The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) announced the winners of the 2021 CAGBC Awards. The annual awards celebrate the projects and leaders transforming Canada’s building sector by accelerating and scaling buildings with exceptional performance across environment, carbon emissions and human health factors.
“This year’s submissions speak volumes about the passion, dedication and innovation of the green building sector,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC. “Considering the challenges of the past 18 months, the achievements they represent show what we can do when we move forward together. As the pandemic continues to weigh on us, the green building projects and people we honour today demonstrate how together we can action on climate change, resiliency, adaptation, and environmental and human health.”
Along with the winners of the Green Building Leadership and Excellence awards, the Council awarded the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award to architect and visionary, Vivian Manasc of Reimagine (formerly Manasc Isaac Architects).
“Vivian’s 35-year-long career and contributions to architecture have left a lasting imprint on Alberta and Canada,” Mueller said. “As a green building pioneer, Manasc was there almost 20 years ago at founding CaGBC, helping create an organization that is fully dedicated to advancing sustainability in the building industry. Her commitment to design that pushes the boundaries of sustainability are a hallmark of her work.”
2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Vivian Manasc of Reimagine.
Recipients of CAGBC Awards will be celebrated at Building Lasting Change 2021, Canada’s premier green building industry event.
The winners of the 2021 CaGBC Awards are:
Lifetime Achievement Award: Presented to a person who, during their long career, has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of green building. Sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric.
Vivian Manasc, Principal Architect, Reimagine – CaGBC’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winner is Vivian Manasc for her contributions to green building in Alberta and across Canada. For the past 35 years, Vivian has led integrated sustainable design teams with Reimagine (formerly Manasc Isaac, which she co-founded) for a wide variety of projects, frequently working in partnership with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities to deliver buildings that reflect the spirit and needs of these communities. Vivian’s trailblazing nature helped the firm score Alberta’s first LEED Certified building, and the first LEED Gold building in the Arctic. Her work beyond the firm has included co-founding the long-standing Alberta Sustainable Buildings Symposium, serving as President of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, and helping to launch the Canada Green Building Council. She was recognized for her leadership in green building with the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2017.
Green Building Leadership Awards
Green Building Champion: Recognizes a deserving individual for initiatives that demonstrate exceptional achievement in advocating for CaGBC’s core interests, programs, and priorities. Sponsored by Oxford Properties Group.
Lisa Bate, Global Sustainability Lead + Advance Strategy, Principal at B+H Architects – One of Canada’s global sustainable design ambassadors, Lisa has for decades brought her diverse expertise to a number of organizations. At B+H she has led pioneering projects like the Zero Carbon Building Standard-certified Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation. She has also been featured in media coverage regarding topics from the ROI of green building practices and advancing carbon neutrality, to gender parity and building resilient cities and structure in a post-COVID world. Additionally, she has served as Chair for both the WorldGBC and CaGBC and was a representative to the UN’s Environment Programme—Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative.
Green Building Pioneer: Recognizes an organization which has demonstrated an innovative approach to the advancement of green building technology, products, capacity building, policy, design, or operations. Sponsored by Enwave.
mcCallumSather – mcCallumSather exemplifies the definition of a pioneer, breaking new ground and helping grow a broader understanding of sustainable building practices. Over 25 years, the firm has built an impressive Southern Ontario portfolio, with both lower-profile projects which were often the first LEED-certified building in a municipality, to more prestigious projects that to this day push the boundaries of sustainable and efficient design.
Emerging Green Leader: Recognizes a deserving student or young professional who has made a significant contribution to advocating, educating, or practicing green building and/or community development. Sponsored by DIALOG.
Arman Mottaghi – Co-founder and CEO of Lambda Science, a Vancouver start-up that uses artificial intelligence to help homebuilders create cost- and energy-efficient building designs, Arman is already a thought leader and innovator in the green building space. Through Lambda, he has developed partnerships with five B.C. cities and helped more than 200 builders build more energy-efficient homes. He showcases his leadership as a Board Director for the BC Sustainable Energy Association and has conducted over 40 green building webinars in 2020 alone.
Government Leadership: Recognizes a deserving individual, team, department, or organization that has developed policies and/or programs to advance green building in Canada. Sponsored by Stantec.
Ben Henderson, City of Edmonton – As Council Chair of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) program of FCM, City of Edmonton Councillor Ben Henderson has provided exceptional leadership and guidance during a time of significant growth for funding allocations to green building capital projects and municipal capacity building. During his tenure, Ben has facilitated the provision of millions of dollars to Canadian communities, enabling investments in green initiatives, and been a stabilizing force as the liaison between GMP council and FCM’s Executive committee.
Inspired Educator: Recognizes a deserving institution for educating learners in sustainable design, green building, operations, and/or real estate development at a post-secondary academic institution.
Zero Energy Buildings Learning Centre at the British Columbia Institute of Technology – Created to support the construction industry’s transition to the new BC Energy Step Code and new City of Vancouver Zero Emissions Building bylaws, ZEBLC provides a full suite of training courses that are short and hands-on. This past year as part of the pandemic response, they transitioned from their unique classroom with 25 full-scale building assemblies to an online offering. Despite this disruption, more than 500 individuals have benefited from live construction demonstrations and lectures broadcast by the Centre since March 2020.
Ed Lim Technical Expertise Volunteer Award: Presented to an individual who has generously dedicated considerable time and shared their expertise in an advisory capacity towards the advancement of green building in Canada.
Susan Kapetanović-Marr – Susan is a long-standing, dedicated volunteer who goes the extra mile to provide the expertise needed to continually advance sustainable buildings in Canada. Director of Sustainability with Canderel and a professional engineer in Alberta, she has been an active CaGBC volunteer for a decade, starting with the Sites-Water Technical Advisory Group in 2011, a committee that she continues advise to this day. Susan also provides her extensive knowledge to the USGBC’s Water Efficiency TAG and their Location and Transportation TAG. Additionally, she recently joined the International WELL Building Institute’s Water Advisory Group and joined the LEED Canada Steering Committee in 2020 to provide broader market and technical insight for CaGBC’s green building programs.
Green Building Excellence Award Winners:
New Construction: Presented to the team responsible for a new commercial or institutional project which demonstrates optimal building operations, performance, and occupant satisfaction. Sponsored by Morguard.
MEC Vancouver – This mixed-use mass timber building at the gateway of Vancouver’s Olympic Village embodies the values of MEC and its customers. In addition to impressive water reuse and conservation elements, the project’s thoughtful design means that it contributes nearly twice as much energy to the Neighbourhood Energy Utility as it consumes.
Honourable mention, Humber College, Barrett Centre for Technology
Existing Building: Presented to the team responsible for a commercial or institutional project which demonstrates continuous improvement in building operation, performance, and occupant satisfaction.
25 York Street, Toronto – This LEED EB:O+M Platinum building in downtown Toronto not only sets an exceptionally high bar in greenhouse gas, energy and water performance, it goes the extra mile in committing to the well-being of its occupants and in empowering tenants to help the building achieve its sustainability goals.
Inspiring Home: Presented to the team responsible for outstanding achievements in a high-performing, sustainable residential project in Canada. Sponsored by Enbridge.
The Confluence, Summer Village of Waiparous, Alberta – This residence on a previously developed site helped push the residential marketplace towards environmentally friendly products and manufacturer transparency. Its net positive energy and water performance is especially impressive given the location’s extreme climate.
Zero Carbon: Presented to the team responsible for a new or existing building that demonstrates climate leadership through optimal building performance and innovative carbon reduction strategies.
AMPED Sports Lab and Ice Complex, Ottawa – The AMPED project provides a shining example of how even a commercial building with an energy-intensive use in an extreme climate can lower its greenhouse gas emissions by almost 90%. AMPED achieved this by using an advanced predictive learning software, a building and ice plant automation system, energy retrofits, custom build and design strategies, the removal of combustion fuels through electrification, and renewable energy generation technologies.
Andy Kesteloo Memorial Student Project Award: Recognizes a student project that demonstrates leadership, innovation, inspiration and a creative vision for the future of sustainable design in the field of green building and communities.
Lindsey Kent, University of Calgary – This fourth year Civil Engineering student project focuses on the redevelopment of Rundle Manor, an affordable housing complex in northeast Calgary. Judges noted the project’s technical sophistication, especially the depth of engineering considerations, designed with a practical eye to today’s construction industry and code framework, as well as the community’s need.
For further information about the Canada Green Building awards, click here.
Featured image for Green Building Pioneer award, credit: mcCallumSather.
