BUILDEX On Demand

What are the costs to build 7 to 12 storey, multi-family encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) buildings in BC? How will these buildings meet BC Energy Step Code and VBBL requirements? The speakers will share highlights from a recent comparative feasibility study conducted for BC Housing. They will explain the study’s methodology and demonstrate the new online mass timber + energy parametric costing tool from the Province of BC.

Presenting Partner: WoodWorks

Speakers:

Slavica Puzovic, Senior Architect, Perkins&Will

Cole Edwards, Senior Project Manager, Ledcor Construction Ltd.

Jamie Pobre Sullivan, Associate, Fast + Epp Structural Engineers

Premier David Eby is back in office after a nail-biting provincial election, joined by a fresh roster of MLAs, Ministers, and new Ministries ready to reshape BC’s political and economic landscape. What does this mean for the construction industry? Everything.

Hear from industry experts and stakeholders on how shifts in leadership, ministerial roles, and priorities could affect prompt payment legislation, workforce numbers, infrastructure investment, project funding, and municipal regulatory policies and procedures.

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges posed by the new government and ministries.

Sponsor: BCIT

Presenting Partner: VRCA

Speakers:

Jeannine Martin, President, Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA)

Chris Atchison, President, BC Construction Association (BCCA)

Brad West, Mayor, Port Coquitlam

Sajjid Lakhani, Manager, Government Relations and Strategy, Impact Public Affairs

In this session attendees will learn how to leverage current prefab systems and technologies to maximize their benefits. Two different suppliers will discuss how they are working with the industry to reduce costs and ensure site construction proceeds quickly and smoothly. Attendees will also learn how to engage modular suppliers to bring the benefits of off-site fabrication, delivering high-performance buildings without increasing on-site complications or coordination challenges. This session will enhance attendees’ knowledge and ability to introduce flexibility in procurement, allowing for modular construction options in building projects.

Presenting Partner: WoodWorks

Speakers:

Eri Uhthoff, Mass Timber Modular, Pre-Fabrication Sales Manager, Kalesnikoff Mass Timber

Oliver Lang, CEO, Co-Founder, Intelligent City

Explore the future of sustainable construction through mass timber innovations. Hear from a panel of experts including the municipality, a forward-thinking architectural firm, and one of Western Canada’s largest private real estate organizations, as they share insights on advancing mass timber building in British Columbia. The session will cover regulatory support, design innovations, and large-scale adoption, highlighting how Metro Vancouver is leading this transformative shift.

Presenting Partner: WoodWorks

Speakers:

Anne McMullin, President, CEO, Urban Development Institute

Josh White, General Manager, Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability (PDS), City of Vancouver

Graham Brewster, Director of Development, Wesgroup Properties

Darryl Condon, Managing Partner, hcma architecture + design

As mass timber construction continues to gain momentum, industry professionals must effectively navigate its unique challenges, opportunities, and the evolving supplier landscape. This panel session features senior leaders from three of Western Canada’s largest mass timber producers who will share insights on the current and future role of mass timber in the North American construction market. They will discuss best practices for engaging suppliers to enhance project outcomes, with participants learning effective strategies to optimize project timelines and budgets, improve design coordination, and mitigate risks – enabling success in this evolving field.

Presenting Partner: WoodWorks

Speakers:

Shawn Keyes, Executive Director, WoodWorks BC

Stephanie Kullman, Region Manager, Western Canada, Mercer International Inc.

Giulia Natalini, Pre-Construction Specialist, Western Archrib

Devon Parkinson, Senior Project Manager, Kalesnikoff Mass Timber

How do buildings make us feel? How can they make us feel better?

Through research at the emerging intersection of neuroscience and architecture, this session will explore how our mind, and its various sensory systems, interacts with our built environment to enhance or harm our health and well-being. By bridging the gap in knowledge between the therapeutic medical world and the design community, the speaker will reveal how the intentional shaping of our environment can support our physical and neurological well-being through recent discoveries in cognitive psychology (the science of the mind) and neuroscience (the science of the brain).

Presenting Partner: IDIBC

Speaker:

Tye Farrow, Senior Partner, Farrow Partners Architects

Light-frame mid-rise multi-residential projects have become common in British Columbia due to their cost-effectiveness and accessibility. However, upcoming code changes are expected to impact this type of construction, potentially altering how these projects are built. This presentation will explore the challenges posed by these changes and how engineered wood product suppliers are already proactively addressing them. Attendees will gain insights into recent updates to seismic design requirements, strategies for optimizing current construction practices, and how stakeholders can stay ahead in this evolving sector.

Presenting Partner: WoodWorks

Speakers:

Alejandro Coronado, Technical Advisor, WoodWorks BC

Steve McManus, Senior Engineering Manager - Canada, Weyerhauseur

Jeff Olson, Technical Services Manager, Boise Cascade

With upcoming BCBC and VBBL updates mandating adaptable dwellings in all multi-family housing and new National Building Code guidelines enhancing accessibility, architects and developers have a unique opportunity to rethink how they design spaces that serve everyone in our communities.

This keynote panel will explore the future of accessibility and universal design in architecture, focusing on how and, importantly, why the industry is moving beyond building code compliance to create inclusive spaces that benefit everyone. From preparing for 2025 accessibility standards in multi-residential buildings to addressing sensory sensitivity and neurological accessibility, the panelists will discuss how universal and neurodiverse design initiatives are reshaping the way we think about built environments. In light of corporate America’s shifting priorities away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the conversation will also address what this means for the future of accessible design and whether regulatory frameworks are keeping pace with societal needs.

Join us to learn why architecture and design professionals will be key to unlocking opportunities, fostering inclusivity, and creating more equitable spaces for all.

Speakers:

Michelle Schouls, Senior Facilities Planner, Inform Planning Inc.

Arnold Cheng, Founder, General Manager, Spectrum Ability

Samantha Ryan, Principal, Lead Technical Accessibility Specialist, ABE Factors Inc.

Al Bushby, Senior Manager, Design, PCI Developments

Marni Robinson, Senior Director, Social Impact, hcma architecture + design

Can we switch from gas to in-suite electric heating systems without electric upgrades?

In-suite heat pumps offer a practical solution to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions in multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) while enhancing occupant comfort and safety with energy-efficient heating and cooling. In this session, the speakers will discuss the MURB In-Suite Electrification: Panel Management and Load Diet Report and the feasibility of installing in-suite heat pumps in gas-heated MURBs without requiring upgrades to suite and building electrical capacity.

The primary challenge to installing in-suite heat pumps in gas-heated buildings is the limited electrical capacity and limited space for new circuits in existing suite panels. The electrical infrastructure in gas-heated buildings was not originally designed to support all-electric systems and appliances. With advance planning, the addition of electrical space heating and other hard-wired loads, such as EV charging, to an existing suite panel with limited capacity is possible. Learn about the strategies and tactics that are most commonly used to avoid electrical upgrades. The session will point to case studies of these practices in action through LandlordBC’s Rental Apartment Retrofit Accelerator, a program funded by the City of Vancouver and CleanBC.

Sponsor: Strata Reserve Planning

Presenting Partner: B2E

Speakers:

Mariko Michasiw, B2E Program Manager, ZEIC

Sofia Marmolejo, Energy Efficiency Engineer, FRESCo Building Efficiency

Brady Faught, Green Building Engineer, City of Vancouver

What are the costs to build 7 to 12 storey, multi-family encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) buildings in BC? How will these buildings meet BC Energy Step Code and VBBL requirements? The speakers will share highlights from a recent comparative feasibility study conducted for BC Housing. They will explain the study’s methodology and demonstrate the new online mass timber + energy parametric costing tool from the Province of BC.

Presenting Partner: EGBC

Speakers:

John Sherstobitoff, Principal, Seismic and Structures, Ausenco

Daniel Gao, Associate, RJC Engineers

What are the costs to build 7 to 12 storey, multi-family encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) buildings in BC? How will these buildings meet BC Energy Step Code and VBBL requirements? The speakers will share highlights from a recent comparative feasibility study conducted for BC Housing. They will explain the study’s methodology and demonstrate the new online mass timber + energy parametric costing tool from the Province of BC.

Presenting Partner: B2E

Speakers:

Mariko Michasiw, B2E Program Manager, ZEIC

Rick Gregory, Project Director, Brivia Group

Anthony Quin, Director of Development, Chard Development

Jarrod Yip

This session will delve into the critical aspects of risk assessment and contract management crucial for project success. The speakers will offer insight and perspective into assessing and responding to risk minimizing protracted disputes. Beginning from the design stage, through the tender process and into contract execution, attendees will gain valuable insights into what to look for and avoid prior to entering into a contract.

The session will cover fundamental principles of schedule delay and cost claims, emphasizing the importance of adhering to contract provisions related to notices and claims. Strategies for both preparation and defense against contract dispute claims will be discussed, along with the soft skills needed for effective document control and dispute management. Participants will be guided through proper methods for calculating excusable and compensable costs, including covering direct costs such as labor, equipment, materials, indirect costs including site and home office overheads, and other expenses like interest on delayed lien holdback and lost opportunities.

Sponsor: SOLIDCAD

Speakers:

Jerry Crawford, Principal Director, KGC Consulting Services Ltd.

Ali Fard, Senior Managing Director, Ankura Consulting Group

Clive Thurston, President, Thurston Consulting Services Inc.

Wayne Kalayjian, Managing Director, Secretariat Advisors LLC

Mixed-use districts play a pivotal role in revitalizing urban areas and breathing new life into cities. By integrating residential, commercial, and recreational spaces within the same neighborhood, cities are evolving from single-use, monolithic downtowns to multi-use lifestyle districts to create more vibrant, dynamic environments where people can live, work, and play in close proximity. As a result, mixed-use districts not only improve the functionality and attractiveness of cities but also contribute to their long-term sustainability and resilience. The speakers will facilitate a conversation around:

• How the Broadway Plan impacts the evolution of the neighbourhoods it directly seeks to transform and what are the ripple effects into adjacent areas
• How the emergence of mega-lifestyle centres like Oakridge, Brentwood, and others is disrupting previous patterns of living, working, and commuting
• The risks affordability presents to the future of growth in the Lower Mainland
• How venues of all types will continue to place a premium on communal, social spaces and engaging, multisensory experiences
• Programming public spaces to be community catalysts and market differentiators
• Aggregating diverse assets under one roof and mixed-use developments to help offset the climate crisis

Speakers:

Jason Santeford, Managing Director, Gensler

Michelle Roundell, Client Relationships Leader, Gensler

The Province of British Columbia developed the BC Standardized Design Catalogue in the hope that these free standardized designs would help more small-scale, multi-unit housing get built and at a lower cost. Now that they have been launched, we ask, What now? Join the design team for a short presentation followed by a panel discussion about the BC Standardized Design Catalogue.

Standardized designs are not a new concept in Canada. We had the wartime housing catalogue used in the 1940s, the Vancouver special built in the 1960s to the 1980s, and localized municipal examples from the past 10 years (e.g., the Kelowna special). It is also fair to say that we build better than we did in the 1950s. Join this session to learn about the factors enabling the adoption of these standardized designs and how they may meaningfully contribute to lessening British Columbia’s housing crisis.

Presenting Partner: ZEBx

Speakers:

Natalie Douglas, ZEBx Program Manager, ZEIC

Cameron Lockhart, Carbon Wise

Michael Leckie, Principal, Leckie Studio Architecture & Design Inc.

Kevin Harding, Director, Innovation and Safety, Province of BC

After the heartbreaking loss of a multi-generational family home to fire, this project represents the homeowners’ determination to turn tragedy into transformation. Phoenix House is Canada’s first project to achieve Zero Carbon Certification from the Living Future Institute, a groundbreaking achievement made possible by a commitment to sustainability and practical design choices. In this session, the speakers will explore the journey of building a Step 5, Zero Carbon home on a budget, demonstrating how high-performance homes don’t have to come with high costs.

Attendees of this session will learn how innovative strategies, smart material choices, and a deep respect for carbon reduction can be combined to create a home that’s not only energy-efficient but also accessible for all. Join the speakers to discover how this visionary project became a reality and how you can replicate high-performance elements in your own builds.

Presenting Partner: BC Housing

Speakers:

Elisabeth Baudinaud, Principal, Carbon Wise

Nick Bray, Principal Architect, Nick Bray Architecture

JP Clinging, Entrepreneur, Home Owner, PhoenixHouse.ca

Mike Freedman, Founder, Principal, AI Technology & Design

Todd Best, President, Owner, Best Builders

Can standardized designs and repeatable processes realistically enable more multi-unit residential building (MURB) construction? This moderated session will hear from representatives of two project teams that have received funds from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s Housing Supply Challenge and who will describe the work they’re doing to help high-performance and climate-friendly housing get built faster and more affordably.

The first of the featured project teams, aims to make the delivery of mid-rise housing more efficient by standardizing the development process and creating pre-qualified digital designs suitable for prefabrication. The second, is sharing their library of real-life-tested, high-performance, climate-friendly, and low-cost MURB designs in the hope that it will accelerate the design, permitting, and purchasing process.

This session will include two short presentations followed by a panel discussion about the role that repetition has in facilitating climate friendly, resilient, and affordable mid-rise housing. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of the hurdles and opportunities to practically scale up multi-unit residential building construction through improvements to process, pre-fabrication, permitting, and more.

Presenting Partner: ZEBx

Speakers:

Natalie Douglas, ZEBx Program Manager, ZEIC

Rod Nadeau, Managing Partner, Innovation Building Group (IBG)

Chris Hill, President, Bcollective

Michael Epp, Director of Housing Planning and Development, Metro Vancouver Housing