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Buildings in Balance 2007
The Buildings in Balance educational series includes, workshops and seminars on the most current and innovative issues in sustainable design. The 2007 series begins in May and runs through July in Cascadia’s three largest cities: Portland, Seattle and Vancouver.
These events are sponsored in Vancouver, by Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation
Speakers from across the United States and Canada will highlight the tremendous diversity and variety of projects that are incorporating green building. The special focus in 2007 will be on projects that meet some part of the Living Building Challenge, and speakers with the leadership to show us how to meet the Living Building Challenge. This year’s event will be kicked off by Thomas Mueller, President of the Canada Green Building Council and Kath Williams, principal of Kath Williams + Associates, Bozeman, past President of the World Green Building Council.
SCHEDULE at a Glance
Click for more details.
May 3 & 4 - Latest Advances from an International Perspective
May 30 - Women in Sustainable Design
May 31 - Investing in People, the Human Benefits of Sustainable Design
June 11 - Understanding the Value of Commissioning
June 27, 28, 29 - Green Building Codes
July 11 - Deep Green Buildings and the Integrated Design Process
The WORKSHOPS
Latest Advances from an International Perspective MAY 3 & 4
Kath Williams Thomas Mueller
Kath Williams + Associates, President Canada Green Building Council
Past President World Green Building Council
- What are the most progressive examples of LEED in Canada (including examples from India, Taiwan, Dubai, and Australia ) What are the most innovative new technologies and practices in these countries
- What are the roles, opportunities, and challenges of using LEED Internationally
- Green building awareness is spreading globally but who are leaders? Who are the practitioners? Leadership is being demonstrated globally in policy adoption, application of daring strategies, as well as installation and operation of advanced technologies. This session will cover projects from the roots of “The Living Building Challenge” to visions and plans of leadership teams from the global construction industry in India, Taiwan, Dubai, Australia, USA, and Canada.
VANCOUVER - VanDusen Botanical Garden 5251 Oak Street
May 3, 7am – 10:30am
Click Here to register.
PORTLAND – Portland Development Commission 222 SW 5th Ave
May 4, 8AM – Noon
Click Here to register
Investing in People: The Human Benefits of Sustainable Design MAY 31
Explore how sustainable design can lead to improvements in human health, well-being, and productivity and find out how this translates to the economics of your organization. Hear case studies and evidence from diverse environments – from health care to schools to offices – showing that sustainable buildings can have highly positive effects on occupants’ cognitive, emotional, and physical functioning through improvements in daylight, air quality, and connection to the outdoors.
Dr. Heerwagen will discuss the links between sustainability and the emerging field of biophilic design, which reconnects people and buildings to the natural environment to promote health, well being, and engagement with place.
A special focus will be given to creating healthy environments in schools. School district staff are encouraged to attend.
Thanks to the Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative, a project of the Zero Waste Alliance, for supporting this event!
PORTLAND - Ecotrust, 721 NW 9th Ave
May 31
8AM – 11:30AM
Click Here to register.
Women in Sustainable Development MAY 30
The authors of a new directory "Women in Green" ask "is there a greener gender" and note that studies show that "women are more likely than men to support environmental causes through voting, activism and consumer choices." What are the implications for sustainable development, and the industries, nonprofit organizations and government agencies that support it? Does sustainable development offer something important and different to women, and do they in turn offer something of particular value to the field? Of course, the very definition of sustainable development was first coined by the Bruntland Commission, led by Gro Harlem Bruntland, one of sustainability's global superheros. The first time the environment set the agenda for the Nobel Peace Prize, it was another female global environmental superhero: Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace prize, and when she won it, it was the first time that it had been given for environmental work. These panel discussions will explore these questions through informal discussion with some of the local heros of sustainable design, women throughout the Cascadia bioregion who are, on a daily basis, moving the agenda of sustainable development forward.
VANCOUVER
Terasen Gas Building, 1111 Georgia St, 1st Floor - Georgia Room
Wednesday May 30th: 8am - 10am
Click here to register.
This panel discussion in Vancouver is with:
Understanding the Value of Commissioning, JUNE 11
Presented in Partnership with BetterBricks.
Building commissioning offers a variety of benefits, including improved building occupant productivity, energy cost savings, increased occupant and owner satisfaction, enhanced environmental health conditions, and quality assurance for the owner. But, the key to successful commissioning is proper integration at each phase of a building project, from predesign through occupancy and the warranty period. This workshop will provide an introduction to the commissioning process, give an overview of the roles of the owner, A/E, contractor, and commissioning provider, and demonstrate how to increase the effectiveness of commissioning on your projects.
Salem Hospital will be featured in a case study presented by Kevin Fish, Northwest Engineering Services. A panel, comprised of the Salem Hospital project team members will discuss the specifics of the hospital’s commissioning experiences.
Karl Stum, PE, is Principal of Summit Building Engineering, a firm focused on commissioning, building forensics, and energy efficiency in buildings. Mr. Stum has over 20 years of experience in the building industry, is active in ASHRAE, helped to develop the commissioning guidelines for LEED and was the recipient of the NCBC 2001 Benner Award for Commissioning Excellence.
PORTLAND - Ecotrust, 721 NW 9th Ave
June 11, 8:30 AM - 12:30PM
Click here to register
Green Building Codes and Policies, JUNE 27, 28, 29
Each of the three largest Cascadian cities will bring Rob Bennett to speak along with other experts. Mr Bennett is formerly with the City of Vancouver Sustainability Group
and currently with the Clinton Climate Initiative, a program of
partnering with the world's largest cities to reduce CO2 and other
emissions through the implementation of best practices, including smart
growth, green buildings, and green infrastructure. He led the code
work at the City of Vancouver to pursue a mandatory regulated green
building strategy for most new development in the city. The approach is
to raise the bar for the entire city. There is a provincial building
code which the City has the authority to strengthen to achieve various
objectives. The “made-in-Vancouver” response will establish green
development standards within existing by-laws/codes to ensure a new
baseline for all non-combustible buildings, 4-storeys or greater, which
represents over 80% of the total square footage built in Vancouver each
year. The new standards will have a clear correlation with LEED® and
will achieve the equivalent of LEED® Certified, although registration
with LEED® will not be mandatory. Additionally, civic buildings greater
than 500 square metres are to be built to a LEED® Gold (with
certification) standard including energy performance of 30 % better
than required by the Model Natural Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB,
Canada’s energy code).
VANCOUVER - Floral Hall, VanDusen Botanical Garden 5251 Oak Street
June 27th, 9 - 1 (Followed by GVRD-workshop 1 - 5)
Click here to register
VANCOUVER. The February, 2007 Throne Speech announced the development of new unified BC Green Building Code by early 2008. While the City of Vancouver has started development of their green building code, for other municipalities, this is not a possibility. This full-day workshop will focus on what green building code and policy work has been done locally and internationally that could be a useful model when considering the current choices faces by the BC government and BC municipalities. In addition to hearing from Rob Bennett, this workshop includes the following speakers:
Trudy Rotgans, MAIBC, Manager, Building Policy Branch, Office of Housing and Construction Standards
Ms Rotgans will speak about the development of the BC Green Building Code, which is currently being led by the Building Policy Branch. Conservation is not currently an objective of the 2006 BC Building Code.
Resort Municipality of Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed
Since 2002 there has been a “Whistler Green - Residential Green Building Rating System” and since 2004 there has been in place the award winning “Whistler 2020: Moving Toward a Sustainable Future” plan.
Mayor Darrell R. Mussatto of North Vancouver
North Vancouver has had the recent adoption of LEED achieve LEED Gold accreditation as its preferred standard for all newly constructed civic buildings greater than 900 square metres.
Kim Fowler, Director of Development Services, City of Port Coquitlam.
Port Coquitlam has introduced a variety of policies, including fast-tracking projects that are ‘green’ and provide social housing, and a “Green Roof Regulation” and a policy to have all building projects go through a "triple bottom line" checklist before they get approved.
Judy Brownoff, Councillor at the District of Saanich
Since 2005 Saanich has had a LEED Silver policy where either LEED Silver or Gold are required for all new civic buildings construction and additions larger than 500 sq. m. (including full registration and certification under the Canada Green Building Council).
Matt will discuss the work Pembina has done supporting Dawson Creek in their climate and sustainability strategies, as well as regarding Pembina's experiences with other Canadian municipalities.
The morning event in Vancouver (9 - 1) will be followed by a GVRD-facilitated session in the afternoon that is free of charge. This interactive afternoon session will
start officially at 1PM. HOWEVER, everyone registered for this event is
welcome to come for lunch at 12 noon.
The afternoon session will present an opportunity for municipalities
and others to provide direct input to the province on the content of
the upcoming BC Green Building Code. Staff from the GVRD will lead an
interactive workshop for municipal representatives to comment on the
code which they will be responsible for implementing. Discussion will
include:
- Identification of barriers to sustainability in the existing regulations, and solutions to eliminate these barriers;
- Specific measures local municipalities would like to see included in the forthcoming BC Green Building Code;
- Feedback on the measures proposed for the BC Green Building Code to date;
- Identification of costs and other impacts on the municipalities by the measures proposed;
- Strategies for municipalities to overcome the challenges of implementing the Code.
Representatives from the Building Policy Branch will be present, and
the discussion will be summarized and submitted to the province for
consideration as part of the development of the Code.
There will be no charge for those attending the afternoon session only. For more information and to register for the Vancouver workshop and the afternoon session, please click here.
Deep Green Buildings and The Integrated Design Process, JULY 11
VANCOUVER
Floral Hall, VanDusen Botanical Garden 5251 Oak Street
July 11th, 9 - 1
Click here to register
Is it true that while you can get away with not having a true integrated process on a light green building, it is a necessity of a deeper green building? This workshop will look at three buildings:
- The Operations Centre, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, is the first
project in Canada to achieve the LEED® Platinum certification level.
This is also the first project to follow through with Public Works
Canada and Government Services Canada’s commitment to LEED Gold or
higher performance. The building features a striking new aesthetic,
with a form and materials that sensitively respond to its local
microclimate, materials and community setting. Project highlights
include:
• Outstanding energy cost savings of 75% with an energy intensity savings of 49%;
• Incorporation of renewable photovoltaic electricity generation;
• Use of an ocean-based heat pump system to provide heating and domestic hot water;
• Commitment to certified green power greatly exceeding LEED Credit requirements;
• Exceptional indoor water use efficiency with over 60% reduction of potable water use, a rainwater collection system for marine washwater and sewage conveyance, and,
• Extensive application of products and practices to improve the indoor environmental quality for occupants:
- low VOC materials and furniture,
- green housekeeping program,
- indoor air quality management during construction, and,
- control of systems by individual occupants. - The Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS): This is dedicated to research, collaboration and outreach that leads us to workable solutions for the challenges of urban sustainability. As a building, it will be a living laboratory that pushes the frontiers of sustainable construction materials and building techniques. Located on the Great Northern Way Campus, the building will be close to downtown Vancouver and on major transit routes. As a research program, it will create new knowledge and new solutions faster by collaborating between disciplines, among academic institutions and among public, private and non-profit sectors. As a member of many communities, it will reach out and engage with other communities in long-term planning for a sustainable future. CIRS exists to accelerate sustainability -- to find solutions to the challenges of urban development faster and more effectively than ever before.
- South East False Creek Net Zero Initiative: The project is a non-market housing targeted for the Net Zero initiative flanking the north side of Parcel 9 within the area of South East False Creek designated as the Athletes Village. The total number of units has evolved during the course of the study (from 55 to 68-70 today) in order to accommodate the total number of affordable housing units required by the total number of affordable housing units required by the City. The definition of net zero for this project is to achieve an energy balance on an annual basis. To achieve this balance means the project must be designed to achieve a significant reduction in energy loads, then must integrate a potential for creating new energy to make up the difference.
The panelists include:
Ron Kato, Senior Associate, Larry Mcfarland Architects Ltd
Esteban Undurraga, MASA, B.A Arch., LEED® AP, Partner @ Recollective Consulting
Kathy Wardle, Senior Associate, M.E.S., LEED(r) A.P., Busby Perkins + Will
Alex Hutton, P. Eng, LEED AP, Sustainable Building Analyst, Stantec
This event will include a light breakfast and lunch.
