Ontario Home Builder - Late Spring 2024

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The Heaven & Hell of Heritage Homes

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CONTENTS LATE SPRING 2024

9 Association News

Your need-to-know from the building code changes, the Central Housing Ontario Summit, OHBA's Queen's Park Day and building government relations.

17 Inside Storey

After an extensive search, OHBA has found its new CEO. Who is Scott Andison and what is his plan?

23 Trending

From a pre-construction brokerage to a condensing tankless water heater, here's what’s new for the industry.

53 Building Buzz

New Horizon and Krpan kick off a new partnership, Arriscraft and Canada Brick celebrate anniversaries, a new president and project for Metropia, and more.

61 Product Focus Rockwool, Alleguard, DuRock, Isolofoam and Owens Corning showcase a variety of options in a redhot insulation market.

70 Frame of Mind

Are shipping containers a viable housing option? A California project highlights how flexible and attractive it can be.

P45 Senior Moment

With a growing population wishing to age in place, the time to react is now

ON THE COVER

This 45-storey condo tower will be an iconic part of Hamilton's Pier 8 urban waterfront community.

Late Spring 2024| Vol. 40 Issue 3

EDITOR

Ted McIntyre ted@laureloak.ca

ART DIRECTOR

Ian Sullivan Cant

CONTRIBUTORS

Kristen Frisa, Tracy Hanes

ADVERTISING

Cindy Kaye, ext. 232 cindy@laureloak.ca

PUBLISHER

Sheryl Humphreys, ext. 245 sheryl@laureloak.ca

PRESIDENT

Wayne Narciso

PUBLISHED BY

Laurel Oak Marketing Ltd. laureloak.ca

ohba.ca

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C A NADIAN PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42011539 ISSN No. 1182-1345

The official publication of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

OHBA news, views and events

WEHBA CEO Mike Collins-Williams, OHBA President

Dave Depencier, WEHBA President

John-Anthony Losani, Burlington

MPP Natalie Pierre, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, PerthWellington MPP

Matthew Rae and OHBA Strategic Advisor Neil Rodgers.

Beaches-East York Councillor

Brad Bradford and Assembly Corp. founder Leith Moore.

How We Can Build More Homes

Central Ontario Housing Summit sheds light on necessary steps to address housing crisis

BY MIKE COLLINS-WILLIAMS

The Greater Golden Horseshoe and the whole province continue to face serious housing affordability and supply challenges that are affecting quality of life and economic competitiveness. The residential construction industry continues to advocate for policy changes

to create opportunities for increasing housing supply and attainability in collaboration with municipal, provincial and federal government partners. In the spirit of collaboration, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, the West End Home Builders’ Association

and the Building Industry and Land Development Association hosted the inaugural 2024 Central Ontario Housing Summit on March 25.

Featuring several panel discussions, elected official presentations and opportunities for open dialogue, the Housing Summit provided a forum for industry and government to engage in cooperative discussions on how to address the housing shortage through smart policy and regulatory reform.

The Central Ontario Housing Summit, which was the first of five housing summits in Ontario, provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss how to accelerate the pace of new housing construction by bringing together industry professionals and government partners and by spearheading the

Left to right:

The first panel of the day focused on the wave of population growth in Central Ontario and how we’ve arrived at the current housing crisis.

The Hon. Rob Flack,

MPP Elgin-MiddlesexLondon, Associate Minister of Housing.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

St Catharines MP

Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing Infrastructure and Communities.

The day began with a fireside chat between WEHBA CEO Mike Collins-Williams and Scott Aitchison, MP for Parry-Sound Muskoka and Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Housing, Diversity and Inclusion.

Filing of the 2024 Ontario Building Code

The newly harmonized next edition of the Ontario Building Code (OBC) was filed on April 10. Through the streamlining process, the 2024 OBC has eliminated 1,730 technical variations between the provincial and national codes.

Key Dates and Transition Plan

The 2024 OBC will come into effect on J anuary 1, 2025.

discussion on increasing innovation, improving productivity and accelerating housing permitting processes to build 1.5 million homes.

Collaboration, forward-thinking and the need for “no more business as usual” were cited at the Summit as paramount to addressing the housing crisis. Innovation in the housing sector is also necessary to improve productivity and build needed units much faster and more efficiently. Advancements in technology, including modular housing, automation, AI and education, are at the forefront of improving productivity and innovation while reducing materials and labour costs. All stakeholders involved in home building, both private and public, spoke about the need to take drastic actions to reform current ways of doing business and to collaborate in new and innovative ways to improving our ability to provide housing supply.

At the federal level, there is a need to advance a variety of reforms,

centred on tax policy, leveraging infrastructure funding against housing results, and reforming federal approvals. The province also has a significant role in making the dream of attainable homeownership a reality by increasing density, reforming provincial taxes, building code changes, supporting municipal infrastructure growth and provincial zoning reform. Municipalities play a further vital role in getting more housing built. The expansion of as-of-right zoning and the implementation of regulations that facilitate actual development are two ways in which the private sector can deliver on housing.

“Business as usual” can no longer continue. The private and public sectors need to take drastic action to break down barriers to housing supply and work in partnership to ensure affordable, attainable and quality housing for all. OHB

—Mike Collins-Williams is the CEO of the West End Home Builders’ Association.

Using a Transition Plan, MMAH has extended the lifespan of the 2012 code by nine months, with a three-month extension for permit applications that are “substantially complete” by December 31, 2024, based on requirements of the 2012 code. During this transition period, only one edition of the building code (either 2012 or 2024) can be used in the design and construction of a building. The version of the building code that applies at the time of the permit application is the version that will continue to apply to the building throughout the processes of plan review, permit issuance, construction, inspection and occupancy of buildings.

March 31, 2025, will mark the deadline for permit applications using the 2012 Ontario Building Code, where working drawings were substantially complete before January 1, 2025.

As of April 1, 2025, a ll permit applications must use the 2024 Ontario Building Code.

Resources

Both the Ontario Amendment document (which constitutes the entire new 2024 Ontario Building Code) and the 2020 National Building Code can be found online or by subscribing to CodeNews and accessing Issue 354, which contains direct links to the documents. OHB

Visit ohba.ca/2024obc for additional member resources.

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Hon.

Paul Calandra,

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

OHBA CEO Scott Andison, Hon. Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, OHBA President Dave Depencier, Hon. Todd J. McCarthy, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and OHBA Strategic Advisor Neil Rodgers.

OHBA Central Region Group Co-chair Geoff McMurdo, OHBA President Dave Depencier, Ontario Green Party Leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner, Guelph & District HBA CEO Melissa Jonker, OHBA 2nd V.P. Christina Giannone and Guelph & District HBA President Josh Kaufman.

OHBA Spring Meetings & Queen’s Park Day

As the sun eclipsed the sky on the afternoon of April 8, OHBA welcomed association leaders from across the province in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow.

The association convened in Toronto for the 2024 Spring Meetings and Queen’s Park Day, gathering the OHBA’s board of directors, chapter presidents, board representatives and executive officers for two days of association business and critical advocacy.

The collaboration began at a membership model roundtable— the culmination of a province-wide

consultation on a modernized membership model to aid in providing enriched member services. The roundtable offered a forum for association representatives to deliver feedback from their region and brainstorm enhancements to membership value. The session generated critical insights, reflecting the diverse and unique needs of members across the province. These insights will now guide the OHBA leadership in developing a membership model that works for all HBAs and its members. The afternoon concluded with a board of directors’

dinner meeting, where attendees had the opportunity to meet and hear from OHBA’s new CEO, Scott Andison, including his vision for the future of the association.

On day two, the focus shifted to provincial advocacy. To prepare attendees for an afternoon at Queen’s Park, the morning program featured educational sessions, including a government relations briefing, an eye-opening session from Dr. Mike Moffatt on Ontario’s projected population growth and housing needs, a pundit’s panel providing perspectives on how each political party plans to address housing in the next election, and a visit from Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie. Throughout the sessions, one resounding conclusion emerged: Ontario is facing a generational housing supply and affordability crisis that requires a collaborative and multifaceted approach. In response, OHBA was proud to unveil a new advocacy

ASSOCIATION NEWS

OHBA Central Region Group Co-Chair Geoff McMurdo, Kingston Frontenac HBA Executive Officer Alexandrina Pacheco, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier and Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris and Kingston Frontenac HBA President Scott Darling.

OHBA Presidents Appointee Vince Lapico, West End HBA President John Anthony Losani, Hon. Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, OHBA Treasurer Bianca Bruzzese and West End HBA CEO Mike Collins-Williams.

Hon. Todd Smith, Minister of Energy, is greeted by event partners Enbridge Gas.

document, AHomeforEveryone: ProvincialStrategiesforIncreasing HousingSupply. This document examines nine key factors constraining housing supply and affordability and presents OHBA’s recommendation for collaborative action.

Armed with knowledge and solutions, association leaders travelled to the ‘Pink Palace’ for over 15 meetings with Provincial Parliament and Ministry staff members. These meetings provided a forum to highlight the challenges facing our industry and discuss how our association is prepared to work with all partners

OHBA 1st V.P. Mike Memme, Perth-Wellington MPP and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Matthew Rae, OHBA President Dave Depencier and OHBA Executive Officer Council Chair and Greater Ottawa HBA Executive Director Jason Burggraaf.

Training Ontario’s Keith Kristalovich, OHBA President Dave Depencier, Training Ontario’s Ileana Gomez, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie, MPP Dr. Adil Shamji and Nicole Brunner and Trevor Esdaile of Enbridge Gas.

Scan the QR code to download a copy of AHomeforEveryone.

OHBA’s new advocacy document, A Home for Everyone, outlines nine key factors constraining housing supply and affordability.

to address Ontario’s housing supply and affordability crisis.

The day of advocacy culminated in the Queen’s Park Legislative Dining Room as OHBA President Dave Depencier welcomed cabinet ministers, MPPs and staff from across the political spectrum for an evening of networking with HBA leadership and industry stakeholders. We were pleased to hear from several special guests, including the Hon. Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Hon. Todd Smith, Minister of Energy, both stressing the importance of a

collaborative approach to solving Ontario’s housing crisis.

As our industry continues to push towards the provincial goal of 1.5 million new homes by 2031, OHBA remains steadfast in our commitment to advocate for the interests of its members and provide enhanced services and support so members can #CrushTheCrisis and build ‘A Home for Everyone.’

Thank you to our event partners, Enbridge Gas and Training Ontario, for supporting this event, our association and the industry. OHB

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INSIDE STOREY

One-on-one with industry experts

cerebral, highly analytical guy. He’s the sort who listens and then processes a strategy.”

And what does the strategy entail for the 56-year-old resident of The Beaches in Toronto? Andison was happy to share.

OHB: When you’re not working, what are your hobbies?

SA: “One is computers. And I’m from Northern Ontario, so being in the outdoors is in my blood.”

Handyman skills are part of that northern stereotype.

“My dad actually worked in a hardware store and is still extremely handy at age 84. He taught me many carpentry skills, which I’m trying to pass on to my teenage son Markos.”

So why did you want this job?

Meet Your New CEO

Scott Andison arrives with an ideal mix of management and advocacy experience—and a plan for the future

By Ted McIntyre

AFTER AN EIGHT-MONTH search whittled potential Chief Executive Officer candidates down to a handful, and the interviews were complete, the decision for the Ontario Home Builders’ Association board was clear and unanimous: Scott Andison was their man.

OHBA’s April 15 announcement highlighted some of the Powassan, Ontario native’s previous experience, including his formidable background in the public and private sectors and not-for-profit organizations. Within the Ontario government, he served key roles in the finance and education ministries. His proficiency in policy development, stakeholder engagement and program implementation showcased his ability to navigate and influence public sector environments.

As president and CEO of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO), Andison honed his leadership skills, particularly with

respect to advocacy and association management in the housing sector.

“The current challenges are significant in the home construction and renovation sector, but the opportunities to make a real impact are even greater,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post on his first day on the job.

“I’ve already begun to see how his mind works in understanding the intersection between the residential construction, government and municipal sectors to formulate good public policy and good arguments as to why policy should be this way versus that way in order to protect OHBA’s interests,” says Neil Rodgers, who will transition from his role as OHBA’s Interim CEO to a Strategic Advisor capacity over the next several months, working daily with Andison.

Will it take Andison long to get up to speed in his new digs? “No. He’s a quick learner,” Rodgers says. “Scott is a very

“Coming from government, the private sector and industry associations, I saw the important job they all play in terms of helping to navigate government and business. When I worked with the FRPO, which was co-located with OHBA at the time, I got to work closely from time to time with Joe Vaccaro when he was CEO. I developed a real appreciation of how OHBA represents the local HBA’s but also the broad interests of the industry. A large portion of my skills and interests aligned with what they were looking for. This is my dream job.”

What

do you think resonated with your

interviewees?

“I think they were looking for someone who could manoeuvre effectively between the role of government relations and advocacy on behalf of members, as well as the member service delivery side. There are so many things happening within the housing space right now, including a demand not seen since postWWII. I think they wanted someone who was a big-picture thinker and strong communicator with diplomacy skills. But I think they also wanted to see if I could be a change agent for the organization, and if I had the ability to respond positively to unanticipated things that might arise.”

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So what makes a good advocate?

“I took the negotiation program at Harvard Law and the Leadership program at MIT. One of their repeated terms was BATNA—the Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. That’s what advocacy is. Nobody is ever going to get everything they want. A bad advocate is someone who comes in and says you have messed this up really badly, so you need to fix it. The great advocates say, ‘I think I understand what you were trying to do. I think you didn’t execute it in the best possible way, and here’s a way that you can course-correct to help you get where you are trying to go.’

“I’ve had the benefit of sitting on the government side of the table, and as a civil servant advising government on policy and process, so I know how their decision-making works. Government has a very clearly defined planning horizon. They’re working from the time they were elected to the time they are looking to be re-elected. So when you’re advocating to a political decision-maker, you need to see how they’re going to be evaluating it within their planning horizon. How will it impact voters they’re going to rely on to get them back in office? So bring that information to them in a form they can digest and implement. And, through partnerships, bring in others who say the same thing. If government is hearing it from multiple sources, they’re more likely to see it as something they need to look at.”

You’ve been called cerebral—a good listener and analyzer of information.

“If somebody interprets me not talking a lot during a conversation or a meeting as me being disengaged, it’s completely the opposite. I started off as a consultant to the municipal sector and provincial government around building communities through restructuring—annexations, amalgamations, things like that. My specific expertise was property tax. I was always quick to correct, to provide what I thought was valuable information, not necessarily being as strategic as I could have. As I matured, I learned to sit back and listen. I like to assess how passionate someone is—not just the words but the way they’re saying it. And then I think, ‘OK, what’s the best path forward get to where we need to go?’—understanding that the other side needs to feel that they’ve achieved a win.”

You’re from a small town, Powassan. Does that provide any advantages?

“If I were from an organization that only dealt with GTA members, then that wouldn’t provide much benefit. But for the most part of my career I’ve been representing much broader bases than that—provincial, national. I wear it very proudly on my sleeve that I’m from a small town. I think it helps me connect with those outside of the GTA in the membership base that I’m not coming at it from a Torontocentric approach. I also think my pace of approaching an issue may not be reflective of the pace that you might see in a large city like Toronto. I’m quite fine sitting back and rethinking something and taking a couple of runs at it, talking to as many people as I can to get a broader perspective. But I’ve also spent the past 30 years in the Toronto landscape, so I can appreciate both sides.”

What are your thoughts on the proposed membership fee increase?

“Anyone coming into a role like this has a bit of runway to ask a lot of naive questions and maybe offer a different perspective. The adjustment of the fee model is a perfect example. ‘Let’s walk me through your thinking again. What are the options?’ It invites the opportunity for a potential reset—not in the objective, just in our journey there. Or maybe it confirms that we’re already on the right path. It’s clear that there needs to be a review of the fee model, but what it will look like is not set in stone.”

Is hiring more staff part of the plan?

“Absolutely. We have to determine exactly what we need to deliver and then look at the resources required to do that. I had the opportunity to attend the planning meeting for the executive officers and members of their board and it was really insightful. We walked away with three priorities. All agreed OHBA needs to further its investment in government relations and advocacy. There are so many things going on in the industry and we must have the capacity to respond in the way our members deserve. So we’ll need a mix of staffing and other resources. There’s also strong support for great communications and events. Our hires need to be responsive and they need to be

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integrated into other things like our advocacy agendas. And then there’s the education and training side. It’s about getting the right balance.”

How does OHBA reach its potential of being the go-to voice for residential construction with elected officials?

“First is demonstrating on a daily basis that we have a committed membership base, which means that we speak on behalf of the whole industry. Second is building the relationship with government so that we become a trusted advisor. It’s not just the association’s role of publicly saying, ‘Government’s got this one wrong and here’s why we don’t like it.’ You have to provide recommendations to get back on track. But you also have to get to the point where you have people in government—be it on the civil service side or political side—who pick up the phone and say, ‘Hypothetically, if we were looking to do something like X, where would your membership be on this?’ Once you get to the point where they trust you to provide that expert advice, you’re adding real value to the membership by showing your ability to help affect informed policy.”

Your LinkedIn page notes your passion for leveraging technology to promote system-level thinking. How do you plan to leverage it for OHBA?

“Information has been an important tool in everything I’ve done. For me, evidence-based advice is the highest value of service product that an industry association can deliver. So it is going to be vital for the association to access comprehensive and current data and model it—that is, how we pose different scenarios and different questions to the data to best describe what we think might happen. I’ll use Bill 185 as an example. If we had access to comprehensive near-real-time data, we could have said, ‘Premier, this is what the impact will be, and we don’t think this is the impact you were seeking with this legislation.’ That is what an industry association should be doing. I want to re-examine access to better information and tools for us to be able to provide that analysis. I treat this very much as an investment—not simply in an expense. I think this is a cornerstone of what this association was founded to do.” OHB

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Whitehall Homes & Construction is breathing life back into this 119-year-old home on Second Street in Oakville.

As historic restorations become more commonplace, are you focusing on the nuisance or the opportunity?

By Ted McIntyre

So you’ve acquired a chunk of land with a heritage property on it. Barring an earthquake, meteorite or some other random occurrence wiping the thing from the face of the earth, there are legal constraints to the situation.

The Ontario Heritage Act gives the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, as well as local municipalities, the power to designate a property of cultural heritage value or interest—be it for its architecture, cultural importance or a notable prior owner. The best way to determine if you have a listed property or designated heritage property on your hands is to check the local municipal register.

The Heaven & Hell of Heritage Homes

A heritage designation prohibits the demolition or removal of any structure and requires municipal approval for alterations. Provincewide, municipalities have designated more than 7,200 individual properties and in excess of 130 Heritage Conservation Districts that protect 24,000+ additional properties.

A property that has merely been listed on the Ontario Heritage Act Register, on the other hand, has been identified as having heritage value but hasn’t yet been designated. That means there are no restrictions to making changes to the property. If you want to demolish the structure in question, you just have to provide the municipality with 60 days’ notice.

The problem for builders is that many municipalities have a thick catalogue of listed properties that may or may not be designated in the near future, which can make renovation or development plans problematic. Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, is clearing things up with several amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act. The most notable is that properties listed prior to the new legislation must be either designated or deleted from the Ontario Heritage Register by Jan. 1, 2025. That has many municipalities scrambling, including Oakville, which initiated the Heritage Designation Project 2023-2025 in January 2023, with a goal of designating approximately 80 out of its 290 listed properties prior to their required removal from the register.

That’s welcome news for a company like Whitehall Homes & Construction President Dave

Farris, who has worked on dozens of homes in the Oakville Heritage District since 1980. “Homes of this vintage are always in need of upkeep and restoration,” says Farris, whose latest project on Second Street in Oakville commenced in December.

Farris handpicks his assignments, which means “not dealing with the historic component in order to get what you actually need elsewhere.”

But that’s not the case for most builders. “Typically, it’s a necessary evil,” describes Halminen Homes’ CEO Hannu Halminen who, along with Peterborough Homes President Brian Fenton, began stitching together an 86-acre parcel on the western edge of Newcastle 10 years ago. Subdivisions and servicing were added to the plan, with Treasure Hill Homes purchasing serviced lots for its new Belmont Newcastle development. But 1.4 acres were reserved for a heritage house on the property. Known as the Belmont House, it’s an imposing two-storey red brick edifice completed in 1898 in the Georgian style with Edwardian Classicism elements. It was built by Samuel Wilmot on the same foundation as a home constructed by his father, Samuel Street Wilmot, in 1816, before it burned down in 1896.

The home merits saving for its architecture

and age alone, but it was the original owners that made its heritage designation a no-brainer. Samuel Street Wilmot was a political figure in Upper Canada, a major in the War of 1812 and later a deputy surveyor in Upper Canada. His son Samuel achieved even greater notoriety. With a goal of restoring the Atlantic salmon population in Lake Ontario, which had been significantly depleted since the arrival of European and American settlers in the late 18th century, Samuel Jr. began experimenting with artificial fish breeding in the 1860s. The federal government enlarged his project in 1868 into Ontario’s first full-scale fish hatchery—one of the earliest in North America. Wilmot Jr. also constructed a grist mill nearby where he installed a dynamo (a water-driven generator) to provide the area’s first electricity in the early 20th century, highlights Manorville Senior Project Manager J.J. MacLellan. “Toronto barely had electricity at the time, never mind anything an hour east of it!”

Specialized Work

Were Halminen and Fenton prepared to take on the Belmont House restoration themselves? Not even close! “It’s too much of a hassle. Restoration

Horseshoes and tools dating back as much as 200 years were among the many items unearthed during The Belmont’s restoration in Clarington.

Wilmot developed Ontario’s first full-scale fish hatchery on the grounds of The Belmont (pictured above prior to Manorville Homes undertaking its restoration). Atop the page is the original Wilmot estate, circa 1878. The home (in the top-right corner) was built by Samuel’s father in 1814 before burning down in 1896. The hatchery (on the left of the image) was built by Samuel Jr.

is much more challenging than a custom build, and it’s all specialized work,” stresses Halminen, who contracted Ajax-based Manorville Homes to tackle the project.

While Manorville has taken on dozens of restorations since being founded in 1975 by Larry Jamieson, the Belmont is its largest and most complex. Big or small, though, patience is not just a virtue in these sorts of projects—it’s a prerequisite. “Getting our final heritage approvals and permits took four years, beginning in 2019,” recalls Manorville President Matthew Jamieson, who is used to the prying eyes and concerned parties this sort of undertaking engenders. “It’s all about relationships. It’s not just the planning department that has a say in this—you also have multiple town and regional heritage committees.

“But there has always been active communication back and forth,” Jamieson continues. “A couple of items in the original heritage assessment and rehabilitation report had to be modified. A spring-fed well was listed to be preserved. It fed into a small cistern in the basement where Samuel Wilmot would have done some of his fishbreeding experiments. The cistern is still there, and we are restoring it. But we couldn’t find the

well. After 100 years, it was no longer locatable. So in lieu of that, we’re putting in a commemorative well with a plaque on it.”

Jamieson appreciates the passion of local committees. “The Belmont House was there before there was a Canada—when it was just Upper Canada,” he says. “It’s part of the history of not just the community but the country.”

As such, he sees potential value to be had. “Anyone can live in a cookie-cutter neighbourhood, but I think it means something to a lot of people to live in an area where they feel the history of the place,” Jamieson says. “There are a lot of these projects out there, and given the right opportunity, they can be centrepieces and selling features.”

The Belmont certainly qualifies. Halminen and Fenton plan to sell the home—which will be roughly doubled in size to approximately 8,500 sq. ft., including a three-car garage—once the restoration is complete this autumn. “The intention is to make money—this is not a charity operation,” Jamieson stresses. “It doesn’t have to be a money pit. There are projects out there that weren’t planned properly, or the right people weren’t used, or the knowledge, training and experience weren’t there, and they probably lost their shirts because of that. But I want to make these profitable for my company and for the developer.”

And these projects are only going to become more common, believes Joe Miller, who has served as a management consultant for Manorville Homes and other builders, helping them expand in the heritage space. “There will be more historic properties coming to light, not just because of the legislation, but because builders and developers are going further afield to purchase properties, and a lot of these designated homes are rural farmhouses,” Miller notes. “Townships have their eyes out for these heritage properties now, so a lot of subdivision agreements have their restoration stipulated in the contract. And it’s noted in the heritage assessment that you have to have an experienced heritage builder or renovator do the job.”

That means rounding up a very specialized team. “The millwork, carpentry, masonry—some of these techniques haven’t been done in more than a century,” Jamieson says. “You can’t just look in the phonebook and find Bill’s Masonry Repair and expect him to be able to do this sort of thing. It’s a certain skill set that, in many cases, has been lost, so a lot of planning and prep work is required.”

“I’ve echoed this to a few people—choose a consultant or contractor who understands how these houses were built,” says Andrea Cammisa, Senior Director of Low-Rise Construction for Minto. “That can aid in making better educated decisions, as they’re also aware of certain manufacturers that can either emulate the product you’re trying to replicate or help you restore some element in a more cost-effective manner versus using your typical sources to execute on the

Samuel

work, which may not meet the requirement of the heritage impact assessment.

“Doing your homework also means exploring whether there are any municipal grants or programs available to help subsidize some of the rehab,” Cammisa adds. “That’s the one thing I don’t think people spend enough time researching.”

No Stone Unturned

Manorville has left no stone unturned in a more literal respect in Clarington. “The original house was built on a fieldstone foundation, with a new brick house built on top, so just shoring up and rebuilding that 200-year-old foundation required a unique skill set,” Jamieson says. “There were certain areas where the bricks had to be disassembled, cleaned one by one, and then reassembled after the foundation was repaired. We worked with Port Hope’s Historic Brick Company. That’s all they do— masonry work on historic and heritage buildings.”

Sometimes you have to go further afield. “In Aurora, when I was with Mattamy, we imported brick from an old, reclaimed factory in Michigan that actually had the identical brick to what was on the original house,” Cammisa says.

Piecing the puzzle together becomes more complicated when the structure has to be relocated. “In my experience, when a developer acquires a property, that heritage house is usually in an inconvenient place and has to be moved to allow

for maximum utilization of the land,” advises Miller. “And you often can’t put it onto a traditional 36’ lot. And the value of the now-vacated lot is offset by the huge expense of moving, rebuilding and restoring the original home.”

Argo Development went through one such relocation of a heritage property at 5 Bowbeer Road within a new north Oakville community. “While most heritage houses are not reconstructed, in this case unstable ground had impacted the integrity of the building’s walls, requiring its dismantling and reconstruction using its historical materials,” relates Carolyn Van Sligtenhorst, Supervisor with the Town of Oakville’s Heritage Conservation Planning Services. “The developer worked collaboratively with the Town for a heritage easement agreement (signed in 2012). Following the Town’s approval, the developer dismantled the heritage building and safely stored the heritage elements before rebuilding it on a new site in the subdivision when its development commenced in 2020.”

A more conventional recent restoration for Argo is Robert Wilson House in its Lotus Pointe community in Caledon. Built for Robert Wilson III between 1872 and 1891 by Scottish immigrants, this showcase of local stone building and highquality masonry was Argo’s third such heritage home project. The existing farmhouse combined “reddish-brown Credit Valley sandstone with grey limestone to produce a dichromatic palette in keeping with its High Victorian Gothic style,”

Argo Development’s restoration of the Robert Wilson House in Milton required raising the home four feet for extensive foundation work.

describes the Caledon Statement of Heritage. Argo combined with Sedgwick Marshall Heritage Homes, a veteran in the heritage restoration realm, to preserve several details. Extensive foundation work required the careful raising of this 500-ton home by four feet to stabilize it. The stone back wing was carefully dismantled and rebuilt, with the original stones repurposed for a dramatic interior wall feature. Exterior doors were restored, exterior stone was re-mortared where necessary, salvaged wood was used to box in the ceiling’s steel support beams, reclaimed wood was used for the counters in the butler’s pantry, the original mantle and stone were used for the fireplace, and the pass-through in the kitchen, originally a doorway, was finished in reclaimed wood. Further, a side entry into the dining room was uncovered during construction, exposing a curved soldier stone detail.

The finished 4,000 sq. ft. restoration, fully modernized within, was purchased for $2.3 million two years ago by ReMax realtor Raman Johal, who was feeling out the market last month by listing the property for $2.37 million.

Pillars of Support

Although the Belmont House was in relatively good shape, having been recently occupied, it was in dire need of structural support. “Three or so years ago when we first visited the house, we noticed the basement height was just over 7’, but there were some peculiarities that made us suspect that it at one time had been deeper,” relates Manorville Senior Project Manager J.J. MacLellan. “So we dug a couple of test holes around the perimeter and discovered the original stone foundation was indeed some 2.5’ deeper. With that information in hand, the plan was revised to lower the basement height by one foot. We ultimately had to dig down 20” to allow for the thickness of the new concrete floor, a clear gravel layer, insulation and a new interior weeping system.

“The basement floor itself was just a concrete skin, maybe an inch thick,” MacLellan adds. “After that, there was roughly 6” of dirt and gravel, and then an ash layer approximately 1.5” thick. The ash was a remnant of the original house when it burned down in 1896. I had a crew of six to eight guys in there for two weeks breaking up the concrete floor and digging out all the dirt and ash.

“With the brick arches in the basement, we knew there was considerable weight coming down on the existing footings,” MacLellan continues. “The process of digging out under each section was slow and tedious. It involved first knocking out a few bricks above grade, installing needle shoring, removing the brick underneath, removing the brick/stone footings, digging down further, forming and pouring new footings, rebricking the walls as needed and removing the needle shoring. It took us about four weeks to replace roughly 60 linear feet of footing.”

Resting upon that foundation was a freestanding brick structure. “It was not supported by any type of wood structure,” Jamieson explains. “All the floors and the roof stayed, but all the walls came down, because it was really just a lath-and-plaster interior finish. We’re dealing with heritage architect Pamela Farrow, who did the drawings inside and out. A lot of the walls and rooms had to be moved around to accommodate the interior redesign—not necessarily for the electrical and plumbing but for HVAC. The house obviously wasn’t designed for a ducted system. It had four fireplaces providing the heating—one in each corner at the house. So we’re really building a new house inside of a heritage house, with massive beams installed to support the roof. We have an engineering consultant here on a regular basis to assess a lot of these structural components—old and new. ‘Can this foundation support XY or Z? Can these walls support what we want to do?’”

Jamieson is expecting to use at least 80% of the original 1.5”-thick pine flooring—painstakingly removing paint, varnish and even horseshoe prints. “When they’re done, they will look

Salvaged wood was used to box in ceiling support beams at the Robert Wilson House. Original stone was also repurposed, while a secondary entry into the dining room was discovered, revealing a curved soldier stone detail.

spectacular,” he says. “But it’s not like nowadays where we put down joists and then the subfloor, and then put a decorative floor on top. These are pine boards sitting atop the joists.”

The finished product will look as though it was freshly built in 1898 on the outside, Jamieson assures. But the interior will employ an array of modern creature comforts—from heated bathroom floors to a speaker system. Still, historical elements will be interwoven throughout, such as the preserved kitchen dumbwaiter and exposed brick in bathrooms.

Insuring the Future

What have Manorville staff uncovered of note during the process? “I think it’s the little things you don’t think about—bottles, teacups, horseshoes,” Jamieson says. “After the original house burned down, a lot of the rubble was thrown into the hole of the foundation before the new home was built. They were everyday items for the Wilmots, but to us they’re links to the past. At one point Samuel Wilmot would have had some tea in this cup or some whiskey or beer from that bottle. Or his horse had that horseshoe on. The most amazing thing we found was a 120-year-old organ stored in the attic. Unfortunately, after the most recent occupants had moved out and while we were assembling reports, and before power and security cameras were hooked up, some kids used the home as a clubhouse. There was some vandalism, including turning that organ into Swiss cheese. You can’t replace something like that.”

What do you need to protect? “The heritage department in the township will sometimes ask the developer for security—perhaps a letter of credit—to make sure that house doesn’t get destroyed and to cover the cost of rebuilding it if something happens,” Miller explains. “They don’t ask, ‘Are you adding an addition?’ and then reassess the value, though— they’re only interested in the original house.”

While you can’t put a price on historical value, the Province advises owners of heritage properties to share the designation bylaw with their insurer to be certain that heritage attributes are properly covered by their policy. Insurance companies may increase premiums for older buildings for a variety of reasons such as outdated wiring, old heating systems, etc., but your premiums should not go up simply because of a heritage designation. And if a building on a heritage property is completely or partially destroyed by accident, the designation bylaw does not require the owner to replicate any lost heritage attributes. Further, the replacement building can be of a different design.

But there’s a price to pay for trying to circumvent the rules. While most builders comply with the processes, “in rare cases where heritage elements were removed without the Town’s consultation and approval, the Town has prosecuted the property

owners for not complying with heritage legislation,” says Oakville’s Van Sligtenhorst, who notes that the Ontario Heritage Act allows for fines up to $1 million. Does she have any advice for builders with heritage properties? “Connect with the Town’s heritage planning staff from the very beginning of the project,” Van Sligtenhorst recommends.

“Our team can provide builders and property owners with up-to-date information to help guide their planning process. Each heritage property is unique, and having the correct information from Town staff can really help. For example, there may be support for changes or development that the owner hasn’t considered, or there may be historical portions of the building that can’t be removed, or there may be guidelines for specific cladding materials to be used. Getting the right people on board can’t be underscored enough.”

dates to 1833, includes the innovative use of space for an office in the adjacent restored coach house.

Top: The poured foundation for a new addition at Whitehall Homes’ current project on Second Street in Oakville. Two areas with lower elevations allow for high ceiling heights. Middle and bottom: Whitehall’s heritage restoration of the William Sumner House in Oakville, which

A 45-storey condo to be built at 65 Guise St. at Pier 8 is part of the City of Hamilton’s plan to create a world-class waterfront. The Pier 8 community is a collaboration between the city and the Waterfront Shores Corp (Tercot Communities, Cityzen and Greybrook Realty Partners Inc).

TALL ORDERS

The push for density means projects are going up— way up—in previously untraditional places

By Tracy Hanes

f you’re in a city like Vaughan, Brampton or Pickering, look up—way up. It’s a bird! No, it’s a crane! Residential construction activity is taking developments to new heights in the 905 and beyond, and at an unprecedented rate. Cities such as Kitchener, Hamilton, London and Oshawa are also awash in high-rise activity as Ontario looks to keep pace with its target of adding 1.5 million new homes by 2031, with even higher-density targets for 2051.

“Unlike American cities, Toronto and other Canadian cities have a long history of tall towers in suburban locales. It’s not new, although you are seeing them farther out,” says Richard Joy, executive director of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Toronto. “But towers in suburbs are a uniquely Canadian phenomenon.”

Joy says that at last count, 240 cranes were working on towers in the 416, which is not all that shocking. What is surprising is that more than 100 cranes were active in the 905, which is “an even more impressive number from a North American context.”

The provincial and federal governments are rewarding municipalities that are

proactive in adding housing supply, and high-rises are a means to that end. The

Building Faster Fund, a threeyear, $1.2 billion program, provides money for community- and housing-enabling infrastructure. The money goes to municipalities that reach at least 80% of their provincially assigned housing target for the year, with increased funding for those that exceed their target.

Brampton, the fastestgrowing large city in Canada, received more than $25 million from the fund for breaking ground on 7,028 new units in 2023, or 85% of its target. Kitchener exceeded its target of 2,567 new units with 3,579 starts. Cities with targets of 1,000-plus units, such as Barrie, Hamilton, Milton, Ottawa, Toronto and Pickering, were either on track, met or exceeded targets.

The $4 billion federal CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund, launched in March 2023, provides funds to local governments that make changes to facilitate new housing creation, and set three- and 10-year goals. The money is released in installments as each municipality meets its requirements, which could involve creating new programs or amending

Like a future project in Brampton, Nuvo condos in Oakville, from Crystal Homes/ Fernbrook, is set in a low-rise residential neighbourhood.

Medallion Corporation will add to its towering achievements this fall with its SOHOSQ luxury rental tower overlooking the Thames River in London. it features an estimated 600 units in the first of two phases.

existing policies. Ontario cities receiving $25 million or more from that program include Barrie, Brampton, Hamilton, London, Markham, Mississauga, Kingston, Kitchener, Ottawa, Richmond Hill, St. Catharines, Toronto, Vaughan and Whitby. Many see towers as a solution to meet targets and tap into funding.

Joy says the tall towers are rising primarily in areas of transit expansion. There’s already been a boom of them around the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) and its subway station. And with plans to extend the subway line further north on Yonge St., both Markham and Newmarket will see a surge in tower developments—something that’s already happening around the Highway 407/Yonge St. intersection. Construction is underway on the VMC’s tallest unit yet, the 60-storey

CG Tower in the Cortel Group’s Expo City. The project, which will connect Highway 7 to the new Edgeley Park and Pond, will also infuse art into the public realm. This may help address one of Joy’s criticisms of the VMC—that it has transit, density and height but is not yet a vibrant urban environment.

“You can’t just have density for density’s sake,” agrees Karla Cruz Ruelas of BDP Quadrangle, the architectural firm that has designed the CG Tower. “You have to create a sense of community with the right elements. With Edgeley Park, there will be green areas and communal areas.”

Calling Vaughan “very forwardthinking, Cruz Ruelas says there will be areas with retail and entertainment options within walking distance, and Expo City will be a site that will bring the community together at grade.

Pickering is also undergoing a development boom, with many tall towers under construction or approved—most clustered around the GO station south of Highway 401, and Pickering City Hall and Pickering Town Centre north of the highway.

There are big redevelopment plans for Pickering Town Centre, where CentreCourt Development plans to build 10 high-rise condos of up to 55 storeys to create a vibrant new downtown area on the 55-acre site. It will bring more than 6,000 residences while also adding public spaces.

Chestnut Hill Developments has the seven-tower Universal City development underway on the south side of the 401 across from the Town Centre, a short walk from the GO station and just west of the multi-billion-dollar Durham Live Entertainment Complex. Chestnut Hill was a pioneer in bringing

CentreCourt Development has plans for 10 high-rise condominiums at Pickering Town Centre.

tall towers to Pickering, launching the city’s first master-planned community, San Francisco by the Bay, in 2007 despite stiff ratepayer opposition. The community features townhouses and three towers from 16 to 25 storeys.

Pickering’s population of 110,000 is slated to grow to 184,800 by 2041, making it Durham Region’s largest municipality. But Mayor Kevin Ashe has said rumours that 75 towers are coming to the city are overblown, although he admits council supports intensification and transit-supported development, including housing of all forms.

Hamilton has a longer history with tall towers, with several 30-storey-plus structures existing or under construction and dozens of sky-reaching proposals. Landmark Place/100 Main, a downtown rental building completed in 1974, is currently the tallest in the city, at 43 storeys. However, a proposal looming large is a mixed-use, 45-storey condo tower at Pier 8, slated to be an urban waterfront community with 1,500 residential units, commercial and institutional space, as well as community amenities. Part of the city’s plan to create a world-class waterfront, the tower will be developed by the Waterfront Shores Corp. (Tercot Communities and Cityzen Development Group).

“If you’re driving over the Burlington Skyway Bridge, you’re going to see the tower,” says Tercot Founder and

President Joe Valela. “This is the only tower in the entire community. It’s a one-off and will stand out on the water.”

The tower is a legacy project for world-renowned architect Bruce Kuwabara, who grew up in north Hamilton. “It wasn’t a density play” but more intended to create an iconic structure, Valela notes. “We moved the density around on the block. This was Bruce’s vision for a landmark. If you look to Europe, there are low forms and larger buildings, and every village has a high tower or church steeple, where the village congregates.”

Having a prominent tower like that allowed the developers at Pier 8 to offer community benefits, including a second-floor public lookout.

“The city staff was very open and really listened to us. We had support from the mayor on down,” says Valela. “There were some detractors, but the vision for the community was worthwhile.”

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP IN KITCHENER

Kitchener, a diverse city becoming a tech corridor and the terminus for a light rail transit system, is a smaller centre unafraid of density and urbanization, says Joy. The new rules of its

Growing Together and Inclusionary Zoning plans enable all housing types through a full range of building types, including missing middle, no density maximums, no parking minimums, requirements for a minimum number of affordable units through, and flexible built-form rules, including a zone without height limits.

When completed in 2022, DTK Condos was the city’s tallest building. Now, several will eclipse that, including the 45-storey TEK Tower.

Sherry Larjani, president of Spotlight Development, cites Kitchener as one of the most progressive municipalities she has worked with, “and the Region of Waterloo is just as supportive.”

Spotlight is planning a four-tower, mixed-use, transit-oriented community at Courtland Avenue East and Block Line Rd., with buildings 15 to 35 storeys in height. While not in the city’s core, it is part of the broader ring of neighbourhoods surrounding the downtown. It’s called The Inclusive (Spotlight has a similar project planned in Toronto), as the goal is to create at least 1,500 affordable units among 3,000 residential units in all. It will be a “complete community with 24/7 daycare and seniors’, financial and employment programs,” says Larjani, who is partnering with several non-profit agencies to deliver its affordable units, including Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region, Trillium Housing and Good Shepherd Ministries.

“Density is the answer (to the housing crisis), but not the only answer,” Larjani says. “It’s also partners, and we have so many around the table. If you’re doing only one type of housing with only one not-for-profit partner, this type of capacity is not possible. The only solution is to do it at scale.”

There will be market condos and rental apartments in the development, as well as a bus terminal. It’s also steps from the LRT station, making it easy to get downtown or to Conestoga College, and a five-minute walk from a large outlet mall. Larjani says while transit is key, it is also important to have services and resources on-site, such as daycare, health care and resources for refugees, youth, the elderly and indigenous groups, among others. She says the goal is to create a place where people can thrive, and that it’s the benefits beyond the bricks and mortar that will make that happen.

JUSTIFYING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Public investments, such as the one Metrolinx is investing in GO Transit’s all-day rapid-train service between Barrie and Toronto, “need density to justify them,” notes Joy. Barrie has suffered from a weak downtown but is now following the lead of other GTA cities where “density has done amazing things for them,” Joy says. With more than 100,000 immigrants arriving annually in Canada, he says centres like Barrie will be very much in line for height and density, especially with talk of a potential high-speed rail line that would run through Peterborough.

Atria Development has experience bringing modest height to Peterborough, and taller buildings to Toronto, Barrie, Hamilton and St. Catharines. It reintroduced condo development to downtown Oshawa for the first time since the 1980s with an office conversion/new build of 120 units completed in 2007. Atria followed that up with two highrise rental buildings and has several other multi-residential projects of up to 20 storeys planned for the city (the municipal airport in the central part of the city restricts very tall buildings). In St. Catharines, it has proposed Skye, a development of 28-, 40- and 50-storey towers on YMCA Drive.

“We like towns with post-secondary education, manufacturing and hospitals,” says company president Hans Jain. “These are towns on their own, with a sense of community.” Some are eager to intensify, such as Oshawa, which is booming due to its receptiveness to taller buildings and other housing forms, Jain suggests.

Going into smaller municipalities for the first time with proposals for tall buildings will invariably be challenging, Jain concedes. “There may not be a lot of familiarity with the product, there’s skepticism, and you hear comments such as ‘You’re never going to build it.’ Ratepayers can be tough.” But Jain says Atria has established a good reputation in these types of communities, complemented by its use of top-quality architects and engineers, and thus tends to receive a warmer response.

“We’re noticing that the further out you go (from the 416), the

bigger the resistance,” says Medallion Developments Director of Development and Construction Rad Vucicevich.

“People bought their plots of land and were proud of moving to the suburbs, and there is still a stigma associated with higher density in those areas.”

However, he says that through education, media, and with politicians starting to push for more density and height, “there’s a lot less resistance than even five years ago. It’s not easy, but there is definitely change.”

Beyond Toronto, Medallion has several high-rise purpose-built rental buildings at various stages in multiple centres— upwards of 22 storeys in Oshawa and up to 28 storeys in other cities.

“A lot of times, we choose locations with transit-oriented sites,” says Vucicevich. “Durham Region is not that strong in transit, but it offers incentives to build, such as Community Improvement

Plans (CIPs). It’s much more feasible in locations where there are financial incentives.” He says in Ajax, Medallion took advantage of a CIP and a CMHC apartment loan to create the three-phase Vision at Pat Bayly Square. The first twotower phase, two 25-storey mixed-use rental buildings, were completed in 2020. The second phase, now under construction, will have 19- and 23-storey towers. The development includes a year-round public square with a skating rink, fountain, stage and “stores lining up” to lease the retail spaces. It’s minutes from the GO station, the Ajax Pickering Hospital, town hall and the public library.

Vucicevich says Medallion has learned to take a communication-first approach in smaller centres and will work with the community and city to formulate a plan before it submits a proposal. “Everyone then knows what’s going to happen. The resistance is still there, but a lot less.”

80 Bond, a 19-storey, 370-unit rental apartment building by Atria Development in downtown Oshawa, is the followup to nearby 100 Bond, Atria’s first purpose-built, multifamily residential rental building.

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HIGH-RISE IS A RELATIVE TERM

While hardly skyscrapers, Crystal Homes and partner Fernbrook have the eight-storey Nuvo Condominiums under construction in Oakville and are now planning a 12-storey version for Brampton. Both are set in low-rise residential neighbourhoods where multistorey buildings are not the norm.

“The Brampton project will be in a very residential area among estate homes, and we’ve had so many people calling to see when it will be released,” says Crystal Homes President Kathy

di Silvestro. “What we’ve noticed with typical high-rises and mid-rises is that it’s all about transportation, and those buildings are on busy streets, close to the bus, train or subway.”

However, more families are looking for high-rises due to affordability while still seeking family-friendly locations. “They want a residential neighbourhood. They want to be within walking distance of elementary schools and parks. So many people can’t afford to get into detached homes, and their children still need schools, parks and community centres. Their number-one motivator for buying isn’t transit.”

A case in point is how popular Oakville

Nuvo is proving not merely for older move-down buyers but also for families with one child who have been buying one-bedroom-plus-den units, intending to use the den as a child’s room.

But the majority of tall towers still favour transit and downtowns. Medallion has multiple rental towers of 20-plus-storeys in London, with more planned. Joy cites London as one city requiring more density, and Vucicevich agrees. “There’s a benefit of bringing density to smaller centres,” Vucicevich says. “You are providing housing, you are providing local businesses with more customers, you’re introducing new blood to the community, and a bigger population makes transit more viable.” Towers also offer young adults and older seniors the opportunity to afford to stay in their communities, he adds.

“In many smaller towns, you see downtowns that don’t have enough density to support their restaurants and retail,” says Jain. “In places of low density, you’ve seen the hollowing out of downtowns. You have nice restaurants, but that’s it. You need people living there. When you have people walking around downtowns, security improves because there are eyes on the street, and the tax base increases.”

Jain has noticed some previously height-resistant municipalities changing their attitudes due to the housing shortage and the Ford government’s push for more density. And from a financial standpoint, the taller the better for many developers.

“The fixed costs to do small projects are almost the same as big projects,” Jain says. “You have to have a site superintendent, you have to put in elevators, etc. And when the project is done, if it’s an apartment building, you have to manage it, and that’s hard with a small condo or apartment. Municipalities have to realize that they have aging infrastructure and that height and density are a necessity. They need to be pragmatic.”

However, “height is not the solution to density in all cases,” says Joy. “Look to Europe, where Paris is one of the densest cities in the Western world and has no ultra-tall buildings. Some planning is happening south of Brampton and south of Barrie, where municipalities are looking at some amazing density without height. I think it warrants a discussion about how we can achieve density in other ways.”

Cortel Group’s Expo City 5 – CG Tower is under construction in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Connecting Highway 7 to the new Edgeley Park, the 60-storey landmark building will be the tallest in the VMC.

Senior Moment

With a growing population opting to age in place, the time is ripe to address the trend

By Kristen Frisa

Verve Senior Living's The Islington, coming in 2027, will feature an array of high-end amenities, from outdoor terraces and multiple restaurants to luxury condo-style interior finishes.

e are living longer than ever. That’s mostly good news—but not for the housing crisis. As of the end of 2022, Canada was home to approximately 13,500 centenarians, 43% more than in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. Environics Analytics notes that as of 2023, seniors made up 19.3% of Canada’s total population, compared to just 8% in 1971. Environics’ Senior V.P. and Chief Demographer Doug Norris, who has been calling this one of the most significant demographic trends in Canada for years, told CTV News in December that the “numbers are now at extremely high historical levels.”

A November report from CMHC, Understanding the Impact of Senior Households on Canada’s Housing Market, highlighted a further issue: an increasing number of people are living in larger homes than they

require. “Health and wealth” among that segment, coupled with a supply shortage in the market, is encouraging the elderly to stay in their homes, the report observed. The impacts of COVID-19 on long-term care homes only exacerbated the trend.

This means that builders and designers have an increasing opportunity to help aging residents find the housing they need—be it with thoughtful inhome improvements or by producing more attractive senior-friendly facilities to entice them out of the comfort of their homes.

Aging-in-Place Design

Catering to seniors who choose to age in place, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) has developed the Adaptiv Home course to help contractors understand the needs of aging residents. The course includes information about

building codes, specific adaptations to help seniors, and how to talk to them about those needs. Since the program’s inception in 2022, 160 have completed the course. And registration is continuing to grow, with a considerable wait list for the next program offering.

“More and more of my customers are retirees. That was the biggest reason I decided to take the course and to try to understand the Adaptiv approach,” says Chris Smith, CEO of Woodsmith Construction. “I wanted to understand what is involved in creating a universal design for the house and planning for retiring in place.”

It’s not only builders taking the course. Realtors and designers have attended too. “We’re trying to create a network of professionals in this space from all across the country,” says CHBA’s Sarah Caron, who helped develop the course. “That way, participants have peers, but also people in

CCR Build + Remodel shows how accessible designs need not be sterile. Below, a zero-clearance shower with a folding bench from Woodsmith Construction allows easy access in and out.

different fields that bring a different take on home modification.”

The course has also received interest from energy advisors who visit homes regularly to complete energy assessments. Recognizing needs within the home, they can refer partner contractors who can then complete the work.

To develop the Adaptiv curriculum, CHBA worked closely with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy to understand clients’ short- and long-term challenges as they age and how to adapt their living environments safely to cope with those challenges.

“The course contains really specific building knowledge, including the primary areas that need to be considered, like entrances, kitchens and bathrooms, where we spend so much of our time,” says Caron. “Can we ensure that those are safe for the occupants? Can they get to different levels of the house via safe transition areas?”

Smith says a lot of the focus he has seen in homes is on improved lighting, especially around stairs, and stair safety in general.

The Adaptiv course covers more than just the nuts and bolts of creating homes in which people can age in place. It also features modules that cover the empathy and sensitivity needed to discuss future needs with people who don’t necessarily want to have that conversation. “It’s better to prepare and design rooms so that if assistive devices need to go in later, you’re not ripping stuff out and starting again,” Smith advises. While installing supportive bars in a newly renovated bathroom can be a difficult sell, measures like reinforcing drywall in places that might need grab bars in the future can be done in advance without impacting the aesthetics of the building.

Smith considers Adaptiv and suite renovations to be a huge emerging

CHBA has developed the Adaptiv Home course to help contractors address the needs of aging residents.

opportunity for contractors. Many of the aging population have money to spend and seek solutions that serve their needs and style of living. “They don’t want it to look like a hospital wing or an old age home,” he says. That's why when residents are ready to add assistive devices, Smith attempts to keep things unobtrusive to maintain the interior style of a home, with such things as fold-down benches and hidden grab bars where they don’t disturb the line of sight.

Smart Investments

Although making it easier for aging residents to remain in their homes and communities can help maintain overall well-being, it often leaves a mere one or two homeowners in a house that far outsizes their needs. But for residents who have extra space, basement or upper-floor apartments can provide financial opportunity, Caron notes. “We can help people recognize that if you’re not using your whole house, we make the part that you are using as safe as possible while freeing up other parts that could be rented.” This can also help offset some costs associated with renovating and living on a fixed income.

And keep in mind that while renovating is never a cheap option for your client, neither is retirement living.

“People think of an elevator as one of the most expensive pieces of equipment to install in a house. But the cost of an elevator may only be four to six months of living in a retirement home,” Caron notes. “It may be a matter of changing how your clients think about it, because while it’s expensive to renovate, it’s about making their house accessible forever.”

And think long-term. “It’s about creating an ongoing relationship with your clients,” Smith advises, noting that he’s helped some clients buy a starter home, put on additions when the family grew, and finally provide aging-in-place renovations.

“Have a plan for current and future renovations. The client base of the future is going to require and demand these types of services, so it’s better to get familiar with incorporating them to keep them well served.”

Emerging technologies can also help seniors maintain their independence through voice- and sensor-activated systems, avoiding them having to use low, out-of-reach switches that require fine motor control, Caron says. “There’s an entire industry for home automation, including everything from motion sensor lights to programmable thermostats.”

But technology and renos should be used on an individual basis and monitored for effectiveness, rather than prescribed across the board, Caron stresses. “There’s no one-size-fits-all renovation. What the Adaptiv course tries to emphasize is that renovations are based on individual needs.”

Making Senior Living Healthier

Few know how to cater to those needs quite like Linda Kafka, one of Canada’s leading architects and designers for living in place, accessibility and wellness in the residential sector. A principal at Livable Environment Inc., Kafka teaches designers, contractors and community planners about the impact of living spaces on our emotional well-being.

While advocating for more inclusive designs to be adopted across the board so that nobody is unable to live in a home purely because of its design, Kafka also stresses that retirement living needs to provide a healthy social setting for those who decide it’s time to leave home. Part of that entails access to the outside and their neighbourhoods and communities to maintain emotional equilibrium.

Approaching senior living more like hospitality than real estate, Rockport Group has developed three senior lifestyle residences across the GTA that facilitate that community involvement while surrounding residents with a style to which they’ve become

TO Design Dementiafor

Just as attractive retirement living options are in demand, so too are desirable dementia facilities in Ontario. But a blueprint does exist in Canada. Verve Senior Living’s The Village in Langley, B.C., is Canada’s first dementia village. Inspired by De Hogeweyk in The Netherlands, the world’s first dementia village, the $28 million Langley project opened five years ago and has received rave reviews.

Designed by Vancouver’s NSDA Architects, it offers cottage-style living for 75. Its five serene acres of secured grounds are bound by eight-foot fencing defined by cedars, with a single controlled entrance and exit.

Residents wear a Bluetooth-enabled wristband that acts as an electronic key for their house and allows for real-time location monitoring. They can walk by themselves along Main Street, past the rock garden to the community centre. They can walk toward the Red Barn and enjoy farm animals.

The needs of people living with dementia permeate every aspect of the design, from pathways around the site and interior corridors that avoid anxiety-creating dead ends to spacious interior rooms able to accommodate wheelchairs. There’s a grocery store where residents can ‘buy’ household items and a beauty salon/barbershop, among many other amenities.

Households, each with a designated group of 10 staff who work with 12 residents, are designed as a cluster of cottages that house common spaces open to patios and gardens.

The design is about much more than aesthetics, stresses NSDA Architects. “The hope is that the setting will enrich (residents’) lives and allow for a holistic approach to Alzheimer’s and dementia care.”

HOW

accustomed. “People have beautiful homes and gardens and lots of seating and places to host their families,” notes Rockport COO Daniel Winberg. “Unless senior living residences have these things, those people aren’t going to want to move.

“The biggest concern we have with the senior population is loneliness and a lack of things to do,” Winberg says. “We’ve created places where they can have a wonderful community, where they’re going to be engaged, have friends, have programming, and do outings. We’ve worked to give seniors a wonderful new phase of their lives.”

Rockport’s facilities offer a sizeable ground-floor space with amenities like swimming pools, gyms, salons, demonstration kitchens and licensed bistros. Designers have made concerted efforts to make spaces more open and comfortable so that residents can enjoy their families and foster a sense of community. A new addition to the Unionville location is a snack bar that stays open around the clock, providing food whenever the mood strikes rather

than being restricted to set mealtimes. In other words, the buildings attempt to feel more like home.

“It’s not about having high-end, luxury facilities,” Kafka says. “We need facilities that are more in sync with their residents’ needs.”

But what if you could have both? South of the border, Watermark Retirement Communities has been challenging the status quo in senior living. “Innovation permeates everything we do, from designing our spaces to caring for residents to creating experiences in our communities that aren’t available anywhere else,” the company notes. Apart from several upscale properties, the resources of its facilities impress, including Accushield (a fully automated health safety screening and visitor management kiosk), a technology concierge offering expertise and one-on-one tech support for smartphones and other smart home devices, VR headsets for interactive experiences, LifeLoop (an online communication and engagement platform that works with the iN2L touchscreen

system), the BrainCafé to sharpen cognitive abilities, smart exercise equipment that’s easy-to-use, a 360Well coordinator who develops and manages comprehensive health and wellness programs, and circadian lighting designed to align your surroundings with your internal clock.

In Canada, facilities such as Delmanor Retirement Living in Ontario and B.C.’s Tapestry Retirement Communities offer residents the opportunity to maintain independence and individuality, cook in fully equipped kitchens and explore personal hobbies, while providing individual assistance as physical and mental needs progress. Verve Senior Living is following that transitional senior living model with two Toronto projects slated to open in 2027, and another in Burlington in 2028.

Calling it an evolution in senior housing development, The Islington will border on The Kingsway and Islington Village in Toronto. It combines a retirement residence experience with ground-floor retail. And the number of amenities is off the chart, including BBQ and pizza oven stations, billiards, a bistro/bar, bocce ball court, fireplace lounge, fitness studio, golf simulator, library, pet wash station, salon/spa, swimming pool, theatre room and wine lockers.

The Park, meanwhile, will be a first-of-its-kind for downtown Toronto, with a mixed-use, continuum care retirement residence. Located on Wellington Street West, it will offer easy walking access to retail, services and greenspace. Just west of downtown Burlington, Verve plans a retail redevelopment on New Street.

“The exteriors are designed to be more modern and have multiple outdoor terraces, balconies, etc.,” notes Linda Tittel, Verve’s Ontario regional director of sales and marketing. “Suites are designed to be larger, and in some cases we plan to develop buildings with three-bedroom units. Residents will have in-suite laundry, and some units contain full kitchens. Suite finishes are similar to a high-end condo— solid countertops, tile in washrooms and backsplashes, hardwood floors, and contemporary millwork, plumbing fixtures and appliances.

“It’s about feeling like you’re at home," Tittel says, "and not a seniors residence.” OHB

Rockport Group stresses attractive amenities that help foster a sense of community in its senior living facilities.

Photo:

BUILDING BUZZ

News and moves from the industry

A Sustainable Partnership

New Horizon, Krpan Group union begins with Ovation

United by a common vision of advancing opportunities in sustainable building, New Horizon Development Group (NHDG) and Krpan Group formed a dynamic partnership in 2021, Newrise.

While not a merger, with both companies maintaining their separate identities and portfolios, the strategic cooperative combines expertise in land development and construction for new joint-venture projects. Krpan Group brings its knowledge in attaining LEED Certification within a commercial/ industrial context, while NHDG, one of the first builders in the GTA West to integrate geothermal heating and cooling systems into their mid- and highrise residential buildings, continues to expand their green practices.

After three years of working through site plan and building permit application processes, the first offspring of that cooperative began construction in March—Ovation. This six-storey, purpose-built rental building in the Glen Abbey Encore community near the intersection of Bronte Road and Upper Middle Road will include over 350 residences.

“Newrise seeks to redefine industry standards, elevating the quality of living opportunities through the partnership’s commitment to lasting craftsmanship and forward-thinking design. It is committed to sustainability and environmental consciousness,” says New Horizon Director of Client Experience Natasha Paikin.

Each partner recognizes the importance of creating developments that contribute to a resilient future. By focusing on green building practices and energy efficiency, Newrise expects to achieve high standards for sustainable development in the region.

“This new partnership expands our ability to create lasting communities with a focus on attainability through rentals and sustainable building technologies in the GTHA,” adds John A. Krpan of Krpan Group, whose communities are already home to more than 5,000 families.

NHDG’s significant in-house building experience includes more than 1,200 homes, condos or rental suites currently under construction.

Jeff Paikin

John Krpan

EDUCATION

Caivan/UW Unite to Address Urban Challenges

The University of Waterloo and The Caivan Group are launching The Future Cities Institute (FCI) thanks to a transformational $10 million commitment from Caivan. The Institute will bring together some of the country’s minds and provide t he resources they need to tackle the greatest challenges facing urban spaces now and in the future.

FCI is an interdisciplinary hub housed within Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment. Drawing on expertise from across faculties and leveraging partnerships with industry and government, FCI will take on significant issues like the modernization of city planning and the optimization of infrastructure to prioritize not only how cities will be laid out but how they will be sustainable. Deep examinations of the root causes of pressing issues, like housing and urban transportation, will lead to the development of data-supported toolkits and practical guides that industry and governments can apply to urban policy and construction.

FCI will bring Waterloo’s considerable applied science and engineering expertise to the field of city building. It will create a global network of academia, government, industry and grassroots organizations to mobilize a large body of quantitative research and train a new generation of leaders. Its focus will be on four key areas of study: housing, modelling, mobility and sustainable

infrastructure, as well as how they intersect with sustainability, economics, society, health and technology.

The Institute marks an expansion of UW’s Future Cities Initiative.

“ This is the kind of innovative, forward-looking partnership we need to embrace if we truly want to solve humanity’s most challenging issues,” says University of Waterloo President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel.

Caivan CEOs and co-founders Frank Cairo and Troy van Haastrecht, alumni of the University of Waterloo, have supported the school’s Future Cities Initiative since 2021, donating an initial $1 million to seed the initiative.

Through its housing innovation arm, the Advanced Building Innovation Company (ABIC), Caivan uses advanced manufacturing and a suite of proprietary software harnessing artificial intelligence, landuse optimization algorithms, and generative design tools to drive efficiency, quality and sustainability in its product.

“The number and magnitude of challenges humanity will be confronted with in the decades ahead will test our resolve and ability to collaborate effectively,” says Cairo. “The Institute will foster thought-provoking debate, challenge orthodoxy, and produce research that allows city builders to make evidence-based decisions. The pursuit of science and truth is the unifying element in this age of growing dogma.”

TECHNOLOGY

Countering Your Traditional Charging Options

Awarded Best in Show at this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, wireless charging pioneer FreePower offers an elegant and seamless solution that builders, designers, architects and fabricators can build into their countertop designs.

The Phoenix-based firm’s FreePower for Countertop technology turns any surface into a wireless charger, letting you add free-placement wireless charging to your stone countertop solutions.

FreePower collaborated closely with the design and fabricator community on every aspect of the process, from the cut-out requirements for the stone to visual cues and customization. Fabricators will need to complete a certification process from FreePower.

“With highly visible projects in the automotive and consumer electronics verticals, we were getting requests from designers and builders about embedding our technology into countertops and tabletops,” says FreePower CEO and founder Jake Slatnick. “We knew it was possible but also that it would take some work. Seamlessly embedding technology into stone isn’t something consumers or fabricators could do on their own; it required us to develop brand-new tooling processes.”

Aside from the glow of its proprietary halo, there is no indication of a wireless charger just beneath the surface: no ridges or crevices to inhibit counter use. The halo indicates

Left to right: University of Waterloo President Vivek Goel, Dean of Engineering Mary Wells, Caivan Co-Founders and CEOs Frank Cairo and Troy van Haastrecht, and UW’s Dean of Faculty of Environment Bruce Frayne.

the charging zone, controlled by an app where users can customize the colours, from subtle white to multicolour ‘party mode.’ It can be dimmed completely, then reactivated with a feature called Wave to Wake by simply waving a smartphone over the charging zone.

It is also software upgradeable, ensuring that the investment made in this technology can last for years as smartphones and other devices evolve. And the mounting system was designed so wireless chargers can be replaced in minutes if ever needed in the future.

ANNIVERSARIES

Arriscraft, Canada Brick Celebrate Anniversaries

Angelstone (renamed Arriscraft) was founded in 1949.

Working the assembliy line at Canada Brick.

Arriscraft is turning 75 this year, while Canada Brick celebrates 70 years.

Arriscraft was founded by Ed Ratcliffe, who sought a better product than cement-based stone for residential construction. Radcliffe visited Europe in the late 1940s to learn more about calcium silicate stone, which combines two natural materials: sand and lime. Ratcliffe brought his learning home to Canada and, in 1949, founded Angelstone (later renamed Arriscraft).

Through a continued spirit of providing better solutions, Arriscraft today offers an industry-leading stone product line for both residential and architectural markets.

Close by, in Streetsville, the first plant for Canada Brick was built in 1954. By the mid-1960s, the company was the largest clay brick manufacturing operation in North America at the time. Seventy years on, Canada Brick continues to build its legacy with various plants in the Burlington area, which service both residential and architectural customers.

Their parallel histories connect these two companies culturally, notes Arriscraft’s Director of Marketing, Marta Zonneveld. “This year, we’re celebrating together—and most of all celebrating our dedicated employees, who have always been at the heart of our success.”

SUSTAINABILITY

K&B Pros Play Critical Role in Accelerating Embrace of Sustainability

New insights presented in NKBA’s 2024 Sustainability in Kitchen & Bath Design report from its survey of more than 300 professionals indicate an important shift that will fundamentally change the K&B industry: the mainstreaming of practical and appealing sustainable design practices.

While sustainability has been slower to take root in residential construction and design, the opportunity for future growth is undeniable. Industry pros and consumers alike agree that sustainable design practices are essential. However, considerable work remains to further educate and inspire enthusiasm among both groups about the many tangible benefits of sustainability.

The 2024 Sustainability in Kitchen & Bath Design report notes how it begins with educating K&B pros. Only slightly more than half (51%) of surveyed industry pros said that sustainability is extremely or very important to them, professionally. The surveyed professionals shared that they don’t consider themselves particularly wellinformed on the subject. Just under half (45%) consider themselves very or

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extremely familiar with the concept of sustainable design, and 60% say that there simply isn’t enough information available about sustainable K&B design, which makes it difficult to pass the necessary knowledge along to their clients.

Design professionals cited five significant barriers to further integrating sustainability into their designs. Homeowner buy-in (64%) was most frequently cited, followed by expense—the need for more affordable sustainable solutions (54%). Many also pointed to a lack of attractive sustainable solutions (44%) and the long payback period for sustainable practices (27%) as sources of lingering skepticism about the benefits of sustainable design.

Sustainable design is being integrated, but it’s happening slowly. Almost half (48%) of surveyed design pros say they are incorporating sustainable solutions into their designs somewhat more than just two years ago, while 10% are doing so much more.

Responses from the surveyed professionals point to some key areas that are already resonating with homeowners, notably recommendations about sustainable products that will improve their family’s health and well-being (42%). Energy savings ranks a distant second (22%).

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents say demand for sustainability in kitchen design will increase in the next two years, while nearly as many (70%) said the same about bath design. Just one-third (32%) of designers feel sustainable design is a “musthave,” although most (54%) expect that sentiment to shift in the coming years.

“There is no doubt that we are moving towards a new era when sustainable design practices will eventually become the norm for the K&B industry,” said Bill Darcy, Global President & CEO of NKBA | KBIS. “Designers and other industry pros, armed with information and insights about the many benefits of a sustainable design approach, will drive this change. The sooner we can bring K&B professionals up to speed on these benefits, the sooner they can effectively influence customers to embrace sustainable practices that are better for the planet without sacrificing quality or aesthetics.”

Frum named president amid new launch from Metropia

Metropia President Samuel Frum and founder Howard Sokolowski at the ceremonial groundbreaking of Union City last month in Markham. (Photo courtesy Norm Li)

Metropia has announced Samuel Frum as president following the groundbreaking of its vast Union City masterplanned community in Markham.

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, local councillors and city staff attended the event to celebrate the start of construction at Union City. The master-planned community, within walking distance of the York University campus and Unionville GO station, sold over 1,200 units in just three months last summer.

“Breaking ground on Union City represents the culmination of years of meticulous planning and dedication to creating a dynamic urban community in Markham,” says Metropia CEO Howard Sokolowski. “The reception for this project has only solidified our vision for what is to come in future phases.”

“Over the past few years, Sam has launched into various aspects of the business and has contributed in ways beyond my imagination,” says Sokolowski, who will continue his role as CEO and Chair of the Risk Committee, working closely with Frum. “Our recent successes, including Union City, are a testament to Sam’s innovative approach to urban development and his ability to understand and interpret market trends.”

Ascending from roles as financial analyst and V.P. of Investments, Frum has overseen and contributed to the firm’s expansion, launching eight

Navigate the Complexities of Finance with

projects and doubling the size of the internal team.

His announcement follows the appointment of Ruo Wu as V.P. of Sales & Marketing. Wu has previously held positions with Empire Communities, Aoyuan International and, most recently, Marlin Spring Developments as the Director of Sales.

IN MEMORIAN

Remembering Bryan Tuckey

The Ontario residential construction industry was saddened to learn of the passing of Bryan Tuckey on Saturday, April 13, after a two-and-a-half-year battle with prostate cancer.

Bryan served as BILD’s president and CEO from 2012 through the end of 2017. Following that tenure, he continued to work on behalf of the industry as an adjudicator for the Ontario Land Tribunal. He also served several leadership roles in the municipal sector, including Commissioner of Planning and Development Services for York Region, as well as in the provincial sector as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Ministry of Housing, where OHBA and BILD members worked with him to deliver housing to the GTA.

As Planner in Residence at the University of Waterloo, he inspired students with his passion for planning, while mentoring many new graduates.

Outside of work, Bryan and his wife Susan embarked on numerous adventures, exploring over 100 countries and territories together. OHB

PREMIUM FLUSH MOUNT AIR VENTS

PRODUCT FOCUS

Filling Every Gap

Depending upon your insulation needs, manufacturers are offering an increasing variety of solutions

By Ted McIntyre

As with most products in the housing industry, demand for insulation is increasing. IKO, which manufactures roofing, waterproofing and insulation for residential and commercial markets, is building a $45 million plant in Brant County to produce extruded polystyrene insulation. This follows announcements that the company is also starting plants in South Carolina and Florida.

The demand for Rockwool stone wool, meanwhile, is outpacing supply to such a degree that the company now has all production lines running 24/7 to improve availability. It has also secured land in Washington State, where it plans to build a new factory.

Rockwool is a hot commodity. Fortunately, like the basalt rock it’s made from, it’s fire resilient by nature, withstanding temperatures over

1,000C. And with no added chemical flame retardants, it does not contribute to the emission of significant quantities of toxic smoke. It’s also breathable, moisture-resistant, sound absorbent and highly durable (lasting 55 years and counting). There’s also a circular component to it since recycled Rockwool can be used to make new stone wool without losing performance.

But Rockwool’s R-Class program (rclass.rockwool.com/en-ca/) might pique your interest even more. Free to join, it’s a premium education platform for builders who want to learn about better building practices and product choices from industry leaders, your building peers and Rockwool experts. It features a clean, fresh and intuitive

Owens Corning offers a very sound choice in its QuietZone Pink Next Gen Fiberglas acoustic insulation.

Among its many free offerings, Rockwool’s R-Class Builder Program offers exclusive access to product and application support, including online and in-person events.

website that gives members premium access to product and application support that includes videos, articles and blogs showcasing projects by R-Class contributors.

New members, who have ranged from builders and contractors to renovators and architects, receive a welcome kit that includes product samples, a personal connection to our premium sales support and Rockwool installation tools and gear. Membership in the program also gives access to a tiered rebate program. There’s also a contest underway—the Won & Done Sweepstakes—with a chance to win an entire home’s worth of Rockwool stone wool insulation for your next build, with draws on Aug. 7 and Jan. 7, 2025. The only prerequisite is that entrants work with Rockwool’s building science and sales teams to review plans and understand the tools at their disposal to help ensure a successful experience.

Rockwool is continuing to amass content on the website to make it the ultimate destination “for answers to questions typically asked of our sales and technical teams,” says Carol McQuaide, Rockwool’s North American Residential Segment marketing manager. “Those answers include photos, renders, video, blog posts and other methods for residential builders and installers—to better understand specific assemblies and some of what’s happening in high-performance construction.

“Whether you need help with code compliance evaluations, dewpoint calculations, energy modelling or something else, this team of building science experts is next level,” McQuaide notes. “We’re very fortunate to have an established network in Canada, but there is so much work to be done to connect high-performance builders with builders who are starting to learn and who might be intimidated by it all,

as well as with those who might not realize how all the changes in building materials have impacted the way they need to do things.

“It goes back to some of the basics of the building envelope, quite honestly,” McQuaide says of the program. “When you’re looking at a whole system, you need to understand what the different layers do—the roles that sheathing, WRBs (water resistance barriers) and insulation are each performing—if you want to build more efficient and durable homes. We want to help teach people about preventing risk in their builds and to improve energy efficiency, comfort and sound. If you’re not understanding how your wall assembly is drying and how vapour is moving through in your climate, the vapour permeability of materials is something we can help educate you about. For example, it can be a real benefit to use a product like Rockwool that is vapour-open and can dry and not trap moisture.

Product Focus

“And people might also not understand that different types of insulation materials retain their R-values differently, while some don’t retain their R-value and perform differently in different conditions,” says McQuaide, who wants to bring value to the insulation discussion with homebuyers and existing owners.

“It can be tough for builders if the homeowners don’t have any interest—they’re a lot more likely to get excited about countertops or kitchen cabinets than to talk about your insulation. And they might do a lot of renovations and upgrades and change finishes after the fact, but they’re not likely to tear the walls down. But when you talk about the benefits— not hearing a toilet flushing elsewhere in the house, or hearing the TV in the other room, or the neighbours opposite an adjoining wall, people begin to appreciate another dimen sion of insulation. We had a great acoustic session at IBS explaining that not all sound is equal. If your sound problem is because you live near a busy highway or have noisy children in the house, we want you to have the right assemblies. ‘Here’s what we would do with the insulation part, but maybe you should also con sider a staggered stud wall or resilient channels.’ We can teach builders these other things that aren’t directly tied to the insulation but are about building better.”

ERA Architects married DuRock’s PUCCS NC (Non-Combustible) exterior insulation and finish system with Rockwool stone wool insulation to help achieve EnerPHit certification at Hamilton’s Ken Soble Tower.

“It’s really important to understand what the goals are. We try to have information that appeals to all. And it’s usually not as expensive as people might think. And it’s not just Rockwool salespeople telling you stuff,” McQuaide notes. “We’re really trying to connect builder to builder with the R-Class Program—to address specific projects and offer opportunities for builders to speak about their experiences.”

THE PUCCS STOP HERE

Insulation solutions don’t have to be mutually exclusive either, as the case of Hamilton’s Ken Soble Tower demonstrates. As part of the rehabilitation of the 57-year-old, 18-storey apartment in Hamilton, ERA Architects was originally going to re-clad the

Rigid Board Insulation Solutions

Isolofoam’s iFlexfoam features impressive strength and flexibility, providing a surface over which you can easily move, thereby reducing breakage and product loss.

building with an entire wall assembly outside the existing brick. However, a visit to the Rockwool booth at the Construct Canada exhibition changed all that, with ERA being introduced to DuRock’s PUCCS NC (non-combustible) EIFS (exterior insulation and finish system), incorporating Rockwool stone wool insulation.

ERA revised its plan to include a six-inch-thick stone wool EIFS. “ERA Architects liked three main things about the system: first, and most obviously, the non-combustibility (important given the vulnerability of the senior-aged occupants); second, the excellent moisture control offered by the stone wool and the unique built-in drainage layer cut into the back of the insulation; and third, the liquid-applied water-resistive barrier,” Rockwool notes. “In all, 50,000 sq. ft. of Rockwool stone wool insulation was incorporated into the new facade, helping to realize the R-38 effective R-value required to achieve EnerPHit certification.”

The EIFS system fit the need for cost-effectiveness (reducing labour costs), ease of installation, high-quality

composition, a favourable sustainability profile, as well as top-notch technical support from Rockwool and DuRock.

ERA notes that Ken Soble Tower “demonstrates passive resilience to extreme conditions: In case of failure of active systems, the building will stay warm in winter for up to two days (compared to two hours in a typical building) and below dangerous heat levels in summer for up to four days (compared to half a day in a typical building).”

The PUCCS NC EIFS product honours date back to first prize in the Toronto Construction Association’s Innovative Product contest in 2021. Developed by the 45-year-old, family-owned, Vaughan-based DuRock, the NC is the latest addition to the PUCCS EIFS series. It features a circular-grooved PUCC-Rock virgin wool insulation board with a geometrically defined drainage cavity. The PUCC-Rock non-combustible insulation and its reinforcing mesh are simultaneously fastened to the supporting wall using DuRock’s liquid-applied WRBs and

mechanical fasteners. The insulation board effectively forms a water-repellant gasket around each fastener.

All PUCC-Rock insulation boards are face-marked at 4” intervals to pinpoint stud locations, making this system much easier and faster to install. Its dual reinforcing meshes offer increased impact resistance, while the liquid-applied WRBs effectively control air leakage yet permit vapour diffusion to the exterior.

MINERAL WOOL ALTERNATIVES

For contractors seeking stone wool alternatives, given its limited availability, Owens Corning offers two excellent options. Its Pink Next Gen Fiberglas batt thermal insulation is ideal for insulating between the studs of exterior wall assemblies and parapets, while its QuietZone Pink Next Gen Fiberglas insulation is a great fit for acoustic and fire-rated interior walls, floors and ceiling assemblies. “No waiting, no delays—just great products, says Eric Legault, Insulation Leader for Owens Corning Canada.

Used for both residential and commercial applications, and for both

advanced fibre technology, it feels like cotton. The product is made with safe, proven ingredients and is naturally non-combustible, without any added fire retardants. It also has the highest recycled content in North America, relative to other batt insulations, Legault notes.

As the name implies, QuietZone Pink Next Gen Fiberglas Insulation is an acoustic insulation that provides sound mitigation between separating wall, ceiling and floor assemblies. It matches or exceeds industry standards, providing the same, if not better, performance than the equivalent mineral wool product, Owens Corning says. Classified as non-combustible, it can also be used in many fire-rated assemblies.

QuietZone provides a cost-effective alternative to mineral wool acoustic insulation from both a material and

rior acoustic walls, floors and ceilings along with Pink Next Gen Fiberglas Insulation for thermal exterior cavity walls, meanwhile, enables contractors to handle their entire project seamlessly, simplifying logistics. Further, the company’s thermal and acoustic wall calculator tools allow you to integrate the products into your projects with confidence.

“And expect exceptional customer support,” adds Legault.

TIGHTER WALL ASSEMBLIES

Alleguard also has news when it comes to making wall assemblies tighter and more efficient. Launching this summer, the Ambuck insulated window and door block-out system features stay-in-place buck formwork manufactured using Type 2 closed-cell expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels for

Eliminating the need for wood and vinyl block-outs, AmBuck’s system offers a cost-effective and energyefficient solution, while also reducing construction time thanks to its fast and easy assembly. Window and door frames can be installed over the stayin-place AmBuck and securely fastened directly into the internal webbing. It’s an effective approach to creating blockouts in ICF walls and can enhance any ICF project. From a longer-term standpoint, it also prevents the warping, checking, cupping, bowing, rotting and splitting seen in most conventional wood-based block-out systems.

When it comes to providing continuous and uniform insulation beneath concrete slabs, Isolofoam’s iFlexfoam is a hot commodity. While it is gaining traction in Ontario, it’s a no-brainer in its home province, says Isolofoam’s VP Marketing & Innovation Geneviève Labonté. “Every Quebec builder who has tried it doesn’t want to use another

The reasons are numerous. Laminated with a membrane on both surfaces, the patented iFlexfoam boasts impressive strength and flexibility, providing a surface over which you can easily move, thereby reducing breakage and product loss on the jobsite. Panels can also bond with uneven ground, while making any required repositioning easy since there’s no need to seal joints between panels. Credit that to the company’s quick and easy IsoClick four-sided clipping system.

Since the panels remain in place during and after installation, including when concrete is being poured, it also prevents the appearance of uninsulated gaps. The result is a stable and permanent insulation value, increasing comfort and energy efficiency for occupants.

Available in different densities to meet building requirements, iFlexfoam is also highly resistant to water and moisture, as well as freezing and thawing.

A lot of time and science also went into optimizing panel sizing to minimize seams and waste. It all adds up to a lot more efficiency and reduced labour costs for builders. OHB

Launching this summer, Alleguard’s AmBuck ICF promises to reduce construction time while eliminating the need for wood and vinyl blockouts.

All Hands on Deck!

Are shipping containers a viable custom design option?

USING FREIGHT CONTAINERS as storage vessels for goods revolutionized the transport sector in the 20th century. The practice traces back to the U.S. Army during WWII to solve logistical problems in crisis areas. But in recent decades it has attracted the interest of builders and the public alike as an option for custom-designed homes.

The most popular method of repurposing shipping containers into architecture is to consider them as spatial building modules. In 1986, American John DiMartino patented a modular container building system in which each container unit has a specific function, such as kitchen, bathroom or bedroom. As a result, when the units were structurally supported, vertically mounted and horizontally connected, a complete building could be formed.

Though these containers are relatively inexpensive building modules, the conversion process to housing can become costly if proper considerations are not made. The number of finishes and their installation can make the process expensive, so they are much more commonly used for temporary structures that require less fine

finishing and detail.

Nonetheless, some intriguing designs occasionally appear in custom homes. Tim Palen Studio at Shadow Mountain is a prototype hybrid house by Ecotech Design near Joshua Tree in California. The home combines various pre-engineered building and energy conservation features to maximize efficiency. In addition to its sustainable features and construction, the residence was built at half the cost of other local prefabricated homes that exceed California’s strict energy code requirements. The result is an architecturally flexible building that’s adaptable to the extreme conditions of the desert (similar containers have been used in varying climactic conditions worldwide).

The 2,300 sq. ft. project is comprised of six 20-foot-long recycled shipping containers that were fabricated and finished in Los Angeles. All site work, including foundations and utility placement, was done on location while the containers were being created, making it an efficient construction method at its remote desert site.

Five of the six containers of the two-storey residence contain the

living areas (1 bedroom, 1 studio and 1.5 baths). The other container—an appendage to the studio—holds photography equipment. One side of the studio is lit with six 20” dimmable solar tubes, while the other side features an 18’ stairwell clad in corrugated recycled steel with a tall slit window.

In addition to the six repurposed ISO cargo containers, this project incorporates unique sustainable features. One is a living roof system of moveable, bolted and add-on modules that use greywater irrigation and are planted with native desert plants to absorb heat, glare, dust and CO2. The project’s recycled steel includes a solar shade canopy and an integrated framing system. This provides extraordinary strength and earthquake, fire and wind protection while allowing for large openings for natural lighting, ventilation and cooling.

The residence is equipped with a mini-split heat pump system. To partially deflect the desert sun, a steel Unistrut is bolted to the house to secure a skin of modular perforated metal panels. These panels cover the structure’s south, west and breezeway portions.

As a result of the careful design and product selection, the house exceeds the California energy code requirements by 50% OHB

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