Progressive builders and developers of homes and commercial buildings have been championing the use of insulated concrete forms (ICFs) for the past several years as a replacement for wood framing due to their countless advantages. This system is regarded worldwide as the premium choice for construction delivering building efficiencies, superior strength, insulation, conservation, and unmatched energy efficiency. Howland Green Homes’ has even taken that one step further.
Howland Green Homes’ new mission is simple: to build beyond net zero. One place this objective is to be realized is in the Canadiancity of Markham, where the company has developed the Howland Green Business Centre, a commercial building which will produce more energy than it will consume.
The First Building of Its Kind in Canada
For Dave de Sylva, president of Howland Green Homes, the future is now. This new project could set a whole new standard for environmentally conscious development that goes above and beyond the current objectives that Canadian developers are required to meet.
Net-zero energy means that a building has the ability to produce enough renewable energy on-site to match its annual needs. The practice has been increasingly realized in Ontario by several developers, and Howland Green is a pivotal example of a company that builds such developments in the Greater Toronto Area.
To go beyond net zero, or to become net positive, a building needs to generate more energy than it useseach year. According to Howland Green, this “raises the bar” in development, not only with regards to ensuring a clean ecological footprint but also in terms of economic efficiency by reducing energy-related costs with less-efficient buildings.
Behind the Energy Savings, Going Beyond the Norm
The Howland Green Business Centre was built using an enhanced insulated concrete form, the new XR35 by Nudura, which will make the building’s combined thermal resistance value considerably higher than the insulated concrete formsused in other similar structures. The XR35 increases the walls from 25/8 inches of expanded polystyrene (EPS) on each side to 4 inches, creating an estimated-value of R35, approximately three times more than what the Ontario Building Code requires and features all of the same innovative featured in the Nudura standard ICF series.
Some of the features found in Howland Green Business Centre, all of which are being done to reduce the building’s carbon footprint, include:
- R80 roof insulation.
- State-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling.
- Full coverage of solar arrays.
- Load-sharing capabilities within structures.
- Electric potential energy storage.
- Pneumatic energy storage.
- Rainwater capture for toilet usage.
- Groundwater capture for irrigation.
- All ramps to underground parking entirely closed from the elements.
- High-efficiency dual-level LED lighting.
- Low-E Argon thermal pane insulated windows and sliding doors with fiberglass frames.
- And high-efficiency geothermal hot-water delivery with additional thermal tank wrapping.
To learn more about building beyond netzero with insulated concrete forms visit www.nudura.com or check out the Online Training Portal www.nudura.com/training-academy/online-course/ to become a trained installer of Nudura ICFs.
Nudura Inc.
27 Hooper Road, Unit 10
Barrie, ON L4N 9S3
866-468-6299
info@nudura.com
www.nudura.com
Related Stories
Green | Jul 26, 2022
Climate tech startup BlocPower looks to electrify, decarbonize the nation's buildings
The New York-based climate technology company electrifies and decarbonizes buildings—more than 1,200 of them so far.
Energy | Jul 13, 2022
Electrification of buildings, new and old, furthers environmental responsibility and equity
It’s almost a cliché in our industry, but nonetheless: The greenest building is the one that is already built.
Codes and Standards | Jul 12, 2022
USGBC sets out principles for LEED’s future
The U.S. Green Building Council recently published a report containing principles outlining how LEED will evolve.
Building Team | Jul 1, 2022
How to apply WELL for better design outcomes
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) cites attracting top talent, increasing productivity, and improving environmental, social or governance (ESG) performance as key outcomes of leveraging tools like their WELL Building Standard to develop healthier environments.
Green | Jun 22, 2022
World’s largest commercial Living Building opens in Portland, Ore.
The world’s largest commercial Living Building recently opened in Portland, Ore.
Codes and Standards | May 19, 2022
JLL launches non-profit aiming to mitigate climate change
Real estate and investment management firm JLL recently launched JLL Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to making a long-term impact on environmental sustainability.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 3, 2022
For glass openings, how big is too big?
Advances in glazing materials and glass building systems offer a seemingly unlimited horizon for not only glass performance, but also for the size and extent of these light, transparent forms. Both for enclosures and for indoor environments, novel products and assemblies allow for more glass and less opaque structure—often in places that previously limited their use.
Building Team | Apr 20, 2022
White House works with state, local governments to bolster building performance standards
The former head of the U.S. Green Building Council says the Biden Administration’s formation of the National Building Performance Standards Coalition is a “tremendous” step in the right direction to raise building performance standards in the U.S.
Energy-Efficient Design | Apr 19, 2022
A prefab second skin can make old apartments net zero
A German startup is offering a new way for old buildings to potentially reach net-zero status: adding a prefabricated second skin.
Legislation | Apr 11, 2022
Dept. of Energy releases RFI for K-12 schools energy upgrade program
The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) released a Request for Information (RFI) to help decide how best to spend $500 million from the recently passed federal infrastructure law for K-12 public school energy upgrades.
