Yet even with its high profile exposure, sustainability is still a widely misunderstood concept – particularly related to housing. What does it mean to create a sustainable development?

“Sustainability as related to architecture is about fundamentally good design,” says Glenn Burwell, Principal at Poon McKenzie Architects. “There are globally accepted standards and certifications that many developers strive for in creating a sustainable development, but if designers are approaching projects with professional integrity, they’ll create a sustainable building without having run through a standardized checklist.”

Burwell is one of Poon McKenzie’s L.E.E.D certified designers (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) – a designation that gives both him and the firm at large the inside track on developing L.E.E.D. certified buildings – an increasingly popular certification process that strives to quantify sustainability. The checklist for qualification in the worldwide program is long and varied. There are several levels of certification a building can acquire, based on the number and quality of components that are incorporated into its design. Though PMA is trained to work with the L.E.E.D. system, the firm uses a customized internal checklist to assist clients in qualifying toward any one of three different programs: L.E.E.D., BuiltGreen Alberta, and Federal Green Globes.

“Sustainability is more than ensuring a development runs efficiently,” Burwell goes on to say. “Construction is taken into consideration as well. Are you using locally sourced materials that will reduce the amount of transport necessary to get them to the site? Are the materials recycled or recyclable? Are you utilizing easily renewable products, such as bamboo or alder wood? The process of being renewable starts from the ground up, and theoretically should begin even before the land is chosen.”

Categories for sustainable initiatives include:
1.  Site selection:
•  Choosing land that is centrally located versus on the outskirts of town in an effort to minimize a city’s ecological footprint
•  Using less than the total area of a site for development, leaving a good portion for other uses such as landscaping and storm water retention
•  Building on reconstituted or “brown field” sites to enhance the appearance of the overall landscape
•  Choosing sites that are close to public transit and/or encourage pedestrian or bicycle traffic.

2.  Water efficiency:
•  Reducing water usage in all areas, from in-suite consumption (low flow toilets, high efficiency water heaters and appliances, etc.) to minimizing the amount of water used for grounds maintenance

3.  Energy efficiency:
•  Reducing energy consumption pre and post construction through effective choice of materials, the orientation of the building, depth of units (to either allow or disallow the penetration of natural light) and the incorporation of alternative energy sources (i.e. geothermal heating and wind power)

4.  Materials & Resources:
•  Conscientious selection of what gets put into the building and where it comes from – preferably using locally sourced materials, recycled, recyclable or second hand materials and environmentally friendly substances and products

5.  Indoor environmental quality:
•  Including attributes such as high quality ventilation systems, quality air filters, and steady fresh air flow throughout the building

“Developers will often come to us with a certain sustainability designation in mind,” says Burwell. “They’re shooting for a target, but there’s more to consider than just the basic points. Site orientation is a big factor,
particularly as it relates to views and the sun.

Views are nice to have, but if you’re installing big west facing windows to capture the view, you have to consider the radiant heat they will take in and the cooling cost associated with that as well. There’s a constant weighing going on between what the best choices are.”

From a consumer perspective, Burwell suggests that buyers hold the cards in encouraging developers to incorporate sustainable initiatives. “It’s an important part of our discussion with building owners during strategic development and pre-design,” he says. “We ask ourselves if buyers would pay more for a sustainable building. More and more we feel the answer is yes. We also believe that by just using good design and making good choices, it’s possible that a more sustainable home may not cost the buyer any more, or save them money over time.  From a housing perspective, buying into a condo is a sustainable decision on it’s own, so you already have a supportive market. Buyers need to be aggressive in asking developers what they plan to do to make their projects sustainable. The more demand there is for it, the more developers are willing to make the investment.”

Chorus Park is a new multi-family development in southeast Calgary that has achieved BuiltGreen status for its design. High efficiency furnaces, in-suite on demand hot water systems, pre-finished hardwood floors and environmentally safe interior paints and adhesives are among the list of attributes that place this 42-unit development in the sustainable category. “The upfront investment for a developer can be significant,” explains Burwell, about choosing to build green.

“Installing a geothermal heating system can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but if the market is asking for it and is willing to pay for it, it will happen – and afterward its essentially free heating and cooling, so it pays for itself in the end.”

It’s even possible for developers to go the extra mile with sustainable initiatives by offsetting the energy emissions associated with their construction process. Several renewable energy companies offer products that direct 100 per cent pollution-free energy to the power grid. (TransAlta’s Green Energy® Tags is just one example.) If the developer estimates 1,000 kilowatts of energy will be used per hour for the build, they can replace that consumed energy (and it’s related damaging emissions) by purchasing an equal number of environmentally friendly megawatts of power.

“Sustainable decisions can be made for any type of development,” Burwell says. “As a buyer, you just need to do a little research. Find out the developers history. Ask owners or tenants in other buildings they’ve done whether they’re happy living there. There has to be shared advocacy for sustainability to make it truly wide spread.”

Poon McKenzie is a certified member of the Canadian Green Building Council.   CL