The ten winning projects of the 2023 SABMag Canadian Green Building Awards display the themes of lower operating energy intensity, Zero Carbon Building Design, indoor environments that promote occupant wellbeing, and community interaction and integration with nature. These projects are an important resource of inspiration and study.

Notable for conserving embodied carbon were 500 McNab, the retrofit of a 1960s residential tower in Hamilton to Passive House EnerPHit certification; and the renovation of the 1920s Loblaws Groceteria on the Toronto waterfront. Net Zero Energy was achieved on the SoLo Project, an off-grid single-family house near Whistler, BC and the Neil Campbell Rowing Centre in St. Catharines, ON.

Strategies for supporting community engagement are found in the Bill and Helen Norrie Library in Winnipeg; and the SFU Affordable Housing project in Burnaby which creates a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for residents.

Technical innovations were found in the Manitou a bi Bii daziigae project at RRC Polytechnic in Winnipeg where photovoltaic cells are concealed behind nano-coated glass panels; and at the Putman Family YWCA in Hamilton where a PH-certified, precast concrete construction system provides durable, low-cost homes for women from marginalized sectors of society. Both were Canadian firsts.

Outstanding in their focus on occupant wellbeing were the Aedifica Head Office in Montreal, whose biophilic elements and spatial variety led to LEED Platinum certification; and the Endress + Hauser Customer Experience Centre in Burlington, ON with its social spaces and activity opportunities within the building.

Thanks to the jury: Vedran Skopac of Reimagine Architects in Edmonton, Roxanne Gautier of EVOQ Architecture in Montreal, and Kendal Taylor of root architecture in Dartmouth, for their enthusiasm and expertise in selecting the winning projects.

Special thanks to national sponsor, the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute, and category sponsors Inline Fiberglass Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc, and JELD-WEN® Windows & Doors.

Register for the 2024 Awards here.