Building Code
A first Passive House retrofit in Halifax
Once complete, it will serve as an inspiration for others pursuing deep retrofits of existing buildings, an endeavour that offers the most hope for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Halifax.
New standards for sustainable material use
A new set of standards defines minimum sustainability criteria for high-volume materials used in architecture and interior projects.
Canadian buildings scrutinized in OECD review
As part of a biennial review and benchmarking of Canada’s economic performance, a new OECD report looks at progress toward the interim 2030 target and 2050 goal for net-zero carbon emissions.
A recap of IFMA’s World Workplace
In the past, cleaning suppliers, landscapers, and pest control companies dominated FM shows. Not anymore.
Flammable refrigerants spark GHG reductions
Researchers and manufacturers have now done much of the work to prepare for the HFC phase-down, but codes and standards will need to catch up before a new generation of lower-GWP refrigerants can be used.
Guidelines inform resilient healthcare facilities
Newly released guidelines offer a standard for approaching the planning and designing of healthcare facilities from a resiliency perspective.
Digitizing fire protection for facility inspections
With fire equipment, the biggest culprit for non-compliance issues usually involves obstructions blocking fire extinguishers and hoses from view.
A path to fully inclusive community hubs
The idea of creating inclusive community hubs—where people of all ages and abilities can gather together—is gaining significant momentum.
Scorecard stokes energy efficiency rivalry
Efficiency Canada’s second annual provincial scorecard takes a detailed look at commitment, outcomes and potential related to 42 energy efficiency indicators, and charts progress, or backsliding, against last year’s results.
A new home for first responders in Delta, B.C.
The facility brings together a multi-purpose satellite fire station, a live-fire training building, and a municipal emergency operations centre.
Windows and doors in the net-zero frame
A wider selection of high-performance windows and doors is expected to hit the market as Canada's National Energy Code continues to push the envelope toward net-zero-energy-ready development.
Not all noise nuisances require a remedy
Noise complaints are a prevalent and challenging problem for facility managers. While the most common are related to a loud residential or commercial neighbour, the
IAQ standards dissect freshness of outdoor air
Guidance related to natural ventilation, particulate filtration and compartmentalization of multi-residential HVAC systems are prominent in the list of identified "significant changes" compared to the incumbent 2016 version of the standards.
New architecture school brings lessons to life
Students of Canada’s newest architecture school won’t have to venture far to see lessons from the classroom come to life. The latest addition to Laurentian
Public-safety facility co-locates first responders
Cambie Fire Hall No. 3 and Richmond North Ambulance Station is the first in a major B.C. city to bring fire and ambulance services under one roof.
Evergreen targets carbon neutrality with retrofit
Evergreen is targeting carbon neutrality in the retrofit of its heritage-designated kiln building at Toronto’s Brick Works site.
Library facility reads like ‘fragment’ of its landscape
The new Waterdown Library and Civic Centre is designed to read like a ‘fragment’ of the Niagara Escarpment over which it cantilevers.