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B.C. is moving ahead with plans to build what is expected to be the tallest wood building in North America and possibly the world, Jobs Minister Pat Bell said Wednesday. The proposed 10-storey Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George will become a test case for creating a value-added forest products industry around tall wood building construction methods that would differ radically from the way traditional mid-rise and even highrise buildings are constructed ... »»»
LEDs are increasingly used for ambient lighting and other retail applications. Ambient lighting and highlighting are both needed in retail spaces, and in light of recent technological advances, LEDs can now provide both. A common practice in the retail industry involves contrast – increased illumination is designed to emphasize featured merchandise against general light levels. An increasingly efficient and feasible way of providing contrast is with LEDs ... »»»
There are signs that we be may begin to see the early signs of what is now commonly referred to as the effect of climate change on new and existing buildings, and most engineers agree that any significant change in weather patterns will almost certainly require a modification to the manner in which we design, construct, manage and maintain buildings. Some professionals are suggesting these apparent changes will represent a huge long-term challenge ... »»»
According to studies, 1.3 million tons of waste is generated annually throughout the Metro Vancouver region by construction, renovation and demolition activities. Last year, the City of Vancouver supported a pilot study in which two Vancouver homes were deconstructed, rather than demolished. It entailed the systematic disassembling of a building in order to maximize diversion of building materials. The result: 93% of the building materials were salvaged for reuse or recycling ... »»»
A building material that absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night promises to save building owners a bundle of cash when it's time to pay the monthly electricity bill. They’re called phase-change materials, or PCMs, and scientists have been experimenting with them for decades. Although there have been some efforts to introduce them to construction markets in North America and Europe, they remain largely unknown or ignored ... »»»
A 12-storey tower in St. John's, N.L. stands to be the first building in that Atlantic Canada province to use seawater for heating and cooling. The building, under construction at 351 Water St., will bear the same name and will overlook St. John’s picturesque harbour. What makes the project stand out, however, is a geothermal system that will use seawater from the harbour to heat and cool the building ... »»»
Some 245 technical changes have been made to the 2011 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings to accommodate new technologies and construction practices that have emerged in Canada over the past 15 years. A key characteristic of the Code is its overall performance improvement compared with the 1997 Model National Energy Code for Buildings ... »»»
For San Diego building owners, it pays to be energy efficient - literally. Over the last two years, nearly 100 building projects have been awarded almost $10 million in incentives from San Diego Gas & Electric through Savings by Design, a utility-funded initiative that supports high-performance building design in new construction or renovations. What’s more, owners of these buildings have collectively earned an estimated $8.6 million in annual utility costs savings ... »»»
Just because you are old and you leak a little, it doesn't mean you should be put down. I am also referring to buildings. Most architects have heard "the greenest building is the one that already exists." Consider how much energy it takes to create a new building. It takes approximately 65 years for a green, energy-efficient new office building to recover the energy lost in demolition. Most new buildings in Canada are certainly not designed to last anywhere near that long ... »»»
Operable windows can be an efficient tool to cut utility costs. Relying on your building’s HVAC system may guarantee the conditions in your building remain constant, but introducing high-performance operable windows can provide the same benefit – and more. Newer models have made great advances that place them on par with other high-performance options. ... »»»