Canühome sweet home at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada
IIDEX/Neocon Canada 2008 is fast approaching and already the buzz about some of the show’s highlights are starting to emerge. As a sustainable buildings professional, I am very excited about canühome. I first heard about canühome at the Canada Green Building National Summit in June 2008. Luigi Ferrara, OAA, MRAIC, Hon ACIDO, director of the School of Design at George Brown College, spoke about the project and its sustainability features, but more specifically about how the project has fostered collaboration amongst a diverse group of individuals. The process of collaboration is what has made this exhibit and housing prototype so successful.
Drawing on the expertise of many different people and organizations, canühome explores issues of energy, water and resource conservation, affordability, adaptability, and improved indoor environments. It ties in well with the LEED® framework and CMHC’s EQuilibrium program. In fact, this project is a result of a key partnership between Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), George Brown College’s Institute Without Boundaries (IwB), The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Canada Trust), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and numerous product and service providers such as Bosch Home Appliances, Procter & Gamble’s Future Friendly Brands, Juice Works Exhibit Display and Enbridge Gas.
Not only will canühome be a highlight of the exhibit at IIDEX/Neocon Canada, there will also be a seminar program built specifically around the ideas showcased in the canühome such as energy management, sustainable construction, wellness, universal design, aging in place and sustainable design. Seminar information will be up in late-July and available here.
Enjoy canühome, I know I am looking forward to this sustainability showcase.
Erika Mayer
B.Arch., B.A., LEED® AP
Sustainable Buildings Specialist
Jacques Whitford Ltd.
www.jacqueswhitford.com