us.
“We want our clients to feel secure in knowing that we will treat their house as if it were our own. We will diligently work to deliver the project on time and on budget. We will maintain the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, and we will have open and honest communication through all stages of construction.
“This, in turn, will foster strong, trusting relationships, which will invariably result in an exceptionally rewarding building experience.”
Web: www.balancebuildinggroup.com
Building on a time-tested green reputation
RND Construction a pioneer in providing a deep-rooted commitment to sustainable development
It’s no secret what RND Construction brings to the table.
Since 1990, the Ottawa-based company has been a pioneer in green building, cementing a reputation as one of their city’s foremost general contracting firms.
On their office walls, you will find a plethora of certificates and awards for innovative ecological building practices and other evidence of the company’s deep-rooted commitment to sustainable development.
The oldest of these, in fact, might be a framed certificate honouring RND President Roy Nadram’s completion of a Canadian General Standards Board course on insulating homes for energy conservation nearly 30 years ago, long before green became an industry buzzword.
In the intervening years, RND has thrived on the passion and skill it takes to build custom homes at the forefront of sustainability, energy efficiency and quality. By developing innovative construction methods, RND has established itself a trusted advisor and collaborator, building numerous Energy Star, R-2000 and LEED homes.
“We understand that your home is one of the most significant investments in life,” says Nadram, formally educated in engineering and economics, but also a Gold Seal Certified Project Manager, Certified Construction Superintendent and LEED Accredited Professional.
“We have worked with many homeowners, ensuring that their aspirations are successfully met by the homes we build for them. And we thoroughly enjoy collaborating with architects and our clients to provide support and advice at every step of the design and construction process.”
RND takes environmental sustainability very seriously, understanding that it’s crucially important to meet essential human needs for a healthy, comfortable indoor climate. So for each project, RND strives to meet those needs without compromising the future, ensuring that the three pillars of sustainability – economics, society and environment – are factored into the equation.
In short, RND takes on the challenge so homes can be designed and built to improve clients’ lives. As such, each of their homes is durable, saves energy costs, hedges against increasing energy costs and guarantees a higher resale value.
To show how these goals are reached, Nadram cited three examples of RND’s LEED Platinum Ottawa work – A Nelson Street home, with architect John Donkin, an Ivy Crescent home from architect Christopher Simmonds and a Wood Avenue home, with architect Linda Chapman.
Nelson Street
“This house began with a desire for self-sufficiency on a tight urban lot in the centre of Ottawa. Off-grid living was not expected, but maximizing green space and natural light and minimizing energy use were the owners’ top priorities.
“The site is heavily landscaped, with a vegetable garden, fruit trees and berry bushes in the front yard, green roofs on the garage and entry and a roof garden off the second floor. A trellis of galvanized steel and BC fir covering the south and east faces of the home extends the garden up three storeys.
“Hugging the north side of the lot, the house maximizes solar exposure and provides a private side garden sheltered from the street by a detached single car garage. Openings on the north are minimized and south glazing maximized, improving solar gain and providing a warm sunlit interior in the winter months. The environmental performance of the house is exceptional and has an EnerGuide rating of 85.
“Upgraded insulation, a sophisticated mechanical system including heat recovery systems, exceptionally airtight construction, good solar orientation and effective summer shading devices, green roofs, permeable low water usage landscaping and rainwater recovery all contribute to the technical performance of the home. The sunlit interior and the green, growing landscape at grade and above make the sustainable nature of the home more than a technical achievement. It is a living presence in the day-to-day life of the homeowners. They live in a garden.”
Ivy Crescent
Web / http://rndconstruction.ca
Web / http://rndconstruction.ca
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“The award-winning Zen Barn is built in a historic and eclectic Ottawa neighbourhood. The linear composition of the home is interrupted by the vertical volumes of light wells, the stairs, and the courtyard. The resulting inter-penetration of views, light, and space along the south side of the home creates strong indoor-outdoor connections.
“White lacquer and stained ash cabinetry flow through the interconnected kitchen, living, and dining spaces. The exterior is clad with reclaimed white oak barn boards. The building’s orientation allows passive solar exposure at the east, west and south sides during winter months. Concrete floors provide thermal mass, absorbing radiant heat throughout the day and then releasing it as temperatures drop at night.
“All of the features and design strategies result in a home that is energy-efficient and pleasant to live in. It is estimated that there will be a 19 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (compared to an average home) and an energy consumption reduction of 46 per cent. The home achieved an EnerGuide rating of 82, 10 points higher than what is required by the Ontario Building Code.”
Wood Avenue
“Imagine being able to step into the past without sacrificing the present. That’s what it seems like at this home, that stands out as a tangible example of how a newly designed environmentally responsive and responsible building can still emulate the vernacular motifs of the past.
“Patterning itself after Georgian aesthetics, the home puts on a very regal face. It is clad in red brick with ornate corner quoins, and soldier courses with keystones above the majority of its windows. An arched entranceway is flanked on either side by bay windows with large colonial wood trim. The remaining multiple windows are punctuated with thin white mullions and black accent shutters. Combine that with the lawn garden inspired landscaping and the exterior result is spectacular.
“The interiors are just as spectacular, and if you weren’t told by someone about how FSC certified woods, EPA certified fireplaces, low VOCs components, roof rainwater cisterns, recycled contents glass, ceramics and drywall were used – and that all of the natural soapstone, marble and granite was locally sourced – they would still stand apart for their beauty alone.
“And there are more advanced building technologies apparent, but don’t think about that – just enjoy stepping into a Georgian Dream.”
Web / http://rndconstruction.ca
REINVENTING PARIS
Planning Korea tackles sustainable challenge and chips in with futuristic egg-shaped pods
When you hear the words futuristic sustainable architecture mentioned, it’s a safe bet that the name Vincent Callebaut will come up as well.
That’s certainly the case, again, with the Belgium-based architect proposing 2050 Paris Smart City, where he envisions remaking the French capital into a city of green.
His ambitious idea was commissioned by the Parisian elected council, but he’s not the only thought-provoking architect to get in on the act – Planning Korea has also taken a stab at transforming Paris into a sustainable city.
Planning Korea, a Seoul, South Korea-based group of artists and architects, stepped up to the plate and created a concept entitled L’air Nouveau de Paris (New Paris Air), which takes sustainability considerations to a whole new imaginative level.
The initial artists’ renderings, submitted by Planning Korea, as part of its proposal, show how large, egg-shaped metallic spheres could be supported by long necks, or stems, of differing heights. Each “egg” unit tower would be made up of a grouping of office spaces, residential units, commercial spaces and commercial facilities. Connecting all of them would be bridges, so people could move freely between pods.
Said a spokesperson for Planning Korea: “The concept of L’air Nouveau de Paris is a practice of consilience of space which suggests the air of Paris for the 21.5th Century.”
They went on to say that the architectural design did not follow any typical form or building context.
“As linked directly and indirectly with each other, spaces floating in the air have a unique organic structure, considering individuality and connectivity at the same time.”
In their proposal, Planning Korea provides vague descriptions of what sustainable features would be included, although the common theme of air quality is maintained throughout.
“The airspace that breathes into each other is the encounter between past and future, the conversation between society and individual, the moment between idea and creation and the medium that connects Paris and the world,” says the proposal. “The area around the architecture, society and environment then integrate as a point of view, making a consilience.”
Moreover, the proposal went on to describe the design motif for L’air Nouveau de Paris.
“It was dragged from the observation of a micro world of nature, with little organisms in the gardens and woods in downtown of Paris, co-existing within the macro world of artificial structures – the buildings.”
Planning Korea’s description also maintained that micro-organisms in nature are quite different, generally, than man-made structures in urban areas, but that L’air Nouveau de Paris would change that.
“As these living complexes take a key role in sustainability and resource circulation, [we feel] L’air Nouveau de Paris will be crucial to sustainable urban revitalization of Paris.”
Should the plan come to fruition, it would reportedly be constructed at the Ternes-Villiers area of Paris, in a sprawling 3,891-square-metre space, sometime around the middle of this century.
VINCENT CALLEBAUT ARCHITECTURES – 2050 PARIS SMART CITY
For a Sustainable, Dense and Connected City
Following the Climate Energy Plan of Paris aimed at reducing 75 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the 2050 Paris Smart City project is a research and development project about the integration of high-rise buildings with energy-plus houses, working together to produce all the energy for the area.
In order to fight against the urban heat-island phenomenon, this study presents eight prototypes of mixed towers.
These towers repatriate the natural state in the heart of the city and conform to the rules of bioclimatism – the use of natural energy without conversion into another form of energy. There are then renewable and recyclable energies in a short loop through innovative systems.
Attuned to social innovations, they create new eco-responsible ways to provide a better quality of life for the city-dwellers in respect to the environment. This study was carried out for Paris City Hall by Vincent Callebaut Architectures agency with the engineers of Setec Bâtiment in the summer of 2014.
The history and the evolution perspective in 2050 of the high-rise buildings in the context of Paris Climate Energy Plan and the eight plus-energy and/or energetically connected prototypes are:
1. MOUNTAIN TOWERS
HISTORIC PARIS – 1st district RUE DE RIVOLI
Solar, hydrodynamic and planted towers bio-air conditioning the urban heat-island phenomenon
Paris has always been rebuilt on itself. Because of a lack of political ambition and visions for the future, is it condemned now to remain a museum city or for gentrification? This is the question posed by the Mountain Towers to the historic Paris and, more precisely, to the rue de Rivoli.
With its severe elegance and its grandiose neoclassic rigour, the rue de Rivoli, named as the wall-street, crossed the heart of Paris and stretches from east to west on almost three kilometres on the right bank of the Seine River. The urban constraints of the First Empire in the west, same as the Haussmann period in the east, are about the alignment and the size of all the buildings. They lead to Paris’ monumental appearance with strict lines and surprising effect of perspective; the kind that suited Napoleon, who wanted to build a prestigious street dedicated to luxury.
This ‘eternal stretching street that is elegant as an I’ as Victor Hugo used to say, was created in the 18th Century to resolve the traffic jams and the problems with hygiene in the overcrowded old districts by controlling at the same time the popular uprising of the capital city.
The model of the rue de Rivoli was extended to all the new Parisian streets leading to a standardization considered by some artists of that time, such as the architect, as stifling monotony.
The Mountain Towers project aims to control smog, making denser and naturalizing this type of hyper energy and space consuming urbanism by the construction of bioclimatic mountains integrating the renewable energies on the roofs and in the heart of the blocks.
The Mountain Towers with positive energies will enable this to triple the housing vertically in each Parisian housing block by distributing the structural loads through the old ducts of blocked chimneys.
Three types of renewable energies will be available in each tower: During the day, two huge photovoltaic and thermal solar shields inspired by the structure finely cut from dragonfly wings will produce electricity and hot sanitary water. At night, a reversible hydro-electrical pumped storage station will let an urban cascade flow out from the top of the tower between two basins of rainwater retention tanks located at different levels, preventing the need of batteries to store the electricity produced by the solar dragonfly wings.
Finally, the garden balconies will surround the inhabited storeys and filter in clean recycled waters rejected by the inhabitants by phyto-purification and bio-composting.
2. ANTISMOG TOWERS
HISTORIC PARIS – 14th district PETITE CEINTURE
An ecologic corridor of 23 kms in the heart of Paris punctuated by depolluting photocatalytic towers
The Petite Ceinture of Paris is an old double railway line that went around Paris inside the Maréchaux boulevards and that had a double interest: linking together the radial lines that leave from the main Parisian railway stations enabling the freight exchanges between the networks and to serve the fortifications of Paris from inside for strategic reasons.
Deserted by the Parisians because of the competition of the subway, the line is closed to the traffic of travelers for most of the route. Nowadays, 60 per cent of the line is outside (open trench, in backfill, or viaduct). The remaining 40 per cent are underground, in covered trench or in tunnel.
In 2014, there were 61 bridges: 36 are of rail type (where the railway line goes on top of the road) and 25 are of street type (where the road goes on top of the railway line). On this emblematic and historical place with a controversial destiny, the urban policy is to transform this space into a green ecological corridor by preserving the railway heritage and the triple multi-use of the site between the railways, cycle paths, and walkways. Wildlife, meadows, forests and vegetation are back on the urban land. In this context, the Anti-smog Towers plan to renaturalize the railway lines into green areas by the integration of community food gardens cultivated by the residents.
The cycle paths and the urban vegetable gardens will be implemented vertically around the cyclonic towers depolluting the grounds by hydroponic phyto-purification and filtering the atmospheric smog thanks to their photocatalytic structure in titanium dioxide.
These depolluting towers will offer a strong urban density of cultivated housings thanks to their minimal impact in the ground and their architecture in splay. They will be integrated at the geographical crossings between the radial Parisian boulevards and the PC and along the existing ecosystems such as the Buttes Chaumont, the Monsouris Park, the André Citroên Park, etc.
Energetically, these towers will produce electricity by the integration of Darrieus axial wind turbines in the strengthened facade and in photovoltaic flexible textile that enable storage of the rainwater and dew on the roof. Regarding the thermal part, the temperature differential with the tunnels of the Petite Ceinture will be used to create geothermal cooling/heating tubes enabling a bio-air condition passively surrounding the air inside the tower. These tunnels will be lighted by piezoelectrical promenades.
3. PHOTOSYNTHESIS TOWERS
MODERN PARIS – 15th district MONTPARNASSE TOWER
A piezo-electrical Central Park built in landscaped spiral shape covered by algae powered Bio-facades
In 1970, the foundations of Montparnasse Tower were laid on the site of the former Montparnasse railway station. This project was supported by André Malraux, Minister of Culture, and Georges Pompidou, President of the Republic. Inserted in the extension of the axis created by the Palais de Chaillot, the Trocadéro, Eiffel Tower, Champ-de-Mars and the Ecole Militaire parallel to the historical axis, the often denigrated Montparnasse Tower was the highest tower of Europe for more than 20 years until 1990.
In 1975, three years after the end of its construction, skyscrapers were no longer allowed because the municipality decided to forbid the construction of building of more than seven floors. The Photosynthesis Towers aims at improving the aesthetic and energy-consuming impacts of the Montparnasse Tower by transforming it into a true vertical Central Park open to the public and by adding new suspended gardens of green algae bioreactors with positive energy.
In 2050, Montparnasse Tower would then be a carbon neutral BEPOS ecosystem without fossil fuels built under the shape of a vertical public park on several floors overhung by sky gardens. Bannisters will meander around the reinforced structure and will offer helical piezoelectrical promenades in the sky of Paris in the shape of an almond around the 58 floors.
In the triangular openings located at both extremities of the tower, the public elevators with renewable energy will be integrated in order to separate visitors from the staff working in the offices of the tower.
The slab roof of the shopping mall will be transformed into a phyto-purification lagoon recycling the used water of the building.
This planted green space in the heart of Paris will cover Montparnasse Tower as well as other smaller towers (building C and Express tower) with an insulating bio-facade that produces biofuel. Green micro algae will be cultivated on curtain-walls in planar and triangular photobioreactors built in laminated glass.
They will capture the thermal solar energy and also generate biomass used to produce methane. The CO2 will be used as nutrients to the algae that proliferate under the solar radiation.
These bioreactors will allow for thermal inertia up to 50 per cent of heating and air conditioning savings, whereas the biofuel refinery will be directly integrated in the base of the building.
4. BAMBOO NEST TOWERS
MODERN PARIS – 13th district MASSENA AREA
Thermodynamic garden towers wrapped by a bamboo bio-mesh of vertical food gardens and orchards
In the spirit of Le Corbusier’s Athens Charter, Italy 13 is the name of the huge urbanism operation carried out in Paris in the Sixties. From this partially implemented operation, there are many towers of the south of the 13th district and especially the Olympiades district and the Massena Area.
This innovative urbanism model of towers advocates more than even the saving of the territory and the urban density through the verticality, the multifunctionality and the multiculturalism. It’s the exemplary diversity of the residential offer and the services that led to this diversity, which is rare in buildings of comparable sizes.
The Bamboo Nest Towers project aims to renaturalize the 13 towers of the Massena Area built on the grounds of the former Panhard & Levassor plant along the way of the Petite Ceinture.
In 2050, this district (also called Villa d’Este) presenting the highest concentration of towers in Paris, will be the emblem of the repatriation of the urban vertical agriculture on several floors in the heart of the capital city.
Thus Puccini, Palerme, Rimini, Verdi, towers etc. will be enveloped by an ecoskeleton in plaited bamboo. On the one hand, this ecological 3D canvas will structurally support the overload of individual vegetable garden balconies and community orchards surrounding the existing housing.
On the other hand, the funnels shaped by the braiding geometry will accentuate the Venturi effect, accelerating the strength of the prevailing winds to increase the output of the three-blade wind turbines.
Besides the bio-air condition of the atmosphere provided mainly by the evapo-perspiration of the plants, and in addition to the electricity generated by the axial wind turbines implanted on the roofs-blade in the funnels, the main energy source will come from the concentrating thermodynamic plant.
This will be composed of a collector implanted on the Abeille Tower and parabolic helio-static mirrors planted on the Parisian zinc roofs, concentrating the sunrays towards the collector to increase the temperature of a heat transfer fluid. This liquid will be sent in a water heater transforming the water into steam.
The steam will make the turbines turn, which will pull the alternators producing this electricity even outside the solar irradiation time, i.e. 24/7.
The towers of Villa d’Este will be BEPOS whereas the inhabitants will cultivate their own organic food in this nourishing ecosystem, new social innovation ground.
5. HONEYCOMB TOWERS
PERIPHERAL PARIS – 20th district PORTE DES LILAS
A hive of honeycomb housing developing an energy solidarity cooperation
Cheap housing was evident until 1949 as well as housing at moderate rent. They appeared during the industrial revolution and were inspired by the hygienistic and paternalistic reflections of the modernistic middle class of the Second Empire to accommodate labourers.
They are mostly implanted in non aedificandi areas of the old fortifications (Thiers wall) between the Maréchaux Boulevard and the ring road. In orange bricks, of six floors high generally, they are available for the modest and popular households of the capital city.
This ring is in the heart of the energy renovation issue of the old buildings in Paris. The thermal bridges and the phenomena of cold partitions coming from the heterogeneity of the materials (concrete – bricks) are true challenges of interior, thermal and hydrometric insulation.
In order to increase the offer of housings in Paris, the Honeycomb Towers propose to double the height of these housing complexes, leading to the construction of individual interlocking mini-houses.
Like a honeycomb with hexagonal alcoves, this urban implant will offer new inhabitants vegetable gardens and suspended orchards, allowing for the advantages of an rural home in the city.
Structurally, this hive would be supported by a steel structure that descends the loads vertically through the existing chimney ducts crossing the buildings.
Actually, as of January 2015, wood combustion was totally forbidden in Paris and these ducts already drilled will now find a second use. The structure in honeycomb will allow for reinforcement of the tower to guarantee maximum lighting.
The single-family module will be standardized and prefabricated. The concepts of double-wall and double deck will be directly integrated for a maximal spatial flexibility, an efficient innervation of the fluids and an optimal thermal and sound insulation.
This great meccano toy with an organic silhouette will be transformed into a true suspended nourishing garden in the sky, inviting the Parisian fauna and the flora to thrive.
The roofs will be covered by thermal and photovoltaic solar panels whereas with the Sérurier and Mortier boulevards, the Phylolights (hybridization of a lamp and an axial wind turbine) will ensure the self-sufficient public lighting.
6. FARMSCRAPERS TOWERS
PERIPHERAL PARIS – 19th district PORTE D’AUBERVILLIERS
A vertical urban farm repatriating the countrysidei n the heart of the city
The porte d’Aubervilliers is an important gate of the Parisian northeast, located at the junction of two districts of Paris. Whereas the north area located in Aubervilliers has been encountering important transformations since 2005 with the construction of Icade Headquarters, the Millénaire shopping Mall (2011), then Veolia Headquarters (targeted for 2016), the roundabout located on top of the ring road of Paris with a view on Aubervilliers city remains a true urban no-man’s land devoured by the pollution caused by the proliferation of vehicles.
The Farmscrapers Towers concept aims at articulating the Claude Bernard urban development zone and its linear forest with the new master plan of Aubervilliers. As urban articulation of ecological corridors: the three vegetable towers implanted on an urban forest in the shape of a huge manta ray.
This manta ray filtering the air of the tunnel pile up a mixed programming under the shape of vertical farms with floors of agriculture fields cultivated by their own inhabitants.
The objective is to repatriate the countryside in the heart of the city and to reintegrate the food production locally.
True city district piling up mixed blocks, these Farmscrapers make the urban space more dense by optimizing the quality of life for the inhabitants by the reduction of the transport means, the implantation of a domotic network, the renaturalization of the public and private spaces and the integration of clean renewable energies as the biomass, the methanisation, the photovoltaic and thermal solar energy and the wind turbines.
This pioneer project has eight objectives:
1/ The reduction of the ecological footprint enhancing the local consumption by its food autonomy and by the reduction of the transport means.
2/ The reintegration of the local employment in the primary and secondary sectors co-producing fresh and organic products.
3/ The recycling in short and closed loop of the organic waste by anaerobic compost, hydrogen fuel cells and phyto-purification lagoon.
4/ The saving of the rural territory, reducing the deforestation, the desertification and the pollution of the phreatic tables.
5/ The oxygenation of the polluted city centres where air quality is heavily polluted.
6/ The limitation of the systematic recourse to pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers.
7/ Saving water by the recycling of the urban water.
8/ The protection of the ecosystemic cycles in the heart of the city. It’s a project of BEPOS living stones reintegrating the biodiversity.
7. MANGROVE TOWERS
FUTURE PARIS – 10th district GARE DU NORD
Photosensitive towers rooted on the piezo-electrical station platforms
In Paris, the railway network of the seven SNCF trains (Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est, Gare Saint- Lazare, Gare Montparnasse, Gare d’Austerlitz, Gare de Bercy et Gare de Lyon) represent a total surface area of several tens of hectares that will get more vertically dense by 2050. Gare du Nord gets more traffic than any other station in Europe and is third in the world after Tokyo and Chicago.
In the heart of this European multimodal crossroads, more than 700,000 travellers will travel every day on the 2,000 trains on the 32 rails. The Mangrove Towers will be built on this territory of iron and steel drawn by the forks of these intertwined rails.
They will join the modernist neoclassical architecture of the Gare du Nord, whose construction of the Great Hall dates from the universal exhibition of 1855.
As their name reflects, Mangrove Towers will be inspired by the mangrove trees of the maritime marshes with their pneumatophores and their stilt roots. They will be implanted directly on the platforms of the Gare du Nord and they will ramify as ecosystem resilient to the climate imbalance.
These towers will accommodate a mix of offices, hotels and housing dedicated to international and travelling customers. True forest of planted towers, this urban mangrove will be energy positive, which means it will produce more energy than it will consume (electrical, calorific or food).
The project would be eco-designed from state-of-the-art renewable energies to present a zero carbon footprint.
Indeed, the station platforms will be full of piezoelectrical captors polarizing under the action of the mechanical constraint generated by the travellers.
The tubular facades will be composed of Grätzel cells forming a photo-electrochemical skin inspired by the light (photons), will also produce the electricity by electrolysis. Finally, the towers will not only be self-sufficient in energy but they will be also depolluting thanks to their structure in titanium dioxide.
Their branches’ structure (imitating the bark of mangrove trees) will utilize X-rays in the presence of oxygen and humidity, the decomposition of the organic, solid, liquid and gaseous matters in the urban smog (through self-cleaning, destruction of COV, destruction of NOX, anti-mist, UV absorber, etc.).
8. BRIDGE TOWERS
FUTURE PARIS – 16th district PONT AVAL / 12th district PONT AMONT
Green inhabited amphibian bridges across the Seine river upstream and downstream of Paris
Will the capital one day have 39 bridges across its river instead of the 37 contemporary crossings existing in 2014? As illustrated in the beautiful painting of Nicolas Jean-Baptiste Raguenet, all the bridges of the Middle Ages were inhabited and created a functional, cultural and merchant urban continuum between the right bank and the left bank.
With the objective of making the city more dense by inhabited vertical ecosystems, the Bridge Towers project proposes the construction of two green bridges at the river gates of Paris. These two bridges with jellyfish silhouettes emerging from the water will link the 15th and the 16th arrondissements in the west to the 12th and 13th district in the east.
They will be twin towers molding and re-customizing both existing ring road bridges extraordinarily in order to enhance both river entrances to the city.
Perforated by wide funnels, the towers will be supplied by electrical energy thanks to multi blades wind turbines replaced by hydrokinetic turbines (hydro electrical turbines) which will use the kinetic energy (river motivity). The conveyors of these water wheels will allow for the reestablishment of the rotary movement of the axis from the linear movement of the river. The heat pump will be able to capture the water calories of the Seine to heat the towers. By this use of renewable energies, the towers will be BEPOS building, i.e. with positive energy.
The bridge will create a new territory/urban form linking two towers of more than 200 meters.
Its junction will reinforce the urban continuum by affirming in the same time its particularity, which is to be linked to the river that it crosses and to the ground it reconnects.
This inhabited bridge, these two amphibian towers across the Seine, will meet the housing crisis of the city of Paris by including dense and mixed program facilities, but also hotel-apartments to meet the needs of the world city.
The inhabited bridge will reinforce the symbolism of the city and will refer to a new form of urban and social innovation in terms of clean collective housing with zero carbon emission and zero waste.
Reid’s Heritage Homes
Reid’s Heritage Homes first builder to break ground
in national Net Zero Energy homes demonstration project
On September 29, 2014 Reid’s Heritage Homes hosted the first groundbreaking ceremony for a national Net Zero Energy (NZE) homes demonstration project.
Present to mark the occasion was Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener—Conestoga (Ontario), on behalf of the Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. He was joined at the podium by City of Guelph Mayor, Karen Farbridge, executives from Reid’s Heritage Homes and representatives from Owens Corning Canada and The University of Guelph.
The project involves five Canadian homebuilders constructing a total of 25 NZE homes. The project will be active in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and is funded in part by the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative (ecoEII), with contributions from each participating builder, industry suppliers and Owens Corning Canada. NZE homes are designed to consume less energy than they generate on-site from renewable sources.
“Our government is proud to invest in programs like the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative which create high-quality jobs and further strengthen Canada’s reputation as a worldwide leader in energy innovation,” said Mr. Albrecht. “We remain committed to supporting companies that are finding solutions to protect the environment and lower energy bills for all Canadians.”
The project’s 25 homes, five from each builder, will increase the total number of NZE houses in Canada. While many people agree that net zero is the future of the home building industry, a barrier has been that many current NZE homes are custom-built projects, using elaborate designs, with complex and expensive heating, cooling and generating technology. This project aims to make NZE homes accessible to more consumers than ever before, using existing, often “off the shelf” high-performance equipment, insulation and building materials.
“Reid’s Heritage Homes has accepted this exciting building challenge with the goal of advancing the awareness and science behind sustainable building practices, by determining optimal innovative systems that will work in the ultra-efficient Net Zero homes,” said Blake Seeberger, Senior Vice-President of Residential, Reid’s Heritage Homes. “Most importantly, we have taken on this challenge so that we can provide Canadians with homes that will improve their lives. These homes will be healthy, safe, comfortable and durable, and will hedge against increasing energy costs.”
Reid’s Heritage Homes has a long history of building energy-efficient homes. The home builder constructed Canada’s first and second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum-level home in Canada (Guelph and Waterloo Region), was the first home builder in Canada to receive the ENERGY STAR ® participant of the year award, and built Ontario’s first Built Green home.
“Owens Corning Canada is proud to be associated with this project. The project’s success is a product of the group’s vision and dedication,” said Andy Goyda, Canadian Builder Lead and Marketing Development Manager for Owens Corning Canada. “Net-Zero homes no longer need to be one-off projects; they can be built by production builders. This groundbreaking is an important milestone in our quest to prove this.”
“Congratulations to Reid’s Heritage Homes for being chosen as one of just five builders across Canada to construct Net Zero Energy homes,” said Guelph’s Mayor at the time of the groundbreaking, Karen Farbridge. “Not long ago, the idea of a Net Zero home would have been thought of as a pipedream. Yet today we are breaking ground for one in our city. Reid’s Heritage Homes has a well-earned reputation for innovation and sustainability, and together with their project partners and sponsors, is helping Guelph distinguish itself on a national scale.”
Reid’s Heritage Homes expects all five homes to be fully constructed by 2016.
About Reid’s Heritage Homes
A modern approach to traditional homebuilding. Built on a solid reputation of quality, integrity and service, Reid’s Heritage Homes is one of Ontario’s leading builders, with a history of homebuilding that dates back to 1947. The same enduring values that motivated our founder, Orin Reid, inspire our many diverse communities today. Our commitment to these values applies across the Reid’s Heritage Homes’ family of companies, including Williamsburg Homes with a community in Kitchener, and Sherwood Homes, with communities in Collingwood.
About Owens Corning Canada
Owens Corning Canada is part of Owens Corning, a US$5.2 billion company with 15,000 employees worldwide, including 654 in Canada. Owens Corning and its family of companies are a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements, and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune® 500 company for 60 consecutive years, the company is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets, and enhancing lives. Owens Corning operates 4 plants in Canada, manufacturing PINK™ insulation and other energy-saving products.
The ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative (ecoEII), announced in the 2011 Budget, is a $268 million program searching for long-term solutions to eliminate air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from energy production. Eligible projects must be demonstration or research & development.
GEHRY – Museum under glass
Designed by icon Frank Gehry, the Louis Vuitton Foundation marries the past with the future
There is no way around it – the much ballyhooed Louis Vuitton Foundation, a sprawling museum for contemporary art in France, dazzles and bewilders at the same time.
A daring design by internationally-acclaimed architect Frank Gehry, it’s not your run-of-the-mill building – not by a long stretch. Since opening recently, the museum has already made a mark as a structure bold in concept, including a glimpse into both the future and the past.
Gehry is known for his non-conventional approach to design and he doesn’t disappoint with his use of glass, glass and more glass. Says the innovation & design writer for Bloomberg Businessweek: “The structure seems to alight on the earth like a spaceship from the future.”
That may well be the case, however Gehry incorporated sentiments from the 19th century, right from the start of the design process. His original rough sketches showed a transparent cloud that tied in with cultural calling of old France.
It was from that time period that Gehry looked at the lightness of glass and traditional culture, but then eventually enhanced the treatment with the innovation of modern technology.
From a sustainable standpoint, the structure of the glass roof allows the building to collect and reuse rain water and enhances its geothermal power capabilities. And the building (Fondation Louis-Vuitton) has been given the equivalent of a LEED Gold certification. In France, that is called Haute Qualité Environmentale (HQE), with a Très Performant classification.
Early on, it was apparent that an envelope of glass would cover the building, combined with an assembly of blocks referred to as “the iceberg”. Situated in a basin created for the project, the building complements the natural environment, between garden and woods. Simultaneously, there is a light and mirror effect.
Interestingly, the foundation has served as a catalyst for innovation in digital design and construction, according to reports. In fact, Gehry set a new standard for the use of advanced digital and fabrication technologies. In all, more than 400 people contributed design models, engineering rules and assembly constraints to a common web-hosted 3D digital model.
It’s been noted elsewhere that more than 3,600 glass panels and 19,000 fibre-reinforced concrete panels that form the façade were simulated using mathematical techniques and molded using advanced industrial robots, all automated from the shared 3D model. In fact, new software was developed specifically for sharing and working with the complex design. The final model was then scanned to provide the eventual digital model for the project.
Photos credit: Iodd Eberle
The 85-year-old Gehry, who lives and works in Los Angeles, was commissioned for the project knowing that it was the first privately-funded major cultural institution in France. Built in a public park, the museum and its ostentatious design are part of a public relations campaign to reshape the image of Louis Vuitton (LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), which is often seen as an entity that preys on family-run luxury businesses. In an agreement with the city for the plot, ownership of the museum will revert to Paris in 55 years. The museum is, in essence, a gift to the city worth a reported $134 million, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.
