building strategies - summer 2007

summer 2007

Providing Greater Value to Construction Project Design & Delivery

c o r n e r s : l e g a l ■ I n s u r a n c e ■ e n v I r o n m e n t

Pushing past the fearof controversyconservIng energy In the mIdst of luxury

WeedIng out project IneffIcIencIes

court backs peo, oaa self-regulatIon

conservIng energy In the mIdst of luxury

WeedIng out project IneffIcIencIes

court backs peo, oaa self-regulatIon

N o w I N s I d e !

FollowINg 8

Pushing past the fearof controversy

Supplementary Focus on

Security and Life Safety

Supplementary Focus on

Security and Life Safety

PM 4

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5building strategies Summer 2007

The architectural firm Saia Barbarese Topouzanov designed the LEED-certified Lassonde Buildings at the Montreal School of Engineering with inspiration from the site’s steep topography and panoramic views. See company profile on page 16.Cover photo courtesy of Saia Barbarese Topouzanov

Editorial6 Building industry responds as

sustainability reaches tipping point

Legal Corner(Sponsored by: Glaholt LLP)12 Is it time to acknowledge interior

designers’ lien rights?

Insurance Corner(Sponsored by: Travelers Guarantee Company of Canada)14 Managing risks in good times

Environment Corner(Sponsored by: Tri-Phase Environmental Inc.)19 Remediation techniques for

contaminated soils

ContentsProviding Greater Value to Construction Project Design & Delivery

8 News PEO, OAA cheer court backing of self-regulation • RAIC launches

new enduring award, honours excellence • CISC Ontario recognizes outstanding steel designs • WorldGBC ramps up in Toronto area • Ontario commits to LEED standard and green roofs • Queen’s Park recognizes OACETT ’s 50 years • Czech hoists come to North America • Pipe lining protects against lead leaching

16Company Profile bold, colourful, controversIal Saia BarBareSe

Topouzanov The challenge of a client’s budget for architecture is more acute in North America than in Europe where people seem to have a greater appreciation for the artistic merit of this work. The architectural firm Saia Barbarese Topouzanov has achieved success within these limitations. Award-winning founder Mario Saia reveals how.

20Management Strategies WeedIng out constructIon project IneffIcIencIes

IT solutions can improve the efficiency of management and administration processes on construction projects and ease the load on project managers and support staff.

22Project Profile buIldIng beyond luxury A new multi-residential

development proves that luxury need not be sacrificed for the sake of environmentally-friendly, energy conservation considerations.

26Security and Life Safety Supplement

securIng personal safety and corporate assets Technology is playing a very important role in security systems designed to protect people and companies against those who wish to perform illegal or harmful acts.

desIgnatIon, tools emphasIze job safety The perennial hazards – falling, equipment misuse causing user injury, fire, noxious substances, for example – are always present. Proper safety measures and vigilance are ongoing requirements to protect construction site workers.

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N o w I N s I d e !

FollowINg Page 18

6 building strategies Summer 2007

ven five years ago, did you foresee features like solar water heating, rooftop wind turbines, dual flush toilets and living walls shifting into

Canada’s mainstream construc-tion industry? Well, if you were in Europe, probably. But, here?

Now, on this side of the ocean, it’s rather like the late 1970s again when alternative energy pilot proj-ects were getting press coverage. Only this time, the impetus goes beyond just high energy prices, thanks to the most reputable of sci-entific communities confirming the reality of global warming and the dire consequences of greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike 25 years ago, we are quickly reaching a critical mass – the tipping point, as author Malcolm Gladwell would describe it – of people aware and concerned about climate change. The result is that the construction industry is being pushed to create structures that offer the opportunity for users to live and work with the least detrimental impact – i.e., footprint – on the environment.

In this issue we profile the Toronto developer Shane Baghai’s latest project which will not only save energy, but generate it with wind and solar power. Arguably, sustainability is not as widespread here yet as in, say, Europe, but the writing is on the wall – and cap-tured in a survey.

“According to an Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of TD Canada Trust, Canadians consider-ing buying a condominium as their primary residence are indicating that living in an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient build-ing is an important factor in their choice,” notes Andrea Civichino, editor of MediaEdge publication CondoBusiness.

In the March 2007 issue, Civichino reports that the online survey revealed that among fac-tors that would dissuade potential condominium owners from buying a particular condo, a lack of energy efficiency ranked third, just behind no parking – we love our mobility – and insufficient building security. Among 725 adults aged 18 and older living in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Halifax, 90 per cent indicated that an environ-mentally friendly, energy-efficient building is either very or somewhat important.

The Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP), a multi-agency program led by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, is a helpful resource for those seeking more insight into sustainable technologies and prac-tices within a Canadian context. Technologies evaluated under STEP go beyond physical struc-tures and currently include green roofs, permeable pavement and bioretention swale, construction sediment ponds, rainwater harvest-ing and “biowall”, an indoor air bio-filtration system. For details, check out www.sustainabletechnologies.ca or 416-661-6600.

But first, Engineering Business magazine, inserted in the middle of this Building Strategies issue, looks at how "turning green" just for goodness' sake can have some bottom line rewards.

So, here’s the question, even if you are not an environmentalist per se: can your business afford not to adopt a sustainable mandate?

Susan [email protected]

Building industry responds as sustainability

reaches tipping point

Editorial

Providing Greater Value to Construction Project Design & Delivery

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peo, oaa cheer court backing of self-regulationIn a significant and salutary ruling for Ontario’s professional engineers, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on May 17, 2007, confirmed the authority of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) to regulate the practice of the province’s 75,000 professional engineers and certificate of authorization holders. This exclusive jurisdiction extends unequivocally to areas of building code compliance and activities relating to general review of construction, the court ruled.

Superior Court Justices Smith, Chapnik and Lane wrote in favour of the PEO legal challenge against the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing, including these excerpts highlighted by the Association of Architects (OAA) which supported the PEO’s legal challenge under intervenor status:

“... the purpose of the two professional Acts (Engineers and Architects) is to regulate the conduct and good character of their members as well as their professional training and competence and this purpose is intended to be exclusive.”

“...as indicated above, parts of the Building Code Act and Building Code appear to duplicate the requirements of the professional Acts.”

“The Professional Engineers Act and the Architects Act already address these issues (and I have already held above that the Lieutenant Governor in Council exceeded his statutory authority by regulating these matters)”

“While relief is only available to the applicant professional engineers in this

case, in my opinion the analysis in these reasons for judgement applies equally to the intervenor architects.”

The court has, in effect, said that Building Code Identification Numbers (BCIN) are not needed by professional engineers when submitting drawings for building permits and that PEO seals are sufficient.

While the fight against Bill 124 has been waged by multiple associations, including the Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO), the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA), the court battle which culminated in this clear victory for the profession was led by Patrick Quinn, P. Eng., past president of PEO. “I first became involved with this issue in 1999 and since then the PEO and its various Councils have strived to convince successive governments that the issue was not a regulatory one, but one of varying rules and regulations among different municipalities,” he said. “I am very proud at how we as engineers have defended our profession and all self-regulating professions which have contributed so greatly to our society.


News“While some may feel that this process took too

long,” he added, “the PEO made many efforts to resolve this issue on the basis of reason, without having to resort to a legal battle, with potentially high costs – estimated at one point to be in the order of $250,000 – and expenditure of time and effort. The Court ruling outcome clearly shows how valid our concerns were and how justified our efforts have been.”

A full review and analysis of the 33-page court decision is currently underway at the several associations to assess how the judgment – which goes farther than expected – will be put into action. Not all aspects of Bill 124 will be subject to the ruling.

“The seal rests with the PEO who has authority over it,” stressed Bernard Ennis, manager, Practice and Standards for the PEO, at a discussion forum following the CEO annual general meeting on June 1, 2007. Ennis further noted that although the juried decision was effective immediately and is no longer enforceable, “until the order comes down, it is status quo.”

Ennis since notes that the juried decision was effective immediately and that affected parts of the Building Code are no longer enforceable. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has since posted on its website the Ministry's opinions regarding the effects of the decision. PEO expects that all municipal building departments will act in accordance with the Ministry's position.

He suggested individuals facing an upcoming building code exam or debating whether to put a BCIN on a drawing should get the opinion of their own lawyers.

“Since May 17, if you have had a document rejected because it had no BCIN number or you have been asked for insurance, let us know,” he added. “We need records of such activities if we have to go for an injunction to compel compliance with the decision.”

PEO has established an online BCIN hotline at [email protected].

“We’re trying to set up meetings to work out the next regime,” added OAA president David Craddock at the same event. “The ultimate goal is for the architect’s seal use to be determined by the association, not a two-tier system. While it is a great decision and win by the PEO, we caution our members that it’s going to be an ongoing effort again. It will take diligence to prevent another similar situation under new legislation.”

On June 12, 2007, OAA’s Council agreed to send its formal notice to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of the Attorney General stating that the OAA had terminated its Memorandum of Understanding with the province, and also suggested that the court ruling had effectively ended the legal justification for OAA’s parallel qualification system.

-- With file from Duane Sharp, P.Eng.

raIc launches new enduring award, honours excellenceIn honour of its 100th anniversary, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has recognized five buildings with a new award, the Prix du XXe siècle. This award recognizes the enduring excellence of nationally significant architecture, such as landmark buildings in the historical context of Canadian architecture. The award can go to a building in Canada, designed by an architect from any country, or a building anywhere designed by a Canadian architect.

At the OAA/RAIC Conference and Festival beginning May 11, 2007, in Toronto, the following landmark buildings and their architects were awarded:• Wolf House in Toronto designed by

Barton Myers, Architect; Smith House 2 in West Vancouver by Arthur Erickson, FRAIC Architect, Erickson/Massey; Simon Fraser University also by Arthur Erickson, FRAIC, Architect, Erickson/Massey; Habitat ’67 designed by Moshe Safdie, FRAIC, Architect; and The Toronto Dominion Centre by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Architect, with John B. Parkin Associates, Bregman & Hamann Architects and Scott Associates.The recipients of the 2007 RAIC Awards of

Excellence also honoured at the event are:Allied Arts Medal -- Warren Carther,

BFA, RCA; Innovation in Architecture, Art Category -- Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects + Urbanistes for Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre; Science Category -- Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. for Greenstone Government of Canada Building, Yellowknife; and Levitt Goodman Architects for Leonard Avenue Modular Housing; Business Category -- Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. for Alberta Children’s Hospital, Door, Hardware and Access Control Schedule Database; Advocate for Architecture -- Larry Wayne Richards, FRAIC; Architectural Firm -- Baird Sampson Neuert architects.

The first recipient of the new Green Building award, administered in partnership with the Canada Green Building Council, is Larry McFarland Architects Ltd. for the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Operations Centre.

The Awards of Excellence are bestowed every two years.

The National Festival of Architecture will be held in Fredericton, NB, on June 25 – 28, 2008, hosted by the RAIC and the Architects’ Association of New Brunswick (AANB). “Steering the Current” will be the festival theme.

Saint John Architect, AANB president and festival co-chair, Gaye Kapkin, MRAIC, says, “Members have been active in raising the importance of architecture in New Brunswick and they have attracted interest from the RAIC. The winning ingredients are the St. John River, interesting architecture and Maritime hospitality.” Details at www.raic.org.

Court ruling effectively ends the legal justification for Ontario Association of Architects’ parallel qualification system.“

cIsc ontario recognizes outstanding steel designs Several new awards were among the 17th annual Ontario Steel Design Awards presented by Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) Ontario Region on May 16, 2007. This year 14 projects were showcased with six award winners in four categories.

The Fire & Emergency Services Training Institute earned this year’s Architectural Award of Excellence for architect Kleinfeldt Mychajlowycz Architects Inc., structural engineer Halsall Associates Ltd., general contractor Aquicon Construction and CISC fabricator and detailer Benson Steel Ltd. This project also received the new Green Buildings Award of Excellence.

The Royal Ontario Museum Renaissance Expansion Project and the Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes both received Awards of Merit in the engineering category.

The United States Air Force Memorial earned the Award of Excellence for Projects Constructed Outside of Ontario Award, another new category. The award recipients included CISC steel fabricator Mariani Metal Fabricators; general contractor Centex Construction; architect Pei Cobb Freed

& Partners Architects LLP; structural engineers Arup; and owner United States Air Force Memorial Foundation.

No award was presented this year in the new category Projects Converted into Steel, intended to highlight buildings or other structures in which structural steel was chosen over other building materials because of its unique structural qualities.


News

Worldgbc ramps up in toronto areaThe seventh Annual International Congress of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) will be held in Toronto from July 8 to 11, 2007. Delegates from over 30 countries are expected to attend this four day conference and Ontario community leaders are invited to participate in events at high-profile locations throughout the City of Toronto.

Also, on May 8, 2007, The WorldGBC announced it has selected Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Kortright Centre, described as Canada’s largest outdoor education centre, as the new home of its secretariat.

The WorldGBC is an international union of national councils whose mission is to accelerate the transformation of the global property industry towards sustainability. It is chaired by Kevin Hydes, P.Eng., vice-president of buildings engineering and sector leader for sustainable design with Stantec and a long-time leader in the field of sustainability in North America and abroad.

“The decision to move our operations to Toronto was made based on working with a world class team that can support our efforts as we rapidly build capacity to meet global demand for green building councils,” he announced. “This partnership will help accelerate our organization to reach our target of 100 Green Building Councils in three years and help transform local construction marketplaces globally. As a C40 and a Clinton Climate City, Toronto provides critical synergies with this global community for the WorldGBC through our partnership with Clinton Climate Initiative and now the City of Toronto.”

The WorldGBC will be appropriately housed inside a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Gold building on the Kortright Living City Campus. The most prominent initiative of the WorldGBC is the LEED building standard.

For details on the 2007 International Congress, go to www.worldgbc.org or contact Melissa Ferrato, 416-661-6600 ext.5569, [email protected].

ontario commits to leed standard and green roofsThe current Ontario government announced on June 1, 2007 that it is making LEED the minimum design standard for new government-owned construction and major renovation projects.

“Energy use in buildings is responsible for 40 per cent or more of greenhouse gas emissions in the developed world. Using best practices to design, build and maintain government buildings is just one way the McGuinty government is fighting climate change,” according to Environment Minister Laurel Broten.

The provincial government also announced that in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, it will:• phase in the BOMA Go Green Plus

sustainable building standard to assess and establish ratings for existing government-

owned and leased office buildings over 8,361 square metres;

• use green roofs on government buildings to cut costs for heating and cooling, reduce the heat island effect of cities in summer time, help clean the air and prevent rain water runoff.More information is at www.ontario.ca/

environment.

Queen’s park recognizes oacett’s 50 yearsOn Thursday, May 31, 2007, Mr. Phil McNeely, the MPP representing Ottawa-Orlans, told the Ontario House of Commons: “The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists will mark its 50th anniversary this June. As a former consulting engineer and full member of the professional engineering organization, it is my pleasure to tell the House about OACETT.”

McNeely went on to note that “for 50 years, it has upheld a tradition of protecting public safety by certifying its members, many of whom are graduates from the provincial college system. In its first 40 years, the association processed more than 53,000 applications for certification.

“All of the certified technicians and technologists in our province, who cover a wide range of engineering disciplines, have contributed greatly to the economic growth of Ontario. What’s also noteworthy is that this organization has, from its beginning, measured and recognized the credentials of internationally trained professionals arriving in Ontario, helping them and helping our economy. This has made a difference for many of these new Canadians. From 2000 to 2004, 6,836 self-identified engineering technicians and technologists immigrated to Ontario.

“One of the many ways the OACETT has helped foreign-trained professionals has been through the bridge-training programs, language training, referrals, employment workshops, career mapping and many other services. With this proud history, it is my pleasure to congratulate the OACETT for reaching its 50th anniversary and for the exceptional work it has done for the past 50 years,” he announced.

OACETT is a non-profit, self-governing, professional association of approximately 20,000 members and a 42-year history of certification in Ontario. It confers the designations C.Tech., C.E.T. and A.Sc.T which are recognized across Canada through the efforts of provincial associations that make up the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT).

"Although OACETT has strong ties to government, it is not a government organization and does not receive public funding from the province. OACETT activities are primarily funded through annual membership dues which are income tax deductible."

Mariani Metal Fabricators of Etobicoke, ON, fabricated the 82 metres high United States Air Force Memorial to flight, engineering and some 54,000 killed air force personnel. The surface of the memorial was designed to withstand corrosion for more than 200 years.


czech hoists come to north americaHoist distributor Beta Max Inc. of Melbourne, FL., claims to be solving a potential construction bottleneck. A news release from the company suggests the lack of availability of hoists with higher-speed motors can cost contractors several thousand dollars while workers wait for hours to be taken up by a slower model.

Beta Max now represents the Pega rack-and-pinion hoist manufactured in the Czech Republic. Although Alimak has been the hoist leader in the U.S. market, the Pega hoist is no stranger to high-rise construction. Pega is being used for constructing the immense Dubai Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 640 metres, it is set to be the tallest building in the world.

Beta Max claims “the fully hot zinc galvanized hoists are easier to erect and maintain because they employ more powerful engines utilizing VFC drive systems in place of counterweights. The lack of counterweights means less occupied space, faster time to put up, and when it comes time to expand the height of the hoist (jumping), it is faster and easier as well. The more powerful engine also makes for a smoother ride.”

The Pega hoist high-speed model is said to be priced 50 per cent less than its key competitor, considerably lessening the cost difference between renting and purchasing.

With the continuing increase in high-rise construction and renovation, demand will only increase for large hoists. According to the company’s news release, competitors such as Pega bring much-needed breaks in pricing and lead times so that contractors, with their crucial time frames, aren’t left on the ground.

Beta Max Inc. can be reached at (321) 727-3737 or www.betamaxhoist.com.

pipe lining protects against lead leachingRecent lead levels discovered in water testing in Ontario have triggered major concerns about the lead solder on copper pipe joints. Pipe Shield Inc, a division of Bradley Mechanical Services in Mississauga, ON, claims to have an economical and ‘green’ solution that eliminates the leaching of lead and other heavy metals into drinking water.

President Brad Arnold recommends an ANSI/NSF approved epoxy to coat the piping in residential, commercial and government properties that have tested for higher levels of lead in their drinking water.

Instead of ripping and replacing piping and sending discarded metal and debris such as plaster and drywall into landfill sites, the epoxy has proven to be a successful alternative in dozens of lining projects throughout Ontario, Colorado and Southern California over the last few years, the company claims.

After piping is first dried with compressed air, an abrasive material is passed through it to clean and prepare the inside pipe surface for proper adhesion of the epoxy. The epoxy is injected into the pipe, again

using compressed air technology. The epoxy coating starts to gel within 10-20 minutes and completely hardens in the span of four to eight hours, depending on ambient factors and process parameters. Once the curing is complete, a video inspection provides quality assurance.

Bradley Mechanical claims the epoxy coating is up to three times the hardness of a copper pipe and can be used to line any piping material and sizes from 1.27 cm to sizes where it is possible for a person to enter. The Pipe Shield lining system is Ontario Building Code approved.

Details at www.bradleymechanical.com or 800-463-0251.

n 2003 and 2004, Nova Scotia introduced a new Interior Designers Act and a new set of Interior Designers Regulations. The practice of interior design in Nova Scotia is now defined to mean providing design services in relation to the non-structural aspects of a building. This definition includes, among other things, the analysis of the use of an interior area and the development of designs for

an interior area. The Nova Scotia Interior Designers Act does not affect the entitlement of architects to practice interior design. Thus, in Nova Scotia, architects may practise interior design or hold themselves out as entitled to practise interior design, but interior designers may not practice architecture.

In June of 2006, Ontario’s Bill 121, the Interior Designers Act, 2006, passed through second reading. This statute defines the practice of interior design as being that which relates to the construction, demolition or management of the enlargement, alteration, configuration, fitting out or furbishing of the interior space of the whole or part of a building, including finishes, fixed or loose furnishings, equipment, fixtures and partitioning of space, and certain exterior elements such as signs, finishes, glazed openings used for display purposes.

Ontario’s Bill 121 is clear that the provision of interior decoration services related to the selection of materials, window treatments, wall coverings, paint and floor coverings, among other things, does not constitute interior design. Similar to Nova Scotia, the practice of architects in Ontario is not affected by the proposed legislation.

A slightly different approach has been taken in the province of Alberta. The Alberta Architects Amendment Act, 2006 gained royal assent in May 2006 and is currently awaiting proclamation. This new statute, read in conjunction with Alberta regulations, defines the practice of interior design to be that portion of the practice of architecture which includes the preparation of designs respecting interior finishes in a building, fixed or loose furnishings and equipment, and the subdivision of a floor area but excludes services which affect the structural integrity of a building, electrical or mechanical systems, building envelope, usable floor space and means of egress. It would seem that Alberta’s Architects Amendment Act includes interior designers within a defined area of architectural practice.

With more provinces beginning to carve out defined subsets of architectural and interior design practice, one might now ask whether lien rights should be explicitly granted to interior designers. The fundamental argument would appear to be that certain services supplied by interior designers within the newer definitions of “interior design”

appear to add value to the improvement, just like those of architects on the same improvements.

In 1977, architects’ lien rights were acknowledged by the Nova Scotia County Court in Thompson and Purcell Surveying Ltd. v. Burke, [1977] N.S.J. No. 751. In 1980, the Alberta Court of Appeal in Peter Hemingway Architect Ltd. v. Abacus Cities Ltd. et al (1980), 25 A.R. 146 (C.A.), upheld an architect’s ability to file a builder’s lien in respect of architectural drawings and other services supplied to an improvement. In Ontario, architects opted out of their lien rights after an earnest

lobbying effort in the early 1980. However, after some further lobbying a decade later, the Ontario Construction Lien Act was amended in 1997 to grant architects lien rights once again.

The 1989 decision of Master Saunders in Agnelli & Orisni Designs Inc. v. Penturn, 17 A.C.W.S. (3d) 38, may be the only reported instance in Canadian case law where an interior designer was granted the right to lien for services related to the relocation of walls and doorways, electrical work, painting and wallpapering, installation of mouldings, carpet, tiles, fabric, and fixtures and reupholstering of furniture. By way of contrast, recent decisions hold that the mere supply of detachable items, such as walls and furniture systems (see 3726843 Canada inc. v. 879115 Ontario Ltd. (2005), 42 C.L.R. (3d) 200 (S.C.J.)), does not constitute a lienable service.

If interior designers are included within the professional category of architecture, albeit in a limited way, the statutory lien rights of architects may have to be expressly extended to cover the work of interior designers. If interior design and architecture are defined as two distinct areas of practice, however, the question of what services are lienable will remain an issue of concern to interior designers across Canada. B

Andrea Lee is an associate at Glaholt LLP barristers & solicitors

By Andrea Lee

INTERIOR DESIGNERS’ LIEN RIGHTS?

IS IT TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE

The fundamental argument would appear to be that certain services supplied by interior designers within the newer definitions of “interior design” appear to add value to the improvement.

“


Legal Corner

I


n Canada, some regions are enjoying unprecedented construction activity and economists are predicting that the same will continue for a number of years to come. There

are tremendous opportunities for contractors. With substantial work available at healthy margins, many contractors are being rewarded for the risks inherent in their business. While the stage is set for success, it is not guaranteed. In any economic cycle, there are risks associated with economic booms that, if not managed well, can turn an almost certain success into failure. A contractor’s attention to administrative detail, financial elasticity and effective risk transfer will differentiate those who will succeed from those who will fail.

A company’s greatest resource is its people. Stretching existing human resources or acquiring additional key personnel to run a project adds significantly to the construction risk. This risk is increased when all the participating companies in the construction chain are on their largest project ever. To the extent that there is a direct correlation between proven construction expertise and risk, there is no doubt that today construction companies are putting more and more of their capital at risk for each additional dollar of construction undertaken.

The adequacy of historical project monitoring systems needs to be considered in order to ensure problems are identified early and documented appropriately. The current environment lends itself to construction change orders and disputes, and therefore, the quality of documentation and attention to administrative detail will be paramount to success.

To support an increased level of construction activity, successful contractors are building their balance sheet. While there is no replacement for proven construction expertise, a strong balance sheet allows a firm to execute its business plan and maximize its return on equity. While different businesses have different needs for capital, liquidity (cash flow) is a key attribute of all successful construction companies. Liquidity allows a firm to negotiate from a position

of strength, execute on its business plan with confidence, and eliminates the credit availability risk associated with third party lending agreements. For those contractors who self-perform a large percentage of their contract value, there is no question that increased volumes have put pressure on their balance sheets. It is not uncommon today to see a contractor having its best year ever from a profit and loss standpoint, while the balance sheet shows signs of distress. They are working the balance sheet harder than ever to finance such things as holdback receivables, work in progress, inventory and unapproved change orders. Building a strong balance sheet provides a contractor with a competitive advantage, and goes a long way to mitigate the risk.

It is prudent for those contractors who are dependent on self-performing contractors, key supplier and manufacturers to transfer as much of the cash flow, construction and inflation risks to third parties. This group in the construction chain assumes the majority of the construction inflation risk, which today is running at unprecedented levels in certain parts of the country. Surety bonds transfer much of the cash flow, construction and

inflation risks off the balance sheet of the contractor and onto the

balance sheet of a third party. The unwillingness or inability

of a self-performing contractor, key supplier or manufacturers to provide

a bond should be carefully assessed and

alternative risk

mitigation options explored. While contractors should look for bonds from self-performing contractors, key suppliers or manufacturers to protect their interests, these entities should look for the contractor to give the project owner a performance and payment bond to protect their interests. Generally speaking, the payment bond provides protection to those entities that contract directly with the contractor in the event that the contractor defaults on his contractual obligations. Such protection ensures that the self-performing trades, key suppliers and manufacturers do not abandon the project and helps ensure that they are not left unpaid at the end of the job. Owners must remember that the benefit of a new project to a community is quickly lost if the local construction community goes unpaid. Private owners and governments should be mindful of the fact that the ill will from a failed construction project can linger for years, unfairly tarnish reputations and put viable construction companies at risk to construction failure. From the perspective of transferring the cash flow, construction and inflation risks to the balance sheet of a third party, as well as ensuring those companies involved on the project do not go unpaid, the surety product provides terrific value with respect to mitigating risk.

Risk mitigation starts with a review of the construction contract itself. Although owners, financiers and contractors may try to transfer risk from their balance sheet onto another party’s balance sheet, the end result may be far from equitable. Today more than ever, contractors have to thoroughly review the contracts they are being asked to sign. Acceptance of risk is okay, as long as it is within the contractor’s control, the project is priced accordingly and the contractor has taken prudent steps to mitigate the impact that such a risk could have on its balance sheet. Those contractors that capitalize on the opportunities that exist in a buoyant construction economy will have successfully matched their people and financial resources to the opportunities they have pursued, and they will have protected their balance sheet through prudent risk management. B

Kevin Irvine is national vice-president, Contract Surety, Travelers Guarantee Company of Canada

14

Insurance Corner

By Kevin IrvineManaging risks in good times I Building a strong balance sheet provides a contractor

with a competitive advantage and mitigates the risk.“

building strategies Summer 2007

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hat’s the main challenge facing architects in Canada these days?

“The challenge is always the budget,” replies the recipient of the Royal

Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Gold Medal for 2007, Mario Saia, FIRAC. Saia is the founder of Saia Barbarese Topouzanov (SBT architectes) which focuses its practice on architecture, urban design and environmental design from its base in Montreal, QC.

Saia earned his degree in architecture in his hometown at Université de Montréal in 1963. After continuing his studies at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, he apprenticed for a year in Copenhagen, Denmark, before returning to Canada in 1967. He recalls that

in Europe, the most popular newspapers would often have something about architecture as a front page story and still do, today. He finds that while most people are aware of and appreciate the value of architecture overseas, it is not so on this side of the ocean.

“The main problem is to convince the client they need more budget for architecture,” he elaborates. “In North America, architecture is not considered an art as it is in Europe. It is one-third of the value of what it is in Europe. In Europe, it is a tradition. You can read the history of the city by the architecture, so it is very important.

“As architects, we have to educate more than we do,” he continues. “We have a responsibility

The challenge of a client’s budget for architecture is more acute in north america than

in europe where people seem to have a greater appreciation for the artistic merit of this

work. The architectural firm Saia Barbarese Topouzanov has achieved success within these

limitations. award-winning founder Mario Saia reveals how.

By Susan Maclean

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controversial Bold, colourful,

Saia Barbarese Topouzanov

Company Profile


to educate the people. We won’t if we always say yes [to clients’ limitations].”

Saia applauds inviting architects with international reputations to do work in Canada – like West 8 based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, who with du Toit Allsopp Hillier won the Toronto central waterfront design competition. He is encouraged even when the discussion is critical, such as that levelled at the Sharp Centre for Design expansion of the Ontario College of Art & Design in downtown Toronto. The design by Alsop Architects was described by Globe and Mail columnist John Barber as a Kleenex box. Saia also cites Frank Gehry (Gehry Partners) and Norman Foster (Foster + Partners) as other architects who attract attention to this art form. “It awakens people,” he says. “Discussion is good.”

SBT architectes has also sparked controversy and not by accident. “In general, we try to do architecture which provokes discussion and criticism,” Saia admits. “You must not be afraid to do something to challenge the public. It is easy to be politically correct.”

For example, SBT architectes was involved – along with Tétreault Parent Languedoc and Associates, Aedifica and Hal Inberg – in designing the $240 million expansion in 2003 of the Palais des congrès de Montréal, a convention centre downtown Montreal. The new façade of the Palais des congrès is a spectacular kaleidoscope of colourful glass. The interior hallway is saturated with the colours reflected from the glass. Saia sees the building as an ambassador to visitors to the city, expressing many Montrealers’ love of vitality.

“Everyone talked about it,” he recalls. “It was published in magazines all over the world. Now it is almost an iconic building.”

The Palais des congrès was a competition, so the design was approved up front. Otherwise, he admits it can be tough to persuade a client to be so bold or controversial. “Half of [the work of ] architecture is to convince the client. If you don’t know how to sell a project, you’re in trouble!”

His stature in Canada as a distinguished architect indicates he has done some successful convincing over the years. As project architect and principal designer, he has been recognized with a series of architectural distinctions and awards. These include two Governor General’s Medals in Architecture, 13 Prix d’excellence from l’Ordre des architectes du Quebec, gold and silver LEED certifications, a Home of the Year Award (US, Mexico and Canada) from Architecture magazine as well as the HUE international award for use of colour and the Pan-American Wood award for the use of wood in architecture.

The most recent honour this past April was the RAIC Gold Medal, awarded in recognition of significant contribution to Canadian architecture. It is the highest honour the profession of architecture in Canada bestows. Here are the words of the RAIC Gold Medal Selection Committee: “Of the slate of significant and literate architects in Canada, there is little doubt that Mario Saia is one of the most provocative. His buildings depart from the realm of the familiar, the comfortable, the conservative. He pushes the frontiers of conventional design and incites both users and passers-by to reflect on the meaning and purpose of architecture, of city planning and of milieu. He consistently addresses context with concern and innovation, resulting in a body of work that is diverse, creative and meaningful.”

His studio is known as a sort of school from which have emerged several practising architects well-known on the Canadian scene for the high quality of their work. He is said to surround himself with recruits from diverse cultural and academic horizons.

Certainly an international flavour can be found in SBT architectes’ work, although the enthusiastic use of colour stems at least in part from Saia’s native city. He attributes his preference for colour to trying to counteract the greyness he sees in Montreal’s winters. Both Saia and partner Dino Barbarese, who joined in 1987, bring the influence of their

families’ Italian origins while partner Vladimir Topouzanov, who came on board in 1991, is Bulgarian.

Projects are mostly in Canada and range in dollar value from $200,000 to $240 million. They span commercial office, education, research, health, culture, leisure, residential, renovation and restoration, with institutional type projects more dominant of late.

The firm follows the studio principle where the partners and 20 employees – professionals, technicians, project managers and computer graphics experts – contribute their personal skills through all the stages of a project, from conception and preliminary sketches to working drawings and construction. In fact, he attributes much of the firm’s success to this traditional way of doing all the details themselves, rather than doing only design and outsourcing the construction drawing aspect. Saia sees that approach as more difficult to control the quality. It also serves as “an incubator for architecture” and has launched many an architect.

So, they all sit around the table and brainstorm for that good idea that will generate the design. “We don’t laugh when someone has an odd idea,” he says. “Sometimes we end up accepting it and improving it.”

He cites by way of example the Pierre-Dansereau Science Complex UQAM in Montreal – the biology sciences pavilion for the University of Quebec – which he says was inspired by a spiral. The firm recreated that shape with a pattern that was repeated on the exterior of the angular structure, although the material changed from façade to façade. The overall impact of the vertical spirals suggests brick undulating on the façades.

While the approach may be traditional, the style is very contemporary and based on a design concept that is clear and simple. The firm seeks a strong concept rooted in pure and simple geometries marked by significant axes and strong rhythms, as well as contrasts – concordances and discordances, familiar arrangements and surprising elements.

“We want a concept that speaks by itself,” he adds. “If you enter one of our buildings, it is very easy to find where you are. With the simplicity, you know what direction to go without a sign to tell you where to go.”

And, always the firm keeps abreast of what’s going on around the world, including new building materials. “It is good to know what’s going on,” he says. “We don’t copy, but we want to know the way other architects think. We may learn about a new material in Germany. We try to know what it does and how we can use it. When we meet with all our staff, we discuss this. We want to be evolving along with everything else.”

Not shying away from controversy, selling clients on the merit of challenging the public, being open to diverse cultural and academic influences, taking a traditional studio approach and staying current in a global context – these seem to be the successful strategies for SBT architectes to build on the strengths of its very capable founder.. B

controversial Saia Barbarese Topouzanov SBT architectes’ projects range from residential, such

as the private home pictured left, to this spiral-inspired UQAM Pierre-Dansereau Science Complex.

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GLAHOLT LLPCONSTRUCTION LAWYERS

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urrently, many remedial techniques are being used for cleanup of contaminated soils. Soils remediation techniques address the Vadose Zone (the region extending from the

ground surface to the upper surface of the principal water-bearing formation) and situations where the saturated zone is engineered to become unsaturated, e.g., when ground water is pumped to create an unsaturated zone.

The most efficient, permanent and fastest remedial method is the Dig and Haul method whereby the contaminated soil is excavated and hauled to remote disposal facility for the particular contaminants. The soil is then replaced with clean soil to restore the site.

In the Prepared Bed Treatment method: the contaminated soil may be either:• physically moved from its original site to a newly

prepared areas, which has been designed to enhance treatment and/or to prevent transport of contaminants from site; or

• removed from the site to a storage area while the original location is prepared for use, then returned to the bed, where treatment is accomplished. Preparation of the bed may include placement

of clay or plastic liner to retard transport of contaminants from the site or addition of uncontaminated soil to provide additional treatment medium. Treatment may be enhanced with biological and/or physical/chemical methods, as with in situ systems.

In Situ Techniques include:• soil vacuum washing;• bioremediation;• immobilization; and • mobilization.

Soil vacuum extraction (SVE) is also known as forced air venting, or in situ air stripping. This technique involves extraction of air and contaminants from unsaturated soil. Clean air is injected or passively flows into the unsaturated zone. Volatile partition from soil water into soil air, and the vapour-laden air is removed using vacuum extraction wells. Typically, components of SVE consist of vacuum extraction wells, air inlet wells, and vapour monitoring wells distributed across a contaminated site, and blowers to control air flow. Extraction wells may be placed vertically or horizontally, although vertical alignment is typical for deeper contamination zones and for residues in radial flow.

In situ biological remediation (Bioremediation) of contaminated soils with organic chemicals is also an alternative treatment technology for achieving a permanent cleanup remedy at hazardous waste sites. This method involves the use of naturally occurring micro-organisms to degrade and/or detoxify hazardous constituents in the soil at a contaminated site to protect public health and the environment. Components of soil bioremediation systems generally include:• delivery systems – such as

injection nozzles, plows, and irrigation systems – deliver water, nutrients, oxygen, organic matter, specialized micro-organisms, and/or other amendments, as required;

• and run-on and run-off controls for moisture control and waste containment.

Immobilization: constituents in situ systems are generally immobilized through sorption, ion exchange, and/or precipitation reactions. These techniques reduce the rate of contaminant release from the soil environment so that concentrations along exposure pathways are held within acceptable limits. (These are also used in Prepared Bed Treatment systems).

Solidification and stabilization are additional immobilization techniques that are applicable to in situ and prepared bed systems. These techniques are designed to accomplish one or more of the following: • production of solid from a liquid or

semisolid waste;• reduction of contaminant volubility; and/or • a decrease in the exposed surface area across

which transfer may occur. Solidification may involve encapsulation of fine

waste particles (microencapsulation) or large blocks of waste (macroencapsulation). Stabilization refers to the process of reducing the hazardous potential of waste materials by converting contaminants into their least soluble, mobile, or toxic from. Systems for delivering reagents to the contaminated

area include: injection systems; soil surface applicators; and /or delivery and application of electrical energy for melting soils and rock that contain hazardous materials.

Mobilization of organic and/or inorganic contaminants from soil may be accomplished using

soil flushing and recovery and treatment of the elutriate. Flushing solutions generally include water, acidic and basic solutions, surfactants, and solvents. The solutions partition a contaminant into the liquid phase through the volume of added liquid or by decreasing the distribution coefficient between the soil and the flushing phase. Components consist of (1) the flushing solution, and (2) delivery and recovery systems, which may include injection and recovery wells, equipment for surface applications, and holding tanks for sorting elutriate for reapplication. B

Camille Atrache is chief operating officer and partner at Tri-Phase Environmental Inc.

By Camille Atrache

Remediation techniques for contaminated soils

Environment Corner

C


nsuring that construction projects run efficiently and smoothly from an administrative viewpoint can mean huge savings in time and energy, as well as

reducing labour costs. While technology can play a role in streamlining administrative and accounting systems, knowing how and when to apply technology requires human intervention based on knowledge and experience.

On any construction project it is important that project success parameters be established at the outset. Obvious measures of success – delivery on time, within budget, and at the highest quality – give some direction to the project team. A project’s success will also be measured by the extent to which the end result meets stakeholders’ expectations, as well as how well difficult issues are resolved. Even a project that has met its cost, schedule and quality targets can still be considered a failure, if important issues have not been resolved.

Supply chain management is one of the key areas where inefficient and cumbersome procedures can be minimized or eliminated altogether, obviously and significantly affecting the final outcome.

One example of a supply chain management solution to administrative inefficiencies is Convero, designed in the early 2000s and supported by AMEC Technologies, an international engineering firm that delivers and supports customer investments in capital assets in construction projects in a variety of sectors, ranging from process plants, oil and gas facilities, to transport systems and schools and hospitals.

project managementThe solution is part of the project management services provided by AMEC and is designed to provide ‘life of asset’ support – looking after a customer’s investment from beginning to end. This process involves working with customers from the very start of their investment, helping develop the initial concept, planning funding and adding value from initial concept through to final, detailed design.

Once the asset is commissioned, long-term care and support services are provided, from maintenance to specialist support services such as energy efficiency audits or environmental testing. And at the end of the asset’s life, AMEC can help shut it down safely.

Throughout this process, value is added by providing services like operator training, regulatory and environmental advice and business consultancy, as well as a wide range of technical services tailored to the needs of a particular industry or customer, for example, by providing oil and gas simulation models or food processing control systems.

“Modern construction companies are precision operations with overlapping tasks, multiple timelines, national or international supply chains and razor thin margins,” says Dave Robertson, AMEC’s director, Convero development and support.

Project managers are under ever-increasing pressure to maximize the delivery of benefits and return on investment. And they have to do it all on time, on budget and with no sacrifice in quality or safety.

“Convero is a full supply chain management solution,” he continues, “which uses the latest technology to manage capital costs, organize supply chain data and integrate key project information into the overall management of a project. The tool has been successfully implemented on several major

By Duane Sharp, P. Eng.

iT solutions can improve the

efficiency of management and

administration processes on

construction projects and ease

the load on project managers

and support staff.

Weeding out construction

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Management Strategies


Canadian construction projects, including: the $928 million Highway 407 construction in Toronto, and the City of Calgary $900 million infrastructure program.”

By establishing an accurate overall budget for all aspects of a project from the foundation up, Convero has created a more thorough understanding of the project and its requirements, spurring efficiency each step of the way. It is also being used to facilitate payment to contractors as their goals are achieved as well as separating out direct and indirect project costs to give a more comprehensive analysis of the entire construction process.

In the construction industry, technological advancements are often confined to heavy equipment and machinery. But project managers need to be aware that project management technologies are also available which have the potential for increasing efficiencies on the job. With 25 years of service to project managers, Convero would seem to be one example of an IT solution that can deliver a complete project management information database.

home-grown application Another IT product developed by a major Canadian construction company to improve the efficiency of construction projects is EDgeBuilder, a management information system which won a Canadian Information Productivity Award for its developer, Bruce Fleming. The CIO of EllisDon is a strong proponent of IT to support construction projects and improve the efficiency of administrative processes.

Fleming has a wide field of interests and besides being a structural engineer with an MBA, he has a bent for computer technology, regularly searching for new technologies or applications that might improve how the company runs. For example, he was an early advocate of superintendents using computer notebooks and wireless handheld devices, and equipping job sites with web cameras.

EllisDon successfully used EDgeBuilder to automate its operations and provide seamless interaction between project staff and its headquarters in London, ON.

“We now have about 304 projects running on EDgeBuilder in various stages of progress, with a total value of over $6 billion,” says Fleming. “Since we implemented the product, EllisDon has grown significantly to about 800 salaried employees, and from about $500 million to $1.6 billion in project value, with very little additional back office costs. As well, we have broadened the product to provide corporate overviews, enabling individual executives to get weekly snapshots of each project, which provide trend analysis data over time.

When EdgeBuilder was spun off from EllisDon Construction in September 2002 by a joint venture between Bell Canada and Econstruction, a history of growing up inside one of the construction industry’s

leading players and in a fast growing sector of the economy had already established it as an innovative software application with great potential.

Jim Ilkay, president of Econstruction, described the evolution of his firm’s service offering over the past five years. “When we commercialized the original ‘EdgeBuilder’ product in 2002,” said Ilkay, “we were mainly focused on the software. Over time, we came to realize that many of our customers didn’t have the time or resources to properly manage and support major technology initiatives. We had to shift our focus from being technology innovators to being a results-oriented company, which meant taking a much larger role in helping our customers achieve their business goals.

“In some cases, we had to provide a soup-to-nuts IT infrastructure for our systems to run on, right down to laptops and

Blackberries,” Ilkay continues. “We acquired Bell’s interest in EdgeBuilder in March 2004 and began building a comprehensive technology services company focusing on the capital projects market. Today we service some of the leading firms in the construction industry, ranging from well-known companies like CB Richard Ellis, Earth Tech, EllisDon and Kenaidan Contracting, to smaller, progressive companies such as Blackthorn Group, Techtonix Construction, and Torbear Construction. EdgeBuilder powers many prominent construction projects, including the William Osler Health Centre in Brampton, the Ontario Science Centre Renovations, the Art Gallery of Ontario and 180 Queen St., to name a few.

“One of our more popular and fastest-growing services, which we put in place about a year ago is SiteCam, a service which enables customers to visit a project site over the Internet,” he adds. “The idea of installing cameras on sites is nothing new, but keeping sophisticated electronics running in harsh climates over the life of a multi-year project is no simple task. Our customers simply want to see their project online. They don’t want to climb poles or deal with the complexity of keeping everything running.”

Econstruction’s SiteCam division provides a turnkey package with an optional maintenance plan that removes the headache of designing, installing and maintaining the equipment.

Beyond just providing remote access to projects, SiteCam also captures images on a regular basis and stores them in a secure facility. The image archive can help reconstruct site conditions at a particular point in time, which can be very valuable in resolving issues and improving site logistics.

“The construction industry can benefit greatly from emerging technologies,” he adds,

“especially at a time when the demand for talent is at an all time high. When people spend more of their time on high value work instead of pushing paper around, everyone wins.”

streamlining invoicingToronto-based condo builder Tridel Corporation also earned a top Canadian Information Productivity Award for its home-grown application to eliminate disputes around 69 per cent of invoices from suppliers and sub-contractors. As we reported in Building Strategies Winter 2006/2007 (Vol. 1, No. 4), the company’s Zero Invoice System was created by Tridel’s chief information officer Ted Maulucci, P. Eng., Ba.Sc., MBA.

Tridel received more than 65,000 invoices annually, generated from purchase orders. With the new system, one invoice can cover many purchase orders, resulting in a 93

per cent drop in the number of invoices processed by Tridel and an equally dramatic reduction of disputes over inaccuracy.

The system involves suppliers and construction sites being connected to Tridel’s offices by a virtual private network. The contractors send invoices to Tridel’s bookkeeping department before the work is done, not after. The invoices specify that a certain amount will be paid for the delivery of a product or service when completion is confirmed.

At the construction site, supervisors mark off completed work on a custom-designed electronic schedule. The system automatically reconciles the schedule with invoice payments. Suppliers don’t have to deliver paper invoices and wait to be paid or to find there is a dispute. Tridel sends them a notice that a product or service has been delivered satisfactorily according to mutual agreement, then pays promptly.

The Zero Invoice System was a breakthrough in efficiency for both Tridel and its suppliers. With the computer-assisted invoice reconciliation and advanced reporting tools, Tridel claims it offers suppliers a higher degree of service and control. The number of invoice discrepancies is down to just 10 per cent of the total. Tridel estimates it is saving almost half a million dollars annually in dispute-resolution costs, not counting legal fees. Also significant is that key supplier relationships have improved.

Clearly it pays to take a step back to consider if there’s a tool or a process that your company could develop or adapt that would help weed out inefficiencies and boost your bottom line. B

When people spend more of their time on high value work instead of pushing paper around, everyone wins.

“

22

a new multi-residential development proves that luxury need not be sacrificed for the sake of environmentally-friendly, energy conservation considerations.

By Susan Maclean

Project Profile

uxury has a new address in Toronto’s Bayview Village.” That’s the tag line on some of the marketing material for the “exceptional

condominium residences” in the St. Gabriel project being built by Toronto developer Shane Baghai.

Construction is underway on a three-hectare property near Bayview and Sheppard Ave. that the developer acquired from the Roman Catholic parish of St. Gabriel’s. The parish retained part of its original property where it has built a new church. The original church was demolished when the condominium project began last summer.

This Shane Baghai condominium project is being marketed as a community and includes two 19-floor towers referred to as St. Gabriel Village, 23 townhouses in a complex named St. Gabriel Lane, and 169 fully furnished condominiums called St. Gabriel Terraces.

One of the pre-cast concrete St. Gabriel Village towers, Building B, will have 100 suites ranging in size from about 120 to 200 square metres. The other tower, Building C, which will have a 12-storey wing, will offer 152 suites in a slightly greater size range – from about 101 to 210 square metres. The St. Gabriel Lane townhouses are three storeys with private elevators and range from about 276 to 297 square metres. Both the Village towers and Lane townhouses are scheduled for occupancy in June 2008. The St. Gabriel Terraces condominiums with the top seventh floor featuring 18 two-storey lofts will range from about 40 to 125 square metres with December 2008 as the expected occupancy.

The entire development is billed as an elegant collection of condominium suites and towns echoing French and Italian designs with contemporary details. This is an upper scale

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This rendering of the St. Gabriel Village development underway by Shane Baghai is meant to reveal a European influence in the architectural detailing for the exterior façade.

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complex, commanding listed prices ranging from $558,000 to $1,253,000 plus maintenance fees for the tower residences.

So how does one create luxury? “There are so many components that go into that,” replies the St. Gabriel architect, Andrew Bigauskas of Rafael & Bigauskas Architects. “The site, design, location, amenities in the community, the amenities in the building, the quality of materials, the size and layout of the suites – the services within the building; the concierge – there are different levels of service you can have within a building. The interior design, the interior design finishes – it is all of these things that go together.”

In this case, luxury means a waterfall in the lobby, a rooftop garden terrace, elegant lighting features, architectural details inspired by the grand hotels of Europe, a 24-hour concierge and other lifestyle amenities one would find in a private club. Other elegant details include custom wood trim, recessed or raised panel door profiles, brushed nickel-finished hardware door handles and locks and natural stone counter tops. Standard floor finishes are natural stone, imported ceramic, hardwood or carpet.

For the Village towers, fitness and recreation facilities will include the latest workout equipment, men’s and women’s saunas, an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, media room, games room, kitchen facility. The landscaping by Mississauga, ON-based Strybos Barron King will play an important part with a courtyard fountain, shaped alcoves and pavilions with trellises.

Even the promotional material builds on the upper scale design. For example, here’s the description of one of the towers’ two-storey high lobby: “Magnificent chandeliers, gleaming stone floors and polished mahogany columns create a regal atmosphere that extends in every direction.”

Luxury also stems from the reputation of the developer. Baghai Development Limited was established in January 1976 to construct high calibre, custom homes on choice lands owned by Shane Baghai. Over the years in response to home buyer demands, the company’s range of designs

expanded to include affordable townhomes, luxury condominiums and single family residences up to 1,858 square metres. By the 1980s, Shane Baghai had become the largest custom home builder in Canada and possibly North America. He remains so, mainly based on dollar value. He has received numerous awards over the years, including being inducted into the Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association (GTHBA) hall of fame in 2002.

Shane Baghai is also known for his advanced energy conserving interests and, typically, the St. Gabriel residences will go beyond luxury to incorporate many energy conserving lifestyle features. These include “the highest energy-efficient rating fixtures we can get,” says architect Bigauskas. For example: high efficiency boilers, front loader washing machines which are known to save water, the expected compact fluorescent (CFLs) and some LED lighting in the suites in kitchens under counters, individual heat pumps and heating/cooling controls for each suite, occupancy sensors in suites so lights go out when vacant, carbon dioxide monitors in the garage so fans kick in when needed instead of running 24/7 and storing storm water for watering grass.

It’s attractive to the condo owners to save energy, though not because they can’t afford its cost, Bigauskas explains. “There’s a new awareness in the public that we really need to start thinking green if we’re not going to have a problem down the road, so I don’t think there is anyone who isn’t interested in it at this point. There’s just a general awareness that’s growing about the importance of these issues.”

But Baghai has viewed these issues as important for at least three decades and has been an innovator in this regard. “In the 1980s, I used to resort to methods of conserving energy,” he recalls. “Some of my homes had ground source for geothermal heating and cooling systems. The fresh air system or heat recovery system was used by me. I may have been one of the first builders in Canada that spent the extra money and cared about indoor air quality.”

“Shane’s always produced buildings ahead of the curve,” agrees Bigauskas. “He was the first one to install urban wind.”

That first was at the One Avondale condominium located in uptown Toronto which not only conserves energy more than most buildings, but generates it through the renewable sources of wind and solar power.

This building of 96 full-height condo lofts features rooftop solar panels and wind turbines (16 of them) and super-size generators, designed to keep the development’s common areas functioning in case of a blackout or brownout. The wind turbine is discreet, with two-metre blades capable of generating one kilowatt an hour. The solar panels cover approximately 50 square metres of the rooftop mechanical shed and generate another one kilowatt an hour.

emergency power capabili-tiesSimilarly, the St. Gabriel structures will have rooftop windmills about six metres high, rooftop solar power panels and a hybrid generator to supplement the buildings’ power needs. In the event of an outside power interruption, the buildings will have power.

The equipment for capturing and storing the renewable energy for St. Gabriel and One Avondale is being supplied by True-North Power Systems, a distributor of Aeromag small wind Lakota turbines as well as towers, solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal hybrid systems. Based in Lion’s Head, ON, president David Cooke says there are no special measures being taken such as orienting the roof to face true south to harness the solar and wind energy – and that’s the point.

“It’s a statement of the ability to do it no matter where,” he stresses. “Everything doesn’t have to be perfectly optimized to make use of [solar and/or wind energy]. It doesn’t have to change the shape of the building necessarily. You can still make use of your own architectural design even if it isn’t specifically for solar. I believe in this case, St. Gabriel’s roof structure was designed to allow this

The St. Gabriel residences in Toronto’s Bayview and Sheppard area will capture solar and wind energy with equipment supplied by True-North Power Systems.

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Shane Baghai's use of rooftop wind turbines and solar panels is an energy conserving statement.

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Project Profiletype of solar energy capture to be added. It wasn’t an after thought. They are making use of the upper facades of the electrical/mechanical rooms on the roof to hold the panels. We’re still working with the architect to decide how to arrange those to get the best value for the investment and so they look nice.”

Cooke says the solar panels will make the most difference in capturing power because the air turbulence typical of many inner city areas makes it difficult to get very productive wind turbines. On the other hand, “there’s no reason that you won’t get a good productive solar energy system because all you need is the space on the roof,” he explains.

“Shane has really been the leader in this throughout Toronto,” he continues. “Some years ago we got talking about what I was doing in small wind and solar and he said: ‘why sit here and wait for other people? Let’s lead the way!’”

“It’s a start,” says Baghai. “It’s a statement we wanted to make and we’re doing a lot of research on our existing windmills and solar panels. They are monitored through computers and we can tell at any point how much power they are generating.”

Although it would seem that Baghai has always been bent on taking a conservationist’s approach, it was the blackout in central and eastern Canada and the U.S. a few years ago that prompted him to have a generator running on natural gas and which would be sufficient to light up and run an entire building during a power outage. He chose natural gas as it releases less emissions than diesel.

Also, St. Gabriel’s, like many of his other buildings, will have condensing boilers which use the heat in exhaust gases to preheat the water entering the boiler. “The initial capital is higher than a normal boiler but it is 95 per cent efficient and it creates enough steam and heat to turn a turbine and from that you can generate electricity,” he explains. “So, you’re killing two birds with one stone – hot water and electricity.”

Baghai is, of course, a proponent of passive solar design. He is also a fan of green roofs which he says “do save energy, are good insulators and they are very good for water conservation. They also keep the building cooler in the sun.”

St. Gabriel’s will have light-coloured paving and light-coloured exterior material since “light colours present a lot of savings when it comes to air conditioning,” he says.

Already retaining rain water for irrigation use later, he adds he is considering using storm water for flushing the toilets at his next project. This entails a change in mechanical design to have another riser of pipes to take the storm water directly to the toilets “and nowhere but the toilets,” he says. “It requires another holding tank that we first add chemicals to because we want to make sure that a toilet has water without any contaminants or bacteria.”

Another idea is to have “heat exchangers under your shower stall so that when your warm water warms up the floor, that heat is not all wasted – it is exchanged and reused to assist in heating water. “Rather than pouring cold water into your boiler, you’re actually preheating it before it hits the boiler so the boiler works less,” he explains.

And so it is that the St. Gabriel project will prove that energy conservation is compatible with luxury. The key, adds Baghai, is to go to “proper consultants for every item that we’re thinking about

Designed by Rafael & Bigauskas Architects, the St. Gabriel Village towers and Lane townhouses are scheduled for occupancy in June 2008.


ou can’t stop someone from breaking in or damaging your building, but you can deter them and make it more difficult for them to gain access. Around-the-clock vigilance

is not a practical option for most premises, so electronic technology is increasingly being deployed to help keep buildings secure.

Rutherford Controls International Corp. (RCI) in Cambridge, ON, is among the companies providing access control systems, including the fob-based systems, or smart cards. Marketing manager Kelly McManus says they go beyond enabling building managers and owners to control access to a complete building, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as to selected areas within a building.

“In addition to access control, these devices provide an access audit trail with a record of who entered a given area and when,” McManus says. “Some systems have gone completely wireless, enabling them to be controlled and monitored remotely, often using the Internet or other local network. In addition to controlling access to doors, elevators, parking lots and garages, some current systems can be set up to monitor building maintenance systems and integrate with closed-circuit television systems (CCTV).”

One firm supplying that remote service is Toronto-based Into-Electronics Inc. Director Rodney Wechsler reports that the most common security risk is simply a door left ajar.

Since 1990, the firm has been helping property managers by remotely monitoring premises 24/7 – initially in downtown Toronto only but now for hundreds of buildings across Canada. Among Into-Electronics’ services is “e-building management,” i.e., remotely applying the access controls as established by a client – which door(s) and at what times each specific access card can be used – and alerting when there is a break in the security.

With a full 24/7 redundancy or system backup at its control centre, Into-Electronics offers a more reliable service than an on-site building manager whose local computer controlling access levels might fail or simply be off when needed, says Wechsler. He adds that his firm can readily restrict access according to a company’s rules – for

example, all ground floor doors locked from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. – and monitor compliance with this and other rules. For instance, a door left ajar at a client’s premises will signal an alert at Into-Electronics and that will be followed up on by the method established by the client – typically a phone call.

A widespread crisis can prove too great for a property manager with multiple locations, but Wechsler says on September 11, 2001, when certain high level security sites needed to be locked down, “it took only minutes to restrict all access” at the properties for which his firm was responsible.

The company will monitor cameras and other building management concerns, such as flood levels and sump pump functioning. It also provides remote technology support for clients who do their own programming of electronic surveillance systems.

Securing personal safety and corporate assets

Technology is playing a very important role in security systems designed to protect

people and companies against those who wish to perform illegal or harmful acts.

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Securing personal safety and corporate assets

Among the technologies and protocols in the forefront of today’s security systems are BACnet (Building Automation and Control network), contact-less smart cards with read/write capability, biometric verification, intelligent digital video identification, and detection devices for hazardous material and subsequent automatic shutdown of HVAC equipment, reports Robert Keil, vice-president and general manager, western Canada, for Stanley Security Solutions.

Markham, ON-based C.J. Rush Industries, part of the Stanley Works - Access Technologies Products Group, provides single source solutions for complete entrance systems, including manual and automatic revolving doors, extra large revolving doors, security revolving doors, balanced doors and pivot/swing doors, along with coordinated architectural metal work such as canopies, screens, windows, glass walls and handrails.

Integrated security Certainly, security systems have become highly sophisticated as integrated computer technology helps link what were once separate building operations.

Colin Doe, CEO of Veridin Systems Canada Inc., in Mississauga, ON, sets the stage where the keycard of an employee arriving at an office building in the morning could not only unlock the lobby doors, but also trigger the lights serving the

employee’s office to go on and the HVAC to warm or cool that office. Or, the fire detection and fire alarm system could be integrated with security systems so if a fire should occur, security cameras in proximity immediately train on to the cause, providing footage and intelligence to emergency crews before going in.

“The security industry and those involved in building management systems continue to strive cautiously into the prospect of aligning everything from HVAC, security, fire and lighting/electrical, just to name a few,” he notes.

Doe also predicts electronic check-ins will appear in more lobbies over time, replacing the pen and paper method of visitor sign-in. “Computerized kiosks in the lobby automate the process as visitors provide a driver’s license or other ID to be scanned. A digital image is taken of the visitor while the scanned ID leaves a digital paper trail, as well as cross-referencing names of unwanted visitors. The kiosk contacts the host electronically or via an automated phone message that the guest has arrived. A printer outputs a badge specific to the visit with expiry, eliminating reuse of badges.”

Technology is addressing not just unauthorized access of people, but also threats of a microscopic nature and containment of unknown airborne or contagious viruses. Doe adds that the idea of “immune building” technologies has arisen to stop the spread of dangerous agents through ventilation shafts and HVAC systems.

“Building HVAC systems are being equipped with sensors to detect biological and chemical attack agents,” he continues. “Filters, airflow-diversion technology, and neutralizing equipment are incorporated to prevent such agents from circulating in the building.

He says overall building surveillance has also improved with more affordable products offering better quality and ease of use. Digital technology has spawned a variety of styles, shapes and sizes of cameras so selections can be made in the building design process to blend with the environment.

GE Security is also providing integrated security systems products and services. The integrated


“The product has intelligent fire alarm control panels and can be engineered to fit the unique fire protection needs of a facility, providing a seamless scalability with a fire alarm network,” says sales manager Pat Patel. “A digital voice command feature offers voice evacuation capability, custom voice messaging and multi-channel audio.”

Mircom, based in Vaughan, ON, manufactures and markets fire control and communication products dedicated to the life safety and telephone access markets. In addition to control panels, Mircom produces ancillary devices and signaling peripherals, with a product line that ranges from conventional systems to intelligent analog and emergency zoned audio systems for larger commercial, industrial and residential markets.

maintaining the investmentBut, no investment in security is worthwhile if it is not functioning. Ian Henry, president of DBS Security Solutions Ltd., a Scarborough, ON–based company specializing in multi-unit access control, recommends an extensive preventive maintenance program to avoid having to explain to a board or a unit owner that the security system was not doing its job when it was needed. Perhaps a card access system was of no use because a door contact was broken or the reports do not work. Or a VCR did not record a car being stolen or other break-in event because it had not been serviced or the tapes were too old.

systems the company designs, installs and supports in the global marketplace include: access control, intrusion alarm monitoring, integrated photobadging, elevator control, CCTV integration, intercom initiation, alphanumeric radio paging, subsystem integration, management reporting and redundant configurations.

Vipond Systems Group based in Mississauga, ON, offers Oasis – Open Architecture Security Integration System – a software package which integrates numerous security systems, including CCTV, access control, alarms, intercoms, pagers and others into a common graphical user interface. The company claims that no other software package supports the variety of products – more than 75 systems from 30 manufacturers. The package is said to be in use at more than 1,000 facilities worldwide, including many high security government and defense facilities.

fire control productsThe company has a division providing an international fire protection, design, construction and servicing. Vipond Fire Protection technicians assess fire risks, evaluate owner’s needs, conduct fire hazard analyses and develop conceptual solutions, as well as perform system design, supplying complete detection and suppression systems, installation, service, training and other services.

As mentioned earlier, technology plays a role in fire protection and detection as well. Brampton, ON-based Profire Safety Services sells a non-proprietary fire control panel called the Notifier. Manufactured by Honeywell, users can program it to perform desired functions.

He suggests the following quarterly checks.Closed circuit TV (CCTV) system: clean,

focus and adjust any cameras as required; verify operation of head end, ensuring record quality, programming and time/date stamp; replace tapes for each VCR.

Door entry control: verify operation of all entrance panels, common equipment, door and door strike.

Card access: verify operation of computer and communication with panels; verify battery voltages and power supplies at controllers; purge old transaction files; verify reports functioning correctly; verify each door contact, door strike, door opening/closing and alarms.

Henry recommends annual maintenance include: programming the following years’ holiday dates and daylight savings time into the system, replacing all back up batteries, verifying operation and upgrading software to the latest current version.

DBS Security Solutions began in 1983 as a representative of the Viscount Enterphone door entry control and intercom system. The company expanded in 1991 into offering CARD ACCESS and CCTV systems, and are now very strong in these key areas of multi unit access control. B

For details, check out: www.rutherfordcontrols.com; www.into-electronics.com; www.stanleysecuritysolutions.com; www.veridin.com; www.gesecurity.com; www.vipond.ca; www.profire.ca; www.mircom.com; www.dbssecurity.com


afety on construction sites is a never-ending, critical concern for those in the industry. Construction associations, government regulators, contractors and consultants are constantly working to

develop and improve safety practices to respond to the changing construction environment, where new tools and technologies have the potential to create new safety and health hazards.

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is in the forefront of organizations involved in construction safety. Recently, the CCA introduced a new Gold Seal safety designation, the ‘Construction Safety Coordinator.’ The coordinator works on the job site and is responsible for assisting management and other company personnel in the administration, development, implementation and monitoring of the health, safety and environment (HSE) programs.

With the introduction of this designation, there are now three Gold Seal designations, and the most recent one is an important opportunity to promote health and safety on the job site, emphasizing how safety is equitable with other business functions such as quality, profitability and productivity. This designation also offers increased recognition to those in the construction sector who wish to further their skills in health and safety.

safety awardsRecognizing construction people for practicing exemplary safety procedures is one way the industry has for rewarding good safety practices. Earlier this year, the CCA National Safety Award, sponsored by Vipond Inc., was presented to Mike Moore and Sons Construction Limited, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Mike Moore and Sons has a comprehensive, written safety policy and practices, and the company is a strong supporter of safety initiatives, as demonstrated by its active support of a variety of safety initiatives. Company representatives sit on local and provincial safety groups and the company helped found the Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association Safety Group. Monthly safety meetings are held with senior management, and daily and weekly safety meetings are held at jobsites. Extensive training is provided by the company

to all employees and all subcontractors must demonstrate a high commitment to safety.

Ken James is safety director for the company, and describes some of its safety practices, as well as expresses the firm’s support for the recent safety initiatives by the CCA and the COCA. “Our company believes that safety meetings are essential to building a safety culture and team environment, both regularly scheduled company meetings and tool box or work site meetings. Team meetings are important for carrying out their objectives, because teams need meetings to spread information, for training, resolving problems and planning.

better safety meetings“The company newsletter has a regular focus on safety and the need for safety meetings, and in a recent issue I pointed out one trap that many firms fall into, and that is not making the meetings meaningful – no structure, no participation and no supervision present,” he continues. “What kind of message does this send? Employees need to be encouraged to contribute since many of them have spent their whole working lives following orders and may take some encouragement to become comfortable in a setting where they are expected to contribute their ideas. The big question is: how can we work towards making each of your team's safety meetings a cost-effective, valuable use of time and an opportunity to build cohesiveness and a sense of purpose?

“What is the purpose of the meeting? There are different types of safety meetings: instructional sessions, information-sharing meetings, hazard recognition and discussion, job planning and meetings called to make safety commitments. The meeting topics will dictate who should be present, who will be affected by the discussions, outcomes and work methods and how the meeting will be run.

“Just about any meeting is a golden opportunity to recognize noteworthy safety contributions by team members,” he adds. “Those who receive recognition will enjoy the experience and wish to contribute more. Team members should be thanked for good ideas they bring forward, and for their attention and interest. This concept works very well and motivates

everyone to contribute more, not only to safety meetings but also to near miss, accident and incident reports and investigations.

“Meetings are not an interruption of work,” he stresses, “they are the team's work. The difference between preaching and practicing safety is measured one safety rep at a time."

James says the firm sees real merit in the latest Gold Seal certification program by the CCA and has always been strong supporters of the Gold Seal certification program generally. “All of our supervisors and project managers are Gold Seal certified and our president recently received the Gold Seal ‘professional’ designation.

“Our only concern with the newest designation,” he adds, “is that the terms of reference required to meet the criterion will be difficult for smaller firms to achieve, since the individuals must be full-time safety directors on a project for an extended period of time. We are working with other construction companies and the CCA to refine the designation so that smaller firms can qualify.”

“Construction safety needs to be elevated to a higher level of importance to developers and construction companies alike, and we believe that some form of financial incentive – a tax credit, for example – should be added to discussions on safety issues and how to make safety a key element in any construction project.”

safety edge – tool for safetyIn another safety initiative, the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA) has re-launched The Safety Edge, a tool which makes the business case for safety in construction. The program has been enhanced with development of an interactive CD for presentations, training and education in the field by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and the Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO).

As part of the re-launch, the web site (www.safetyedge.ca) has been updated to encourage contractors to post testimonials attesting to the importance of health and safety in their own businesses. Submissions are entered into a draw for a prize pack. B

By Duane Sharp, P. Eng.

The perennial hazards – falling, equipment misuse causing user injury, fire, noxious

substances, for example – are always present. proper safety measures and vigilance are

ongoing requirements to protect construction site workers.

Designation, tools emphasize job safety

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