A Canadian art gallery won the Overall Excellence award in the Metal Construction Association’s (MCA’s) 2010 President’s Awards. Edmonton’s 7897-m² (85,000-sf) Art Gallery of Alberta includes 5574 m² (60,000 sf) of zinc with a quartzite backing, 4682 m² (50,400 sf) of coil-applied stainless steel, 2090 m² (22,500 sf) of painted aluminum, and high-performance glazing.

After lagging behind in the second half of 2010, housing starts are forecast to stabilize this year and next, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC’s) first-quarter report, “Housing Market Outlook–Canada.” Housing starts are expected to range between 157,300 to 192,900 units this year, with a point forecast of 177,600 units.

Calgary’s Jamieson Place is the largest new construction project in Alberta to be certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Awarded Gold, the 84,100-m² (905,245-sf) office tower contains ground-floor retail and various sustainable features, including an efficient HVAC system, high-efficiency lighting, and low-flow water fixtures.

The first wildlife bridge in Ontario is being constructed across the new section of Highway 69 to provide a safe crossing for animals across the roadway. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is building its first four-lane overhead ‘eco-passage,’ with construction and landscaping expected to be complete in the summer of 2011.

World demand for R-1 insulation is expected to increase five per cent annually through 2014 to nearly 23 billion m² (247 billion sf)—a large increase over the rate of the last five years. Insulation consumption in most industrializing nations will continue to expand at a healthy pace, according to the The Freedonia Group’s study, “World Insulation.”

A pavilion, a house, and a footbridge were the Canadian winning projects in the 2010 Wood Design Awards. This year’s winners included: Bodega Residence, Cutler Anderson Architects (Bodega, Calif.)–Honour; Tallgrass Prairie Pavilion, David J. Agro (Walsingham, Ont.)–Honour; LightFold: One Kearny Lobby, IwamotoScott Architecture (San Francisco, Calif.)–Merit.

A Canadian hospital project won first place in the existing healthcare facilities category at this year’s American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Technology Awards. Gilles Desmarais, of Montréal’s engineering/construction firm, Dessau, won an award for his work on the rehabilitation of the Pierre-Boucher Hospital (Longueuil, Que.).

Canadian architectural/planning firm Kasian held its second annual Healthy Cities evening in Toronto last month, bringing together design professionals, corporate players, and city planners to discuss the future of the built environment. Held in College Park’s seventh-floor Art Moderne venue, the Carlu, the event assembled speakers from across the country to discuss how architecture interfaces with industry, sports, the arts, and transportation to shape urban environments.

The fifth annual Sustainable Cities ranking was announced last month by Corporate Knights, a national magazine for ‘clean capitalism.’ This year, Western Canada is the leader in urban sustainability, with Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., tying for first place in the overall standings as Canada’s most sustainable cities.

The International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR Institute) has presented its first Award for Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution for a Small Law Firm to Toronto’s Goldman Sloan Nash & Haber LLP (GSNH). The New York-based institute is a global, non-profit think tank and alliance of corporations, law firms, scholars, and public institutions focused on commercial conflict prevention and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).