November 17, 2016

Canada Green Building Council interviewed our Andy Oding, way back in 2014 about an exciting project that is now well underway:

CaGBC Ask the Expert - Andrew Oding discusses work on Canada's soon-to-be largest LEED® for Homes project.

We spoke to Andrew Oding, Senior Building Science Associate at Building Knowledge Canada, about his 20 plus years experience as a builder, how he got involved in building green homes, and how Building Knowledge Canada is approaching its current project, which could become Canada's largest LEED® for Homes project: Downsview Park in Toronto.

1. Tell us about your background, and how you got involved in green building.
My background has been primarily as a "builder" for the last 20+ years. Most recently working as Operations Manager for a large production builder in South Western Ontario for 13 years. The company (Reid's Heritage Homes) was well known for innovation.

In 2006 we were designing some discovery homes wherein new technologies and practices were being tried. We happened to come across the new LEED® for Homes program which existed in the US and decided to explore the programs requirements. Ultimately we ended up finishing the first LEED® certified home in Canada (2007) which was Platinum. The EnerGuide rating was approximately 92.

More importantly, the lessons learned were priceless. From these discovery homes we carried forward with many of the practices building our homes to either ENERGY STAR® or LEED® standards .

2. What does Building Science really mean and how does it apply to the environmental aspects of a building/home?
It's really quite simple. It is the science of how heat, air and moisture interact with our homes and built environment. Building Science has EVERYTHING to do with environmental aspects. Good building science ensures we are constructing resilient, healthy and efficient buildings while NOT sacrificing the health or safety of the occupants for a supposed "green building" application or product.

3. Is there a green project that sticks out in your mind?
One project in particular was Preston Meadows in Cambridge, Ontario. It was constructed under the LEED® for Neighbourhood Development pilot and all the units were at minimum ENERGY STAR® qualified. The site was a brown field development set in the heart of Cambridge. The beautiful outcome of this project was in the delivery of affordable, medium density housing in an urban setting. Housing that was exceptionally efficient, resilient, comfortable and affordable!

Read the rest of the article on CAGBC.org.

To get in touch with one of our Ontario LEED for Homes experts, use the email links on our team page, or call us at 519-658-6232.