The mayor of Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough wants Quebec's housing authority to speed up its plan to publish construction guidelines for green roofs. Housing authority Régie du bâtiment has yet to publish the standards. Without them, green roof projects in Montreal are subject to a six-month approval process.
Mayor Alan De Sousa says he has negotiated with developers to ensure that all new construction involves green roofs, and he wants the Régie du bâtiment to draft and publish its guidelines before that progress is lost. The current National Building Code of Canada does not include guidelines for green roofs. Each province is responsible for developing rules governing vegetative roofs.
Owen Rose, an architect and member of the Montreal Urban Ecology Centre, says regulations are making it increasingly difficult to include green roofs on new projects. "We shouldn't be building green roofs for Florida hurricanes, San Francisco earthquakes and Japanese tsunamis; we're living in Montreal, we have to adapt to our local climate," Rose told CBC news.
Montreal has granted some exceptions for the construction of green roofs for certain developments, including buildings that are less than three stories, residences under nine units, and some small commercial buildings. But on taller residential buildings, the Régie du bâtiment has the final say.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Dec 12, 2018
California’s transportation problems could prevent state from reaching carbon reduction goals
Governor’s carbon neutral-by-2045 ambitions at odds with car culture.
Codes and Standards | Dec 11, 2018
Strict seismic building codes credited with minimizing damage in Alaskan earthquake
Magnitude 7.0 temblor cracked roads and collapsed road ramps, but buildings held up well.
Codes and Standards | Dec 7, 2018
Florida tops ABC’s 2018 Merit Shop Scorecard rankings
Michigan rose fastest after passing prevailing wage law.
Codes and Standards | Dec 6, 2018
North American steel yields lower GHG emissions than Chinese steel
North American construction steel saves about half of GHG emissions on building project.
Codes and Standards | Dec 5, 2018
Canadian retailer builds net-zero stores
Other chains also boost green efforts with PVs, EV charging stations.
Codes and Standards | Dec 4, 2018
Action on building codes would spur low-carbon cities
Faster retrofit cycles, increased energy-efficiency requirements for existing buildings needed.
Codes and Standards | Nov 30, 2018
Best solution to prevent California wildfire disasters: Stop building in places likely to burn
Approach would be unpopular as people attracted to stunning wooded landscapes.
Codes and Standards | Nov 29, 2018
USGBC and BRE form partnership
Two green standards groups will collaborate on standards, platforms, and research.
Codes and Standards | Nov 29, 2018
Parking garages in N.Y. State will have to be inspected every three years
Professional engineer must assess conditions.
Codes and Standards | Nov 28, 2018
To build water-efficient cities, water managers and urban planners must coordinate better
Lack of time and resources, and practitioners not in habit of working together hamper efforts.
