Presenters:

Diana Klein, Eco-Integration, Vancouver, BC

Michel Labrie, Hughes Condon Marler Architects, Vancouver, BC

Convener:

Michael Driedger, Busby Perkins + Will, Vancouver, BC

Click here to download the presentations from this session!

The 3 R’s of reduce, reuse, recycle is a good philosophy for waste elimination and a good model for materials used in the buildings design. We can no longer afford to keep filling the landfills and over exploiting our limited natural resources for new materials that cannot be reused or recycled. Designing for deconstruction (DFD) and zero waste should be part of green building design processes.

Designing for zero waste begins with the reduction of material use and is followed by the efficiency in which you use materials. Additionally, once resources and materials are used durability and flexibility should be key considerations to increase their useful life.

At the construction and deconstruction process, material flows should follow a circular process rather than a linear throughput generating ample waste.  These processes should generate no material waste to the landfill; instead materials are either re-used as is, reprocessed into a new material, or recycled and becomes ‘food’ for other materials. DFD easily and simply allows the building to be disassembled or renovated and the resources and materials recovered while contributing to the business for green buildings. 

This session will share practical techniques and strategies with case study examples. We will explore with you the concept of “net zero waste buildings” during design, construction and end life/renovation of the building.

Presenter Bios

Diana Klein
Diana consults on sustainable building design for developments and education. Current project examples are: Millennium Water; South East False Creek, Olympic Village in Vancouver and development of Green Bricks, a program outreaching to youth on green building design. UK educated as a structural engineer, Diana worked for 18 years with Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. and became their sustainable specialist and researcher. Diana is a Vancouver Steering Committee member with Cascadia GBC and past board member Cascadia USGBC / CaGBC. She was on the APEGBC (Association of Professional Engineers of BC) task force to advise on the BC Green Building Code proposed by the Provincial Government.

Click here to listen to Diana Klein's presentation podcast.

Michel Labrie
Michel has more than 10 years experience in green building research and sustainable architectural projects. He has served as a board/committee member for the AIBC Energy + Environment Committee and the Ecodesign Resources Society and is currently on the advisory board for the Sustainable Building Centre. Michel was instrumental in developing the RAIC’s Sustainable Design of Canadian Buildings 101 Course, and has served as a green consultant to architectural firms, the Canada Green Building Council and the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). He has also helped author a number of green building educational documents including the CMHC Report: Strategies for Alternative Energy Use, and Redistribution at the Building Envelope and Resource Efficient Building Products Directory (Third Edition) for the GVRD.

Click here to listen to Michel Labrie's presentation podcast.

Michael Driedger
Michael’s diverse work experience as a trades person, archaeologist, technologist, and researcher has helped develop his talents in contract administration, project management, LEED coordination, and report preparation on a range of projects. Together with work done with the USGBC, Michael recently prepared a handbook of the Most Sustainable City Policies in North America for 2008. The survey included 23 questions pertaining to sustainable site development, materials, energy, indoor air quality, water and operating policies, and city programs to act as catalysts for those cities that need to develop progressive policies or programs. The survey preempted a cross-Canada tour by Peter Busby on behalf of the CaGBC.

Audio edited by http://h2opodcast.com.