Cris Nitz

The City of Toronto is implementing new embodied carbon caps and cash incentives of up to $5,300 per apartment for builders who limit the amount of embodied carbon within new constructions. With the rising concern about the embodied carbon that building materials such as aluminum, steel, glass and concrete contribute to a building's overall carbon footprint, this new building policy seeks to #CashIncentivesforGreenBuildingMaterials #EmbodiedCarbon #GreenCashIncentives #GreenConstructionPractices #GreenIncentives #MassTimber #SustainableBuildingMaterials #SustainableIncentives #TorontoCashIncentivesforGreenMaterials #TorontoEmbodiedCarbonCaps

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Embodied carbon continues to be a hot topic. Catch up on recent developments including CAGBC's first ever embodied carbon summit, the recently released #ZeroCarbon Building – Design v4 Standard, and National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada's new embodied carbon reporting guide: https://ow.ly/CLSv50Su7bI

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Pre-Approved Housing Catalogue: BECC Modular is pleased to support the federal initiative to introduce a catalogue of pre-approved housing designs. This strategic move is designed to facilitate a more streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective housing construction process across Canada. Initiative Overview: Consultation Launch: January 2024 marked the commencement of a national consultation aimed at developing this transformative catalogue, focusing initially on low-rise construction and exploring the huge potential for mid-rise and modular homes. Historical Context: This approach revitalizes a proven post-war strategy, modernizing it to meet contemporary standards and demands, thereby expediting the construction of housing on a significant scale. Process Simplification: The catalogue will simplify the complex processes typically associated with housing construction, from approvals to actual building, by standardizing designs and requirements. Strategic Benefits: Efficiency and Innovation: By standardizing housing designs, we aim to reduce both the time and cost associated with construction. This strategy also encourages the adoption of innovative construction methods, such as the use of prefabricated and modular techniques. Regulatory Ease: Standardized designs mean that once a type of housing is approved, similar future projects can bypass redundant regulatory processes, significantly speeding up the time to market. We at BECC Modular are excited to be part of this progressive change, driving forward the future of housing construction with efficiency and expertise. Learn more: https://beccmodular.com Sean Fraser Rob Flack HousingNowTO Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) #UrbanPlanning #InnovativeConstruction #HousingDevelopment #Sustainability #BECCModular #housingcatalogue #modular #modularconstruction #offsite #prefab #housingcrisis #affordablehousing #manufacturedhousing #rapidhousing #onpha

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“We need to make sure that what we’re building is more resilient and think about how we can update and make our systems that are already in place more robust to minimize future impacts.” 🏗 Read this article for examples of climate-resilient buildings and public spaces in Edmonton, Toronto, and Montreal. 👇 https://lnkd.in/g9FNNHMu #ClimateResilience #Infrastructure #UrbanPlanning

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Edmonton-based sustainable design and engineering company Stantec Inc. says it has achieved a $500-million increase in 2023 sustainability-related revenue compared to a year earlier. A total of $3.9 billion (61 per cent) of its 2023 gross revenue was generated by activities in alignment with core United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), nearly twice the $2 billion Stantec reported in 2019, the year the company began tracking SDG revenue. "Our focus on improvement and progress towards our goals is authentically driven by all employees at Stantec," Carrie Sabin, vice-president of corporate sustainability at Stantec, said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada. "We focus on how Stantec can make a positive impact on the communities around us (as opposed to) focusing on trends or goals that do not make sense for our company." #sustainability #ESG #SDGs #engineering #cleanenergy https://lnkd.in/eRPPaYiN

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Discover the future of building with CREE Buildings. 🌿🏗️ Dive into our captivating image brochure to uncover the secrets behind our timber-hybrid approach, innovative processes, and meaningful benefits for all stakeholders. Explore why we chose timber-hybrid, the principles of our system, ESG criteria, and new business opportunities within the CREE Network. #creebuildings #greenbuildings #futureofbuilding #sustainability

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🌿 Introducing reFern: Pioneering Sustainable Interior Design 🌿 You've likely heard that Canada is among 140 countries committed to achieving #netzero emissions by 2050. So how do we get there? #Buildings contribute 39% of global carbon #emissions, with 11% stemming solely from building materials and construction. A study from LMN Architects shows that when we consider the frequency of renovations, the interiors of a building contribute at least an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide as the building structure and envelope. And it's safe to say the environmental impact of the materials we choose for our spaces is crucial. We've created reFern to make this process easier. reFern will change the way interior designers approach sustainability. Our software tool simplifies the process of quantifying the environmental impact of chosen materials. Using AI, reFern calculates key metrics such as carbon emissions and provides a breakdown of the substances declared in the products used in your project. Effortlessly create polished reports and visuals for clients, and streamline submissions for building certification processes. Join us on this exciting journey and stay tuned for more updates on our product! 🌱 Let's make a difference.

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Our upcoming Knowledge Series webinar will give you the #TLDR on the latest research from our work with CSA Group in the circular built environment sector. 📊 Phase 1 addressed the current state, gaps and opportunities for circularity in the built environment in Canada. The report prompts us to consider the perspectives of all the system actors, build greater awareness around the opportunities, remove frictions, demonstrate successes and viability, then replicate and scale. Read the full report written by Scius Advisory: https://lnkd.in/eCtmZ8hQ 🚀 Phase 2 presents a strategic framework for future action to adapt to changes in business and user needs, create more affordable and cost-effective infrastructure when materials stay in use for longer, and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable natural environment by keeping materials out of landfills and due to the need to extract fewer resources.  Read the full report written by Innovation North: https://lnkd.in/gtziFKUh Don’t miss the chance to hear from the researchers, ask questions, and hear from our panel of experts on the future of the circular built environment in Canada! Register today: https://lnkd.in/dxPwfuFG

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Inspecting and testing existing foundations to assess their suitability for reuse is a crucial step in various construction and renovation projects, especially when considering building on existing structures or repurposing buildings. Tony Sangiuliano & Paul Carnaffan from the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Canada will deliver a presentation on the "Reuse of existing steel pile foundation study - Hallecks RD and HWY 401 bridge, Brockville, Ontario, Canada". This will be followed by Shou NISHIIE from Takenaka Corporation, R&D Institute presenting "Nondestructive length exploration methods for existing soil mix walls reinforced with steel beams". Concluding the first part of session 2, Jan-Willem Van De Kuilen, TU Delft/TUM, will discuss "Wooden pile foundations: structural analysis and assessment of remaining load carrying capacity". Following the coffee and tea break, where attendees can explore organizations on the exhibition floor, Giorgio Pagella, TU Delft, will present "Strength characterisation of existing wooden foundation piles under bridges and quay walls in Amsterdam by mechanical testing and assessment through micro-drilling". This will be succeeded by Adriaan van Seters from Fugro, discussing "Investigations for the re-use of foundations – A case study of the Skyline project, Shell Moerdijk". The session will conclude with Pawan Sethi from Tetra Tech Coffey and University of Sydney presenting "Revisiting Shatin Towers (HK) – reassessment of foundation evaluation and corrective solutions following recent advances in analytical tools". Don't miss out this opportunity to be part of the conversation shaping the future of foundation decarbonization and reuse. More information and registration see the conference website https://lnkd.in/em2axDu5 #foundationreuse #geotechnicalengineering #decarbonization #deepfoundations

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Assessing embodied carbon impacts throughout a building’s life cycle is a necessary step in a shift towards regenerative and lower carbon design. The Canadian built environment is the third-highest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and there is an urgent and critical need to accelerate the knowledge, skills and competencies of professionals who design Canada’s buildings. To address this need, the RAIC is partnering with the National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada (NRC) in a one-year rapid-deployment project to train members of the Canadian architectural community through a high quality, hand-on case study-based Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) curriculum. Whole building LCA provides an estimate of the total GHG emissions associated with a building. This includes emissions due to operations and defined as the emissions associated with the extraction, manufacturing, transport, installation, replacement, and the end of service life for products and materials used in a building, which constitute a significant proportion of a building’s whole life carbon emissions. The RAIC is proud to collaborate with Ha/f Climate Design to organize the in-person workshops, followed by an online option, on LCA sessions for practicing industry professionals. Following a theory-based lecture on LCA, embodied carbon, and related methodologies, participants will engage in a hands-on workshop, learning the basics of how to perform an assessment in small groups. The workshops will be held between September 2024 and May 2025 in various locations across Canada including Ottawa, Toronto, Saint Andrews, Winnipeg, Regina, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Montreal. “As architects, it is our responsibility to build and design with environmental leadership as an underpinning value and principle. Focused on our purpose to create a better world for all, this partnership with the National Research Council Canada, is one step in the right direction for the building sector to decarbonize at rapid scale and to accelerate the pace of climate action needed for Canada to achieve its 2030 and 2050 targets,” states Jason Robbins, FRAIC, Past President of the RAIC. This workshop, hosted by the RAIC and available to the larger community, is designed for architectural professionals (licensed architects, interns, technologists, students, etc.) who want to learn about Life Cycle Assessment and how to reduce embodied carbon in real-life projects. Participants will leave the session with knowledge of definitions, methods, targets and standards as well as having the opportunity to practice with LCA software to implement into practice. This workshop is approved by AIBC for 6 Core LUs. Learn more and register today: www.raic.org/LCAworkshop Contact: Giovanna Boniface, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Email: communications@raic.org

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Recently, the CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council held the first ever National Embodied Carbon Summit, inviting stakeholders from the AEC Industry, government, builders/developers, contractors, manufacturing associations, academia, and NGOs. Here, they identified gaps and barriers to embodied carbon reductions, developing solutions to meet the World Green Building Council’s target of reducing embodied carbon in new #construction by 40 per cent by 2030.

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Innovative research from Keagan Rankin at University of Toronto looking at the relative embodied carbon reduction potential from various approaches such that Canada can build required housing while still meeting our climate targets. - dense communities (no more single family homes) - smarter design (no more underground construction) - smarter materials (lower carbon alternatives) - infill (no new roads and sewers, and more construction above existing buildings) It's technically possible. Politically... well that's another matter.

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The Climate Smart Buildings Alliance (CSBA), a joint project between EllisDon, RBC and Mattamy Homes, is launching the Responsible Buildings Pact, a cross-industry agreement aimed at increasing the use of low carbon materials in the built environment. This initiative was unveiled yesterday at the CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council's Building Lasting Change conference, with more than 20 companies committing to the Pact. The Responsible Buildings Pact is an open, voluntary, industry-wide agreement for developers, consultants, contractors, and supporters interested in working together to reduce the embodied carbon of the buildings we create. Companies joining the Pact will commit to remaining educated on lower carbon materials, establishing a process to consistently evaluate whether lower carbon materials or design strategies can be used, and publicly reporting the results of their process and evaluations on an annual basis. Learn more about the Responsible Buildings Pact: https://lnkd.in/gNgDpSxH #MattamyHomes #BuildaBetterWorld #ResponsibleBuildingsPact #ClimateSmartBuildings

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The Climate Smart Buildings Alliance (CSBA), a joint project between EllisDon, RBC, and Mattamy Homes, is launching the Responsible Buildings Pact, a cross-industry agreement aimed at increasing the use of low carbon materials in the built environment 🙌 This initiative was unveiled this afternoon at the CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council’s Building Lasting Change conference in Toronto, with over 20 companies committing to the Pact. “Recognizing the business realities everyone faces, the Pact is designed to ensure we are all doing our best to reduce the climate impacts of our industry, and to create more transparency and shared accountability across the value chain.” - David Messer, Director of Climate Smart Buildings Alliance. The Responsible Buildings Pact is an open, voluntary, industry-wide agreement for developers, consultants, contractors, and supporters interested in working together to reduce the embodied carbon of the buildings we create. Companies joining the Pact will commit to remaining educated on lower carbon materials, establishing a process to consistently evaluate whether lower carbon materials or design strategies can be used, and publicly reporting the results of their process and evaluations on an annual basis. For more information on the Responsible Buildings Pact please visit: https://lnkd.in/gNgDpSxH #ResponsibleBuildingsPact #ClimateSmartBuildings #BuildingForBetter #CSBA

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The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat | Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor du Canada just released a new Request for Information (RFI) on Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments (WBLCAs) for major Government of Canada building construction projects. This is a significant step towards implementing the federal government's Greening Government Strategy commitments. Key points from the RFI: - Proposing mandatory wbLCAs for major federal construction projects starting in 2025 - Targeting at least 30% embodied carbon reduction compared to a baseline or recognized benchmark. - Requiring wbLCA reports for both preliminary and final designs - Planning to publicly disclose final design wbLCA results This RFI seeks feedback from architects, engineers, LCA practitioners, and other interested parties on various aspects of implementation, including potential impacts on project schedules, budgets, and design processes. If you work in the building industry, I strongly encourage you to review the RFI and provide your input. This is a critical opportunity to shape the future of embodied carbon policy for federal projects in Canada. The deadline for responses is September 13th, 2024. Download the RFI document for full details on how to respond: https://lnkd.in/gEH9Z_6K #embodiedcarbon #federalpolicy #greenbuilding #WBLCA

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🌍 Join the Conversation on the Canadian Green Building Strategy! 🏠 The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act enshrines in legislation the Government of Canada’s commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Canadian Green Building Strategy is set to transform buildings, reduce emissions, and boost sustainability across the country. We want to hear from you! Join our forum discussion to dive deep into the strategy, share your insights, and collaborate on innovative solutions. https://lnkd.in/e6K9Ryf5 #GreenBuilding #Sustainability #ClimateAction #CGBS #NetZero #Innovation

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