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Architecture, Green Energy, Ideas, Sustainability, Technology

Doing it right

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No stone unturned with an EcoVicar ENERGY STAR® home

Taking a page from its corporate mantra, the company’s EcoVicar ENERGY STAR® homes are constructed with the same attention to detail.

“The key to a successful home is based on a solid foundation, built with quality material and by experienced craftsmanship. We built our company the same way we build your house.”

Those criteria are evident, in spades, with the meticulous detail found in the EcoVicar homes. Not only are health and safety paramount, but the myriad of options and features ensures fresh air distribution throughout.

With an EcoVicar home, making a house airtight keeps the living space free of outdoor dust, pollen and noise. And each home is equipped with an intelligent ventilation system that doesn’t just flush out odours, but brings in new fresh outside air and distributes it throughout the home.

And standards are maintained with the ENERGY STAR® stamp of approval. The federal government-backed labelling program has a reputation for producing significantly better buildings and ensures consistent quality with inspections and tests.  

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EcoVicar welcomes inspectors. Unlike a ‘code-built’ house, EcoVicar solicits third-party trained and certified auditors to test air tightness air barrier systems and inspect key mechanical systems to make sure they meet the upgraded specifications set by the ENERGY STAR® program. And the key plank in any ENERGY STAR® home is setting a stringent limit on indiscriminate air leakage. This saves money, while ensuring an abundance of fresh air. (Air leakage in a home leads to discomfort, dryness, excessive noise, dust and pollens from outside.)

There are five key, balanced features, namely:

* A complete thermal enclosure system for comfort, durability and reduced maintenance;

* Fresh air, with an airtight thermal envelope;

* Efficient lighting and appliances, which mean reduced operating costs;

* Integrated inside and outside water systems;

* And an integrated heating, ventilation and cooling system with optimal design and installation.

Comprehensive air sealing, properly installed insulation and high-performance windows combine to deliver better comfort, better durability, reduced maintenance costs and lower monthly bills. During construction, partners must meet all the requirements of the EPA’s comprehensive thermal enclosure system inspection.
Because the designed intent of an EcoVicar home is to save money and produce a more durable building by ensuring an airtight thermal envelope, it’s paramount to exchange the stale air produced indoors by a typical family. Most new homes in Ontario use ‘exhaust’ only strategies to pull in outside air through a leaky house, but that approach can cause issues that are easily avoided by installing ‘balanced’ ventilation and heat-recovery ventilator.

A little-known fact is that the lighting and appliances in homes come with two price tags – the purchase price and operating costs. EcoVicar homes offer higher quality appliances that require less maintenance, are quieter, and provide lower monthly utility bills, all the while creating a perfect style most homeowners are looking for.

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Managing water both inside and outside homes has never been more important. EcoVicar homes provide features that conserve water volume, but also lower the cost of producing warm water for a growing family. Additionally, the homes come with built-in features that ensure rainwater is managed with a passive system and backed-up power systems.

The ENERGY STAR® program insists on ensuring the mechanical system is sized precisely for the house and that the mechanical components selected for the house communicate well and co-operate for maximum efficiency. The process doesn’t stop at the planning stage but carries on through to field inspections to ensure that the planned specifications are followed and specified models are installed. During construction, ENERGY STAR builder partners must meet all of the requirements of EPA’s comprehensive heating and cooling system.

As a result, you get a home with a complete heating, ventilation and cooling system – a better approach to building a better home.

Web / vicarhomes.com

Building Envelope, Green Energy, HVAC, Ideas, Sustainability, Technology, Trends

The Edelweiss House

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The Edelweiss House in Wakefield, Quebec, becomes Canada’s first LEED v4 certified building and the second LEED v4 Platinum certified home in the world

Ecohome’s Edelweiss House project, a passively heated, cold climate demonstration home located in Wakefield, Quebec, has become the first project in Canada to earn LEED v4 certification. Edelweiss is not only the first project in Canada to be certified under LEED v4, but it has also earned the highest level possible – Platinum – making it only the second LEED v4 home in the world to reach LEED’s most rigorous level.

The hyper-efficient cold climate house boasts an average price tag and an extremely low operational budget. Located 40 minutes from Ottawa in the Gatineau Hills, this 1,552 sq. ft. home was less than $250,000 to build and its energy bills are estimated to be less than $1.40/day. In comparison, a standard new home of comparable size consumes roughly 10 times more energy.

The Edelweiss House was designed and built by Emmanuel Cosgrove and Mike Reynolds, co-founders of Ecohome. “We don’t really build anymore as our mission is education,” they say. “We undertook this project to show builders and homeowners that it isn’t that hard or expensive to build better performing homes, and that your true monthly overhead can actually be lower, right from the moment you move in.”

The home will now be used for full-day workshops, as well as for short-term rentals that allow building professionals or future homeowners to experience the comfort of a passive solar home first hand.

With a slab-on-grade foundation and a living green roof, the house heats by harnessing warmth from the sun, the occupants and their various appliances. Built with non-toxic building materials and FSC certified wood, the home also features finishing materials such as locally-sourced slate, reclaimed sunken river wood, sandblasted antique doors, and a quartz countertop made of recycled porcelain plates, bottles and mirrors. Edelweiss House is also extremely water-efficient, with a projected water savings of 60 per cent over an equivalent new home.

This ultra-low energy home has earned high praise from the CaGBC for its innovation and leadership. “The Edelweiss House is a phenomenal achievement – the first Canadian project to meet the stringent requirements of the latest version of LEED at its highest level,” said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the CaGBC. “I commend Ecohome for being a leader in the Canadian home building community and for demonstrating to the industry that high sustainability standards can be achieved right here in Canada, right now.”

Canada currently has nine additional projects registered for LEED v4 certification in Canada, with this certification marking the first of its kind for any project type. More information on the house, including a step-by-step video series following its construction can be found online at ecohome.net. For more information on additional LEED v4 registered project in Canada, visitCaGBC’s LEED v4 Leaderboard webpage.

 

Additional information about the home:

Passive Solar Index (PSI): The Edelweiss House will act as a vehicle to launch Ecohome’s Passive Solar Index, a simple program designed to affix an energy efficiency value to homes. PSI recognizes homes that perform at a level below 50 kWh/m²/year, where most newly built homes in Canada consume over 150 kWh/m²/year of energy for heating.

Building Envelope, Green Energy, HVAC, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

Sergio Galli

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Rock star in both music and designing/building homes

You may have heard of Sergio Galli from his notoriety as the founding member and guitarist of the multi-platinum-selling rock group Platinum Blonde – especially if you grew up in the ‘80s.

But Galli has another passion – designing and building custom homes for Canada’s elite. In 1989, Sergio began his architecture career designing homes, but he soon began to design and build special gems after getting steady requests from his clients.

Sergio continues to build impressive, custom luxury homes with the latest appointments. Wine cellars, private theatres, indoor swimming pools, elevators and tennis courts are just some of the standard client requests he incorporates into his designs.

In addition, Sergio has recently begun offering his design flair and expertise for renovation projects.

“I’m having a lot of fun with this,” says Galli. “I especially enjoy doing facelifts – for houses that is. Every house has the potential to look amazing with a little effort. Then there’s curb appeal, which is very important and often overlooked.”

When Galli’s not at his desk designing, or in the field overseeing a build, he’s busy making music and is currently in the midst of writing and recording a new studio album of original songs.

Galli’s newest project, Platinum Series Estates, launches in the spring of 2016 and will consist of 28 estates, each on two-acre lots, built around the prestigious Lakeridge Links Golf Club located just north of Whitby, Ontario. The custom homes will range in price from $1.8-million to $3.2-million.

This approach is somewhat of a departure for Galli, who typically has private clients who want a custom home designed and built specifically for a lot they already own.

But Galli insists that there will be very little difference in the way he has been operating. “I will still be working directly with each individual purchaser to design a home specifically for them.”

Galli’s duties don’t end at designing and producing architectural plans.
“I know that the interior of a home is every bit as important as the exterior,” he says. “I find that I spend as much time on the interior. There are so many choices and decisions, but in the end there must be a flow, a continuity, if you will.”

In addition to aesthetics, Galli is also an advocate of green building practices. With the Platinum Estates Series, for example, the use of materials with low embodied energy will help protect the environment. Galli will also be using the best double-glazed while increasing the number of windows with southern exposure – resulting in substantial energy savings.
Walls, he says, will be nearly air tight and highly insulated, meeting the rigorous standard of energy-efficient construction. Passive ventilation will cool the houses. Windows on the end gables will open, as will the skylights, creating a strong cross-breeze that moves along the length of each house and pushes warm air up and outward.

The most advanced technologies – such as LED Lighting, home security and motion sensor room applications – will be used in building this community. The roof, wall and floor insulation will meet the highest standard of green friendly products. Also provided will be luxury energy-efficient appliances, plus water-conserving low-flow faucets, toilets and showerheads.

Energy Star-rated HVAC systems will be included and will be properly installed to make sure they perform to their full potential.

To top this off, Galli will be utilizing Bionest System Wastewater Treatment Solutions™ (BCM), which offers a robust, simple and economical treatment solution for high organic load wastewaters. The system’s functioning principle is based on aerated basins, an already proven existing technology. The high aeration level in the BCM rapidly reduces the wastewaters’ organic load (soluble BOD), virtually allowing all wastewater to return to a drinkable state.

During the winter months, a geothermal heat pump will extract heat from deep underground to power each home’s HVAC system. Conversely, in the summer, heat will be extracted from the air and moved back into the earth through a loop system.

The one takeaway each client gets is Sergio Galli – a rock star in the world of music, as well as in the world of designing and building custom luxury and eco-friendly homes.

Web / sergiogalli.ca

Architecture, Building Envelope, Green Energy, HVAC, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

True to form

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Soon-to-be-completed Shanghai Tower maintains lofty sustainable goals

Much has been made about the sheer magnitude of the Shanghai Tower, touted as the tallest building in China, and second-tallest skyscraper in the world.

Due for completion in 2015, this spiraling megastructure will soar 2,074 feet (632 metres) into the skyline in Shanghai’s Lujiazui commercial district, right beside two other building behemoths: The Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center.

And within the 121 storeys, Shanghai Tower will house Class-A office space, entertainment venues, retail outlets, a conference centre, luxury hotel and cultural amenity spaces.


Not to be overshadowed, however, is the fact the tower will be targeting a China Green Building three-star rating and LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. And that’s largely due to the fact that sustainability is at the core of the tower’s design.

Dan Winey, of the tower’s Gensler design team, says Shanghai Tower is one of the most advanced sustainable tall buildings in the world, showcasing a number of green technologies.

“One of the original goals for the Shanghai Tower was to design the most sustainable super high-rise building in the world,” writes Winey, a member of Gensler’s board of directors who helped launch the company’s offices in Shanghai. “Our design team’s goal was to design a truly sustainable community within the context of a high-rise building.”

To that end, the results have been noticeable. As the skyline’s most prominent icon, the tower’s transparent, spiral form is showcasing cutting-edge sustainable strategies and public spaces that set new standards for green community.

Sustainability is at the core of the design. The façade’s taper, texture and asymmetry work in partnership to reduce wind loads on the building by 24 per cent, offering a $58-million U.S. savings in overall building materials. The building’s transparent inner and outer skins admit maximum natural daylight, thereby reducing the need for electric light. The tower’s outer skin also insulates the building, reducing energy use for heating and cooling. The tower’s spiraling parapet collects rainwater, which is used for the tower’s heating and air conditioning systems.

Wind turbines located directly beneath the parapet generate on-site power for the upper floors of the building, with a 2,130kW natural gas-fired cogeneration system onsite providing electricity and heat energy to the lower floors. Fully one third of the site will be green space with landscaping that cools the site. Overall, Gensler says Shanghai Tower’s sustainable strategies will reduce the building’s carbon footprint by 34,000 metric tons per year.

Overall, the tower has nine cylindrical buildings stacked one on top of the other. The inner layer of the double-skin façade encloses the stacked buildings, while the exterior façade creates the building envelope, which rotates 120 degrees as it rises and provides the distinctive, curving appearance. The spaces between the two façade layers create nine atrium sky gardens. Much like plazas and civic squares in traditional cities, the public sky atria offer spaces for interaction and community gathering space with restaurants, cafés, coffee shops and convenience stores, as well as lush landscaping, throughout. With sky gardens lining its perimeter, the tower is literally enveloped in public spaces.

“With the topping out of Shanghai Tower, the Lujiazui trio will serve as a stunning representation of our past, our present and China’s boundless future,” said Jun Xia, Shanghai Tower design leader and Gensler principal. “This tower takes inspiration from Shanghai’s tradition of parks and neighborhoods, recasting that history in a high-density, urban form symbolizing the emergence of modern Shanghai and China.”

Architecture, Green Energy, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

Most Sustainable Office Tower Officially Opens

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24-storey TELUS Garden office tower first in Canada built to new LEED Platinum standards

TELUS Garden’s office tower in the heart of Downtown Vancouver is now officially open. Rich with innovative architectural, technological and environmental features, it is the first substantial office tower in Canada built to new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum standards.

“Our new home that embellishes the heart of Vancouver’s skyline, TELUS Garden is an architectural icon that exemplifies our brand, reflects our values and symbolizes a deep appreciation of our team for their dedication to connecting people and communities across Canada,” said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO. “It is our sincere hope that this exceptional space provides inspiration for all who live, work and visit here. Indeed, TELUS Garden is Canada’s most beautiful and ambitious LEED Platinum building, and one of the most environmentally-friendly developments in North America.”

The unique development’s features include:

  • A district energy system that will reduce demand from conventional energy sources by 80 per cent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than one million kilograms a year. The system recovers energy from the neighbouring telecommunications building that would normally be lost and uses it to heat and cool air and water throughout the development;
  • Vancouver’s largest solar panel array on the office tower’s rooftop, reducing reliance on conventional commercial electricity;
  • Rainwater capture systems to irrigate gardens throughout the development;
  • 10,000 square feet of outdoor meeting space and garden terraces on six levels planted with a community food garden that will be tended by TELUS team members, indigenous trees and thousands of plants species;
  • An iconic architectural canopy along Georgia Street that will provide coverage to the new public plaza that also features seating, music and a free Wi-Fi zone
  • Vancouver’s first cantilevered office spaces above city sidewalks, which enhance the office building’s design while maximizing the use of vertical space;
  • A media façade that will display community programing including visual arts created by local students and arts organizations;
  • A custom made Fazioli piano in the office building lobby for local musicians, beside an indoor koi fish pond;
  • Advanced building systems, which include a ventilation system providing fresh air to residents and workers, rather than the recycled air typical of towers;
  • High-efficiency motion sensor lighting to significantly reduce energy consumption;
  • Charging stations for electric vehicles and bike storage, with showers for team members;
  • 450,000 square feet of new office space and 65,000 square feet of new retail space, including TELUS’ flagship 2,300 square foot retail store.

“When we first imagined this project five years ago, our vision was to create a new headquarters for our team that would dramatically reduce TELUS’ environmental footprint,” said Andrea Goertz, TELUS Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice-President. “It was also important to us that the development contribute to Vancouver’s social fabric by recreating this central block as a vibrant, fun place full of culture and energy. TELUS Garden has achieved all of that and more.”

TELUS Garden’s office tower was designed to support TELUS’ Work Styles program, which encourages team members to work when and where they are most effective. Fully 70 per cent of TELUS team members work at home full or part-time, coming into the office when it meets their requirements. Work Styles saves real estate costs while simultaneously reducing employee commuting expenses, environmental impact, and traffic. To support the program, the office design combines private meeting rooms, mobile work stations, open seating areas, shared work stations, kitchens, large outdoor terraces and green spaces to encourage collaboration, teamwork and innovation.

“As a leading technology company here in B.C., it’s fitting that the new TELUS Garden showcases new building and environmental techniques,” said Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Amrik Virk. “This new building is a symbol of technology and ecology working together to create sustainable development.”

TELUS has long called British Columbia home. The development of the company’s new LEED Platinum TELUS Garden reinforces TELUS’ commitment to the City of Vancouver and supports the city’s goal of becoming the greenest city in the world.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

Architecture, Building Envelope, Green Energy, HVAC, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Trends

Not forgotten

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SPARK-designed Beijing complex pays homage to historical textile market

To the naked eye, the unique look of the Jing Mian Xin Cheng complex in Beijing, China, might not remind anyone of days gone by.

But on closer examination of the two office towers that sit atop a retail podium – and by detailed explanation from the principal at SPARK, which conceived the mixed-use design – it becomes obvious that efforts were made to pay homage to a textile market that once occupied the site.

The architect often uses the words ‘pleated’ and ‘woven’ to describe the towers’ textured façades. There are ‘pleats’ of perforated aluminium sheeting and a ‘weave’ of rippling windows that resolve a variety of practical issues while harkening back to earlier tenants.

“The pleating and weaving effects emerged from visualising the façades as pieces of three-dimensional fabric rather than paper-thin curtain walls,’ says SPARK Director Jan Felix Clostermann. “The façade engages with interior space by sculpting new habitable zones at the building’s edge.”

Clostermann says that the texture, which dissolves into a flat, glassy curtain wall with height, “baffles traffic noise from the ring road and offers a level of acoustic protection to the interior.

“The façade’s depth also creates new sites for natural ventilation and for an elaborate exterior lighting scheme that makes the textile-inspired texture stand out at night.”

The eye-catching mixed-use development adjacent to Beijing’s Fourth Ring Road was the winner of a ‘Best Office and Business Development’ accolade at the MIPIM Asia Awards 2013. The entire development consists of the two office towers and a retail podium immediately adjacent to the road, with a protected public plaza to their rear.

Given that the massing of the blocks was predicated and constrained by the sunlight requirements of a residential development to the north of the site, SPARK’s work focused on the detailed design of the façade and landscape.

Clostermann says the ‘thickened’ facades perform a number of functions beyond enclosure. First, besides muffling traffic noise, they provide a level of acoustic protection to the interior. The weave effect on the towers is thus concentrated at the lower levels, fading out with height. Secondly, in the case of the woven glazing, the façade engages with interior space by sculpting new habitable zones at the building’s edge.
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Simultaneously, the woven glazing establishes new opportunities for ventilation.

“The weave allowed us to add small side openings for natural ventilation,” Clostermann says. “In most of Beijing’s Grade A office developments, windows are very large, heavy, top-hung panels that are difficult to operate and prone to falling.

“Many building operators do not allow windows to be opened for this reason, yet air conditioning is usually switched off at 6 p.m. and remains off on weekends. This is a problem for those who need to work beyond regular office hours.”
Smaller, lighter, and much easier to use, Jin Mian Xin Cheng’s side windows are thus a practical and low-tech solution to a common problem. The extremities of the ‘weave’ serve an additional function as easily accessed light boxes for night-time illumination of the building.
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In a similar vein, SPARK’s landscape design for the plaza establishes a habitable topography of folds on the horizontal plane.

“The ground folds up to create seating, and to demarcate different zones in the plaza for different activities,” says Clostermann. “This continuation of the theme in the landscape design assures a pedestrian experience as impactful as the visual experience of the passing motorist. “
SPARK, international architects with offices in London, Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai, hope their latest mixed-use design, located near Beijing’s Fourth Ring Road, will serve as a reminder that ‘depth of experience need not be forgotten despite the speed of the city’s expansion.’ SPARK’s award-winning studios create distinctive buildings for their clients and great places for people. Their designs emerge from a detailed analysis of context, brief, and typology, using innovation to drive social, environmental and economic value. SPARK delivered projects in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Australia. Each one has its own unique spark and manifests SPARK’s desire to tackle and deliver on challenges that reflect the key global imperative of attaining a sustainable, life-improving environment for all.

Web / sparkarchitects.com

Architecture, Building Envelope, Green Energy, HVAC, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Trends

The Ecocapsule

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It’s the first truly independent micro-home

The story of the Ecocapsule began in 2008 when architectural studio NICE Architects participated in the Andes Sprout Society idea competition to design small housing units for artists.

At that time, Ecocapsule v1 had three pivotal design features: A round shape to minimize energy losses, water collection capability and mobility. That particular design was not successful, but a breaking point for the project took place soon after when inhabitat.com chose Ecocapsule as one of the most interesting examples from the Sprout Society competition.

Since then, a flood of inquiries persuaded us (NICE Architects) to develop this project further. Unfortunately, back in 2008, technology was not ready for our concept of a truly independent house.

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But by 2014, development allowed us to finish designing the Ecocapsule v2 prototype equipped with necessary systems for long-term independence.

It was designed as a self-contained system, able to operate for long periods of time without external resources. Something like a of Swiss-army knife – it packs everything you need in one place. Long-term independence is mostly a matter of strategy: How to harness and reuse every kind of energy available. A dual power system contains high-efficiency solar cells and silent wind turbines, thus allowing one to bypass periods without sufficient sunlight or wind.

Produced energy is stored in the batteries to power all onboard systems. A thick layer of efficient thermal insulation and energy recuperation significantly reduces thermal losses. The round shape helps to collect rainwater and a series of membrane filters allow filling tanks from any natural water source. Biowaste is collected in the composting toilet.

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Then there is the electric incineration unit. Heat from the incineration is used for heating. All these small elements, working together, create a system able to sustain without resources for long periods of time.

Manual water pumps were installed as a backup system. The capsule retains its basic functionality as a shelter. Ecocapsule bears its architectural heritage. It is built as a low-energy house. The key to a successful survival strategy is strict management of energy resources. A conventional house can afford to lose several watt/hours but that’s not the case for Ecocapsule. The difference is crucial. An onboard low consumption computer provides more efficient means of control.

Long-term off-grid stay was always burdened by lack of resources and constant resupply. Usually it means constant flow of equipment and fuel, which negatively impacts the environment. The fact that this capsule is equipped with everything needed limits the impact to the environment just like its footprint.

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Initially. Ecocapsule v1 was significantly larger and raised lot of questions about transportation of the unit. Reducing size to something that would fit in shipping containers eased transportation problems. It can be transported by truck, towed on a trailer and in 2016 it will receive its undercarriage.

At first we planned to use the Ecocapsule as a frontier dwelling; as a housing unit for people who need to stay outdoors for a long time. For example: scientists, photographers, rangers or extreme tourists.

Easy mobility, containerization and long-term energy independence opened new ways to utilize the full potential of the capsule. It can be quickly shipped and used as housing for emergency teams in rapid response situations where infrastructure is damaged; after an earthquake, for example. Teams can directly approach their tasks without need to build their base and facilities. The capsule can also serve as a small power plant and water filtration unit.
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Interestingly, the capsule can be used as an urban dwelling for singles in the high-rent, high-income areas like New York or Silicone Valley. It can be placed on a rooftop or vacant parking lot and substitute as a studio for a longer period of time. During the construction of the capsule, we learned a most valuable lesson: If you want to survive, you need to utilize all resources you have available. Otherwise you will be punished by limited function.

I guess, that is also applicable to planet Earth. Only the punishment will be more severe.

Submitted by NICE Architects

Web: www.nicearchitects.sk/en

Architecture, Style, Sustainability

Raising the bar

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Rivermill Homes continues to build to a higher standard

 

Some would say there’s simply no substitute for hands-on experience.

As far as the principals at Rivermill Homes are concerned, those are words to live by. With over 20 years as home builders in the GTA, Rivermill Homes’ partners Jeffrey Katzman, Yoram Greenblat and Paul Dasilva have definitely established a reputation as a premier company.

“The success of Rivermill Homes comes from four basic principles,” says Katzman, co-owner of Rivermill Homes. “We provide the highest standard of quality in everything that we build. We provide prime locations blended with superb design. We ensure every customer will be our best advertisement. And, most importantly, we build every home as if it was our own.”

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With an outstanding long-time association with the Tarion Warranty Program and Ontario Home Builders’ Association, Rivermill Homes has consistently focused on attention to detail and excellence in customer service.

“Customer service is the cornerstone of Rivermill Homes,” Greenblat says. “That’s evident from the first moment you meet with our professional and courteous team. We will ensure that your home will meet the needs of your family and exceed your dreams.” Going beyond expectations is one of the main reasons some purchasers buy more than one home from Rivermill or recommend them to their friends and family.

The partners, as well, own a rough carpentry company, so they can offer their services to other builders as well as framing homes for themselves.

Says Dasilava: “Carpentry is the most important part of the home building process, so we have a built-in advantage and expertise that other builders do not share.”

At the same time, Katzman stresses, Rivermill Homes are extremely conscious about green building standards. As examples, he cited features at two of their current projects – Renaissance Court townhomes in Richmond Hill and Yonge View condos in North York.

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“At Yonge View, on Drewry Avenue in Toronto, we have incorporated the use of collecting rainwater, then filtering it and pumping it back to toilets to conserve water,” he says. “As a standard at Renaissance, at our site at Carville Avenue and Bathurst Street, we are also installing HRV (heat recovery ventilation) units, energy-rated bathroom fans, energy-efficient light bulbs, energy-efficient appliances, high-efficient furnace systems, plus using more efficient materials, in general.”

Additionally, Katzman says, Rivermill Homes has devised a master plan to achieve the perfect setting for the development on Carville in Richmond Hill.

“In conjunction with RN Design from Vaughn, we have planned these residences down to the smallest detail, encompassing the most up-to-date homes that allow for a healthier environment, reduced maintenance costs and beautiful elevations.”

Rivermill Homes encourages all its purchasers and others to ‘Like Us’ on Facebook (facebook.com/rivermillhomes). There, the company provides updates of its construction progress on all sites, plus posts other information about upcoming projects.

Web / rivermillhomes.com / renaissancetowns.com / yongeview.com

 

Architecture, Building Envelope, Green Energy, HVAC, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories

Life lessons

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By GREG McMILLAN

It’s often said that experience is the best teacher.

In the case of Matt Gilgan, the eldest son of billionaire homebuilder Peter Gilgan, of Mattamy Homes, truer words have never been spoken.

His learning curve began early on. Born and raised around new home construction, he saw, first hand, the amount of waste of materials that went into traditional development. And, early on, he knew he wanted to do something about that – to promote a more responsible approach to land development and homebuilding.

“I have very unique, and broad, experience within large production construction,” says Gilgan, an artist and green entrepreneur, now promoting himself as a consultant for development of green buildings and/or green communities. “But I also have quite separate extensive research-based knowledge and experience with green building.”

That’s for sure. Back in the spring of 2009, Gilgan and his wife bought a property just a few steps away from Lake Ontario near downtown Oakville, Ontario. It had a neglected, dilapidated 1870s heritage home on it, but that didn’t deter Gilgan.

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He brought in architect Tom Kolbasenko of Milton’s Our Cool Blue, and together they began tackling one challenge after another. The old foundation had to be rebuilt, for one thing. Then, to incorporate Gilgan’s desire for walls made of straw bale, a Peterborough construction company joined the team. Then there were additions such as radiant floors, recycled materials, a geothermal system and passive solar heating.

All in all, the project dragged on for three years. There were snags with the town of Oakville, and Gilgan says his hands were often tied, due to certain restricting bylaws.

“But from the outset,” he says, “my ambition was to do the greenest possible thing.”

And so he embarked on a path that taught him valuable life lessons; lessons he now feels put him in good stead as a consultant or partner for others contemplating similar altruistic green building ventures.

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The end product on Chisholm Street in Oakville is the result of much sustainable experimentation and unexpected financial pitfalls. Gilgan was tremendously schooled, and now he’s keen on sharing his tips.

When construction was finished, Gilgan originally listed the home at $4.5-million. He said it sold for $2.15-million.

“The $4.5-million was to cover actual costs plus a very small administration fee for myself,” he says. “So many elements drove the costs up – tying an historic home to a new build, foundation problems, delays caused by financing and approval nightmares, plus the cost of financing itself. This was a one-of-a-kind experiment, though, and I have learned a heck of a lot from it, including the fact that I now know how to make any future projects more sustainable and financially sound.

“I would very much like to be involved in the planning and visioning of sustainable communities. I would love to work with a developer and/or builder to come up with a holistic community plan that would integrate some of the greatest green techniques and provide an affordable truly environmentally-conscientious option. I know I bring a unique combination of experience that has provided me with a broad understanding of the development mindset, design and approval processes, and implementation into built form.

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“I believe that I could assist a variety of business types, not necessarily just home builders and developers. I can show them a fresh way of thinking about how to behave conscientiously, how to create systems and facilitate improvements of a more sincere and holistic nature than typical green strategies. By taking a more sincere approach, I believe businesses stand to benefit greatly by distinguishing themselves more clearly from competitors, by improving company morale, and becoming a more desirable employer.”
Gilgan has strong views on what constitutes true sustainable building strategies. And he questions many so-called “green advancements” as little, or no better, than the status quo.

“The most advantageous green practices are still largely ignored,” he says. “For example, technological solutions like higher-rated windows, which are made out of environmentally-disastrous petrochemicals, provide way less improvement to a home’s overall insulation value than does straw bale wall construction.

“The use of straw is not patented by anyone, it’s an ancient well-proven technology that uses material we have in abundance around the world, a waste product of agriculture, to create a more durable and incredible building envelope.

“Straw walls breathe, as opposed to current wisdom which traps homeowners inside a plastic bubble to breath in all the toxic fumes that are emanating from the numerous materials used inside the home.

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“Similarly, one of the oldest architectural principals – paying attention to the sun and the way your home is situated relative to the sun – seems to have been long forgotten. New developments could instantly reap enormous energy savings through this one simple step at negligible cost increase.”
Looking ahead, consulting is certainly an option for Gilgan, but it’s not his most ardent goal – not by a long shot.

“I’d be very keenly interested in partnering with an individual, group or company that was wanting to take on a green project of some kind,” he adds. “In fact, I’d probably much prefer that to a consulting gig.”

Web / 55chisholmstreet.ca

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Much more than green

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Our Cool Blue Architects think outside the box of sustainable design

by Greg McMillan

No workday is ever the same for Tom and Laura Kolbasenko. The co-founders of Our Cool Blue Architects could be looking after clients at a recent project for a multi-national company in Bogotá Colombia, consulting on LEEDTM Gold and Silver projects in Bermuda, visiting project sites in Alberta and Nova Scotia – or tracking dozens of other local Southern Ontario undertakings of various sizes and themes, but at the heart of each and every venture, this couple try to always make a difference through the work they do while applying their company mantra “dedicated to global cooling.”

Both Tom, principal at Our Cool Blue, and Laura, director of design, combine their efforts to create architecture, which reduces the environmental impact of each and every project. Based in Milton, Ontario, Our Cool Blue Architects has been up and running since 2007, stressing the need to consider climate change issues in building design. The company’s passion has extended to many likeminded clients who are seeking what Our Cool Blue Architects has to offer.

“We take on all kinds of projects, big and small,” Tom says. “We work with big corporate clients, with large portfolios of buildings, as well as smaller, one-off projects. But above all, our strong commitment to sustainable design sets us apart from others.”

With every new project, Our Cool Blue Architects tries to exceed local codes and apply more stringent design standards such as LEEDTM (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Tom says they are currently working on a variety of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional projects, both domestically and internationally. Among their clients are companies such as Scotiabank, First Capital Realty Corporation, HSBC, Region of Halton, Medtronic, City of Toronto, Canada Green Building Council, Bermuda Hospital Board and Toronto Parking Authority – who all follow the highest environmental standards with their corporate stewardship.
Commercial projects are only one side of Our Cool Blue Architects. Alternately, the firm also goes “beyond green” and is constantly exploring “living buildings and regenerative issues,” such as straw bale. A technology that has been used for centuries but is not commonly practised in Canada, it utilizes bales of straw as the main thermal material in a wall assembly creating more natural building envelopes.
One such venture, for client Matt Gilgan, son of billionaire homebuilder Peter Gilgan, of Mattamy Homes, allowed Our Cool Blue Architects to help turn a time-worn Oakville heritage home into a truly sustainable building. Featuring many of the oldest sustainable architectural principles – such as paying attention to the sun and using straw bale – the house has radiant floors, recycled materials, a green roof, rainwater harvesting, a geothermal system and passive solar heating among other great environmentally-friendly features.
“Overall, we often consider sustainable design in terms of ‘shades of green,’” says Tom. “Depending on the client’s ambitions, site constraints and opportunities, our team adapts to each level of passive, as well as active design elements and technologies.

“Each customized design would suit the desired, or possible, ‘shade of green.’ Some projects, then, would end up as a ‘lighter green’ while the Gilgan house would be categorized as a ‘deep green.’ No matter the project’s scope, we feel a responsibility to educate and work in collaboration with our clients to reduce their environmental footprint, addressing these issues and proposing solutions that respect the natural environment while also meeting their needs.”

A mid-size design and green consulting firm, Our Cool Blue Architects offers full architectural services to the public and private sectors, ranging from the design of individual environments to the master planning of large-scale developments and project management. As the principal of Our Cool Blue Architects, Tom Kolbasenko is a Canada Green Building Council LEED-NC faculty and also a part-time instructor at Ryerson University.

 

Web / ourcoolblue.com