Kitchen Before & After by Susan Allison:

Bathroom Before & After by Kelly Schmidt:

So what is a greenroof? Greenroofs are basically vegetated roof covers, with growing media and plants taking the place of bare membrane, gravel ballast, shingles or tiles.  The number of layers and the layer placement can vary from system to system and greenroof type, but generally all greenroofs include a single to multi-ply waterproofing layer, drainage, growing media and the plants, cover the entire roof deck surface.

There are two types of greenroofs: extensive and intensive.  Extensive greenroofs, also known as eco-roofs are low-profile and much lighter.  Because they have thinner and fewer numbers of layers, they are also less expensive and very low maintenance (but not maintenance-free!  You still have to check it periodically.)  These types of roofs are preferable when you want an eco-roof but don’t necessarily have the roof access to properly maintain it.

Intensive roofs or high-profile roof look like traditional roof gardens.  They have a wider variety of plant material and require more maintenance.

Some of the major benefits of a greenroof include:

• storm water retention
• provides insulation
• provides cooling
• cleans the air
• saves energy
• sound absorption
• food production
• provides a wildlife habitat
• looks nice
• a place for urbanites to grow food

Some existing green roofs in Vancouver are:

Vancouver Public Library (Library Square)

Fairmont Hotel (Herb Garden)

Vancouver Convention Centre

• Making the city a mecca for green enterprise by setting up a low-carbon economic development zone to attract investment for advancing renewable energy, energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies, with the object of creating 20,000 new green jobs.
• Eliminating Vancouver’s dependence on fossil fuels with a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 33% from 2007 levels.  Already Vancouver produces just under five tonnes per capita with only a few cities in Europe bettering that, Robertson said.
• Making Vancouver a world leader in the design and construction of green buildings and, by 2020, making all new construction in the city carbon-neutral while improving efficiency of existing buildings by 20%.
• Encouraging greater green mobility by having more than 50% of residents walking, cycling or using public transit to move around the city.
• Reducing the amount of solid waste per capita that goes to landfills or is incinerated by 40%.
• Giving every citizen easy access to nature by providing “incomparable access to green spaces” by expanding “the world’s most spectacular urban forest in Stanley park” so that by 2020 every person would live within a five-minute walk of  a park, beach or greenway.  Another 150,000 trees will be planted in the city within the next 10 years.
• Reducing the ecological footprint of Vancouver by 33% on the way to realizing the “one-planet footprint.”
• Maintaining the highest international standards for drinking water but reducing the per-capita consumption of water by 33%.
• Achieving the cleanest air of any major city in the world
• Becoming a global leader in urban food systems and reducing the carbon footprint of food production by 33%

The Mayor certainly has a lot of work to do, but he also needs your help at home!  You are just one person, but you are one especially important to the big picture.  Any reduction in numbers would reduce the effect of a group of rioters.  Not that we are encouraging or promoting riots but yes, let’s have a GO GREEN riot…for the sake of our natural environment, and for ourselves and those around us.

What steps are you taking to green your environment?  Do you have a five/ten year go green plan?  Who are you considering when you are making these plans?

Klondike will continue to encourage our clients to think green when selecting materials/products/systems for their renovation/construction.  Further to this, in our own office renovation we have selected FSC certified products, zero VOC paints & adhesives, locally manufactured products, and products with recycled content…but we’re not stopping here.  We are currently researching alternative energy that can be purchased and by taking the responsibility for the utilities in our rental contract, we will be tracking our consumption so as to change our habits for the better.

We welcome any comments or suggestions on further steps that can be taken to facilitate greener construction practices as well as daily office operation.

• the more space there is, the more noise reduction there is (we certainly have space but with the current open floor plan and rigid materials, it appears to be working against us)
• mass will prevent sound travel (thicker walls…which we don’t have)
• consider materials that will prevent vibrations & dampen sound

It’s important to understand the difference between noise reduction and noise absorption:

• noise reduction is achieved by stopping it, killing it, not letting it pass through walls/windows, etc. For this consider using mass and space.
• noise absorption is achieved by changing the characteristic of the noise.  Stop it from echoing, vibrating, reverberating, reflecting, etc.  For this consider using materials like carpets, upholstered furniture, acoustical ceiling tile, soundboard or interior walls, heavy curtains, etc.

It’s important to know the difference as one does not work for the other.  But when used appropriately they can both contribute to soundproofing your space.

Without proper subfloor & underlayment, the most resilient flooring is vulnerable to failure.  Resilient flooring is not thick like carpet and thus this makes it a target for problems like separating structural joints, improperly placed nails, and moisture.

Common materials used for subfloors are:

Hardboard – Consists of wood fibres packed tightly together.  Nails often cause the fibres to bounce up and around the nailhead, causing a bump, making it necessary to predrill nail holes.  Not recommended for areas with a lot of moisture like bathrooms and basements.

Particleboard - Hard, smooth material but vulnerable to moisture.  If it gets wet, its edges will swell and seams will separate on vinyl tiles.  If the area is moisture-free, then it is a good choice.

OSB (Oriented Strand Board) – Widely used underlayment for both residential and commercial projects.  Consists of wood strands bound together to create a strong, stiff material.  OSB is fire & impact resistant and helps control temperatures and sound in the room.  Strands of OSB can get larger or smaller according to their individual makeup, causing irregular lines to seep through the thin resilient floor on top.

Plywood – The most widely used.

As part of the legacy component of its Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program, the City of Vancouver has also commissioned a collection of light-based artworks and sculptural installations to animate 2010 Winter Games venues and signature locations around the city.  All of these installations are permanent, with the exception of the Walk In / Here You Are, which will be mounted for one year.

Garde-temps by Tania Ruiz Gutierrez (Under Cambie Bridge @ W. 2nd

Boulevart by Adrian Gollner & Pierre Poussin (Cambie St)

The Words Don't Fit The Picture by Ron Terada (Vancouver Central Library)

For more on these artists & their works, click here.

If you are considering buying a home for the first time and these questions are running around in your head, then allow the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA) to help!  The 16th annual free seminar on Tuesday, March 23 from 7pm to 9pm will provide many answers to help you de-mystify the process of buying a new home.

A panel of housing experts will be present to provide all sorts of information and answers to key questions.  It is free to attend, but please bring a non-perishable food donation for the Surrey Food Bank.  For more information, please visit www.gvhba.org.