From Brian
Registration is Open: Passive Fire Protection - Firestop Systems Webinar
I am excited to announce the next webinar we are doing in conjunction with Nick Bray Architecture scheduled for Tuesday May 27th, 2025 at noon Pacific time online via Zoom.
Join Gianni Vulcano, P.Eng., C.P. of our Victoria office for this great presentation discussing the Part 3 requirements for firestopping, starting from a review of terminology and proceeding through specific details for firestopping joints, perimeters, service equipment penetrations, combustible pipes and even outlet boxes.
The presentation is approved for 1 Core Learning Unit with AIBC.
Click here to Register for this free presentation.
eventbrite.ca
Intel
Modular Housing to Beat Tariff Woes?
With the tariffs from the United States causing a lot of uncertainty in all industries in countries around the world, creative ideas are coming out as to how to move forward with partners that will perhaps be less volatile in the coming years.
This article in Building explores the idea of creating an international affordable housing consortium with five practical moves Canada can take to build this global modular housing alliance.
In our Canadian market, modular buildings have particular challenges in their construction, and not just with wood-framed modules. Specifically, meeting the BCBC fire blocking requirements within the concealed spaces that result when the modules are stacked together, requires careful consideration both in design and on site when assembling the modules. I have unfortunately seen this go very wrong. But, there are options and we have advised design teams on how to get there.
When building for a foreign market, it is important to consider the Building Regulations of the target market. Nearly all materials contained within our buildings are made or tested to a standard, some of which are uniquely Canadian, and different enough from other markets to cause significant challenges in getting the product accepted for use. Similarly, when planning projects where it seems advantageous to buy modular units from a foreign market, care should be taken to ensure they are already tested to accepted Canadian standards.
To make this easier, we either need to harmonize our standards with other target markets, or ensure our products meet their standards through significantly costly testing. As part of the original NAFTA trade agreement, Canada and the United States started making a concerted effort at harmonizing standards to reduce these problems, and many standards, such as the Elevator Standard CSA B44, have been harmonized. Preparing our products for other foreign markets will take time and capital investment in certifications.
building.ca
Lore
Recording: Decoding the Energy Step Code: ZeroCarbon Compliance + Heat Pump Technology
For those that missed our presentation on May 7th on Decoding the Energy Step Code: ZeroCarbon Compliance + Heat Pump Technology with Elisabeth Baudinaud of Carbon Wise and in cooperation with Nick Bray Architecture, you can find the recording on our YouTube channel.
I hope you get lots of useful information from the presentation!
youtu.be
Recycled Wind Turbine Tiny Home
The green revolution is not without its challenges. As wind turbines reach their end of life, how to recycle or reuse the many parts, including the turbine blades, has become an important challenge to address.
The Dutch design studio Blade-Made has designed a tiny home from a Vattenfall wind turbine nacelle as a way to reuse and create housing from this component of the wind turbine to the landfill. The V80 2 MegaWatt nacelle is large enough to provide living quarters not unlike a shipping container tiny home, or the grain bin hotel in the article below. I will say that I am entertained that one can buy a shipping container home on Amazon...
Celerity has written a tiny post about some wee little challenges to look out for if you're planning to build (or buy from Amazon!) a tiny home.
Are these a possible solution for garden suites or carriage homes in our cities to create additional housing? What do you think? Send me your comments at bfraser@celerity.ca!
superuse-studios.com
Intriguing
BINcredible Luxury Grain Bin
If you are ever out in south western Saskatchewan and are in the mood for staying somewhere different, check out the grain bin rooms at Alive Sky Lodge. They also have a 2-storey grain bin you can stay in. Fun!
It is a fun idea, with each grain bin being converted into a single dwelling unit much like a single family house. In the application of the Building Code, single dwelling units get a number of relaxations under Part 9, including reduced spatial and egress requirements, which makes such a conversion a bit simpler, with the existing steel shell of the bin acting as the cladding and roofing of the dwelling constructed on the inside. The school bus conversion, is also interesting, but would fall outside the Building Code provided the bus is still reasonably mobile!
globalnews.ca
Robots in Architecture
It is hard to escape that robots are currently and will continue to be part of our future in the creation of buildings. From automation robots in plywood mills that peel logs and cut out the bad parts, to robotic arms that carve intricate designs in wood beams as shown in this Dezeen article about robots at the Venice Architecture Biennale, our future is unlikely to diverge from automation including the final construction of our homes, shops, and workplaces.
dezeen.com
