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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Photo by doublespace photography

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

INCLUSIVENESS BY DESIGN Toronto's Albion Library reflects and serves a diverse community

IN THIS ISSUE

CLIMATE RISK FLOWS THROUGH TO ASSET VALUE

WINDOW WALLS VS. CURTAIN WALLS

Summer 2017 prompts investors to scrutinize precariously located properties

New report concludes the two systems can deliver comparable performance

13 14

ON TRACK TO ENERGY SAVINGS race2reduce sets a course for 2018-2020

WASP CONTROL Aggressive stingers ain't no honeybees

16 18

FIRE SAFETY PLANNING Building owners are mandated to provide guidance for staff, occupants and first responders

OPEN HAZARDS Precautions against collapsing soil are critical anywhere digging occurs

14 www.REMInetwork.com

RISK MANAGEMENT

CLIMATE RISK FL THROUGH TO AS A summer of floods and fires prompts investors to scrutinize precariously located properties BY BARBARA CARSS

ire and flood created an ominous backdrop for real estate investment in the spring and summer of 2017 as natural calamities engulfed or inundated billions of dollars worth of property in North America and beyond. Worldwide escalating tallies of damage from storms and droughtrelated phenomena are indisputably capturing the industry's attention.

GTA & BEYOND ■ SEPTEMBER 2017

"If you're in investments, you need to consider climate change or you're not doing your job," affirms Lisa Lafave, Senior Portfolio Manager, Real Estate, with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). Yet, as with most examples of how ESG (environmental, social, governance) considerations are applied to asset and property management, there's a continuum

of commitment across a very broad field of players. The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) 2017 results — propitiously released during the brief lull between Hurricanes Harvey and Irene — show a growing group of institutional investors and REITs/listed companies that are enacting sustainability policies with associated performance requirements, disclosing their

RISK MANAGEMENT

FLOWS SSET VALUE portfolios' green status and using ESG metrics to guide their own decision making. Even so, GRESB primarily benchmarks participating portfolios' impact on the environment rather than the other way around. "Few companies are really thinking about climate change from the perspective of stranded asset potential," says Francisca Quinn of Quinn & Partners, a consultant

on sustainability strategies who works with several of the Canadian GRESB participants. "One of the conventional responses has been: Well, you can just get insurance. I think we're going to get to the situation, which we're already seeing in the residential sector, where you can't get insurance. So, what do you do so you don't get stuck with an asset that is not insurable?"

MARKET PREOCCUPATIONS There are signs that long-term investors are beginning to unload precariously located properties, but shorter term preoccupations remain enthralling. For example, not unlike the recent state of the regional topography, some real estate analysts are suggesting the glass is more than half full in Houston's commercial/industrial market following Hurricane Harvey's dramatic wallop. www.REMInetwork.com

RISK MANAGEMENT

“IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE RISK EXPOSURE IS OF THE ASSETS IN YOUR PORTFOLIO, SOMETHING IS WRONG. PARTICULARLY IF THE RISK IS FORESEEABLE — AND IT IS ENTIRELY FORESEEABLE.” CBRE projects heightened demand for light industrial space, hotel accommodations and multifamily rental units as residents recover from an epic storm and flood, refurbish damaged properties and replace destroyed belongings. Building material and appliance distributors are tagged as a lucrative new tenant base, while temporarily displaced companies looking for swing space are expected to fill in some of the 11.1 million square feet of sublease space that was available in the office sector at midyear. This post-Harvey overview of market conditions, released two weeks after the hurricane rolled ashore, calls Houston's approximately 214 million square feet of office

inventory "mainly unscathed" with fewer than 40 of the total 1,200 buildings reporting damage. That fraction nevertheless holds some interest for Canadians since Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is the pending owner of nearly 2.8 million square feet of office space in two commercial districts where flooding did occur — West Houston and Galleria — as part of its late June agreement to acquire the Parkway REIT portfolio. In an August 30 statement, current Parkway management reported "only minimal damage" for which they expect insurance coverage "subject to a nominal deductible", but there's little guarantee deductibles will

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be so nominal next time there is a claim. Insurance is a large component of expected operating cost increases related to ongoing volatile weather trends. LOOMING VULNERABILITIES In a prescient discussion of potential investment risk in South Florida released about 14 months before Hurricane Irma hit, Bill Maher, LaSalle Investment Management's North American Head of Research and Strategy, outlined scenarios for increased costs, eroding lender confidence and an exodus of tenants in coastal areas where there is a high probability of rising sea levels. He also described investors as generally blasé. "According to LaSalle Acquisitions, brokers are reporting that the risk of rising sea levels is not impacting sales of institutional assets," he noted. "Insurance companies are becoming aware of this risk but have not broadly increased premiums since the typical policy period is only one year. Real estate investors do not appear to be pricing this risk." Beyond spiking premiums or outright loss of insurance coverage, property taxes could jump to help cover local governments' flood protection costs while capital markets become standoffish. "Lenders could re-price debt in the market, hurting leveraged returns, or refuse to finance an asset because its flood zone changed," Maher warned. GRESB's nascent debt survey, which just released second-year results, reveals somewhat similar insight from the 25 participating entities — including four banks and 19 private equity funds or mortgage REITs in the United States, United Kingdom and continental Europe — that finance real estate and underwrite commercial lending. Flood risk is identified as one of four major risk management considerations related to a property or portfolio's sustainability (along with

RISK MANAGEMENT

regulatory upheaval, threat of obsolescence and social conditions and expectations). Lenders deemed to be making effective use of ESG lenses report that they are adjusting loan criteria to "minimize and/or eliminate exposure to current or future flood-prone areas" and underwriting "significant increases in flood insurance premiums". To do so, they are employing GIS mapping of flood risk scenarios and portfolio monitoring techniques to project future changes in insurance eligibility or premium increases. Resiliency experts say building owners/managers should be doing much the same thing. "If you do not know what the risk exposure is of the assets in your portfolio, something is wrong. Particularly if the risk is foreseeable — and it is entirely foreseeable," asserts Alexander Hay, an engineer and specialist in security and protection of critical infrastructure who has been working with Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Toronto on strategies for commercial real estate to adapt to extreme weather. FAILING SAFELY As a starting point, owners/managers need to think about the key operational demands of their buildings and their contractual responsibilities to their tenants. From there, they can identify potential vulnerabilities and plan to respond. For example, critical equipment housed below grade will be easily compromised in a flood, while inhabitants of urban North America's ubiquitous glass-box residential towers will quickly feel the heat or cold if power failures shut down HVAC systems. Alternatively, from a contingency planning perspective, owners/ managers could bolster resilience through passive design (in new construction), investments in off-grid power sources and/or forging alliances with operators of nearby commercial buildings to share emergency resources. The goal is ultimately a building that can fail safely — that is, possessing the capacity to survive chaotic events in condition to quickly return to normal operations. Hay casts commercial buildings and their management structure as the ameliorating intermediary between building occupants and potentially calamitous forces outside. Accordingly, if those forces become more persistent, tenants will move away from risk toward stability. "We've had extreme weather since Noah so it shouldn't be a shock that some extreme weather is happening somewhere in the world. What is changing significantly is the value at risk," he says. "Commercial real estate is becoming more and more important in whether or not a company survives. If you look at this with cold commercial interest, if the city becomes less resilient, the value of real estate drops." A one-two punch courtesy of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma has certainly raised awareness, with combined costs of the two storms currently pegged at about US $290 billion (CAD $354 billion). Yet, it's no revelation. Rather, it's a boost of momentum for adaptation and investment strategies that were already in motion. "I can see sophisticated investors exiting investment funds where they don't have faith that the investment team is looking at climate risks," Quinn concurs. "There will be more capital migrating to the people at the front end of the bell curve. At some point, money will talk." ■

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BUILDING ENVELOPE

WINDOW WALLS

vs. CURTAIN WALLS

New report concludes the two systems can deliver comparable performance BY MICHELLE ERVIN

new report aims to shatter what it suggests are lingering misperceptions about the performance of Toronto’s so-called “glass towers.” The window walls commonly used to enclose condos have improved, addressing some of the issues associated with past generations of the glazed cladding, say the authors of Window Wall and Curtain Wall: An objective review. The comparative analysis, conducted in collaboration by the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) and the University of Toronto’s (U of T) Building Tall Research Centre, found that window walls can compete with, and even best, the performance of curtain wall. If comparable performance can be achieved with either system then the question isn’t which system is superior, but rather which system is preferable for the application. Its authors conclude that in the case of high-rise residential construction projects, window wall systems are the way to go, arguing that they are easier to customize, install and maintain; typically cost less as a result; and help to isolate smells and sounds in units. “As long as systems are properly designed and installed, it (the report) shows that a window wall can perform equally to a curtain wall, and the benefits of a window wall are tailored to residential construction,” said Paul De Berardis, Director of Building Science and Innovation at RESCON.

GTA & BEYOND ■ SEPTEMBER 2017

CLADDING BASED ON APPLICATION The report specifically compares window wall systems with the unitized curtain wall systems typically used in high-rise construction. This kind of curtain wall system is structurally engineered and anchored by crane to building exteriors in prefabricated panels that can span multiple units and floors, while window wall systems are inserted between slabs from building interiors in panels that span single storeys. At around twice the price of window wall systems, aesthetically pleasing curtain wall systems give architects more design freedom with their sweeping, uninterrupted spans of glazed cladding, said Dr. Arash Shahi, Associate Director of Building Tall and a postdoctoral fellow at U of T’s department of civil engineering. “That’s why a lot of commercial buildings are using curtain wall — because you don’t have balconies, you don’t want people opening their windows and you want them to have a sleek look,” he said. “Plus, in a commercial building, you don’t have occupants 24 hours a day, and nobody sleeps in the building at night, so the use-case is inherently very different. Also, there’s generally no cooking and no smoking in the units, so you’re not worried about the odours passing through units.” Window walls help to compartmentalize units, preventing the transfer of smells and sounds that can cause tension between neighbours in residential buildings. Cost

BUILDING ENVELOPE

aside, that — and the ease with which the system can integrate balconies and windows — explains why it has become the preferred option for residential applications, according to the report. STIGMA PERSISTS DESPITE IMPROVEMENTS The Building Tall Research Centre was established to undertake research relevant to the residential construction industry that might otherwise get overlooked. The group zeroed in on a comparison of curtain walls and window walls due to what De Berardis characterized as the stigma surrounding window wall systems. Earlier versions may have had their challenges, he acknowledged, but the cladding type has matured with experience and time. “Condo buildings nowadays definitely are different from condo buildings which may have used window wall 20 years ago, so some of the issues that may have existed back then are not commonplace anymore,” said De Berardis. “It’s just like any product out there; a modern car will likely have better fuel efficiency than a car which was produced 20 or 30 years ago.” Along with industry innovation, building code changes and energy efficiency requirements have driven improvements to window wall systems by updating minimum standards, he said — pointing to balcony slabs as an example. Their concrete edges, which used to be exposed to the elements, are now insulated with covers, increasing their resistance to heat loss. Dr. Shahi added that frames in window wall systems are now being formed from less conductive materials, with vinyl and fibreglass starting to take the place of aluminum, in another move that has advanced the thermal performance of window walls. Water-draining rain screens have also helped to address problems with moisture penetration, which, according to the report, were observed in both curtain and window wall systems when exterior face sealing was the main defence against leaks.

OUTSIDE EXPERT RAISES QUESTIONS Dale Kerr, senior principal at Pretium GRG Building Engineers, who was not involved in the report, said it provided a good overview of the two systems, but she wasn’t convinced that window walls could outperform curtain walls. She suggested the way curtain walls are sealed is superior to the way window walls are sealed. The report acknowledges the shortcomings of the sealant commonly used in window walls compared to the gaskets commonly used in curtain walls, but adds that gaskets are starting to be used in window walls. Unfortunately, whichever type of sealant is used, it will generally fail before the aluminum and glass components of the system, said Kerr, and so the ability to replace the sealant easily is important. Window walls may have an advantage here, since some of this work can be completed from the interior. “If you’ve got heel beads around the perimeter of the insulated glass unit, you could replace that from the inside of the unit, and it is true: that would be easier to do than a curtain wall, which you’d have to repair totally from the exterior,” she said. However, she pointed out that some of this work would have to be completed from the exterior for window walls too, citing the slab edge spandrel panels as an example. Kerr recognized that window walls are likely the preferable choice for residential construction, but mainly from a cost perspective. Indeed, the report concludes that window walls are not only less

PERFORMANCE HINGES ON INSTALLATION The report underscores that, if these performance improvements are to be realized, these systems must be installed properly. Accordingly, it prescribes the use of field mock-ups of the systems so workers can get familiar with their assembly, among other things, and cautions against applying sealant in inappropriate weather in the final push to get the job done, as subpar workmanship can compromise its integrity. Some of the sealant used to give window walls air tightness and water resistance is now applied in factory, adding a measure of quality control. Installation is just the first step, as maintenance is integral to ensuring that perimeter sealants reach their expected service life of 10 to 15 years, the report notes. It recommends inspecting and repairing exterior sealant every three to five years. And when it comes time to replace panels, the difference in the way the two systems are installed makes window walls easier to maintain than curtain walls, the report asserts. Work on a window wall panel is limited to a single unit, while swapping out the sweeping spans of curtain wall can disrupt multiple floors and tenants. “If a window wall panel needs to be replaced, it’s a lot easier because you can access it from inside the unit,” Dr. Shahi added. “When it comes to curtain wall, you actually have to access it from outside, so you need to have a crane in place.” www.REMInetwork.com

BUILDING ENVELOPE

“IF A WINDOW WALL PANEL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, IT’S A LOT EASIER BECAUSE YOU CAN ACCESS IT FROM INSIDE THE UNIT. WHEN IT COMES TO CURTAIN WALL, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO ACCESS IT FROM OUTSIDE, SO YOU NEED TO HAVE A CRANE IN PLACE.” expensive than curtain walls, but also provide an economical way to compartmentalize units. However, Kerr noted that, because of the way fresh air is supplied to apartment building units via corridors, there is a more important factor in compartmentalization. “The big thing with compartmentalization is not as much what you’re doing with the window wall, or curtain wall, or whatever it is, it’s more what you do inside the unit to seal one unit off from another,” she maintained. RESEARCH TO CONTINUE The recent release of the report by RESCON and U of T’s Building Tall Research Centre

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marks the end of phase one of a two-phase study. Phase two, the results of which are due to be published before the end of the year, will shed light on the discrepancy in the way window-to-wall ratios are measured for highrise versus low-rise homes. For high-rise buildings the ratio is measured by dividing the total window area by the overall building area, whereas for single-family and town homes the ratio is measured by dividing the area of the windows by the area around the unit. Dr. Shahi said early findings show that when the window-to-wall ratio for highrise residential buildings is measured

like a storm to you

on a unit basis, condo and home owners enjoy roughly equivalent proportions of glazing. “The building might look all-glass from outside, but from an occupant perspective, living in a unit in a condo, they may only have one wall to the outside,” he said. With unit sizes on the decline, the research will also look at alternatives to lowering window-to-wall ratios to improve the energy efficiency of residential buildings with glazed cladding. Some of the other options available to raise the thermal performance of these buildings include the use of low-emissivity coating and triple glazing. ■

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2017-09-20 11:39 AM

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

ON TRACK TO ENERGY SAVINGS race2reduce setting a course for 2018-2020

oronto’s commercial buildings have once again been designated as a course to energy savings in a new iteration of the conservation challenge, race2reduce. Participating owners, managers and tenants will be aiming for the same finish line as last time — a 10% collective reduction in energy consumption — but race marshals are promising some added features along the route. Joint sponsors, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Toronto and Toronto Hydro, plan to stoke entrants' competitive spirit with a selection of annual awards to be offered in 2018, 2019 and 2020. There’ll also be a coach on-hand as a new conservation consultant joins BOMA Toronto. “This is an ambitious program and we’ve set the target high,” Susan Allen, BOMA Toronto’s President and CEO told a gathering at the official launch in June. Fittingly, prospective racers had an opportunity to load up on carbs, hear some encouraging words and scope out some of their likely rivals. The host venue, Toronto Dominion Centre, is among the 260 buildings comprising nearly 62 million square feet of commercial space within Toronto Hydro’s jurisdiction that are now registered.

“When we get together as an industry and collaborate on a meaningful initiative like this, we all benefit,” affirmed Scott Pennock, Senior Vice President and Toronto portfolio manager with Cadillac Fairview. Since the new race2race is aligned with Toronto Hydro’s efforts to hit its mandated 1.6 million megawatt-hour energy savings target under Ontario’s Conservation First Framework, participants are encouraged to take advantage of Save On Energy incentives for both retrofit measures and operational savings. Savings achieved through other actions will also count toward the overall target, provided they can be measured and verified. Indeed, race organizers are introducing an innovation award to recognize new approaches to finding and maintaining energy savings. Other awards will celebrate the year’s best reduction in energy use, team excellence and tenant engagement. Categories for multibuilding landlords/property managers and multi-location tenants also ensure that teams will be pitted against their peers. “There is an edgier competition to this race. I am looking forward to some really interesting grudge matches as the program moves forward,” quipped Joe Bilé, Toronto Hydro’s Manager of CDM program delivery and business development.

Evidence from the first Race to Reduce suggests intense but friendly jostling for position is about to ensue as next-generation teams begin their three-year pursuit January 1, 2018. BOMA Toronto and Toronto Hydro would also be pleased to replicate the success that the non-profit community development organization, CivicAction, achieved with the pace-setting original. Ultimately, 200 participating buildings surpassed the goal for a 10% collective reduction in energy consumption over the four years from 2011 to 2015 — delivering a 12.1% reduction that translated into $13.7 million in cost savings. CivicAction CEO Sevaun Palvetzian reiterated that her organization takes even more pride in the post-2015 survey findings that 62% of participants credit the race itself for prompting them to look for ways to save energy. Similar creative schemes to draft off the vitality of the private sector will be critical as governments drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet their global commitments. “We get stuff done because we try to pick the big urban issues that need all hands on deck,” Palvetzian explained. “A lot happens at the sub-national level and increasingly more things will happen on a sub-national level.” ■ www.REMInetwork.com

MAINTENANCE/GROUNDSKEEPING

THESE AIN'T NO HONEYBEES Wasps are inherently aggressive and increasingly prolific as summer passes

BY REBECCA MELNYK

asps have a frightening reputation for their stinging ability and aggressive behaviour and are often seen in greater numbers towards the end of summer as they scavenge for food in outdoor areas like restaurants, shopping centre food courts, gardens, garbage areas and around picnic grounds of school campuses and hospitals. Even though wasps can be beneficial because they eat pests that plague plants around a facility, they can also deter people from a facility, which isn’t necessarily good for business. Highly common wasps, at least in Canada, are yellow jackets. They can be found everywhere but prefer to build their homes near buildings, which provide a good supply of various nestmaking materials. For example, they may scavenge old wood from a picnic table, mixing it with their saliva to create their nests. Unlike the honeybee that attacks only once and dies if its hive is threatened, wasps are predatory and will sting multiple times if provoked. Wasps are long and slender with bright yellow stripes, whereas bees are furry with browner bodies. “Wasps are opportunistic scavenger feeders,” says Tibor Szabo, former president

GTA & BEYOND ■ SEPTEMBER 2017

of the Ontario Beekeepers Association and a honeybee producer. “They have different resources than honeybees who are vegetarian and acquire all their resources from flowers. Wasps eat meat, other insects, sugar and have short tongues that can’t access nectar from all the flowers a honeybee can.” BUILDING CRITICAL MASS Wasps may seem more aggressive in late summer, but that's really more a reflection of strength in numbers. They are aggressive all the time and become a steadily more visible presence. “Wasp colonies begin to build in spring with just a queen, so you don’t see wasps too much during that time of year,” Szabo explains. “As soon as she raises enough babies, she can stay home and lay eggs, while the other wasps take over the work and the nest grows exponentially faster.” For Peter Power, owner and operator of Power Pest Control in Toronto, wasp calls start flooding in after Canada Day, when nests grow larger and there are a lot more wasps flying around, scavenging for food. When the temperature starts to drop in September and October, they slow down and become more lethargic. “After the first

frost or a sudden drop in temperature, most workers die off, however there’s always a chance a strong queen, or female worker who can become a queen, will survive by over-wintering,” says Power. “Some people believe placing a fake wasp nest on the property is the solution, but this isn’t always the best method,” adds Power, who’s been stung multiple times on the job. Instead, he suggests setting up wasp traps around the perimeter of eating areas and flower beds, as far from peopled areas as possible. Fill the trap with orange juice or something sugary, one teaspoon of sugar and a piece of meat. Wasps will be drawn into that trap and won’t be able to exit. Nevertheless, don't expect to stop wasp activity entirely. NEST REMOVAL Wasp traps can be effective at mitigating activity around a specific area, but aren’t as helpful when deterring a whole colony. Eliminating a wasp nest requires caution and care. Once a wasp stings, its venom contains a pheromone that signals danger and causes other wasps to become more aggressive. By autumn, a typical yellow jacket nest could house 1,000 or more workers.

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MAINTENANCE/GROUNDSKEEPING

A pest control company will have the right equipment and be able to remove wasps in tight spaces. They can also identify areas where other nests are forming and remove them. However, if the paper nest is visible and hanging from a ceiling, window corner or beneath a patio, property maintenance staff should be able to handle the task. The best method is to suit up from head to toe using proper protective equipment, and use a wasp spray foam that shoots a jet stream from six feet away. This is ideally done at night when the wasps are at rest. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety recommends suiting up in thick layers because wasp stings are long enough to penetrate one layer of clothing. Power tools like lawnmowers and chainsaws will aggravate these insects so ensure other maintenance workers have equipment shut off before spraying. Also, even when working near wasps, wear light-coloured clothes and avoid bright or dark colours, tie hair back and wear closed-toed boots or shoes, along with a beekeeper’s style hat with netting to cover the head and neck. Tape pant legs to boots and socks, and sleeves to gloves. When wasp nests are not visible and much more difficult to reach — such as those found inside a foundation crack — professional removal is advised. A pest control expert would typically set up a vacuum that draws up the worker wasps. This is more feasible than breaking a wall or other barrier to get to the hidden nest. Insecticide is also applied to the entry point for non-captured wasps to encounter.

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LIABILITY RISK When a wasp nest is reported or discovered on a property, responding in a timely manner is always important to prevent harm and protect against liability. While most people experience swelling and redness, some have a mild allergic reaction. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction can occur and cause anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. “You want to make sure that when someone does report a nest sighting, you document it right away, and document any emails sent to a pest control provider, showing a plan of action,” Power says. “Also, until it’s taken care of, set up a notification on the property warning people of the wasp nest so they’re cognizant and use caution when working or playing in the area.” ■

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LIFE SAFETY

FIRE SAFETY PLAN PRIMER Owners mandated to provide guidance for building staff, occupants and first responders BY JASON REID

arlier this summer, a Toronto landlord pled guilty after admitting that failure to implement an approved fire safety plan tragically contributed to the death of four building residents in a 2016 fire. The resulting maximum fine of $100,000 sends a clear message. Another landlord was fined $71,000 after a fatal three-alarm blaze in a Toronto apartment. A stairwell door that did not latch properly allowed smoke to fill a stairwell and claimed the life of a young mother — an entirely preventable loss. A fire safety plan is required by law and must be reviewed and updated at least annually. Effectively, it should be a one-stop-shop of actionable life-safety information that can underpin any due diligence program. This includes detailed directions for applying the many requirements of the fire code, covering daily, weekly, monthly and annual tests and inspections of building life-safety systems and equipment. The fire safety plan also serves as site-specific training manual for building staff — including the property manager, superintendent, concierge and security personnel — specifying their roles in building safety and providing an overview of the building's life-safety systems and the procedures they are to follow in the event of a building emergency. The plan provides detailed information for conducting

GTA & BEYOND ■ SEPTEMBER 2017

fire drills, testing and inspection requirements, occupant training and what to do in the event of a life-safety system failure. Building occupants can look to the fire safety plan for instructions on fire and emergency procedures, including actions to take in the event of a fire, evacuation and shelter-in-place requirements. Residents ultimately must decide for themselves whether to leave their suites in the case of the fire, but the fire safety plan will help them to make an informed decision. It should explain what to do when a fire alarm is activated, and lay out their options if smoke or other obstacles prevent them from evacuating. Compliant fire safety plans must include a current (and regularly updated) list of vulnerable tenants requiring assistance in an emergency. This includes anyone who has reduced mobility, a speech, hearing or visual impairment, or a cognitive limitation — either permanently or temporarily — who will be designated as emergency responders' first priority when they arrive on scene. Failure to maintain the list could compromise both residents' and firefighters' safety.

In most cases, the local fire service acts as the authority having jurisdiction, which is the entity that must approve the fire safety plan for every building. Across an entire city, these fire safety plans provide tactical reference tools to effectively respond in a timely manner to building emergencies. This includes clear and concise guidance to life-safety systems, smoke control, floor drawings, isolation points for sprinklers, HVAC, gas and electrical systems, which allows responders to quickly assess the situation they are entering. Trained building staff will also play an important supporting in their initial communications with arriving firefighters. The information inherent to fire safety plans can also support other kinds of emergency response related to active violent incidents, suspicious packages or criminal acts in workplace facilities and residential buildings. In contrast, an outdated, inaccurate plan — or an up-to-date plan kept in an unreachable location — could delay critical response, cost lives and expose owners/managers to liability. ■

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SAFETY/RISK MANAGEMENT

OPEN HAZARDS Digging Demands Precautions Against Collapsing Soil

espite advancements in engineering controls, protective equipment and safe work practices, excavation and trenching remain among the most hazardous construction operations. When one cubic metre of dirt can weigh more than a car, a trench collapse becomes a race against time if workers are trapped. While an excavation is a rather straightforward hole in the ground as the result of removing material, trenches are defined as excavations of no more than 4.5 metres across that are deeper than they are wide. Recognizing the hazards and learning how to prepare and work safely can help prevent serious injury or death. Cave-ins are one of the greatest hazards related to trenching and excavation. A collapse can kill workers through suffocation

GTA & BEYOND ■ SEPTEMBER 2017

or the crushing weight of the falling soil. Trench stability can be affected by the integrity of the support system or trench box; soil type and moisture content; activities carried out adjacent to the site; weather; vibration; depth of the trench; and the length of time the trench is left open. Sloping and temporary protective structures are two basic methods of protecting workers against cave-ins. Sloping involves cutting back the trench wall at an angle that is inclined away from the work area of the excavation. The angle of slope required depends on the soil conditions. Benching is a similar method to sloping with the sides excavated in levels similar to steps. A temporary protective structure can take the form of shoring, trench boxes, trench shields and similar structures. They

are structures or devices placed within the excavation, trench, tunnel or excavated shaft that are designed to provide protection from cave-ins, collapse, sliding or rolling materials. Shoring involves installing aluminum, steel, or wood panels that are supported by screws or hydraulic jacks to support the sides or walls of the trench. Some systems can be installed without the workers entering the trench, which provides additional safety for those workers. Wherever possible, shoring equipment should be installed as the excavation proceeds. If there is any delay between digging and shoring, no one should enter the unprotected trench. Trench boxes are commonly used in open areas, away from utilities, roadways and foundations. They protect workers in cases of cave-ins, but do not shore up or support

TheRoofers_GTA_May_2017_FINAL.pdf

trench walls except in cases where the space between the box and the trench wall is backfilled with soil and compacted properly. This would prevent the trench box from tilting or turning over in a cave-in. When used in excavation projects, trench boxes should have a wall height greater than or equal to the wall height of the surrounding trench. Employers and supervisors must take the necessary steps to identify all the hazards and C risks before beginning any work, including: M • Identifying the soil type(s) related to Y the excavation or trench to be dug. Soil properties often vary widely within a singleCM trench (e.g., the soil type changes from topMY to bottom and along the length of a trench).CY • Locating all buried services. CMY • Grounding and isolating electrical cables or K conduits. • Identifying and locating overhead power lines. • Checking areas adjacent to the site for potential hazards and sources that can impact the stability of soil. Nearby vehicles and equipment can cause the soil to vibrate and then collapse. • Determining if nearby buildings or structures and their foundations may put pressure on the soil and affect the walls of the trench. • Testing for hazardous gas, vapours, and dust before entering. • Testing for oxygen levels in the space before entering, and during the work as required. • Making arrangements to remove water from the excavation. • Identifying appropriate personal protective equipment including high visibility apparel for vehicular traffic and making sure every worker wears them as required. • Designating a worker above ground when a worker is working in the trench to warn of danger and to provide emergency help. • Preparing work permits for work in confined spaces, as appropriate. • Providing a means of exit from inside the trench, usually no more than 8 metres (25 feet) away than any worker in the trench. • Preparing an emergency plan and rescue procedures. • Educating and training workers about all existing and potential hazards and risks and appropriate safety measures. ■ ________________________________________ THE PRECEDING INFORMATION IS SUPPLIED BY THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE WWW.CCOHS.CA

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

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Toronto's Albion Library reflects and serves a diverse community BY MICHELLE ERVIN

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

he washroom signage might appear unremarkable on first glance, except for two words. The stereotypical male and female silhouettes are accompanied by the text “trans friendly.” In other words, explains architect Andrew Frontini, Principal at Perkins+Will, visitors are free to use the facilities based on their gender identity. The new Albion Library, opened earlier this summer, is the first of the Toronto Public Library’s 102 branches to introduce genderneutral washrooms. And this is just one of the ways the accessible, one-storey facility promotes inclusiveness by design in the diverse community it serves. Located in Etobicoke, in one of the city’s priority neighbourhoods, the facility provides a venue for employment and skills programming as well as an opportunity for visitors to use technology they may not have at home, from computers to 3D printers. There are also books, of course, including collections in languages such as Chinese and Punjabi. The regional branch is so valued that, based on community input, Toronto Public Library scrapped its plan A, which was to renovate

and add on to the original circa-1970s building, because that approach would have closed the facility for up to two years during construction. “The community basically said, ‘We would rather you not renovate our branch because we can’t be without it for two years,’” recalled Susan Martin, manager of branch capital planning and implementation at Toronto Public Library. Working with Perkins+Will, Toronto Public Library developed plan B, which was to build a new facility on the under-used parking lot, allowing the existing facility to stay open for all but a final three-week stretch during the move from one to the other. PEACEFUL AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT Albion Library serves a multi-cultural community comprising 85-per-cent visible minorities, including many recent immigrants. “Almost like an architectural ambassador, it welcomes people to Canada and welcomes people to the city,” said Frontini. “We really tried to create a place that is peaceful and beautiful and brings nature into an interior space through these courtyards.”

The furnished, landscaped courtyards carve sky-lit pockets out of the facility’s square footprint, which brings daylight inside and delineates different zones. On either side of the courtyards, the building, which might otherwise be boxy, features peaked upper corners that emphasize important program areas including a large space called the “urban living room.” Liberated from book shelves, the flexible space features modular furniture, including ottomans outfitted with built-in power outlets, which can be moved out of the way or rearranged for events. Elsewhere, many of the bookshelves rise only 52 inches, providing unimpeded views from the circulation desk through to other zones, such as the Early Literacy Centre, which is for the under-five set, and the Childhood Discovery Centre, which is for six to 12-year-olds. Martin explained that a lot of space is allocated to kids because demographic studies showed that the community had a greater-than-average proportion of youngsters compared to the rest of the city. The facility not only gives kids, and others, access to technology, but also hosts

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

programming that teaches students skills such as coding and robotics, which, as Frontini pointed out, may open up potential career paths for them from a younger age. MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND AMENITIES While the former facility had integrated new technology as it became available, its infrastructure was less than ideally suited to some of today’s service requirements, having been constructed in a pre-computer era, observed Martin. “Albion was also built at a time when there was a massive service desk and a pass-around security system,” she added. “The way library services are delivered now has really moved away from a giant, central desk, like a fortress, to something much smaller and less prominent.” Its incompatibility with current service requirements was one of two key reasons the former facility was tagged for a major renovation. The other, more pressing reason was that it required work to maintain a good state of repair. “All of the HVAC systems were past their end of life, there was no exterior insulation because it was a concrete block building, there

were structural problems with sections of the Behind the building, there are community roof because of the original building design,” gardens that will be programmed by local explained Gail Rankin, senior manager, facilities groups, who will have access to a storage facility management, Toronto Public Library. for their tools at any time from the exterior. The new 29,000-square-foot facility And the site of the former facility is now being introduced features including a cooled transformed into a lushly landscaped parking garbage room, which Rankin said helps lot that will double as a plaza, accommodating control odour as the facility manages high events such as farmers’ markets. volumes of waste. One source of garbage, the washrooms, is tailor-made for ease of TRAFFICKING IN NEW ATTITUDES maintenance based on past experience. In the first couple of weeks after it opened, Albion “We’ve been perfecting our washroom Library avoided the dip in attendance normally design over the last 10 years to make it easy to seen in new facilities, which Martin attributed clean,” said Rankin. As examples, she cited the to the abbreviated closure. Quite the opposite, large-scale tiles for the floor and walls, which cut the digital counters documented a close to 50% down on grout, and the floating sinks, which year-over-year increase in foot traffic. eliminate water build-up in counter-top corners. At least one of Albion Library’s inclusive In addition, the new facility gave the library features is due to be rolled out to the rest of an upgraded building automation system and Toronto Public Library’s 101 branches as they a green roof complete with solar installation. undergo capital improvements: the transOutside, the facility is defined by a façade clad friendly washroom signage. So far it has been in glazing and crowned with a fringe of multi- well-received, Martin reports, and there are coloured tiles. plans to host related library programming that “They’re free-hanging vertical strips of will be developed with input from the local LGBT the terracotta to make a screen that you community. ■ can see through, kind of like a fence into AppliedSystems_GTA_March_2015_FINAL.pdf 1 15-03-06 2:07 PM the courtyards,” said Frontini.

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