THE PATH TO NET ZERO

This decade promises to be full of important change. Policy and regulatory changes, such as the Energy Step Code and initiatives to lower the embodied carbon impacts of buildings are at the forefront.

By 2032, all of BC’s new buildings will be required, by code, to be “Net-Zero Ready” – namely, an energy-efficient building that is “ready” for the addition of renewable energy. The end goal of this change is buildings that will only use the energy they can produce.

As the amount of energy needed to run a building is reduced, decreasing the amount of carbon needed to construct buildings will have elevated industry importance. This next step focuses on reducing the “Embodied Carbon and Energy” expended over a building’s lifetime, from material extraction to manufacturing, transportation, construction, maintenance, and onward to end-of-life disposal or reuse. Starting in 2023, BC is developing a Low Carbon Materials Strategy, which will investigate setting targets to decarbonize further and decrease Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emitted by our industry by 2030.

This neighborhood focused centre is a fossil fuel free, all electric operation with heavy timber shear walls and roof. The design is a first step towards a total low carbon energy and low carbon materials solution.

This “Passive Before Active Systems” courtyard design allows deep units with access to natural light and cooling via cross ventilation while integrating biophilia into resident’s everyday circulation.

TKA+D together with RDHA recived the AIBC 2006 Innovation Award supporting projects that have achieve a building design “…that have a direct bearing on the future of architecture”. The operable façade provides a semi-outdoor environment for the workshop spaces that positively benefit from fresh air, direct access to sunlight, and protection from the rain.

AN INDUSTRY INNOVATING

The design performance targets of buildings will tighten this decade at a rapid pace. In response, our industry will be required to work collectively to develop innovative yet practical solutions. As a result, BC’s construction industry will become more competitive, and new economic development opportunities will open. We all must become more agile.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

At TKA+D, we are preparing our designs and processes to enable ourselves, our peers, our clients, and policymakers to contribute effectively and positively to this industry shift. We are formalizing our practices in sustainable and high-performance designs that have evolved since the inception of TKA+D. We are constantly:

• reviewing design principles and processes
• staying on top of emerging trends and leading-edge technologies
• embedding innovation in design as needed
• mentoring and sharing experiences
• finding opportunities for funding/grants
• revisiting how to connect building performance with design excellence optimally

The evolution of TKA+D Sustainability initiatives is focused on preparing the information our clients will need to inform the meaningful decisions that this decade and our future will demand.

Targeting LEED Gold as part of Vancouver’s Green Building Policy for Rezonings, this project will yield one of the first “Blue/Green Roofs” in the region. Low maintenance sedum cover creates an extensive “Green Roof”. A flat rainwater retention chamber below the soil creates a “Blue Roof”. The resulting “Blue/Green Roof” is multi-functional stormwater management system which automatically feeds the green roof as a resource rather than becoming a waste product.