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Stories Tagged - sustainable

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CREB® NEWS

July 25, 2024 | CREB

Pioneering sustainable homebuilding for a greener future

At Jayman BUILT, sustainability and environmental stewardship are not just buzzwords; they are imperatives for ensuring a viable future. 

Mattamy unveiled its first net-zero home in Cityscape late last year. Pictured, from left, is Andy Goyda of Owens Corning Canada with Mattamy Homes representatives Don Barrineau, Brad Carr and Warren Saunders, as well as Donna Moore of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association - Calgary Region and 
Salvatore Ciarlo of Owens Corning Canada.
News

Oct. 24, 2018 | CREBNow

Homebuilder among finalists for environmental award

Finalists announced for 25th annual Emerald Awards

Mattamy Homes is among 70 organizations and individuals who have been named as finalists as part of the 25th annual Emerald Awards, which recognize environmental excellence in the province.

The homebuilder has been recognized under the Large Business (more than 100 employees) category for its Cityscape community in northeast Calgary.

As part of the federal EcoEnergy Innovation Initiative, Mattamy will build five net-zero homes in CityScape – the first already revealed late last year.

BONE Structure homes are constructed from pre-cut beams that interlock together. The building process generates no waste, and takes under a week to complete. Photo courtesy BONE Structure
News

Sept. 23, 2016 | Andrea Cox

Bare BONES

Net-zero technology promises to revolutionize homebuilding

As provincial and federal building regulations become more focused on sustainable development, BONE Structure founder and CEO Marc Bovet has seized the momentum and is helping to reshape the way we think about homebuilding.

After a personal homebuilding project went sour 10 years ago, Bovet, fuelled by frustration, took it upon himself to innovate a better way to build.

He talked to people, researched and looked at the ideology behind Lego, eventually coming to the "aha moment" that formed the premise behind BONE Structure.

Denim pine comes from trees that have been infected by mountain pine beetles. The name stems from its distinctive blue streaks, which are caused by a fungus the beetles introduce while attacking the tree. Photo courtesy BeetleWood Industries.
News

April 21, 2016 | Tyler Difley

Singing the blues

Colourful wood can add character to any home

It goes by many names: denim pine, blue-stain pine and "beetlewood," to name a few.

No matter what you call it, this little-known wood could be the centrepiece of Calgary's next big interior design trend.

Denim pine comes from trees that have been infected by mountain pine beetles. The name stems from its distinctive blue streaks, which are caused by a fungus the beetles introduce while attacking the tree.

Solar has also increased in popularity as people have become more informed about the technology, added SkyFire Energy CEO David Kelly, whose company has designed and installed grid-connected and off-grid solar power systems throughout Western Canada. Photo courtesy Skyfire Energy.
News

April 21, 2016 | Tyler Difley

Rising sun

Solar energy making strides in Calgary area

Long considered a darling of the green energy industry, solar technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that many experts predict it will soon become commonplace in our everyday lives.

David Silburn, a researcher at SAIT who specializes in green building technologies, said the popularity of solar systems, especially photovoltaic, in residential and commercial applications has skyrocketed in the past seven years as prices have plummeted.

"In 2009, I was paying $10 to $12 a watt installed, whereas now you're spending $2.50 to $3 a watt installed on the same scale of system," he said.

News

April 21, 2016 | Giselle Wedemire

Short haul

Tips on how to minimize your carbon footprint when moving

Between packing boxes and hauling all of your earthly possessions, moving can be a real drag – especially on the environment.

From fuel emissions to cardboard boxes, the carbon footprint that comes with moving can be tremendous, said Zach Williams, digital marketing manager at Highland Moving & Storage Ltd., which operates Calgary's eco-friendly movers Frogbox.

Luckily, Williams said green moving is a growing market thanks to the public's increased awareness of the issue of climate change.

In 2013, Landmark built one of the first net-zero communities in Canada — a 14-unit Edmonton townhome project titled Sparrow Landing at Larch Park. Photo courtesy Landmark Group of Companies.
News

April 21, 2016 | Barb Livingstone

Doing it right

Corporate social responsibility plays into homebuilders' decisions to go green

If you do the right thing corporately, the rewards will come.

That's the succinct explanation of how social responsibility can affect a company's bottom line from the president of one of Alberta's largest homebuilders.

Reza Nasseri's Landmark Group of Companies not only builds about 800 homes annually; it is one of the greenest homebuilders in the province.

"If you don't do something to protect the environment, it is a crime," said the electrical engineer. "I've been pushing this (green building practices) for a long time."

News

April 21, 2016 | Shelley Boettcher

Not your parents' composting

Local organizations bring it from niche to mainstream

Once considered a niche market, composting in Calgary has gone mainstream.

From grass clippings to chicken bones and leftover produce to dryer lint, urban composting has rapidly evolved over the past several years thanks to new curbside pickup capabilities, improved technology and world-class recycling centres, say local sustainability experts.

Since 2015, Hop Compost has diverted more than 900,000 kilograms of waste from local landfills thanks to a new "clean-tech" process called HotRot.

Founder and CEO Kevin Davies said the company turns waste into high-quality organic compost via a process that seals and computerizes the compost process, using live data to optimize microbe activity every 60 seconds.

Venkat Lakkavalli, pavement engineer with the City of Calgary, beside a paving crew in the southwest community of Killarney. Photo by Wil Andruschak/for CREB®Now
News

Sept. 28, 2015 | CREBNow

Pounding the pavement

City of Calgary using new techniques in pavement construction, rehabilitation

The City of Calgary is going green in its effort to provide drivers with a bump-free commute.

The City's Transportation Department has completed testing two new environmentally friendly techniques in pavement construction and rehabilitation that use different techniques and alternative materials to create asphalt at a reduced cost.

Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR) is a seven-step process that produces a layer of pavement by cold-pressing reclaimed asphalt and mixing it with raw virgin materials such crushed stone, sand and gravel.

Local researchers are pointing to a new international study that has found a connection between obesity and urban geography – in particular as it relates to living in high-rise apartments. CREB®Now file photo
News

May 26, 2015 | CREBNow

Putting your money where your feet are

Walk scores playing a factor in property values

As the old adage goes, "location, location, location" is one of the main factors in determining a home's value.


It can also help contribute to the overall health of a city, depending on how accessible it is to nearby amenities, said Robert Dalton with online sustainable city publication This Big City.

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