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The Living Building Conference was held at Cambrian College’s eDome on Thursday September 27th, 2007.
Overview
Imagine buildings that are designed and built to operate as elegantly and efficiently as a flower. Imagine a building
that is inspired by its geographic location, influenced by its natural environment, and that
generates all of its own energy through renewable resources.
captures all of its water and treats all of its waste water on site.
uses resources efficiently and is showcased by an esthetically pleasing design.
The Cascadia Region Green Building Council (Cascadia) has issued a challenge to all building owners, architects,
engineers, and design professionals to build in a way that will provide all of us and our children with a sustainable
future.
The one-day conference in Cambrian College's eDome will chronicle the origin and emergence of a powerful idea
based on a simple metaphor - that of the living building. It will explore the history of energy-efficient building design
and construction in Northern Ontario, and it will illustrate the possibilities in the world of architecture. It will also
discuss the future and will outline how buildings should be built in order to ensure a sustainable future and to
address powerful trends such as climate change. The conference will inspire architects, developers, and builders.
Most importantly, it will prepare them for the future of sustainable building design and construction. Conference
workshops will support business and association partners by providing information on how to market residential
energy-saving products and by demonstrating the installation of energy-efficient building materials.
There are currently no living buildings in North America that have been built based on the definition created by the
Cascadia Region Green Building Council. There are, however, multiple projects that are close in several areas and
a few that exceed the standard in one or two criteria. Given that the expected life-span of a home exceeds 50
years, it is important that sustainability and energy conservation be incorporated in the construction of today's new
homes. Increasing home energy costs coupled with concerns about sustainability of energy sources make it
imperative that homes that are built today do not become a financial burden on future homeowners. The time is
ripe for true living buildings to emerge.
The conference will take place in the eDome (Electronic Delivery of Modular Education) at Cambrian College in
Sudbury, Ontario, and will be broadcast live and over the Internet via streaming. The College's eDome is a world-
class facility designed for live or recorded presentations, featuring broadcast quality audio and video, large
projection screens, and surround-sound. The conference will include a trade show for green builders and
alternative energy businesses and manufacturers.
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Speakers
Jason McLennan serves as CEO of the Cascadia Green Building Council, the Pacific Northwest's leading
organization in the field of green building and sustainable development. Cascadia is a chapter of both the U.S.
Green Building Council and the Canadian Green Building Council. McLennan is known as an international thought
leader in the green architecture movement and has lectured on sustainability across the U.S. and Canada. His
work in the sustainable design field has been published in several journals, magazines, conference proceedings,
and books. He is the author of three books; The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, The Dumb Architect's Guide to
Glazing Selection, and the Ecological Engineer. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design is currently used as a
textbook in over 30 universities and is distributed widely throughout Europe and North America.
He is a former Principal at BNIM Architects, one of the founders of the green design movement in the United
States, where he worked on many of the leading high performance projects in the country, including LEED
Platinum and Gold projects and zero energy projects. At BNIM, he created the building science team known as
Elements, which set new standards for energy and resource efficiency on many of its projects in various building
types. McLennan is also the founder and CEO of Ecotone Publishing the only dedicated green building publisher in
North America. McLennan was recently named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Most Influential Individuals in the
design and construction field by Building Design and Construction magazine, and Green Designer of the Year by
Pitch Magazine.
Presentation
McLennan's presentation on Living Buildings will include the following:
why Sudbury is the inspiration for the living building and what it means to build one;
a description of the environmental crisis ahead in four signal areas including climate change, habitat loss, the
rise of persistent chemicals, and social inequity;
leading green building thinkers from across North America;
footage of the Launch of the Living Building Challenge at Denver Greenbuild;
a description of the Living Building Standard with examples/walkthroughs from various buildings across the
continent that share aspects of the living building - loosely organized around the main categories of the
standard: site, energy, materials, water, Indoor Quality, and Inspiration/Education;
design drawings and presentation of the Cambrian Project - designed to be a living building; and
snapshots of other developers and projects pursuing living buildings
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Peter Love was appointed Ontario's first Chief Energy Conservation Officer in April 2005 to head the Conservation
Bureau, a division of the Ontario Power Authority. The mandate of the Conservation Bureau is to provide
leadership in electricity conservation and demand management, and advance a conservation culture in Ontario.
Love has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the area of energy efficiency. As the Executive Director of the
Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance, he was a leading advocate for energy efficiency and its related benefits to the
economy and the environment.
No stranger to the concept of a "cultural shift" in the province, early in his career Love worked as a project
coordinator for Pollution Probe with the team that developed the concept "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".
Love received both his MBA and BA from the University of Toronto.
Presentation
Love will be speaking about the importance of energy conservation in the provincial and global context, how more
stringent building codes and standards will help contribute to sustainability and energy savings, and how to design
energy efficiency and sustainability into new building construction.
as architect
Castellan is a native of Sudbury and is the founding partner of Castellan James + Partners Architects Inc.
established in Sudbury in 1984. He has designed a diverse range of project types including cultural, heritage, civic,
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institutional, correctional, commercial, recreational, and residential projects, in addition to numerous urban and
community scale planning studies.
The community continues to recognize both his design and leadership abilities, and the design firm he has created
with the award of high profile civic projects, such as the new airport for the City of Greater Sudbury, the YMCA
Centre for Life, Federal Building Renovations to 19 Lisgar Street, and leading-edge projects in Adult Lifestyle
Community Living. Castellan has also worked on sustainable design projects, including the original concept design
for the Living with Lakes Centre. Recent projects include the new 72,000-square-foot School of Education building
(English Teachers College) currently under construction at Laurentian University - a high performance sustainable
design building that is targeted to be Sudbury's first completed LEED Silver project.
As a member of Northern Ontario's architectural community, Castellan participates in a variety of forums focused
on sustainable design, urban development, and arts and culture, including 15 years on the Board of Directors of
the Art Galley of Sudbury, a member of Earth Care Sudbury's Energy Advisory Committee, and a member of the
Canadian Urban Institute.
Castellan's keen ability to lead, collaborate, and 'think the problem / intuit the solution' pervades his work as
architect, artist, and technician. He has received degrees from the University of Waterloo Sciences (B.Sc., Physics
- 1973), Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES 1976), and Bachelor of Architecture (1979) that underscore a
unique crossing of scientific, artistic and cultural thought evident in his work. This unique background provides a
strong, intuitive sense and a distinctive, fresh approach to each project.
as artist
Castellan is an active artist (painting and sculpture) and has exhibited his work consistently over the years. His
work represents an ongoing internal dialogue about the enigma of 'the north/our place' and the 'human form'. His
work is described as 'poetic'.
Castellan has received numerous Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance Grants for his solo exhibitions and
has participated in many group exhibitions when he began publicly exhibiting his work in 1987. His work has been
supported by the community, the Galerie du Nouvel - Ontario, the Art Gallery of Sudbury, and the Joan
Ferneyhough Gallery in North Bay.
His work has been critically reviewed by the press, included in exhibition catalogues, and in 2001, he was one of
three Canadian artists shortlisted for the Spanish War Memorial on the Capital Hill in Ottawa - a national
competition to design a memorial commemorating Canadians who fought in the Spanish War of 1939.
Presentation
Castellan will speak about the Emergent Order: the impact of scale and the machine in the garden.
Bill Crawford, Chief Technical Advisor for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Crawford is a Chief Technical Advisor with over 30 years of experience at CMHC in both the inspection and
research divisions.
His strong affiliation with various professional associations and code committees provide him with a comprehensive
insight on building science in new homes and related problems in older homes.
His experience with low and high-rise buildings, environmental issues, and renovations gives Bill a good
understanding of the technical problems facing builders, renovators, professionals and the consumer.
His work can take him outside of Canada to showcase Canadian technology, and research new innovative
concepts in home construction and marketing. Bill holds diplomas in both Engineering Technology and Business
Management.
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Presentation
Crawford will speak about a balanced house that can be built in a healthy way and that addresses both indoor and
outdoor environments while generating as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis, yielding a net zero
energy bill.
Mueller has been President of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) since 2005 and has been involved in
sustainable resource management and planning, green building, and sustainable community development for 20
years.
He has held various positions in the Policy and Planning Department of the Greater Vancouver Regional District
(GVRD), focusing on advancing demand side management programs in the business sector. During this time, he
created and managed the green building program for the district. In his last position with the District, he was
Division Manager, Business and Community Services.
Mueller has been director of the Canada Green Building Council since its inception in 2002. He chaired the LEED
BC Steering Committee responsible for the first adaptation of the LEED building rating system outside the U.S.
Mueller also chaired the Vancouver Chapter of the CaGBC from 2002-2005 and is a past board member of the
USGBC Cascadia Chapter.
Presentation
Mueller will address attendees at the breakfast. He will overview the goals of the Canadian Green Building Council
and the transformation of the built environment in Canada leading to a sustainable future.
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Mario Kani is President of Sustainable EDGE Ltd. an engineering based sustainable technologies firm. Throughout
his 25-year career, Kani has worked on the design of low energy houses and buildings, addressing efficient and
durable envelope design, alternative mechanical technologies, and sustainable building and community systems.
Kani is a LEED Accredited Professional and has served on several boards of community-based environmental
organizations.
Kani has been involved in local projects, such as the Laurentian University Student Residence, the New School of
Education Building, and the Living with Lakes Ecounit Project, all in collaboration with Castellan James + Partners
Architects.
Presentation
Solar Hot Water: Why not?
Solar hot water systems are established technologies still waiting to be significantly exploited. Kani's presentation
will explore current manufactured and innovative technologies available, complementary strategies and programs,
barriers to and opportunities for cost-effective deployment, the contexts for the house, and building and community-
scale installations.
Steve Jacques, Regional Manager of the Community Development and Research, CMHC
Steve Jacques has been the Regional Manager of the Community Development and Research department at
CMHC's Ontario Business Centre since his appointment in 2005.
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Jacques was first hired by the corporation in 1989 as a Market Analyst in the Sudbury Office. In 1990, he joined
Northland Engineering to work as Senior Development Planner. He was rehired as a Market Analyst by the
Sudbury Office in 1992. Between 1992 and 1996, Steve served on the Board of Directors for the Ontario
Professional Planners Institute. During this same period, he was an Adjunct Professor at Laurentian University,
lecturing on Housing and Urban Planning. Jacques moved to the National Office in 1996, as a Senior Researcher,
Economic Analysis, in the Research division. He returned to the Ontario Business Centre in 1997 as Senior Market
Analyst at the Toronto Branch. In 1998, he was appointed Manager, Market Analysis Centre, Ontario Business
Centre. In 2001, Steve assumed responsibility for both Research Information Technology Transfer and Market
Analysis for the Ontario region.
Steve holds a Master of Science (Planning) degree from the University of Toronto, an Honours Bachelor of Arts
from Laurentian University in Sudbury, and a Certificate in Municipal Class Environmental Assessment. He is a
Registered Professional Planner in Ontario, a Member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute, and a
member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.
Dent completed his Bachelor and Master degrees at Queen's University before joining Halsall Associates, a
consulting engineering firm specializing in structural design, building science, and sustainable design. Since that
time, he was worked as a sustainability consultant on many jobs - from Herman Miller's Head Office in Toronto, the
Rockcliffe mixed-use development in Ottawa, to helping develop green building regulations for both the City of
Toronto at the Waterfront, and the City of Pickering. His passion is for green residential buildings, especially using
natural materials as the primary structure. He became interested in straw bale building almost five years ago, and
has had the chance to design the first load bearing straw bale house in Sudbury. Aaron has been a LEED
Accredited Professional for over two years.
Presentation
Dent's straw bale presentation will give an overview of the best practices for building straw bale today, including
important design considerations, as well as a brief look at some straw bale building codes. This will be followed by
a Sudbury case study to give some insight into the actual building of your own straw bale home.
Mancini is currently president of R. Mancini and Associates Limited and Vice-President of GeoThermax Inc., a
geoexchange design-build company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Mancini has been engaged as a
Consulting Engineer in the HVAC field since 1977 and has been responsible for the design of over 10,000 tons of
commercial/institutional geoexchange systems across North America since 1984. He has served on a committee
responsible for the development of CSA 447, "Design and Installation of Commercial Ground Source Heat Pump
Systems"; and CSA 448 "Design and Installation of Earth Energy System." Mancini is a corresponding member of
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ASHRAE's Ground Source Technical Committee, and co-authored an ASHRAE symposium paper entitled
"Operating and Maintenance Experience with Ground Source Heat Pump Systems". Mancini was also one of two
consultants chosen by the US GeoExchange for its Design Assistance Program.
Mancini earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1973. His active
memberships include the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario, the American Society of Heating
Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, the Association of Energy Engineers, the International Ground
Source Heat Pump Association, and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
Presentation
Mancini will speak about geothermal heat pump systems for commercial, institutional, and residential buildings.
Dr. David Pearson, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Co-Director, Science Communication
Program
Dr. David Pearson is a Professor of Earth Sciences and Co-Director of the Science Communication Program at
Laurentian University. Dr. Pearson sat as the Chair of the former C-CAIRN, the Ontario branch of the Canadian
Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network dedicated to improving knowledge of climate change impacts
and to identifying appropriate adaptation measures.
Dr. Pearson served as Project Director for Science North from 1980 to 1986 and remains Associate Director,
participating in special projects. He has hosted two television series: "Understanding the Earth" for TV Ontario, and
"Down to Earth" for Mid-Canada Television, as well as a weekly radio spot, "Radio Lab", on CBC Northern Ontario
Radio. He is an invited member of the Osprey Writers Group. He received the Ward Neale Medal from the
Geological Association of Canada for promotion of Earth Sciences in Canada in 2001 and the McNeil medal for
science communication from the Royal Society of Canada in 2003.
Presentation
Dr. Pearson will speak about the adaptation to global warming in Northern Ontario.
Lorraine Gauthier is a principal in Work Worth Doing (www.workworthdoing.com), a forward-thinking design studio
creating social and environmental change. Lorraine initiated Now HouseT (www.nowhouseproject.com), one of the
winning projects in the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's national EQuilibrium housing pilot
demonstration initiative. She is leading the team that will be retrofitting the demonstration house situated in
Topham Park, Toronto.
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Prior to starting Work Worth Doing, Lorraine ran a Toronto-based corporate communications company that
provided consulting services for Fortune 500 and Canadian companies in the financial services, energy, and
telecommunications sectors.
Lorraine was a member of the faculty at the Ontario College of Art and Design and is currently on the board of
Homes First Society, a non-profit organization providing housing for homeless families in Toronto. She holds a
Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from the University of Toronto and a Master of Science in journalism
from the University of Kansas. In addition, Lorraine has recently completed the US Green Buildings Council's
LEED-CI (commercial interiors) program.
Presentation
Now House - What if your house had an energy cost of zero?
Lorraine will be speaking about Now HouseT, her team's winning project in CMHC's national Equilibrium housing
pilot demonstration initiative.
About a year ago, Lorraine Gauthier brought together a team of architects, engineers, designers, and homeowners
to respond to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Net Zero Energy Healthy Home national design
competition, now called the EQuilibrium housing pilot demonstration initiative. The team's design submission
called, Now HouseT, proposed to turn a 60-year old wartime house into a near zero energy home - one that
produces almost as much energy as it uses. In February, Now House was chosen as one of 12 winning teams from
across Canada. As the only winning team doing a retrofit, Now House is in a unique position to show homeowners
and their local contractors how a few simple changes can turn older houses into healthy, energy-efficient homes.
The team plans to start with one small wartime house, then continue with a community of wartime houses, with an
ultimate goal of retrofitting an estimated million wartime houses across the country.
Documents
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Questions - livingbuildingconference@cambrianc.on.ca
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1400 Barrydowne Road
Sudbury, Ontario
http://www.cambriancollege.ca/energy/conference/
Canada P3A 3V8
(705) 566-8101
© Cambrian College
All Rights Reserved.
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