Net Zero Energy 

with Gord Cooke

This session will look at examples of Net Zero energy homes and how builders built them cost effectively. This session will help you figure out the best wall, basement, window and HVAC options to get you to Zero Energy construction sooner than you thought might be possible.

We will discuss how they are designed, built and verified to meet the CHBA Net Zero Energy Labeling program. Builders, renovators, architects and designers, insulators and HVAC trades and building suppliers, real estate professionals, appraisers and energy advisors all need to stay in touch with this compelling trend towards Net Zero to be sure you step in at the right time.

Attic Rain

with Darrell Paul 

Have you heard this term?  Are you seeing staining or water dripping from the ceiling? Dark tea coloured stains on window heads or on exterior siding? You may have attic rain. But what is it? We will explore the causes and solutions, based on facts and building science. Is it localized or generalized? Just attic or walls as well? Why so much? Are we building too airtight? Or not airtight enough? We have scientifically tested hundreds of different homes and the solution is actually pretty simple and doesn’t involve adding ventilation. We’ll show you what the test results indicate.

Strategies for home comfort

with Gord Cooke

Energy efficiency doesn’t always result in better home comfort, and comfort complaints are more common than high bill complaints in new and existing homes. This session will identify how your customers perceive overall comfort in their home and why it may be more challenging than ever to meet their expectations – in spite of ever increasing energy efficiency measures.

Let’s recognize the changes in lifestyles and in design that are impacting comfort and the simple steps you can take as a builder, renovator or HVAC contractor to optimize comfort for your clients.

Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) with Foundation

with Carlos Craveiro

This session will cover using Insulated Concrete Forms as your foundation.

• How it meets Building Code (ABC 2019)
• Benefits
• Cost – ICF vs Cribbed Foundation
• Installation methods
• Less warranty issues

Indoor/Outdoor air quality

with Gord Cooke

The “smart home” trend now includes at least 5 different indoor air quality monitor options that glow, flash, beep or talk to you when they sense an air quality concern. But what are they measuring and what are your risks as a builder, renovator or HVAC contractor when they call and ask you to make it better?

Learn the 4 key strategies for improving and maintaining healthy indoor air for your family and your clients. Learn how the most energy efficient homes also provide the best opportunity for healthy indoor air.  

Controlling Costs/Controlling Variances

with Gary Hoeft

Cost overruns and variances are challenges to everyone in the residential construction industry.  The time lost, scheduling issues, and overarching financial impact can negatively affect the bottom line of the company, not to mention the culture of the workplace.

This session will identify why they occur, what the impact is to operations, and provide some insight into prevention strategies. Be prepared to leave with a different perspective on where to improve an operation and strategies to implement into your company immediately.

ASTC - Sound Construction for Reducing Construction Sound

with Darrell Paul

Do you build semi detached, apartment or townhouse structures? Do you ever have complaints about sound transmission? The Apparent Sound Transmission Class (ASTC) was introduced in the new 2019 edition of the Alberta Building Code to take into account flanking sound transmission in addition to the direct sound transmission of STC and IIC. We will discuss basic sound transmission and attenuation principles, explore what these new standards include, as well as how to calculate ASTC using an amazing free online calculation tool.

The Present and Future of Artificial Intelligence

with Dean Doige

Interest and excitement around artificial intelligence have been growing in the construction industry, however, most are unsure of the right use case.

Builders and developers must understand the potential of AI across their value chain for automation and decision support.

This presentation will explore how AI can support residential construction transformation as well as process optimization.

Adoption of AI is entering the mainstream, but most organizations are in the early stages and still developing their strategy and governance. Get a sense of where you stand and where the industry will progress.

Building Codes and Barrier Free – From visiting to living and the future of accessibility in homes

with Matthew Armstrong

The way building codes are created and used has changed. Over time they moved beyond their original focus on safety and have widened their scope to provide guidance on other increasingly complex areas of public policy, including accessibility in homes. In this session we will explore what accessibility means and discuss some of the key terms and definitions. Then we will look at how building codes are developed and how they are changing to promote inclusion. Finally, we will look at recent initiatives that have the potential to accelerate accessibility requirements into all homes and how these changes could impact our industry in the future.  

Framing Optimization: Balancing Structural Integrity, Energy Efficiency, and Cost Effectiveness

with Cory McCambridge

As the costs of constructing a home continue to increase, builders and designers are seeking changes to their designs and construction process to offset these costs without negatively impacting structural performance.  One effective solution is Advanced Framing, a system of construction framing techniques designed to optimize material use and increase energy efficiency. Examples of high performance wood framed wall assemblies designed to meet effective R-values will be shared along with common Advanced Framing details. In addition, simple techniques and details for engineered wood floor systems will be shared. These methods can be applied during the preliminary design stage in order to increase the performance of floor systems while reducing material, labour and waste.

Depressurization in air tight homes - will your house implode?

with Darrell Paul

What happens when your house is built super airtight and you add a high-volume hood fan? Are furnaces truly sealed combustion? Is depressurization of a home safe? Do you really need make-up air? How much negative air pressure are we talking about? Are furnaces tested for this? What are the unintended consequences and challenges of depressurization in a tight home? We will explore those topics along with what good building engineering and the building code require to prevent call backs and liability.

Emissions Neutral Building Strategy

with Tom Berkhout & Juan Monterrosa from the

City of Edmonton 

In this interactive session, the City of Edmonton is seeking input from the local building sector on its Emissions Neutral Building Strategy. The aim of the Strategy is to make emissions neutral buildings the standard practice for all new residential and commercial buildings constructed in the city by 2030. In this session, Juan Monterrosa, Director of the City of Edmonton’s Safety Codes, Permits and Inspections Division, and Tom Berkhout, from Integral Group’s Sustainable Research and Planning team, will give a brief overview of the City’s climate strategy for new buildings and provide examples of what is already being done to significantly reduce GHG emissions in new buildings.

The session will then use a workshop-style format to explore in smaller groups the opportunities and challenges for achieving Emissions Neutral Buildings in Edmonton by 2030. Topics of discussion will include technical approaches (such as envelope, mechanical systems, and renewables); industry capacity; and ideas about what industry and government can do over the next one to three years to start to drive this change.