Building Green, Thinking Long-Term

Look, we're not gonna sugarcoat it – the construction industry has a massive carbon footprint. But here's the thing: we've been obsessed with flipping that narrative since day one. Every project we touch gets the sustainability treatment, no exceptions.

Our Green Philosophy

Honestly? We're tired of architects talking big about sustainability and then designing energy-sucking boxes. We've spent years figuring out how to make buildings that actually perform, not just look good on paper.

Energy First

We design with passive solar principles baked in from sketch one. Orientation, thermal mass, natural ventilation – this stuff isn't an afterthought, it's foundational. Cut your HVAC loads by 40-60% before you even talk about mechanical systems.

Water Wisdom

Toronto gets plenty of rain, so why aren't we harvesting it? Our buildings capture, filter, and reuse greywater. Rain gardens, permeable paving, green roofs – we've been doing this since before it was trendy.

Materials Matter

Concrete's embodied carbon is brutal. So we spec alternatives – mass timber, recycled steel, local stone. And when we do use concrete, it's supplemented with fly ash or slag. Every material gets scrutinized for its lifecycle impact.

Adaptive Reuse

The greenest building is the one that's already standing. Heritage restoration isn't just about preserving history – it's about keeping tons of material out of landfills. Plus, those old buildings have character you can't fake.

Sustainable construction

By The Numbers

Data doesn't lie. Here's what we've accomplished across our project portfolio since 2018.

47%

Average Energy Reduction

vs. standard code baseline

38%

Water Use Decrease

through smart fixtures & harvesting

2.4k

Tonnes CO2 Avoided

annually across all projects

23

Certified Projects

LEED, Passive House, WELL

Construction Waste Diversion

Recycled/Reused 76%
Landfill 24%

We're aiming for 85% diversion by end of 2026. Getting there means better sorting on-site and finding buyers for materials that typically get dumped.

Material Sourcing Radius

Within 500km 62%
500km - 1500km 28%
Beyond 1500km 10%

Local sourcing cuts transportation emissions and supports regional economies. Sometimes you gotta go farther for specialized materials, but we always look local first.

Certifications We Pursue

Third-party validation keeps us honest. These aren't just badges – they're frameworks that push our designs further.

LEED Certification

Been doing LEED since v2009. We've gotten comfortable with Gold and Platinum levels – Silver doesn't really push us anymore. The new v4.1 carbon metrics are brutal in a good way.

18 projects certified

Passive House

This one's tough – like, really tough. The airtightness and thermal bridge details require obsessive attention. But the performance? Unmatched. We're seeing heating loads drop to almost nothing.

4 projects certified

WELL Building

Sustainability isn't just about the planet – it's about people. WELL focuses on occupant health: air quality, lighting, acoustics. Turns out, happy tenants are more productive tenants.

6 projects certified

Living Building

The most ambitious standard out there. Net-positive energy, zero waste, biophilic design – it's less a certification and more a philosophy. We're working toward our first one now.

1 project in progress

ENERGY STAR

For our commercial clients who need proven energy performance. Less rigorous than Passive House, but still means you're in the top 25% nationally. Good baseline for cost-conscious projects.

12 projects certified

Toronto Green Standard

Local requirements we've gotta meet anyway, but we typically shoot for Tier 2 or 3. The city's getting serious about embodied carbon tracking, which is forcing everyone to level up.

All Toronto projects
Green roof implementation

Real Talk About Green Building Costs

Let's address the elephant in the room – yeah, sustainable design can cost more upfront. But here's what clients don't always see:

  • Energy savings pay back in 5-8 years – We've got buildings saving $15k-40k annually on utilities
  • Better resale value – Green-certified buildings sell for 7-15% more on average
  • Healthier spaces mean less sick days – Commercial tenants see productivity gains
  • Future-proofing against regulations – Toronto's net-zero by 2030 target is coming fast

Plus, when you design smart from the start, you're actually reducing mechanical system sizes. That solar orientation? It cuts your HVAC budget before you buy a single panel.

Mass timber construction

Our Design Process

We bake sustainability in from the very first sketch session. Here's how it actually goes down:

1
Site Analysis

Solar path, prevailing winds, drainage patterns. We spend days analyzing before drawing a single wall.

2
Energy Modeling

We run simulations constantly. Test massing options, window ratios, material assemblies. Data drives decisions.

3
Material Selection

Life cycle assessments for everything. Embodied carbon, toxicity, durability, local availability.

4
Systems Integration

Passive strategies first, then high-efficiency mechanical. Renewables when they make sense.

5
Post-Occupancy

We check back after a year. See if the building's performing like we modeled. Learn, adjust, improve.

Let's Build Something That Lasts

Not just physically – we're talking buildings that'll still be energy-smart in 50 years. Buildings that don't wreck the planet while they stand. That's the standard we hold ourselves to, and it's non-negotiable.

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