Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) have announced a partnership to support initiatives related to sustainable design and environmentally responsible building materials.

The two industry groups are joining up in support of CaGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 and CSA’s Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program.

The demand for roofing is predicted to increase 3.7 per cent annually until the year 2018—a notable upturn over the past several years’ demand.

Market-research firm Freedonia Group has published the study, World Roofing, which attributes part of the recent growth in demand to a rebound in residential building construction in developed countries.

The Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) has announced a new award for landscape architects whose lifetime contributions have made a lasting impression.

The Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture (GGMLA) will begin the inaugural nomination procession next year, with the first award being distributed in 2016. The award will be the highest honour the society will distribute; its creation this year coincides with CSLA’s 80^th anniversary.

Renowned Canadian architect Phyllis Lambert has been announced as the winner of this year’s Golden Lion Achievement award by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA).

The award is part of the 14^th annual International Architecture Exhibition Fundamentals at the Venice Biennale.

The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC-ICCA) has launched new accreditation programs for steel building inspectors and connection designers.

The programs provide additional technical skills and credibility through the Steel Building Inspectors and Connection Designer course, in addition to the Steel Bridge Inspector certification currently in development. In total, there are 39 Accredited Steel Inspectors–Buildings across the country.

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), new residential building activity is expected to continue across the country into next year.

CMHC’s 2014 Housing Market Outlook suggests the economic and demographic fundamentals continue to support housing starts; however, builders must adjust activity to manage inventory levels.