As part of the USGBC’s commitment to staying fresh and updating LEED v4.1, they recently released the Zero Energy Performance Index (zEPI) Pilot ACP. 

“The Zero Energy Performance Index (zEPI) Pilot Alternative Compliance Path (ACP) was developed specifically for the Canadian market. It provides a new approach to how energy performance is evaluated, adding flexibility, aligning with local energy codes, and better ensuring LEED buildings contribute meaningfully to Canada’s climate goals.”

This new approach has simplified the performance generator baseline and we are excited to apply this to some of our projects.

Check out more details, including an informative video, on the USGBC website.

Cardero at 1575 W Georgia St has won an Award of Excellence from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). Congratulations to Bosa Properties & Henriquez Partners Architects! Recollective is proud to have been the sustainability consultant for this project.

Cardero’s sustainability features include a high performance building envelope, air-source heat pumps, low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting and light control.

Check out the Daily Hive story, or have a look at the Caredo’s page at Skyscrapercenter.com.

Last week, Jason began a two year term as a member of the Surrey Advisory Design Panel.  The Panel provides comments and suggestions on development projects with an aim to improve the design quality. You can read more about the Panel on their website here.

He says:

“It was an honour to be asked to put myself forward for a position on the panel. It’s an exciting opportunity to speak up for sustainability and help project teams in the pursuit of a greener built environment. Things got off to a good start with my first session; an architect from a project before the panel offered enthusiastic appreciation for one of my suggestions. This is just what I’d hoped for: an opportunity to have a positive impact on projects beyond our own.

“After years of representing projects at design panels it is nice to see things from the other side. I look forward to learning from the work of our peers in the dynamic Surrey environment.”

Time to celebrate another LEED Gold certification! This affordable housing development is funded through the City of Vancouver’s Community Amenity Contributions initiative. The 81 units cater to low- and moderate-income households. Sustainability features include an appropriate window to wall ratio balancing daylighting and improved thermal performance, heat recovery ventilation, high efficiency boilers, variable speed pumps, a green roof and more bike parking than car parking .

You can listen to a Green Building Audio Tour for 1105 Seymour. Green Building Audio Tours promote the stories of green buildings. Listen for a tour of the building from bottom to top and back again, with supplementary pictures of key features.

Congratulations to architect Endall Elliot, developer Wall Financial, and owner City of Vancouver! Thank you to our project manager Tim Tewsley for all his hard work on the project, including being a co-narrator on the audio tour of the property.

Galt Street Flats, located in Vancouver’s Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood, is a purpose-built rental development by Bold Properties featuring a collection of 2 & 3 bedroom units. With close access to transit, parks, and a gamut of Kingsway-style retail amenities, this boutique project is designed for urban family living. 

The project had an initial target of LEED Gold but achieved the prestigious LEED Platinum by focusing on energy reduction, water conservation, and healthy building materials. Energy consumption was reduced significantly for the project by using Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) and high-performance building envelope. Congratulations to owner Bold Properties, architect Carscadden Stokes McDonald and nice work to our project manager Chris Kendall.

Central Green is a multi-phased community located in the heart of Kelowna offering heritage-inspired architecture and urban living. Buildings B & F are two multi-story residential buildings that had an initial target of LEED-certified. Through an integrative design process, the project team was able to introduce higher sustainability measures such as Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) and low flow water fixtures that helped both buildings to achieve LEED Gold certification. Kudos to owner Al Stober Construction & Meiklejohn Architects Inc. Thank you to our project manager Tim Tewsley.

E3 Eco Group provided Green Rater/Provider services on both projects.

Today is the 50th Earth Day. Proposed as a day to honour the earth and the concept of peace, the first Earth Day in 1970 took place in colleges and universities across the United States. The first Earth Day in Canada was held in 1980 and featured educational lectures by experts in various environmental fields, garbage and litter pick-ups, and tree planting. Today, Earth Day is celebrated in 192 countries around the world.

Working from home and social distancing doesn’t mean that we can’t participate. The National Informal Stem Education Network has an extensive list of at-home activities. Here are some more from us at Recollective and our colleagues at SES Consulting:

Earth Day at Home Challenge ideas:

• Remove invasive species from your home garden
• Fix or repurpose something in your home instead of replacing it
• Collect grey water and use it to water your plants
• Learn about the emissions related to your diet and make a change to have a lower carbon diet
• Plant a garden or a climate-resilient tree
• Learn about the benefits of heat pumps or heat pumps ideally suited to Metro Vancouver climate
• Try reading over streaming
• Practice active transportation: go for a walk, run, or bike ride
• Check in on your neighbours: strong communities are key to our resilience to climate change