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Hi,

Here are some thoughts that Paul De Berardis would like you to consider when it comes to the residential building sector.

There are always two sides to every story, but the general consensus is that individuals working within the residential new home industry feel they are doing their part to address climate change, whereas external organizations always feel more can and should be done.

While there is merit to both sides of the argument, this must also be viewed from the lens that homes are ultimately sold to consumers, who are typically constrained by financial budgets, especially considering the rising trend in mortgage interest rates, so more may not always be better for everyone. There also needs to be consideration for constructability and embodied carbon, as homes become more complex to construct through increasing regulatory requirements, and they take more time and resources to build. Government policies are pushing home builders to ramp up operations and build more homes than ever to address housing affordability, yet there is a declining workforce of skilled trades, and building regulations are only getting more onerous, counterintuitive to say the least.

Please join us for our virtual seminar, “The Low Carbon Builder Coalition” being held on March 22nd 2023 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm for more information on this. 

The members of the Sustainable Housing Foundation held a webinar to “Fill the Gap” in meeting carbon reduction in the home building industry. The virtual webinar was hosted via Zoom on March 22, 2023 from 10:30am to 12:00pm.

• Low carbon definition: both operational and embodied carbon
• The hybrid house wisely using primary natural gas combo system
• Measuring CO2 reductions using HERS ratings and ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301-2019
• GTA low carbon builders taking credit for exceeding current federal government’s mandates
• Creating realistic definitions for zero rated houses

A copy of the presentation is attached below.

John and Frank – Diminishing Marginal Returns and Future Fuels – March 22 2023

June 22, 2023 12 Noon to 5 PM

Flemingdon Golf Course, Toronto

The annual Green Builder Challenge Golf Tournament, hosted  by the Sustainable Housing Foundation’s President John Godden, is happening on Thursday June 22nd in the afternoon and you are invited to attend. Lunch and beverages will be provided before the first T-off time at 1 PM so come early and enjoy a relaxing lunch on the patio and great networking opportunity with your colleagues from the sustainable building industry in Toronto.

The price to play is $150 with all proceeds going toward supporting the educational training that the Foundation undertakes every year.  You can book for just yourself and we will place you in a foursome, or book your own foursome and reward your staff or clients to  a great afternoon of golf and comradery. Space is limited to 40 golfers so please book early. Please note that the game played will be best ball with T-offs scheduled every 10 minutes or so starting at 1 PM. The course is a nine hole course so only takes a couple of hours to play.  No mechanical carts are allowed but you will be provided with a pull handle. Golf clubs can be rented directly from the golf course if pre-arranged with them. Registration details to come. Hope to see you there!

FILLING THE GAP THINK TANK

Monday December 5^th 5 PM to 7 PM Reception and Discussion

Hawthorn Room, The Thornhill Club

Join members of the Sustainable Housing Foundation Board as they share their vision for how to “Fill the Gap” in meeting carbon reduction in the home building industry – and share your own ideas with them. We are hosting a cocktail reception at the Thornhill Club from 5 PM to 7 PM on Monday December 5, 2022.

Help us set the Agenda for our upcoming winter learning sessions as we prioritize ideas such as:

• Future fuels- including hydrogen;
• Embodied carbon – what it means for builders;
• Connected buildings and neighbourhood grids;
• How to create reasonable targets for carbon reduction;
• Structural design efficiencies for sustainability and resiliency;
• Finding the skilled trades needed;
• Home energy management systems;
• Global warming products for the construction industry.

Pre-registration is required but there is no cost to attend for invited guests. Help us re-introduce our in-person networking events where builders, designers, energy auditors and product manufacturers can share ideas on how to build more Sustainable Housing.

June 23, 2022 12 Noon to 5 PM

Flemingdon Golf Course, Toronto

The annual Green Builder Challenge Golf Tournament, hosted  by the Sustainable Housing Foundation’s President John Godden, is happening on Thursday June 23rd in the afternoon and you are invited to attend. Lunch and beverages will be provided before the first T-off time at 1 PM so come early and enjoy a relaxing lunch on the patio and great networking opportunity with your colleagues from the sustainable building industry in Toronto.

The price to play is $150 with all proceeds going toward supporting the educational training that the Foundation undertakes every year.  You can book for just yourself and we will place you in a foursome, or book your own foursome and reward your staff or clients to  a great afternoon of golf and comradery. Space is limited to 40 golfers so please book early. Please note that the game played will be best ball with T-offs scheduled every 10 minutes or so starting at 1 PM. The course is a nine hole course so only takes a couple of hours to play.  No mechanical carts are allowed but you will be provided with a pull handle. Golf clubs can be rented directly from the golf course if pre-arranged with them.

May 19, 2022 10:30 AM to 12 PM

Join us for the final webinar in our 2021-22 series on building more sustainable housing using a Sustainability Checklist of products, technologies and building techniques. Now that your house is ready to sell, how do you market the key features to potential buyers? This webinar will look at some key marketing strategies highlighting some of the, often hidden, benefits of purchasing a sustainable home.  Please join two young builders Christian Rinomato of Country Homes and Tim Campanale of Campanale Homes to survey and discuss their strategies and websites. The event will be moderated by John Godden

This is an online event. Please reserve your spot today, spaces are limited. Login details will be emailed out to registered attendees before the event.

Thursday April 21, 2022 at 10:30 AM to 12 PM

One of the biggest issues and impediments to a more streamlined and predictable development approvals process in Ontario is municipal overreach above and beyond what is called for in the Provincial Building Code. Navigating these independent rules and regulations, especially with Green Initiatives, means Developers need to be savvy of rules in each Municipality they work in. This creates extra time and costs to get projects approved and does not necessarily result in a better, more sustainable home.

This is an online Zoom webinar. Login details will be sent to all registered guests beforehand. There is no charge for this Webinar.

Webinar March 17, 2022 at 10:30 AM

Climate change is creating more risk for home builders- but also more opportunities when you are aware of the impacts of climate change on the environment.  More resilient, sustainable housing is one answer to mitigating these increased risks.

Arthur Lofsky, is the Ontario Director of Government Relations and Climate Adaptation for the Insurance Bureau of Canada. In this role he is immersed in the challenges that climate change is having on our built environment.  Arthur will provide a ‘big picture’ look at the risks to Canadians’ financial security and will focus on the insurance industry’s recommendations to adapt and mitigate the financial risk of flood to property owners and governments.

Arthur’s presentation will be followed by a look at an innovative product that can assist in areas where there is too little water…which includes a lot of the land north of the GTA. Municipalities are increasingly offering incentives to builders who can build houses that use less water. Greyter Water Systems is a solution for grey water recycling that can reduce water consumption, and waste water.

View PowerPoint PDF of Arthur’s presentation.

Online webinar Thursday February 17, 2022 at 10:30 AM

With changes in building codes and the challenge of climate change, builders and designers face many decisions about how to heat and cool their homes. As a follow up to our combination heating system webinar in December, Michael McCallum of McCallum HVAC Design will speak on the importance of integrating clients’ needs with envelope design to yield an integrated approach to energy performance. The challenge is to integrate architectural design with building performance to ensure the comfort and well-being of the occupants.

The presentation will cover a case study which outlines many different stages including:

• Client interview and survey
• Project goals, including verification of performance Better Than Code, passive house or net zero
• Collaboration with architectural and interior designers
• Optimizing mechanical design including right-sizing of heating and cooling equipment and window selection
• Streamlining documentation for code compliance and permit submission
• On-site verification of mechanical performance
• Verification of energy performance including air tightness testing

This is a free online Webinar hosted by the Sustainable Housing Foundation. Zoom login details will be emailed to registered attendees before the event on Feb 17th at 10:30 am

Online content will be uploaded shortly.

In this webinar, we’ll help demystify the rapidly evolving “smart” home technology.  By focusing on the right elements, homebuilders can create a whole home ecosystem to allow homeowners to live sustainably.

Our industry panel will discuss

• Leveraging smart technology to enable better occupant load management
• Future proofing homes for the connectivity needed to live and work smartly and efficiently
• Emerging smart technologies to easily enable sustainable lifestyles