Building Envelope

June 30, 2009

Construction in full swing at Park Place condos in Brampton, Ontario

Crews are above the 11th floor in the construction of the $27 million Park Place condominium project at 122 John Street in Brampton. Most trades have been awarded for the 230,000-square-foot building, which has been under construction since February 2008.

June 25, 2009

David Suzuki’s namesake school in Windsor, Ontario to raise the green bar

When you’re designing a school named after famed Canadian environmentalist, you’d better ensure it’s as green in function as its namesake. It follows that the design team for the Dr. David Suzuki Public School is also striving to be the first LEED platinum educational institute in Canada.

June 25, 2009

Cambridge, Ontario’s city hall renovation preserves the past

Cambridge’s historic City Hall is getting a makeover. Judging by the exterior condition of the 152-year-old building, one might think the project would be a straightforward one. The structure looks solid and the stone façade appears to be in good shape, however the project has posed some challenging surprises for contractors.

June 17, 2009

Enermodal headquarters in Kitchener, Ontario uses a sustainable model

Enermodal Engineering, Canada’s largest green building consulting firm, is aiming to create the country’s most energy-efficient office building with its new, three-storey, 22,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Kitchener, Ont.

June 16, 2009

Commissioning boosts building envelope performance

By the time a major building project is completed, dozens of trades and sub-contractors have contributed to it. But building envelope specialists are concerned that conscientious individual efforts may not create a building envelope that functions according to its design.

June 5, 2009

Toronto condos seek to preserve the past

New developments on heritage property in Toronto’s inner city are becoming more complex as builders struggle with how to preserve a vestige of the past while erecting large buildings.

June 3, 2009

EIFS Council quality assurance program is a first for cladding systems

This summer, the EIFS Council of Canada will launch its quality assurance program in Ontario (rollout in other provinces will occur in the fall) under the trademark EIFS Quality Assurance Program Inc. It is the first QAP for any building cladding type in North America, according to the council.

May 28, 2009

Roofing industry key to meeting green targets, says NRC expert

Roofing designers, consultants, contractors and other industry members have a pivotal role to play in the movement towards green construction, says a leading building envelope specialist.

May 26, 2009

RAIC honours architectural innovation with 2009 Awards of Excellence

A modernist-style, luxury condo development in the heart of Toronto has netted Quadrangle Architects Ltd. a 2009 Award of Excellence for innovation in architecture from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC).

April 24, 2009

Thermo tech proving the right tool for moisture and mold

The tool fast gaining a reputation as a way to nip moisture and mold-related issues in the bud is the infrared imager which can pinpoint temperature anomalies to detect moisture inside a building envelope before it becomes a problem.

April 24, 2009

Technology is no substitute for careful planning

The technology has improved significantly over the last 10 years, but curtain walls and window walls still have to be carefully designed and thoroughly tested before they’re erected.

April 24, 2009

Building restoration turned into an art form

Building envelopes are often designed to meet the technical specifications of a project, but occasionally special projects come along in which aesthetics trump all.

April 24, 2009

Wire mesh popularity growing with diversity of applications

Woven stainless steel metal mesh is a versatile building material used for reasons as diverse as security or aesthetics, but increasingly it’s being used as a building envelope material, promoting sustainability and a reduction in solar heat gain.

April 24, 2009

Business plans are top priority for new executive director at Ontario Building Envelope Council

It has been 10 years since the association’s last strategic plan and the new one, initiated by OBEC’s board of directors, will see recently hired executive director Bruce Taylor make special efforts to get input from the association’s members, who include building scientists to materials suppliers.