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Building Envelope

July 7, 2010

Olympic Village housing project designed to achieve net zero standard

The occupants of a new housing complex that is the legacy of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics stand to save considerably on their energy bills. With features such as radiant capillary mat ceiling heating, solar-thermal panels and strategic placing of windowed façades, the building has been designed to achieve a net zero standard.

June 29, 2010

CANMET laboratory aims for LEED Platinum

A 37-acre brownfield site on Longwood Road just south of Highway 403 in Hamilton is going green in a big way.

June 17, 2010

Centre for Engineering Innovation targets LEED Gold

While the construction of the two-phase $112 million, 300,000-square-foot Centre for Engineering Innovation (CFEI) at the University of Windsor only started a few months ago, the university and its consultants are heralding the success of the region’s largest targeted LEED Gold building.

June 9, 2010

British Columbia’s first Mormon temple built to exacting standards

Taking three years to complete, the first temple in B.C. for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was constructed to such high standards that in some cases builders’ specifications didn’t exist.

June 8, 2010

Singapore cracks down on falling windows

Singapore will hold a “Window Safety Day,” backed by threats of dire punishment, to highlight a growing problem of windows falling from high-rise apartment buildings in the densely populated city-state.

May 31, 2010

Waterloo museum design reflects regional history

A site marking the intersection of two historic transportation routes significant to development of Waterloo region now is home to a recently completed regional history museum.

May 26, 2010

Cladding evolves into a new certified trade

The occupation formerly called cladding has evolved into what is now known as architectural sheet metal worker.

May 19, 2010

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety investigates falling tool accident

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety was investigating after a hand tool weighing about two kilograms fell from the 45th floor of a skyscraper under construction in Calgary, breaking the window of a building across the street.

May 13, 2010

Toronto’s tower renewal program promotes energy efficiency

With energy costs projected to increase, existing multi-tenant buildings will come under increased pressure to retrofit to save on energy costs while maintaining a “livable” building.

May 11, 2010

Work continues on Beyond the Sea condos in Etobicoke, Ontario

Construction continues on phase one of the Beyond the Sea condos in Etobicoke, Ont. Owner/construction manager Empire Communities has completion of the 44-storey, 342-unit building, which includes four levels of underground parking, scheduled for spring 2012.

April 30, 2010

Canadian architect revives Penn Station PowerHouse in New York

When CGS Developers and Zigmond Brach of Brooklyn, NY undertook the historic condominium renovation of a New York City landmark, the intention was to preserve as much of the structure as possible.

April 30, 2010

German firm launches ‘intelligent envelope’ system

In modern building design and construction, every component is getting a rethink around increased efficiency and reduced operating costs.

April 30, 2010

First Canadian Place gets 72-storey facelift

Almost 40 years after it was constructed, the 72-storey, 298-metre-high First Canadian Place office tower still retains its status as Canada’s largest office tower. Now it will soon be receiving what is conceivably the largest recladding in the country.

April 30, 2010

MediaPlex at St. Clair College helps in revival of Windsor’s core

It’s called the MediaPlex. It’s St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology’s new hi-tech journalism school located right in the centre of downtown Windsor.

April 30, 2010

Halsall Associates begins second part of brick study

A two-part study measuring the impact of interior insulation on solid masonry walls may provide some solutions on how to effectively and safely bring Canada’s extensive inventory of older buildings up to modern day energy efficiency standards.

April 30, 2010

Prairie Art Gallery in Grande Prairie, Alberta a building within a building

The new Prairie Art Gallery in Grande Prairie, Alta. has been designed as a building-within-a-building to honour the city’s heritage and the rigorous environmental requirements of a modern art gallery.

April 30, 2010

Toronto’s Royal Trust Tower undergoing $110-million revitalization

A massive renewal of one of Toronto’s oldest office towers is designed to bring the building up to modern day energy efficient and sustainability performance standards while respecting its heritage character.