JULY/AUGUST 2020
HIGH STANDARDS
PETER GILGAN PATIENT CARE TOWER FAST-TRACKED AHEAD OF PANDEMIC SURGE
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Doing electrical work on your property? Do it right in three easy steps: 1. File a Notification of Work (permit) with the Electrical Safety Authority 2. Keep a copy of the Certificate from ESA for your records 3. Feel confident that the work was done correctly and legally
If you’re hiring someone to do the work, Ontario law states that it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor. Find one at ESAsafe.com
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[ contents ]
12 ON THE COVER: The Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower - Element Fleet Management Atrium.
COMMUNITY CENTRES REDEFINED
Q&A with ZAS Architects’ Principal Peter Duckworth-Pilkington
16 HIGH STANDARDS Pandemic expedites new addition to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto
20 A NEW HOME FOR FIRST RESPONDERS IN DELTA, B.C. Boundary Bay Fire Hall brings innovative wood design to growing industrial area
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24 CASE STUDY: BLAZING A TRAIL FOR ZERO CARBON Wilkinson Warehouse marks new evolution for industrial properties
26 WALK IT OFF, SLEEK SIMPLICITY he latest flooring and healthcare furniture products are both human-centric T and functional
columns 6 FM EDUCATION 8 MANAGEMENT MEMO 12 OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE 14 FM WORKPLACE 22 LEGAL 28 LAST WORD
department 4 OBSERVATIONS 5 FOUNDATIONS
July/August 2020 CFM&D 3
[ observations ] JULY/AUGUST 2020 Volume 35, Issue No.1
SAFE SPACES
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s the pandemic curve began to rise this past spring, hospitals across Canada found unique ways to create more capacity for a potential surge of patients. Regional responses were both varied and immediate, according to the Canadian Centre for Healthcare Facilities. In Alberta, available space was identified in all areas of the hospitals, including rehab gyms, offices and cafeteria space, and a field hospital was built at the Peter Lougheed Centre. Regions in B.C. worked together to find space between urban and rural centres, while in Quebec, hospitals were separated for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Outside tents were used for drive-thru or walk-in testing and more negative pressure room conversions were added. In Toronto, construction of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower at St. Michael’s Hospital was accelerated ahead of schedule in mid-March. Such is the subject for this month’s cover story, which also delves into facility design considerations going forward, from space utilization to negative pressure. Office space is also facing its own health and safety concerns as many employees return to the physical workplace in some fashion. One article on touch-free workplaces offers clarity on how to help mitigate virus transmission indoors. Another story highlights public transit wariness and how a shift in commute patterns could affect the future workplace. Also, our Management Memo brings you advice on closing the FM skill gap; the pandemic has bought an opportunity for FMs to assess abilities and up their game. As much as the pandemic has infused itself into every aspect of our daily lives, sustainability remains a timeless theme—perhaps ever more important now with a renewed appreciation for resilience in the face of change. Throughout these pages we take you from an innovative, mass timber fire hall in Delta, B.C. to a warehouse in Nova Scotia—the first in Canada to earn Zero Carbon Building—Design certification. We also offer a primer on embodied carbon and an expert take on Toronto’s Sidewalk Labs project with alternatives to building a smart city from the top down. We also bring forth an article on the top legal issues facing facility managers, as well as two product features rounding up the latest trends in healthcare furniture and flooring. We hope you enjoy the issue! REBECCA MELNYK EDITOR, CANADIAN FACILITY MANAGEMENT & DESIGN REBECCAM@MEDIAEDGE.CA
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ACTING EDITOR: Rebecca Melnyk claret@mediaedge.ca SENIOR DESIGNER: Annette Carlucci annettec@mediaedge.ca WEB DESIGNER: Rick Evangelista ricke@mediaedge.ca PRODUCTION MANAGER: Rachel Selbie rachels@mediaedge.ca CONTRIBUTORS: Barbara Carss, Peter Farrell, Mouna Hanna, Mark Hutchinson, Jennifer O’Connor, Marcia O’Connor, Jiri Skopek CIRCULATION: Anthony Campbell circulation@mediaedge.ca (416) 512-8186 ext. 234 PRESIDENT: Kevin Brown kevinb@mediaedge.ca GROUP PUBLISHER: Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA: Steven Chester stevenc@mediaedge.ca
Canadian Facility Management & Design (CFM&D) magazine is published five times a year by MediaEdge Communications Inc., 2001 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 500 | Toronto, Ontario M2J 4Z8 Tel (416) 512-8186; Fax 416-512-8344 email: circulation@mediaedge.ca SUBSCRIPTIONS Canada 1 yr $50* 2 yr $90* USA 1 yr $75* 2 yr $140* Int 1 yr $100* 2 yr $180* Single Copy Sales Canada $15* * Plus applicable taxes. Authors: CFM&D magazine accepts unsolicited query letters and article suggestions. Manufacturers: Those wishing to have their products reviewed should contact the publisher or send information to the attention of the editor. Sworn Statement of Circulation: Available from the publisher upon written request. Although Canadian Facility Management & Design makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information published, we cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions, however caused. Printed in Canada. Copyright 2020 Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement no. 40063056 ISSN 1193-7505 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: MediaEdge Communications Inc., 2001 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario M2J 4Z8
[ foundations ] Despite the estimated 3,000 Ontarians diagnosed with occupational cancer each year, only 400 cancer claims are submitted to Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), and about 170 of these receive compensation. A new 67-page, Ministry of Labour report, headed by Paul Demers, director of the Occupational Cancer Research Centre, lays out 11 recommendations that would improve decisions around workplace cancer claims and boost better prevention overall. Workplace carcinogens are largely attributed to solar radiation, asbestos, diesel engine exhaust and crystalline silica. Diagnosing and compensating them is getting more difficult to do. Primary health-care providers are inadequately trained to diagnose these cancers, so many claims are never filed. Determining whether the disease is due to the nature of a worker’s employment is also challenging, especially in jobs where multiple exposures are common. Construction workers are exposed to asbestos, crystalline silica, and diesel exhaust and nurses are exposed to nightshift work, antineoplastic drugs, and radiation. Information on exposure in workplaces is also lacking. Typically, workplace carcinogens have been identified due to small groups of people sharing the same potential exposure, but these clusters are getting harder to pin down. As the report states, there is currently no agency in Ontario with the responsibility to investigate these clusters, and neither the WSIB or the Ministry of Labour have enough capacity to do so. Recommendations include expanding the number of trained staff to go out and investigate these clusters, along with the creation of an independent Scientific Review Panel composed of experts who review and update WSIB policies.
SUNNYBROOK HOSPITAL ABUZZ Sunnybrook Hospital has become the first healthcare facility in Toronto, and quite possibly Canada, to welcome honeybees to its property. Thirty thousand honey bees in three hives are now located on the Bayview campus, about one kilometre away from the main hospital buildings. The goal is to support this declining pollinator population, as well as provide in-person educational sessions for staff and visitors to learn more about the bees. “Besides providing an opportunity to learn more about the fascinating inner workings of a bee colony, and a connection to nature in the city, we think the bees will provide a great way to connect with employees and the community about broader environmental issues, and ideally spur additional sustainability initiatives,” says Michael Lithgow, manager, energy and climate action at Sunnybrook. As it stands, a few hospitals in the U.S. host hives. Local non-hospital sites include the University of Toronto, the Royal York Hotel, rooftops of several shopping malls and some mixed-use residential properties. Toronto became Canada’s first official “Bee City” in 2016. As Lithgow adds, cities are often ideal locations for beekeeping due to abundant flowering plants, fewer pesticides than rural areas and many sources of water. Set on a 100-acre property, home to 4600 trees and extensive gardens, Sunnybrook offers such a habitat. It is also managed on low-impact principles, including minimizing water use, pesticides and waste. “The bees are a natural and interesting addition to the landscape,” says Lithgow. “In the early planning stages of the project, it rapidly became apparent this would be a great way to engage staff and the public on a farreaching sustainability issue. Bees make excellent ambassadors for wellness and environmental health.”
PHOTO BY KEVIN VAN PAASSEN
WORKPLACE CANCER RISK LARGELY UNDETECTED
BCRPA PRESENTS AWARDS FOR RECREATION EXCELLENCE BC Recreation and Parks Association presented Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre (ACUCC) in Langley with a Facility Excellence Award. The new multi-use recreational facility was recognized for outstanding innovation in facility concept, design development, maintenance or operation in a facility. The facility was created to support the inclusion of all genders, ages, and cultures, bringing together an arena, community spaces, aquatics waterpark, and a playground. The design utilizes reclaimed brick and beams from an old school and includes an energy conservation focus, with waste heat from the high efficiency refrigeration being utilized through the pool’s water heating system. Other features are a solar thermal system, LED lighting and a water harvesting recovery system.
July/August 2020 CFM&D 5
[ fm education ] BY JENNIFER O’CONNOR
GREEN STREAM Embodied carbon is a hot topic of discussion in the sustainable design community these days. It includes large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) indirectly tied to building materials due to manufacturing and transporting construction products, the process of construction, building maintenance, product repairs and replacements, building retrofit and demolition.
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n GHG accounting, these are known as Scope 3 emissions. Facility managers are already familiar with Scope 1 emissions, which are the direct GHGs from equipment on site, like a gas-fired boiler. Indirect energyrelated emissions (Scope 2) may also be familiar—those are the off-site GHG emissions due to production of electricity used in the building, for example, from a coal-fired generating facility run by a public utility. But Scope 3 emissions, which are all of the other indirect GHGs, are probably more of a mystery. These emissions are associated with products used in the building or consumed by occupants. For example, the GHG emissions from manufacturing copier paper, gasoline combusted in occupant travel to the building, and landfill gases due to waste materials coming from the building. Most of the embodied carbon in a building is related to the initial construction, which involves consumption of a lot of material and energy resources. But facility management affects a significant component of total lifetime embodied carbon. During the long lifetime of a building, activities with an embodied carbon impact include maintenance, replacement and renovations—anything that involves consumption of goods. The mantra of “reduce, reuse, recycle” applies here. There is a waste management benefit, of course, but this is also about reducing embodied carbon. The more we can avoid consuming new goods, the more we are avoiding the GHG emissions
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associated with the production and transportation of those goods. This “life-cycle thinking” recognizes that products have impact over their entire lifespan, and any effort to reduce environmental footprint needs to look upstream and downstream for the total picture. Otherwise, there is a risk of burden-shifting, or when a benefit in one life phase is cancelled out by an increased impact in another. What if a product with recycled content required much more energy to manufacture than a nonrecycled equivalent?
the upstream impacts of cleaning supplies and energy used by cleaning equipment. Less frequent painting and other tenant improvements mean less consumption, demolition and waste. Controlling the waste stream also has embodied carbon benefits. If waste materials can be directed towards reuse (even if in a different facility), this helps avoid global consumption and the associated impacts. Downstream impacts of waste are important too. Materials headed to landfill have embodied carbon due to transportation, landfill management, and, for organic materials, potential emissions of landfill gases, which include the potent greenhouse gas methane. Paying attention is definitely beneficial for the planet, even if there is not yet any direct financial incentive to reduce embodied carbon. Maybe at some point down the road, a carbon tax will be applied to the embodied carbon in
“Facility management affects a significant component of total lifetime embodied carbon.” The science for measuring cradle-tograve environmental impacts is life cycle assessment (LCA). An LCA practitioner looks at all the flows between a product and nature and then models the potential impacts on air, land and water. One of the LCA metrics is global warming potential—this is embodied carbon. Reducing embodied carbon over the life of the building has a lot to do with maximizing the useful life of products. Choosing durable materials will result in less replacements and save embodied carbon. Low-maintenance finishes reduce
products and the lifetime embodied carbon of new buildings. Until then, is it possible to make purchase decisions with embodied carbon in mind? Almost. A rising trend is the publication of environmental building declarations (EPDs), a document that summarizes the results of an LCA study for a product. As more manufacturers undertake LCA and publish EPDs, and as EPDs improve in comparability (currently a problem), it will become much easier to bring carbon awareness to purchasing. | CFM&D
Jennifer O’Connor is president at the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, a non-profit research group and consultancy in life cycle assessment for construction and its materials. www.athenasmi.org
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DESIGN Q&A
COMMUNITY CENTRES REDEFINED
BY REBECCA MELNYK
How to socially distance in spaces charged for social interactions? This is just one challenge facing community centres as they prepare for reopening. A new perspective on design includes a hybrid of physical and virtual programming. Here, ZAS Architects’ Principal Peter Duckworth-Pilkington discusses the changing role of such facilities like Canoe Landing Campus—the firm’s new community centre/multi-school complex serving CityPlace. HOW MIGHT A HYBRID MODEL OF PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING INFORM THE FUTURE DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTRES?
Even before the lock down, there was more demand for remote and asynchronous access to programming. For example, it is difficult for most of us to commit to, say, a cooking class at the community centre every Wednesday night for 10 weeks due to work, family and other obligations. Yet studies have shown, and many of us have felt during this period of isolation, the value of physically getting together with others in a shared activity. Providing a hybrid model of physical and virtual programming, where a participant can have a high-quality experience either in the physical space or remotely, is an important offering to address this dichotomy. As we adjust to this ‘new normal,’ being able to extend the physical architectural space to the web will be critical to allow a diverse range of users to fully participate in community events, regardless of their individual obligations or location. How can these social hubs encourage safe collaboration among varying groups—from a more senior population to young children who are unable to social distance properly? Most community centre programming is scheduled and requires registration, whereby they can limit the numbers of participants and schedule the movement of people through a space. In fact, ‘drop-in’ programming may be limited
or eliminated as a key method to reduce possible risk of contact and spread. Programming for more vulnerable groups can be timed to avoid programming for those, like young children, who may have more trouble with physical distance. Beyond the programming methods, design interventions can also be integrated to limit the spread of the virus, including one-way circulation paths, distancing cues and signage, and no-touch light switches and door openers. We should also make better use of outdoor spaces, which have lower risk of transmission, including sports courts, rooftops and outdoor gathering and learning spaces. Toronto’s extreme climate has tended to compel activities indoors for much of the year but as designers and architects, we have an opportunity to embrace our four-season city and outdoor living through clever design interventions. This could mean placement of shelter elements to block winter winds and shade the summer sun or localised mist cooling or winter heating to mitigate extreme temperatures. It is important to remember that COVID-19 is a new disease and science’s understanding of its transmission is still evolving so it is critical that design responses remain agile and ready to adapt as new public health advice is disseminated. WHAT ARE SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR RETROFITTING OLDER FACILITIES?
The scheduling discussed above is an important measure that can be reasonably
implemented in existing facilities. Design interventions are more challenging, however, signage and distance cues such as floor markings can be implemented. Installing automatic controls especially for lighting and plumbing fixtures are more expensive, but will often provide energy and water use savings that will offset costs, provide long-term environmental benefits and generate employment in this uncertain economy. DO YOU THINK THESE PHYSICAL SPACES WILL MATTER EVEN MORE POST-PANDEMIC?
During this period of collective isolation, the necessity of community spaces has never felt more urgent. Even as the world has embraced remote ways of “gathering,” we have also realized their limitations. While virtual classes and meetings are convenient, and necessary in lockdown, the data shows that physically meeting in one place is still extremely valued by people from all demographics. Yet, many people simply do not have the access to virtual programming, meaning a key function of community centre programming—providing equal access for all—is not being achieved through online offerings. Now, more than ever, civic facilities like Canoe Landing Campus are learning the benefits of physical, online, and hybrid programming options and understanding what type of programming is best suited to which modality. Going forward, I am hopeful that this newfound appreciation of public space will lead to further investment, a broadening of the kinds of programming being offered in community centres, and more flexibility to choose how we access this programming—be it in-person or from our computer at home. | CFM&D July/August 2020 CFM&D 7
[ management memo ] BY MARCIA O’CONNOR
CLOSING THE SKILL GAP Heading into COVID-19 lockdown in March ignited an unprecedented time for facility managers—changing them both professionally and personally.
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usinesses had to react quickly— setting guidelines to ensure ongoing activities as well as the safety of their employees and customers. Facility managers’ core competencies, knowledge, strategic and tactical skills acquired during FM education and training have instinctively come into play for those working on-site or remotely. Facility
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staff had to up their game—ensuring enhanced safety measures were in place to handle physical distancing and that security and sanitization aligned with different employee work hours and business hours of operation. Potential weaknesses also surfaced along the way, some requiring attention as we move into workplace re-entry. As such, now is an opportune time to validate and/or assess a FMs expected skill set.
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HARD SKILLS, SOFT SKILLS
Skill, the ability to do something well and to perform an activity in a competent manner, includes both hard (technical) and soft (habits or personality traits) expertise. Facility managers should first ask what skills need to be enhanced or improved, looking at situations that could have been handled differently or better. FM hard skills were evident during the pandemic, ensuring that the continuous maintenance, safety and security measures were in place and/or implemented and in compliance with the Ontario Health and Safety Act (OHSA), and also crucial renovation and/or construction projects were proceeding that followed strict COVID-19 protocols. FMs took the opportunity to rise up as leaders, overseeing the physical plant and employee and customer experience. Intuitively, these skills ramped up very quickly. Lagging behind during the pandemic were soft skills, such as communication (oral or written), team work (group settings in the workplace to accomplish tasks quickly and effectively), adaptability and flexibility (related to embracing and rolling with change), and interpersonal skills (to interact and communicate with co-workers, management and customers). LESSONS LEARNED ALONG THE WAY
• Ongoing communication with management and staff is crucial during the pandemic. Changes in work routines—working from home and varying work hours— posed challenges for companies trying to stay abreast of the latest news and government directives.
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“It is critical that FMs be part of a backto-work strategy to voice their ideas, suggestions and areas for improvement that can all be applied going forward.” proved to be a stimulus for productivity and generating ideas. Looking back, FMs should review what worked during the pandemic, what skills were missing or weaker than anticipated and any lessons learned to improve business operations. It is critical that FMs be part of a back-to-work strategy to voice their ideas, suggestions and areas for improvement that can all be applied going forward.
As we move into reopening, FMs are in high demand to ensure that buildings are safe for internal and external stakeholders. FMs need to take charge and remain strong—showing the key skills and knowledge FMs bring to various businesses. Now is the time to shine— lifting companies up and into an unpredictable future in need of strategic leadership from FM professionals. | CFM&D
Marcia O’Connor is president of AM FM Consulting Group. She is also lead consultant and instructor for the University of Toronto’s facilities management certification program.
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Staying connected with current messages and directions about service expectations was an obstacle as the workforce moved homebound. The lack of technology, equipment and systems and family life hindered regular contact. • Teamwork and collaboration required some new innovative ways to seek team input and ideas online (e.g. video conferencing) versus the traditional round table discussion at the workplace. • Survival mode was a quick adjustment for many—remembering that not everyone is able to adapt to change quickly. Many were seeking out a process and guidance to make it through the pandemic. • Interaction with co-workers was based on priority and regular communication was minimal. Social distancing placed restrictions for groups to gather face-to-face. The interaction
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July/August 2020 CFM&D 9
SPONSORED CONTENT
See the Future in 3D Detail
Rendering and visualization technology brings architectural designs to life By definition, visualization technology is a technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message. But in essence, it’s so much more. Since the dawn of humanity, visual imagery has been used as an effective means for sharing complex thoughts and ideas—hence the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
From cave paintings to hieroglyphs, Greek geometry to painted renderings, year-by-year our imaging capabilities are advancing at a startling rate. Today, it’s hard to imagine a time when handdrawn architectural sketches were the industry’s utmost tool. “Visualization technology has given designers the ability to produce higher quality renderings far more quickly,” says Chris Febbraro, BIM Leader at
RJC Engineers. “When changes occur to a project, they can be communicated faster and with more accuracy, making it more representative of an ever-evolving design. With BIM (Building Information Modelling), we are seeing that the model is alive and changing from week to week. This fluidity of design just wasn’t possible when we were putting drawings together by hand.”
LESS RISKS, MORE REWARDS While visualization technology plays a huge role in early-stage communication, according to Febbraro, it goes well beyond that—even helping to shape the outcome of the physical structure itself. “Just look at the development of the Toronto skyline today versus 40 years ago when buildings were more orthogonal,” he says. “Today we have complex organic façade systems stretching 90
SPONSORED CONTENT storeys into the sky. This is a direct result of being able to design in a 3D workflow.” Seeing the future in 3D detail minimizes the risk for stakeholders while potentially opening up some unexpected doors. “Renderings put the client at ease,” he says. “Interactive visualization takes it one step further and puts them inside the building.” Although 2D drawings for construction and legal purposes are still required by the industry, visualization technology makes design collaboration much more immersive. Moving to a 3D workflow improves the process of finding and documenting design issues and clashes, thereby improving overall efficiencies. And beyond that, they’re highly satisfying. “I sometimes think that because we’re working with 3D models every day, we’re a little bit jaded on how cool this technology is,” says Febbraro. “When an owner sees a photo-real rendering or animation, or jumps into an interactive visualization, they get incredibly excited by it. That being said, there’s also money and time saved if an owner sees something they don’t like. It is far more costly when issues are caught after the building is finished.” ACCURACY OF RENDERINGS Given that no two projects or schedules are alike, Febbraro says the accuracy of renderings essentially comes down to individual project requirements and software choices. In other words, they can be highly accurate or they can be more rudimentary. “It’s driven primarily by how quickly the renderings need to be produced and how much an owner is willing to spend,” he says. “As much as I would love to produce renderings to the highest quality and accuracy every time, it’s usually not practical and follows the law of diminishing returns.” That said, Febbraro points out that visualization integration with Revit (BIM software) is making the point of dimensional accuracy moot. “As we’re putting together our construction documentation, we can take a kind of snap-shot of the work we’ve
done so far,” he says. “Theoretically after we finish the Revit model, we should be able see the building dimensionally accurate to how it will be built.” WHERE WILL THE TECHNOLOGY TAKE US NEXT? As for what the future holds, Febbraro predicts Virtual Reality is the next evolution of visualization technology. “VR is developing and becoming more in-line with the value it’s providing,” he says. “The quality of this technology will continue to improve, with better hardware, higher resolution displays and further miniaturization of the devices. On the software side, we’ll see better integration with Revit and other BIM software packages.” And we shouldn’t ignore other related technologies, like AR (Augmented Reality). “I see AR
as just as valuable, albeit less immersive than VR,” he says. “The barriers to using the technology will diminish as it becomes easier to use.” Meanwhile, clients looking for rendering and interactive visualization services today won’t be disappointed. “It’s not a very common thing to see a structural engineering company embrace visualization like RJC has. We hear time and time again from both the architects and owners we work with, that the level of service we offer is beyond what they’re used to seeing from other firms,” he says. “Overall, it’s well worth it.”
To find out how RJC’s visualization technology can benefit you, or to contact Chris Febbraro directly, visit: www.rjc.ca.
Design development rendering of RJC's glass canopy model at "The Well" in Toronto.
“When changes occur to a project, they can be communicated faster and with more accuracy, making it more representative of an everevolving design.” – Chris Febbraro, BIM Leader, RJC Engineers
rjc.ca
[ operations & maintenance ] BY PETER FARRELL
HANDS OFF surface-to-person transmission. People use a variety of maneuvers to avoid contact with washroom fixtures. The following touch-free components will not only limit virus transmission risk but improve the overall hygiene of the washroom. Toilet Seat Cleaner. A toilet seat
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Going touch-free in a collaborative-yet-distant workplace
typically houses 300 bacteria per square inch, putting people at risk for fecal-oral transmission and spreading fecal bacteria throughout the facility. Toilet seat cleaner effectively cleans the seat before each use, eliminating any bacteria that may be present as a result of previous flushes.
Personal Hygiene Disposal Unit. The
Shared spaces in facilities often mean sharing germs. Occupants tend to cluster in core areas of activity, such as washrooms and workspaces. As organizations prepare to welcome back employees and clients, many are eager to know how facilities will limit the risk of infection while supporting and inspiring social connections.
old metal wall box commonly found in a public washroom is a major germ hotspot, containing bloodborne pathogens. COVID-19 has also been found to last 72 hours on stainless-steel. Implementing a touch-free disposal unit with a DINregistered dry treatment agent is the only solution to effectively minimize risks.
projected to have a 22 per cent growth rate by 2027, valued at $65.9 billion US. In addition to limiting exposure to viruses and bacteria, touch-free technology offers reduced operating costs and increased user satisfaction. When it first emerged within facility management, it gained popularity in washrooms. Today, the technology expands throughout all areas of facilities and has a new focus on protecting occupant well-being by reducing surfaceto-person contact.
Toilet Flush Handles. Automatic flush systems eliminate surface-to-person contact while providing overall cost savings for high-traffic washrooms. When considering options to implement a touchfree washroom, facilities should consider renting the equipment as an alternative to buying. This allows managers to have a clear resource for any mechanical issues that may arise and provides facilities with the option to easily upgrade their equipment as new technology emerges.
WASHROOMS
Soap Dispensers. Occupants can track human-gut and skin-associated bacteria from the stall to the sink area, so soap dispensers will harbour the same bacteria. Automatic soap dispensers ensure hands are properly cleaned before leaving the washroom, dispensing a precise amount of soap.
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recent study revealed that 52 per cent of workers feel anxious about returning to work, feeling their facility has not done enough to mitigate risk. Research points out that COVID-19 can live on many surfaces for up to 72 hours, which means facility managers need to flag areas of virus transmission to protect the health of returning building occupants. They must also identify hot spots and understand how to make them touch-free through automation or disinfection. Consumer demand for touch-free offices has been increasing over the past few years, most notably since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic. The global touchless sensing market is
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Cross-contamination is present on almost all surfaces throughout the washroom. Users transport bacteria from stalls and sinks and throughout the entire facility. Adding touch-free fixtures eliminates the need to touch common hot spots, like faucets, and reduces the chance of
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They should be outfitted to use closedcartridge soap, as research suggests one quarter of refillable bulk soap dispensers are contaminated with bacteria. WORKSPACES
Provincial governments have mandated efforts to limit virus exposure as employees return to work. Businesses are now providing employees with resources to reduce surface-to-person contact. Disposing Personal Protective Equipment. The use of PPE is
encouraged and even mandated in some areas where social distancing cannot be achieved. Employees who use PPE will first need to be trained on its use, care and safe disposal. PPE is often thrown into open garbage cans or treated as litter. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of a closed receptacle to avoid further contamination. Used PPE should be disposed of separately from regular waste and accompanied
with educational signage to ensure proper removal and disposal.
and three years, depending on the product and storage methods.
Hand Sanitizer. The WHO recommends placing hand sanitizer dispensers in key, high traffic areas to promote proper hand hygiene, including elevator machine rooms, mechanical and electrical rooms and main janitorial rooms. Automatic dispensers release a precise amount of sanitizer each time while reducing risks of cross-contamination. They should have enough capacity so the sanitizing agent offers a constant flow during the day and be nimble enough to hold multiple brands in case of a supply crunch. Sanitizer services should also offer educational signage to promote a facility’s hygienic resources. When stockpiling sanitizer, be wary of the expiry date; shelf life can range between one
Touch-Free Doors. Door handles, frequently touched items in facilities, create a common spot for surfaceto-person transmission. Installing automated devices eliminates direct contact with the door handle. Among popular touch-free door accessories, equipment that allows users to open the door with their feet can provide a cost-effective option. Other items, including one-use, sanitized door knob covers have also had notable interest since the demand for touchfree amenities has increased. They operate by automatically placing a new sanitized cover over the doorknob each time it is turned. These items allow users to open doors safely, without increased electricity costs often associated with automatic door openers. | CFM&D
Peter Farrell is the president and CEO of Citron Hygiene
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FM WORKPLACE BY BARBARA CARSS
COMMUTER AND CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE VITAL TO URBAN DENSITY RECAPTURING ITS COOL
Commuters’ willingness to jump on the bus, light-rail car or subway is expected to be a driving factor in repopulating office space in some major North American markets, including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Public transit wariness emerged as a common sentiment among respondents to JLL’s survey of COVID-19-related workplace concerns earlier this spring, prompting the firm’s examination of potential ripple effects for employers, businesses, parking demand, traffic congestion and the urban environment.
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hile at first it may appear that only a small number of North American cities have a heavy reliance on public transportation for their workforces, in reality, a considerable portion of the office market is concentrated in such cities,” the report, Public transit challenges in a postpandemic world: 2020 Forecast Series,
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observes. “This concentration of office space and office-using employment in transit-oriented markets highlights the challenge that may accompany a return to work in North America’s largest cities.” Recent studies in various major world cities have found little evidence to link public transit to COVID-19 clusters. Decline in ridership is apparent, however, with a report from the International Energy Agency citing a 50 to 90 per cent
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drop globally, translating to an estimated €40 billion (CAD $60.8 billion) revenue loss for transit authorities in the European Union alone. The perception of risk poses yet one more challenge for Canadian commercial landlords. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary are listed among 12 markets deemed to be transit-oriented and where approximately one third of the North American office inventory is concentrated. Notably, Toronto and Montreal rank in the top five of the 25 metropolises JLL scrutinizes for the sheer numbers and the percentage of employees reliant on public transit. More than 13 per cent of the labour force in both urban regions are transit users, or nearly 740,000 workers in Toronto and nearly 468,000 in Montreal. Toronto registers the third highest average tally (after New York
and Chicago) of weekday transit trips, at 1.66 million; Montreal has the fifth busiest system with an average of 1.34 million weekday trips recorded. “People must continue to exercise caution when on public transit because physical distancing will be a challenge,” Christine Elliott, Ontario’s Minister of Health, acknowledged in early June as the Province released a new guidance document for transit authorities. “I urge everyone to follow our public health guidelines. They may seem simple, but they are effective in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” ANTICIPATING MORE PERSONAL VEHICLES AND ACTIVE COMMUTING
Along with Toronto and Montreal, the JLL report ranks Vancouver and Ottawa among the 10 major North American urban regions with the highest share of habitual transit riders in their workforces—equating to 11.7 per cent in Vancouver and 11 per cent in Ottawa. That drops off to 8.8 per cent of the workforce in Calgary and 7.2 per cent of workers in Edmonton. However, less than 5 per cent of the workforce relies on public transit in 10 of the surveyed metropolises, all in the United States. Traffic congestion gives Toronto and Montreal less flattering standing in the top 10 cities where commuters lose the most time during their annual travels— pegged at 135 hours per year in Toronto and 117 in Montreal. JLL analysts point to potential tightening of that gridlock if more workers switch from transit to personal vehicles. “Even in cities with lower percentages of transit ridership, any shift in commute patterns toward cars could further exacerbate previously existing challenges with congestion and traffic,” they conclude. This is not the first crisis-triggered decline in transit use during the 21st century, but it is arguably the most universal and long-lasting. JLL analysts foresee an eventual rebound like those following the September 2001 terrorist attacks and outbreaks of other infectious diseases like SARS and H1N1 influenza, and that transit-oriented development will continue to hold sway in the market. In the shorter term, they predict
dual-locations or even wider networks of dispersed office nodes, employersponsored shuttle services, ride-sharing initiatives and cycling infrastructure investment could all be on the rise. Demand for parking may not subside to the extent that transit-oriented development plans have envisioned, but competing demands for space are expected at street level. “Owners and developers should review existing parking capacity and take into consideration commuters who may want to take advantage of bike and scooter share programs to avoid trains and buses,” JLL analysts advise. “Changes to the pedestrian path could encourage more walking if sidewalks are widened or cleared of obstructions, converted to pedestrian-only traffic or made safer through better sanitation and sidewalk
lighting to take advantage of alleyways.” The International Energy Agency likewise tallies a number of major global cities that are reassigning space previously reserved for vehicle traffic. “As the COVID-19 crisis disrupts mobility routines, some regional governments and cities are seizing what they perceive as a unique opportunity to promote potentially lasting new mobility behaviours that favour active mobility,” the IEA report states. “Policies being pursued include speed limits and carfree zones in city centres, making road reallocation permanent and investing in new infrastructure such as bicycle lanes, bicycle parking and expanded walkways. Cities are also providing rental services and subsidies for the purchase and maintenance of traditional and electric bicycles.” | CFM&D
Barbara Carss is editor-in-chief of Canadian Property Management. The preceding article is excerpted from its original version published on the REMI Network in June 2020.
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HIGH STANDARDS
A new addition to a more than 100-year-old hospital was accelerated ahead of a potential surge of coronavirus cases. How its design embraces learnings from previous epidemics and informs future standards. BY REBECCA MELNYK
FACILITY DESIGN
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much anticipated, and unfinished, addition to St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto was fast-tracked to keep pace with a fast-moving pandemic. The Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower was still in design mode in mid-March: patients were expected to arrive in July— the tower itself slated for completion by summer’s end. A potential surge of coronavirus cases hung on the minds of hospital staff and contractors who rushed to ready the fourth and seventh floors within weeks, making space for 33 single-patient, critical care rooms about three months ahead of schedule. Facing the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets, of which the glass facade rises 17 storeys high, replacing an old three-storey parking and storage structure, the modern building eases into the existing facility, linking two older wings that were constructed at different stages in the hospital’s life. Since the new floors were designed for infection control purposes—accelerating them came with opportunities to create capacity as well as challenges to meet deadlines. Urgent timelines coupled with a lack of extra equipment and supplies to fit the units equated to long waits for items like oxygen flowmeters and critical care monitors. Equipment and supplies were scouted out and harvested from existing units, says Margaret Moy Lum-Kwong, senior director of Operational Readiness, Unity Health Toronto. There was also little time to train staff and July/August 2020 CFM&D 17
FACILITY DESIGN
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Left: Large windows in every room amplify the amount of natural light streaming through. Right: A new main entrance to the hospital is set to open at the bottom of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower. Patients currently access the new floors from an adjacent building isolated from the rest of the facility. Photos by NORR Architects & Engineers Ltd.
physicians on new technology, fire safety and emergency egress in the new tower. “This required a compressed orientation and training agenda, offered at multiple times during each day over a five-day period, including the weekend prior to opening day,” she says. “Sessions beginning at 8 a.m. with the last session ending at 10 p.m. meant long days for the core groups conducting them.” To commission the floors in one week, contractors socially distanced as they activated the mechanical and electrical infrastructure and built life safety elements to code, says Frank Panici, vice-president of NORR Architects & Engineers Ltd. Everything was a go by the second week of April. The wide corridors on the new floors now hold a series of private, in-patient rooms, including three negative pressure isolation rooms, each with sliding glass doors that offer direct vantage points from a decentralized nurses’ station. Staff can visually monitor patients without disrupting their rest, while reducing the risk of exposure. 18
Large windows in every room amplify the amount of natural light streaming through. Rubber flooring reduces noise levels and worker fatigue, and ceilingmounted patient lifts avert falls and injury. Upon entering any room, one will immediately find a hand hygiene sink; a washroom and shower are located at the head of the bed, so patients have little distance to travel within. Since May, another three floors have opened as acute care areas for COVID-19 patients and persons under investigation. As it stands, there are now 81 beds, with more enroute as the building nears completion. The tower is the second and largest phase of an ongoing $300-million, multi-phase redevelopment project that will also see 150,000 square feet of clinical renovations, including the expanded Slaight Family Emergency Department and more than two million square feet of infrastructure upgrades. It is intended to transform patient care in Canada, in a way likely unimaginable in 1892 when the hospital first opened with 26 beds, six doctors and four nurses.
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A new main entrance to the hospital is also set to open at the bottom of Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower. Patients, however, currently access the new floors safely and horizontally, from an adjacent building isolated from the rest of the facility. “That’s another feature built into the design and a benefit to pandemic situations where you can actually separate the floors,” says Panici. His team designed for a nine-metre grid, with a floor-to-floor structure to accommodate any future alterations to the space. Large mechanical duct shafts were moved to an atrium location, so floor needs can be re-configured in the future without affecting the rest of the hospital. The pandemic both validates design features of the current CSA standard, which embraces learnings from previous epidemics such as SARS and H1N1, as well as reveals gaps and areas for improvement. All in-patient rooms in the tower are single-use only—a feature the standard applauds as a means to appropriately distance infected patients. “This provides more privacy, reduced noise level and
“As we redevelop facilities, moving to a more single-patient room environment will be the biggest thing to help us in future pandemics.”
better infection control, with space for families, leading to better comfort, recovery and outcomes for patients,” says Moy Lum-Kwong. Such a design, however, is mostly seen in newer hospitals, says Michael Keen, vice-president and chief planning officer for Unity Health Toronto and chair of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Strategic Steering Committee for Health and Well-Being. Only 10 to 20 per cent of single-patient rooms are found in older facilities, with the rest being semi-private, two-patient rooms or three to four beds in a wardlike environment. “That really is a challenge,” he says. “As we redevelop facilities, moving to a more single-patient room environment will be the biggest thing to help us in future pandemics. This ability to separate patients is perhaps most important for reducing transmission.” Appropriate donning and doffing space for personal protective equipment and hand-washing sinks are other important touch points, along with flexibility—a key focus for best design practices moving forward.
Acuity adaptable rooms—the ability to switch an acute care room into a critical care room with ease—allows for greater flexibility in a crisis and less movement of patients. As the team at St. Michael’s Hospital anticipated a surge, this became an important tool for deciphering where best to place patients with COVID-19. Air system flexibility is another factor, says Keen. Twenty years ago, most hospitals in Ontario didn’t have any proper negative pressure airborne isolation rooms, which are particularly vital when intubating patients. Through SARS and tuberculosis, facilities began retrofitting to build these rooms. The standard now requires one per floor, but the new tower houses three per floor. Negative pressure rooms are not always possible in some spaces though. He says in a typical patient room it’s more of a balance of air moving in and out. Monitoring the pressure and being able to adjust the supply of air inward to the room is a key area of flexibility to enhance safety. “That flexibility with your HVAC system is an important piece that I think we will be looking at in the standards a lot closer,” he says. Since all rooms are grouped in a common air system, another element is ensuring air isn’t recirculated from one room to the other. Being able to adjust systems on “100 per cent outdoor air in and 100 per cent air exhausted out” is an important feature. “Most systems aren’t designed for that because in the cold of winter or heat of summer that’s when it can be most difficult bringing the outdoor air in,” he says. “As we’re moving into the summer, we’re finding there is a burden of that heat on the system. Luckily ours
have that flexibility, but that’s definitely something that needs to be considered for situations in the future.” Specifying materials might also need a lookover. With input from the hospital’s IPAC department the design team was able to procure ceilings, flooring and furnishings that are easily cleanable, says Panici. He suspects industry will need to re-examine the chemicals used to sanitize and whether such materials “hold up.” “I think this will spur on another conversation about how we are using these materials and are they IPAC controlled,” he said in a recent webinar. “We’re trying to balance that with the patient experience and make sure we provide exceptional spaces that can deliver care.” Healthcare professionals across Canada are preparing for the possibility of a second wave, especially as elective surgeries resume for qualified hospitals—those with occupancy rates below the 85 per cent mark. According to Rita Mezei, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Healthcare Facilities, a lot of space was created in hospitals when the crisis initially hit, but a surge of new cases may bring challenges, especially for long-term care facilities. There is more awareness now, but knowing if facilities are better prepared “remains to be seen,” she says. Some hospitals have erected tents in parking lots and temporary facilities; others have converted parts of different types of facilities. “We’re fortunate that we have this new wing and flexibility and surge capacity,” says Keen. “Each facility is different and needs a customized plan to prepare for a second wave and potential surge.” | CFM&D July/August 2020 CFM&D 19
WOOD DESIGN BY REBECCA MELNYK
A NEW HOME FOR FIRST RESPONDERS IN DELTA, B.C.
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Boundary Bay Fire Hall brings innovative wood design to growing industrial area.
Delta, B.C. is a wide-open landscape of quiet neighbourhoods and sprawling farms and migrating birds that gather near the coast of Boundary Bay. A network of three communities, combined with a population of about 100,000 people, the city is also home to one of the largest, developing industrial lands in the Greater Vancouver Area.
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ith this g r o w i n g market near an airport and two provincial highways, a small, aging fire hall couldn’t keep up with the community’s emergency response needs. Also lacking was a proper emergency operations centre (EOC). During an event, such as a flood, rooms in city hall were cleared into makeshift workspace for 30 to 40 people overseeing different functions. “When you’re dealing with disasters and emergencies, tensions are running high,” says Michel Latendresse, Delta deputy fire chief.
“That doesn’t serve a one-room model where phones are ringing and people are trying to have private conversations.” In 2019, the Boundary Bay Fire Hall was unveiled. Led by west coast firm Johnston Davidson Architecture, the facility blends wood design with human-centric, functional spaces. It brings together a multi-purpose satellite fire station, a live-fire training building, and a municipal EOC that flips into a corporate training facility, depending on the needs of the day. When not being used for emergency purposes, city staff reserve the rooms through a centralized booking system for training or meetings.
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DISASTER READY
For Kimberley Johnston, principal at Johnston Davidson Architecture, function transcends into the structural elements, from controlling storm water run-off on a former greenfield site to choosing wood (80 per cent above grade) as a primary building material. Using plywood sheeting and woodto-wood connections, the resilience of the design permits the facility to remain operational during a catastrophic event. More than aesthetic, large Glulam beams and post-disaster wood frames are visible in the structure throughout the interior millwork. Since the facility had to comply with post-disaster standards, withstanding 1.5 times the seismic forces of a regular building, the soil presented a challenge. “Because of the liquefied soil on site, we had to create a really interesting raft slab foundation,” says Johnston. “If there was an earthquake and the soil liquified, the whole building would move. The thick slab allows for subtle movements found in seismic conditions, but it is also revealed on the main floor as a final finish throughout.” Through her experience with wood design—more than 50 fire halls across Canada—Johnston found that integrating similar materials makes for good seismic conditions. “Wood walls with wood roofs is a good combination; the building moves at the same rate during an earthquake,” she notes. “The tricky part is the way it’s put together; unlike your average house framing, post-disaster framing is much more intense. Getting people around that mind-set is always a challenge.” Outside its durable qualities, Johnston says she really wants occupants to “feel the wood” because of its great health benefits. Research has long shown that
PHOTOS BY JOHNSTON DAVIDSON ARCHITECTURE
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The comfort of the facility extends into the kitchen, with natural wood cabinetry and cool water tones of a blue floor and grey countertops. The strict use of LED lighting throughout the entire hall takes on various forms, from long, linear pendant lights to under cabinet valences.
RISKY BUSINESS
Outside the fire hall, crew members learn how to control modern-day fires in a very modern structure—a fourstorey burn building fashioned from steel shipping containers. The lego-like,
modular design houses a flexible interior for live-fire scenarios with balconies, rooftops and confined spaces. Skills are honed in a simulated, pollution-free environment with natural gas as a heat source and theatrical smoke. Props can be operated remotely from a separate control room. “With the advent of building construction and modern technology and early detection systems, fires are becoming less common,” says Latendresse. “But the risk to firefighters is becoming greater because they’re not practicing as often.” When fires do occur, he muses, they’re larger and complex. Soundproofing and air tightness are causing more confined buildings. Synthetic materials are more toxic, and
heat can quickly build up if an early detection system isn’t in place. Delta Fire & Emergency Services helped inform the burn building design, as well as the mechanical building systems inside the hall itself. Fire halls require highly specialized systems that must meet code requirements and energy efficiency standards. It can often be tricky to blend the objectives of an engineer and architect with a facility that works for the firefighters. “That’s one thing we can never lose sight of,” says Johnston. “You want to be concerned with aesthetics, sustainability and energy efficiency, but it can’t be at the cost of functionality. We worked really hard to blend those elements.” | CFM&D
PHOTOS BY JOHNSTON DAVIDSON ARCHITECTURE
visual exposure to natural materials like wood reduces stress and elicits feelings of comfort. She believes as contractors become more familiar with the variety of wood products and how they remain viable outside the residential realm, this will open the door for more trades and a larger workforce on a project, which helps with better bidding. To ensure a fast and cost-effective process on the new fire hall, the designers worked alongside the subtrades through a series of digital meetings, zoning in on close sections of the building model to refine crucial details before the wood elements arrived on site. Earning a 2019 Wood Design & Building Award in the Canadian Wood Council Award category, Boundary Bay Fire Hall is helping to bring mass timber into the mainstream. “Speed, innovation and technology have made a huge difference in how people understand where to use wood,” says Johnston. “Where once it was seen as a residential product, it’s now moving into larger institutional and civic projects.”
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A municipal emergency operations centre flips into a corporate training facility, depending on the needs of the day.
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Fashioned from steel shipping containers, the four-storey burn building features a flexible interior for live-fire scenarios with balconies, rooftops and confined spaces.
July/August 2020 CFM&D 21
LEGAL BY MOUNA HANNA
PROTECTIVE ACTIONS Facility managers play several roles to ensure a building runs efficiently. They interact with building owners, third party independent contractors and tenants on a daily basis. As a result, they are often confronted with various legal issues. Here are the most common.
policy as well, and to provide them with a copy of the certificate of insurance before commencing any work at the property. LEGAL CANNABIS USE
SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS
Unfortunately, slips, trips and falls are a common occurrence, especially in winter. Whether responsible for a residential or commercial property, facility managers should ensure they are taking proper steps to protect themselves and the building’s owner in the event of a personal injury lawsuit. Owners and occupiers of properties are subject to the Occupiers’ Liability Act, which requires that they take reasonable care to ensure building occupants and guests are safe while on the property. The key is they act ‘reasonably,’ not ‘perfect.’ Recordkeeping is important. Facility managers should accurately and diligently document all efforts undertaken to make the premises safe. If there is a slip, trip or fall on the property, they should investigate immediately, gather information, speak to witnesses and take photographs as soon after the incident as possible. These records and photographs should be kept for at least two years after the incident, as an injured person generally has this long to commence a lawsuit. These records will help defend
against allegations of negligence if the claimant tries to exaggerate how ‘dangerous’ or ‘hazardous’ the property was when the incident occurred. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Where the services of an independent contractor, such as a winter maintenance company, security provider or building maintenance contractor, are engaged, facility managers should consider whether the contract adequately protects them in the event of a lawsuit arising from the independent contractor’s negligence. This contract should outline each parties’ responsibilities and who should be held accountable if something goes wrong. Facility managers should also consider an indemnity and hold harmless agreement with their subcontractors, so that if there is a lawsuit, the subcontractor would be required to defend and indemnify building ownership and facility management. They would be wise to require their subcontractor to name them as an ‘additional insured’ on their insurance
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The possession, use and sale of marijuana has been legal in Canada since October 2018. In many provinces, smoking marijuana in public spaces is not permitted, so an individual’s only option is to smoke at home, which is generally allowed even though it may be a nuisance to neighbouring residents and there’s an increased risk of fire or property damage. Despite legalization, the use of marijuana can be prohibited in a building, either in the lease agreement or with the passage of condominium bylaw (with the necessary votes). Where smoking has not been prohibited in a building or unit, facility managers may be confronted with complaints from occupants regarding the bothersome smell, second-hand smoke, air quality and even an aggravation of their health conditions. If these complaints and concerns are not taken seriously, it may expose the facility manager to a lawsuit. Facility managers should consider implementing an odour control strategy and system to balance an occupant’s right to lawfully consume marijuana with another’s concern about their health, well-being and enjoyment of their unit. ATTACKS ON PRIVACY
Cyberattacks against facility management companies have been growing in number over the past few years. These can range from ransomware viruses, where a company’s computers, security systems and IT systems are encrypted and held for ransom, to a social engineering attack,
“Cyber criminals have also extorted facility management companies by hacking their websites and threatening to disclose tenants’ personal information on the internet if the company does not pay a large sum of money.” where a hacker infiltrates a company’s e-mail account and diverts important communications, often causing financial harm. Cyber criminals have also extorted facility management companies by hacking their websites and threatening to disclose tenants’ personal information on the internet if the company does not pay a large sum of money. This raises serious concerns from a legal perspective, as a facility manager is required to protect tenants’ personal information from unlawful access, use or disclosure, pursuant to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. As of November 2018, if a tenant’s personal information is unlawfully accessed, used or disclosed (for example, by a hacker or even a rogue employee), a facility manager is required to notify the affected tenants and Canada’s privacy commissioner if there is a ‘real risk of significant harm’ to the tenants. This type of notification inevitably leads to a risk of legal action and potentially a class action lawsuit. Facility managers should turn their minds to updating their cybersecurity strategies in light of increasing cyber attacks. They should also develop an incident response plan in the event they are confronted with a cyberattack or incident involving a breach of a tenant’s privacy.
its merits, having regard to the fact each tenant is guaranteed equal rights and opportunities under the law. The article does not constitute and is not intended to be legal advice. It provides general considerations that require further exploring. | CFM&D Mouna Hanna is partner at Dolden Wallace Folick LLP in Toronto, where she routinely defends building managers, property owners and independent contractors in civil actions. She also co-leads the cyber and privacy practice group. Mouna can be reached at 647-798-0615 or mhanna@dolden.com.
From Boiler Room to Boardroom
HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS
Pursuant to the Human Rights Code, it is illegal for a landlord, facility manager or another occupant to discriminate against or harass a tenant on the basis of a protected ground, including age, colour, religion, disability, marital status, receipt of public assistance and sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy and breastfeeding), among others. Facility managers have a legal responsibility to take steps to ensure discriminatory harassment stops if they receive a complaint from a tenant. Where they ignore or fail to do anything about it, there is a risk the tenant will file a human rights complaint. Facility managers are also required to provide accommodations to tenants to the point of undue hardship. For example, types of accommodations could include changes or renovations to building entrances, sidewalks or parking areas; accommodating a request for a ground level unit; providing a spiritual or multi-faith room where tenants can go to pray. A facility manager should evaluate each request or complaint on
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July/August 2020 CFM&D 23
CASE STUDY BY MARK HUTCHINSON
BLAZING THE TRAIL FOR ZERO CARBON achieving ZCB-Design certification, the Wilkinson development shows how innovation can be cultivated on a larger scale. Buildings currently account for 17 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions across the country. By 2030, Canada has vowed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels. To help the country meet its targets, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) created the ZCB standard as a homegrown solution. The program, involving both design and performance certification, measures the carbon balance of a building and is the only one of its kind to make carbon reductions the key indicator for building performance. Here’s a look at how 355 Wilkinson achieved no-cost heating in a zero-carbon facility, creating a pathway for many types of facilities, both new and old, to follow suit. GETTING TO NET ZERO
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The Wilkinson Warehouse design started with a tight and well-insulated building envelope. Photo by East Port Properties.
The Wilkinson Warehouses are a set of five multi-tenant buildings in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Among them is 355 Wilkinson, a 65,000-square-foot warehouse that became the first one in the country to earn Zero Carbon Building - Design (ZCB-Design) certification last fall. The project marks an evolution in warehouses and, more broadly, the potential for a lower-emitting industrial sector—an asset class rarely at the forefront when building standards are created.
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sing prior knowledge of energy consumption, developer and manager East Port Properties created a
net-zero building that goes beyond the standard. The result is a space where tenants pay no central heating bills and operating costs are kept low. With a second warehouse recently
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As part of the CaGBC’s ZCB pilot program involving 15 buildings across Canada, East Port began the first phase of their warehouse development—355 Wilkinson. Given the company’s experience with energy efficiency—East Port developed the first multi-tenant warehouse in Halifax to be certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program more than 10 years ago—President Judy Wall felt it was possible to create a comfortable, leasable building with a net-zero cost central heating. The East Port team knew the key elements that would have significant impacts on building energy use: reduced air leakage, better insulation, efficient heating systems and automated controls to reduce dependence on human intervention to operate the
system. After teaming up with Efficiency Nova Scotia, it was able to minimize operating costs for future tenants. The building design started with a tight and well-insulated building envelope. The insulation value of the roof was upgraded to R-40, and then built using airtight, insulated, tilt-up concrete sandwich panels for continuous R-20 insulation value. According to Wall, one of the prime spots for heat loss is at the loading docks. Vertical-storing dock levelers, a product typically used in cold storage warehouses to keep the cold inside the building, were used to further reduce air leakage. A central in-floor system supplies heat via air-to-water heat pumps. This central heating system consists of six air-to-water heat pumps and a peak-load/back-up condensing natural gas boiler that provides a constant floor temperature of 17 degrees Celsius. The hot water distribution is provided by electronically commutated motor circulator pumps in single-bay zones. Overhead unit heaters, metered and billed directly to the tenant, supply additional heating. Controls were also installed to stop in-floor heating circulators from running in areas with open overhead doors. With the tenant-metered overhead unit heaters making up for open doors, tenants are more aware of their operating costs. East Port also installed a net-metered solar photovoltaic system through Nova Scotia Power’s Net Metering program. The system is sized to offset the cost of fuel sources—assuming a heating energy intensity of 1.6 e-kWh per square foot. With these heating considerations, a tenant could see a no-cost central heating bill by paying attention to how long their overhead doors were left open. The efficiency of the design also speaks to the increased comfort of the tenants. During an eight-hour power interruption, when it was minus 15 degrees Celsius outside, the indoor temperature dropped only 0.5 degrees Celsius.
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East Port installed a net-metered solar photovoltaic system through Nova Scotia Power’s Net Metering program. The system is sized to offset the cost of fuel sources. Photos by East Port Properties.
BEYOND THE STANDARD
To make the space even more desirable for tenants, East Port embraced unusual warehouse features, such as Solera windows and skylights to maximize the use of daylighting. The buildings are also equipped with automated, energy-efficient ventilation systems and LED lights with motion sensors. While East Port did see a roughly 10 to 15 per cent premium for building to Zero Carbon over standard, they are now seeing a return on that investment: higher net rents are achieved because tenants have a significantly lower heating energy bill and more comfortable workspace. Warehouses have traditionally focused on providing the lowest-cost product, especially since developers don’t always know what the building’s final use will be, or how that usage might change over time. Developers like East Port are seeing an increased demand for sustainable real
estate and are creating a market for smart spaces and value-add property management services. WAREHOUSE PIONEER
In working to achieve their Zero Carbon Building certification, East Port focused on what they could control to help their tenants achieve netzero central heating. The construction of a third Wilkinson warehouse—also targeting ZCB certification—is now underway, with plans for a fourth building rising sometime next spring. In addition, East Port is pursuing ZCB—Performance certification. Performance certification proves the project’s operation has earned zero carbon emissions over a one year period, as required by annual verification. Such learnings will help guide the future of warehousing and inform future iterations of the CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard. | CFM&D
Mark Hutchinson leads the Green Building Programs at Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), including overseeing the LEED and Zero Carbon Building Standard certification programs. Mark holds Masters in both Business Administration and Environmental Studies.
July/August 2020 CFM&D 25
FOCUS ON FLOORING & HEALTHCARE FURNITURE
WALK IT OFF Continuing with the trend of bringing the outdoors inside, the latest flooring collections invite occupants to click off the digital grind and be mindful of the outside world, both urban and wild.
The Jason F. McLennan-designed Owls Collection by Mowhak Group captures the essence of the North American birds of prey across two 12-inch by 36-inch patterns—Feather and Flight. Inspired by their plumage, mottled shades of black, brown, tan and grey instill a primal connection into a space. The commercial carpet plank is carbon neutral and incorporates biophilic design principles across eight styles from Great Horned to Eastern Screech. Owls is Living Product Petal Certified and 100 per cent recyclable.
Patcraft introduced its newest modular collection: Organic Interruption. Inspired by the natural interaction between organic elements and man-made structures within designer Amanda Hopkins’ own community, Underlie and Linear Tension include 12 accents integrated within six neutral bases. The 18inch by 36-inch tiles bring hues for wayfinding and biophilic design into a range of learning environments. Each product can be cleaned with just hot water extraction, and the tile format allows for selective replacement to minimize operational interruptions and cost.
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Commissioned by Cosentino and designed by London-based PATTERNITY, Dekton Liquid series features three shades. Roughly 56 inches by 126 inches, Liquid Sky, Liquid Shell and Liquid Embers offer a chance to integrate fluidity into everyday spaces. Think cloud-like patterns and rippling ocean floors. Created using raw materials from porcelain, glass and quartz, the low-maintenance products are highly resistant to UV rays, scratches, stains and sudden changes in temperature.
The David Oakleydesigned NY+LON Streets is new from Interface. Taking inspiration from New York City and London, a variety of patterns and textures explore details found in bustling cities, such as subway grates and iridescent glass vault lights, creating community hubs within a space. The carbon-neutral carpet tiles measure roughly 20 inches by 20 inches and come in eight colourways. Wheeler Street, Old Street, Dover Street and Reade Street interpret familiar urban textures, such as asphalt, worn metal, and distressed pavement, in a variety of scales. Mercer Street and Broome Street embrace an unconventional grid pattern.
Altro recently introduced Altro Orchestra, engineered for comfort and sound reduction. Low residual indentation facilitates the flexible use of equipment and furniture, including hospital beds. At the same time, the integrated impact sound insulation system cuts impact sound by up to 15dB, creating an ideal environment to learn.
Natural materials inspired Compound + Cast, a resilient luxury vinyl flooring collection from Shaw Contract. Compound showcases subtle beauty marks that mirror the look of concrete. Cast reflects a mix of aggregate materials, like the appearance of age-old Terrazzo. Designed for high-traffic areas, the collection includes a 20 mil wear layer with ExoGuard+ topcoat. Compound + Cast can be installed separately or together and used in a wide variety of environments, from workplace lobbies to healthcare corridors.
SLEEK SIMPLICITY The latest crop of healthcare products are cleanable, seamless designs that bring order and function to unpredictable environments.
Stance Healthcare recently introduced the Olsen Overbed Table, which features smooth and quiet height adjustability that can be positioned between 28 and 45 inches high. Optional add-ons include a flip-up extension for an extra 10 inches of surface area, a vanity mirror and wire basket. The top size is 18 to 32 inches minus the extension and comes in a variety of natural earth-toned finishes like hardrock maple, candlelight and mahogany.
A new Wellness Divider from Integra Seating divides space between seated guests in waiting rooms, lounges and guest and lobby areas. It can assist in stopping the spread of airborne germs, including the novel coronavirus. Free-standing at an overall height of 52 inches, it combines a clean, minimalist aesthetic and practical functionality. The base and upright supports are solid steel with a silver powder coat finish; along with the divider it can be easily cleaned and sanitized.
Herman Miller’s Commend Nurses Station blends the beauty of millwork with the benefits of prefabricated form in a versatile, human-centered design. Bringing order to team environments, its high-capacity power and data integration with seamless wire management keeps workplaces clutter free. A tackable fabric panel allows care teams to display personal items and team information, bringing personality and warmth to the space.
SPEC’s latest addition to the award-winning Hardi Series comes in the form of a club-style lounge chair. With its back matching its arm height, the club chair’s design aims to limit ligature exposures even further. Available in six nature-inspired colour tones it can be ganged together or fastened to the floor. The heavy duty design is 29.50 inches by 27 inches wide with no protruding legs and hardware for a seamless aesthetic. July/August 2020 CFM&D 27
[ last word ] BY JIRI SKOPEK
SMART STEPS Open protocols could nurture organic smart city.
T
he termination of Toronto’s Sidewalk Labs project is a missed opportunity to demonstrate how smart buildings and technologies can improve life in an urban environment. Yet, it also underscores a common problem that many smart cities are facing. The idea of smart cities fires up the imagination with many possibilities. A recent study by the Economist indicated that citizens prioritize smart cities for public services that are more efficient, reliable and affordable. They also want a greener environment with more renewable energy options, cleaner air and water, waste recovery and less traffic congestion. The reality is that building a smart city that delivers all this is hard because there are so many players involved. These include the city’s population, its political leaders, municipal planning, operations and finance, not to mention a phalanx of stakeholders who are engaged in a municipality’s physical critical infrastructure. Not surprisingly, many smart city visions and projects turn out being overly ambitious. Decision-makers often underestimate the challenges of achieving consensus among all stakeholders, and coordinating a centrally managed, integrated smart city plan. As agencies and departments compete for limited resources, technology providers are discovering that it is a long, hard road to build a smart city from the top down.
That said, as we enter into a new normal, organizations, and the buildings they occupy, will rely increasingly on smart technologies. This suggests a possibility that smart cities might eventually emerge built from the bottom up—one building, or organization, or piece of infrastructure at a time. This organic bottom-up approach using today’s open protocols avoids many institutional problems of trying to centrally coordinate and execute a very complex plan citywide. But how do you build a smart city from individual smart buildings, organizations and infrastructure elements? The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben offers a model to consider, whereby a smart city would bio-mimic a forest. MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS FOR URBAN SYSTEMS
Recent forestry studies have revealed that the individual trees in a forest constitute a community of trees that is physically linked beneath the forest floor by a labyrinth of fungal connections, which live on and hook up the individual root systems to one another. This communications labyrinth is called the mycorrhizal network. Through the mycorrhizal network, individual trees reach out to members of their community to collaborate
as part of a massively complex and completely decentralized system. Each tree contributes to the exchange of information such as warning signals that pests are present, and to share resources —including nutrition to support young saplings and hormones to combat pest attacks. Similar to a forest, a city is a massive and complex system. By embedding artificial learning and control systems into urban systems using open source protocols—one building or organization or piece of infrastructure at a time—cities can evolve and grow their smart city connections, similar to a mycorrhizal network. Power grids can self-optimize to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while managing loads. Self-driving cars can choose the most energy and environmentally optimal paths to a destination. Self-aware supply chains can follow routing that optimizes delivery times while minimizing local ground-level ozone pollution. Health care, distance learning, environmental management, emergency response and many more aspects of urban life can benefit from artificial intelligence. Abandonment of the Sidewalk Labs project is unfortunate, but it serves as an important lesson that building a smart city from the top down is hard. That said, we must not lose sight of the many ways that a smart city can improve the urban experience if we do it right—from the bottom up, like the trees in a forest.| CFM&D
Jiri Skopek is an architect, planner and specialist in smart, green buildings and communities.
28 CFM&D | Part of the REMI network | www.REMInetwork.com
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