The recipe for a NZER or NZE house includes a building enclosure that incorporates optimized levels of insulation to limit thermal bridging, achieves exceptional levels of airtightness, engages fenestrations with a low U-value, and implements high-efficiency mechanical equipment.
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New Passive House-certified faculty and staff rental housing at University of British Columbia, Vancouver, will aid in future research relating to lifecycle performance of similar buildings, focused at helping the broader development community design affordable and energy efficient infrastructure.
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Pre-engineered home builder Daylun’s flagship house in Toronto will target LEED for Homes Platinum Certification by relying on modular construction, based on patent-pending green products and energy-efficient solutions, in a bid to provide affordable housing solutions.
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Construction of curtain wall systems requires an understanding of project-based goals and site conditions, and a commitment to teamwork.
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Renovations firm Greening Homes announced its Beechwood project in Toronto won the prestigious Canadian Green Building Award in the residential category. During the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) national conference this month, Greening Homes was recognized for transforming an aging bungalow on Beechwood Crescent into one of the most highly efficient residential buildings in the country.
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The last decade of increased awareness and availability of low-water consumption plumbing fixtures and touchless actuators has led to wide industry acceptance. Across the country, building codes have begun to drive even lower water consumption standards. However, as this new low-flow culture takes root, it becomes clear we, as a nation, are not quite there yet.
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Reinvented, resized, and re-engineered, contemporary ceiling fans should no longer be an afterthought when it comes to design and occupant comfort. Innovative modern engineering has re-established ceiling fans as an integral part of comfort and energy conservation. Whether used on their own, employed with natural ventilation, or specified in tandem with air-conditioning systems, achieving proper air circulation with ceiling fans is no longer up in the air.
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Revolving doors have been manufactured for over a century. Theophilus Van Kannel was granted U.S. patent 387,571 on August 7, 1888 for a “Storm-door Structure” that was a three-partition revolving door. Since then, their general benefits have remained the same—creating comfort, saving energy, improving traffic flow, and enhancing security.
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Design/construction professionals working on single-family residential projects are facing diametrically opposing forces––the need for energy efficiency, environmentally sensitive construction, and macroeconomic demand for lower construction costs. As specifiers aspire toward a ‘net-zero-energy’ home, with a price tag currently out of reach for most Canadians, this author discusses what can realistically be achieved at an affordable price for a typical Canadian home.
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