HPO Bulletin on Fenestration Energy Performance

The Homeowner Protection Office, Branch of BC Housing, has issued a new bulletin on “Fenestration Energy Performance” for residential buildings, including information on energy performance requirements for windows, glazed doors and skylights, and a “roadmap” for compliance. Energy performance requirements for fenestration have become more stringent in recent years. This bulletin (Builder Insight #9) will help clarify BC Building Code and BC Energy Efficiency Act requirements and the supporting standards. Note: this is of high importance to architects; AIBC members are encouraged to read it. To access this bulletin as well as past issues of Builder Insight, go to http://www.hpo.bc.ca/builder-insight-bulletins.

Important New Documentation Requirements for Energy Standards in Vancouver

The City of Vancouver has issued a new bulletin that will be of particular interest to architects. ASHRAE 90.1-2007: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings describes procedural changes that will require architects and engineers to provide greater documentation than was previously required. This new standard applies to building envelope, HVAC, service water heating, power, lighting, and other equipment. Thus, it is critical to architectural design and coordination of the engineering disciplines. The new procedures are intended to improve quality assurance and provide to the city data that is useful in developing and extending its sustainable city initiatives. Note: this new process has been developed with input from the AIBC as well as the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. The requirement to comply with ASHRAE 90.1, the obligation for architects to design buildings in accordance with this standard, remains unchanged. Architects are strongly advised to review this bulletin and the referenced forms, and to share them with their building envelope, mechanical, plumbing and electrical consultants. To access the new bulletin, go online to http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/LICANDINSP/bulletins/index.htm.

Squaring Public Space With Human Needs

By Lisa Rochon, Globe and Mail

November 25, 2011

Place des Vosges always draws me to its magnificent truths whenever I visit Paris. But, last weekend under a cloudless autumn sky, the 17th-century square seemed especially ageless – and, for the makers of public space back home in Canada, freshly instructive. The prototypical European square was packed with children in classic blue cardigans playing make-believe in the sandboxes and with teenaged boys playing raucous games of soccer on the fine gravel. Along the edges of the square – past the geometric lawns of grass – friends, lovers and families were folded into conversations at tiny restaurant tables under the sheltering, arched arcade. More … 

For Healthy People, Build a Healthy City

By David Ebner, Globe and Mail

November 27, 2011

Trevor Hancock has always been ahead of the curve. A doctor and long-time public health expert, he was also the first leader of the Green Party of Canada in 1984, when he ran federally (finishing fourth) in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood. But his day job, in public health, turned out to have far more impact than his brief political career. Beginning as one of a small international cadre that promoted ideas about urban planning’s key role in human health, he is now watching his work over the past quarter-century start to explode into the mainstream. More … 

Construction Specifications Canada (Vancouver Chapter) – Breakfast Presentation: BC’s Construction Outlook

What are the challenges and opportunities facing the construction industry in 2012? Keith Sashaw, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, will review what has happened in the past year and provide insights into the issues and trends that will impact BC’s contractors, manufacturers and suppliers. He will also address how the VRCA has adapted to changes in the construction industry by becoming involved in sustainability initiatives both in the office and on the job site. It takes place Thursday, December 15, 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. at the Sandman Hotel, 180 West Georgia Street, Vancouver. To register, go to http://vancouver.csc-dcc.ca/.

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British Columbia Building Envelope Council (Victoria) – Luncheon Presentation: Building Monitoring

Structural monitoring technology facilitates sustainable building practice by informing building consultants and owners of issues that could become long-term areas of concern. Leading-edge building monitoring technology is used in the investigation of building performance, and is capable of monitoring moisture content, condensation, dew point, thermo profiling, vapour pressure, differential air pressure and building component movement. In this lunch presentation, structure monitoring technology applications will be outlined in the context of installation during various stages of the building life cycle, including:

• new construction;
• existing buildings; and
• re-commissioning or major renovations.

The initial commissioning and verification of design details is key for design professionals. In addition, building owners/operators are interested in mitigating risk from floods, aging roofing systems and costs associated with the clean-up of water damage. In this presentation, Jason Teetaert P.Eng., president of the BCBEC and vice-president of business development at Structure Monitoring, will demonstrate the various sensors, monitoring systems and scanning methods that can be used for verification and reporting purposes. Real life practical applications, installation details, site conditions, and monitoring results will also be showcased. It happens Thursday, December 15, 2011, 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. at Harbour Towers, 345 Quebec Street, Victoria. Register online at http://www.bcbec.com/seminars.php.

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