Tools & Resources

TEUI

The OAA has two different calculators to allow members and the public to measure the Total Energy Use Intensity (TEUI) of a building.

MORE

2030 Ontario Target Data

This is the 2030 Ontario Target Data chart. This data was developed in 2014, by Bob Bach, Energy Pro les Ltd. in consultation with the Ontario Association of Architect’s (OAA) Sustainable Built Environment Committee (SBEC).

More

Canada Green Buildings Strategy

The federal Government has released their long-awaited Canada Green Buildings Strategy. A quick overview reveals a list of existing programs with some new initiatives, such as the phase out of oil heating systems in new constructions by 2028, the introduction of new energy efficiency regulations for various energy-using products and more.

 

More

Trim Tab

This quarterly, online magazine from the International Living Future Institute, contains articles, interviews and news on the issues, designs and people that are truly transforming the built environment.

More

Building Green

Building Green is an independent publishing company that has provided green design information for building professionals since 1992.

More

Building Science

Building Science provides objective, high-quality information about commercial and residential buildings.

More

Design for Reuse Primer

This primer explores in-depth 15 successful projects from different typologies. Researched and edited by Public Architecture a national non-profit organization.

More

Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre

The Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre is the first facility of its kind in the world focused entirely on providing an experiential learning environment for electric vehicles.

More

COMcheck

An Ontario version of the envelope trade-off software COMcheck is now available for your use. This software replaces the software ENV-STD formerly issued with ASHRAE Standard 90.1, but not issued with the 2010 release.

More

The AIA COTE Top Ten Awards

Award site for the American Institute of Architect's Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Green Projects.

More

Green Building Advisor

General and specific information about green building including basics, product reviews, forum, blog and premium articles available with a subscription.

More

MIT Open Courseware in Architecture

MIT began publishing its educational materials from all of its courses freely and openly on the Internet in 2011. Ten years later, OCW has shared materials from more than 2000 courses.

More

Canada Green Building Council

Their mission is to lead and accelerate the transformation to high-performing, healthy green buildings, homes and communities throughout Canada.

More

Ontario Natural Building Coalition

The Ontario Natural Building Coalition is an advocacy group of designers, builders & homeowners working to promote healthy, high performance natural building strategies in the construction industry.

MORE

Green Source Magazine

GreenSource covers the sustainable design of commercial buildings and green homes, environmental building projects, LEED projects, and green-building.

More

Whole Building Design Guide

One-stop access to up-to-date information on a wide range of building-related guidance, criteria and technology from a 'whole buildings' perspective.

More

Inhabitat

A sustainability portal for architecture and allied professions, architecture, interior design and product design.

More

The Athena Institute

A collection of resources and tools for practitioners of sustainable design

More

The Ontario Green Policy Hub (OGPH)

A one-stop, searchable on-line resource for sustainability policies by Ontario municipalities.

More

Green Building Map

The Greater Toronto Chapter Canada Green Building Council has put together an ever-evolving interactive map of Ontario's green building landscape. Included are all the buildings that have achieved LEED Certification in Ontario.

More

AIA-CLF Embodied Carbon Toolkit for Architects

The AIA-CLF Embodied Carbon Toolkit for Architects serves to provide architects an overview and the necessary steps to be taken to reduce embodied carbon in their projects. This resource is divided into three parts, introducing the necessary steps and resources to take in reducing embodied carbon. 

more

Transparency Catalog

Get started finding brands and products with transparency documentation.

more

Building Transparency

Building Transparency's core mission is to provide the open access data and tools necessary to enable broad and swift action across the building industry in addressing embodied carbon's role in climate change.

more

CSA Registry

CSA group provides a platform for organizations to showcase emission reductions, carbon offset projects, sustainable products, and building accessibility.

more

Net-Zero Buildings Pathways Tool

The Net-Zero Buildings Pathways Tool helps users more accurately estimate the cost and feasibility of decarbonizing their building systems, define pathways to net-zero decarbonization, and establish cost–benefit ranges.

more

Sustainable Design Part 1: Building An Environmental Ethic

What is Sustainable Design?

More from Terri Boake

More

Mining LEED for Carbon

Carbon Neutral Design

More from Terri Boake

More

Preparing for the 2030 Challenge

The Leap to Zero Carbon

More from Terri Boake

More

Beam Estimator

More and more builders want to know: what is the carbon footprint of my building materials? And how can I reduce those impacts? The BEAM estimator will help you, and they have made it easy to use and understand. Input the main dimensions of your building, and you'll find a comprehensive list of all the available materials for all the main assemblies and the carbon footprint for each choice. Choose materials to create a model of an assembly or a whole building.Get real time, up-to-date and accurate information.

MORE

Graphisoft EcoDesigner

An energy evaluation tool for architects — an add-on software for ArchiCAD, Graphisoft's BIM application — which aims to provide information about a building's energy performance at the early design phases giving fast feedback for architects on the energy efficiency and sustainability of certain design alternatives.

More

HEED Home Energy Efficient Design 4.0

This new easy-to-use program shows you how much energy and money you can save by making various Design or Remodeling changes to your home. You can easily draw in the floorplan of your own house, then click and drag your windows to their correct location. You can select from lists of standard wall and roof construction.

More

MIT Design Advisor

Quick, visual comparisons are needed for early-stage design. The MIT Design Advisor is a tool which allows you to describe and simulate a building in less than five minutes. No technical experience or training is needed. An annual energy simulation can be run in less than a mintute, and graphical results are immediately available for review.

More

Once Click LCA

Easy to use life-cycle assessment & environmental product declaration software with all the world’s data. Design and deliver net-zero and circular buildings. Compare design options and find eco-friendly materials in BIM and the cloud. Differentiate and achieve carbon reductions, building certifications, and regulatory compliance.

more

dynCO2: Dynamic Carbon Footprinter

The dynamic carbon footprinter, DYNCO2, is a dynamic LCA software tool used to calculate temporal carbon footprinting. With the help of a simple Excel Spreadsheet, you can calculate the impact of your life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over a time period. This new dynamic approach can allow taking into account the temporal distribution of the emissions by using a dynamic inventory.

more

Zero Carbon Design Standard Version 3

CANADA GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

On June 20, 2022, CaGBC released an updated Zero Carbon Building Standard. This new version, the third in their series, addresses critical imperatives including reducing embodied carbon of building materials and eliminating onsite combustion. ZCB-Design V3 establishes a clear path to zero operational carbon and a 40% reduction in new construction embodied carbon by 2030.

MORE

Interior Insulation Retrofitting Heritage Masonry Buildings

BY ERIC A. CHARRON & DR. RANDY STRAATEN

Heritage masonry structures are not typically energy efficient, but it is environmentally and financially unrealistic to replace these time-tested buildings with new net-zero ones. Hence, intensive energy retrofitting of heritage masonry buildings is a key part of achieving a zero-carbon, energy-neutral future.

More

2011 LEED Canada Buildings in Review

ANNUAL SUPPLEMENT BY SABMAG

This supplement serves as a great public record of all buildings and interiors in Canada that have obtained LEED certification in 2011.

More

High Performance Wall Assemblies (Four Walls)

WOOD FRAME CONSTRUCTION SERIES BY SBEC

This Bulletin Series provides an introduction to high performance wall assemblies (Four Walls) and material selection from science-based, peer-reviewed solutions that can lower energy and carbon usage.

More

NRCan Screening Tool

BY STEPHEN POPE

Expectations for Energy Efficiency Measures.

More

Performance of Architectural Systems

BY STEPHEN POPE

A simple approach to building services sizing based on the peak load leads to oversized heating and cooling systems that run well below their optimum efficiency. The peak conditions only occur on a few days in a year with the majority of time building loads being significantly (even less than half) smaller. Since the calculations used for peak day design apply at any time of the year, it would be.

More

OAA Green Roof Bulletin

2009 DECEMBER

 

More