Built Green

On July 15 & 16, 2010, Eric Schapira, Chief Relationship Builder at Klondike Contracting, attended a Built Green Workshop to attain his certification as a licensed Built Green & R-2000 Builder / Renovator.

What is Built Green: It is a voluntary program that home buyers and industry professionals join to learn green building practices to reduce the impact that building has on both, the natural and built environment.

Why get certified: With the ‘green’ ethos becoming more prevalent in everyday building projects, having a Built Green & R-2000 Builder license demonstrates to the client your dedication to environmental stewardship and suggests that your building practices evolve as new techniques and technologies are developed and used.  Many clients are educating themselves about eco-friendly products and building practices, they expect that you as their builder will have the knowledge to guide these innovative approaches.

The exam: No, it’s not as simple as just attending a workshop, there is an exam that is based on the R-2000 builder training curriculum.  However, the material covered is relevant and industry related so your experience and common sense can be of great help.  Eric felt that his experience in going for LEED certification on his new Showroom / Offices was incredibly valuable in understanding the key knowledge areas of the course content and exam.

How does it apply to your projects: Once you have successfully passed your Built Green & R-2000 Builder license exam, you are not required to build every project to Built Green specifications.  The criteria is there as a guide for you to use when it suits the needs of your project.  If you want your project to be certified as Built Green, it is mandatory for all Built Green criteria to be met.

Interesting Facts: Below are a few factoids Eric picked up from his two days with Built Green

• In terms of impact on the environment, the average home impacts 10x more during its operation than during construction;
• Houses emit 10-15 tonnes of greenhouse gases / yr v 4-6 tonnes for cars;
• 58% of energy is consumed by Heating, 22% by HWT, 14% by Appliances, 5% lighting & 1% for cooling;
• EnerGuide for Home – EGH or EnerGuide for New Homes (EGNH) – 2 different consultants.

Klondike Contracting will keep you posted on innovative building programs available to you.

Here at Klondike, we are nearing the completion of our Interior Renovation LEED Certification of our new Hemlock Station Office. This renovation has largely reduced the green house gas emissions emitted from the mechanical, electrical and electronic systems found in most work environments. After completing the structural change we came to realize changing the office environment was only half the battle, office practices and behavior would have to reinforce the physical changes made around the work-place to optimize our carbon-emission-reduction capabilities.

In aims of fulfilling our potential, we have committed ourselves to integrating green practices into our day-today office lives. The use of LED lighting, setting off-peak timers for heating and cooling and reducing paper-use by turning to integrated software systems, are just a few steps that we have taken to combat the challenge of climate change. These changes around the office have led to significant improvements in operational efficiencies and have reduced our internal energy use to its fullest extent.

We have been able to offset that small percentage of remaining emissions by purchasing carbon credits through Bullfrog Power’s carbon emissions reduction program. Essentially, you purchase carbon credits to offset the remaining energy use that your company is unable to offset. The small premium you pay goes towards the creation of clean energy development and production. Bullfrog Power is Canada’s 100% green electricity provider that offers clean / renewable electricity to its users. With Bullfrog Power, you continue to draw electricity from the regional grid, just as you always have and Bullfrog’s generators inject renewable electricity onto the grid to match the amount of power your business was unable to offset. In principle you are replacing the non-renewable energy your company has used with energy that comes from renewable sources like wind and water. Klondike will keep you posted on the latest eco-technology for your home or project.

This soon-to-be LEED-certified project would not have been possible without our talented designer, Susan Allison, our LEED AP, Alex Warburton of the Design Aggregate, and the following preferred vendors:

Thank you to all the above for your support and creativity! And without further ado, our new digs:

We are nearing the long-anticipated day of our (soon-to-be LEED certified) showroom/office Grand Opening!!!  It’s been quite the journey and now we will soon get to celebrate and share it with you.  Join us for appetizers & drinks while meeting our wonderful team of staff, project managers, designers, skilled trades, and preferred vendors.  Learn about new sustainable building products and what it really takes to build with the environment in mind!

When: May 6th, 2010 from 4-8pm

Where: 300-1375 W 6 Ave, Vancouver (street parking is available  in addition to public parking lots on W 7 & W 8 near Hemlock)

RSVP: visit klondikecontracting.eventbrite.com

Whether your are a realtor, property manager, business owner, or homeowner (or all of the above), don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to learn about sustainable building practices, gather ideas for your next renovation/construction project, and meet our wonderful team.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZu1YP2jbg]

As production of glass tile increased, a growing quantity of their post-industrial waste was rerouted to produce new products.  Making use of cut-offs and mismatched die lots became an integral part of the production of some of Interstyle’s most popular mosaic tile product lines, while other salvaged glass was crushed and cast in moulds by product designers to create some of the most unique tile products – made entirely from recycled glass.

Further, each stage of the manufacturing and materials handling has been reviewed to ensure that waste is minimized; any reusable materials are recycled and; energy conservation measures are in place.  These include: recycling water from glazing production in a closed loop water system, using heat from kiln exhaust for drying of bisque and coatings, using packing materials that contain a high percentage of recycled materials, and reusing incoming packing materials.

The use of these products may assist in reducing the environmental impact of a construction project and support the project in earning LEED points.

We love Interstyle’s products because it is recycled and beautiful.  Please visit Interstyle.ca for more information & to locate dealers (they do not sell directly to consumers).  We hope you will find inspiration for your new shower surround or kitchen backsplash with these lines of recycled glass:

River Crystals

Aquarius

Agates

Aquarius: coloured glass gems suspended in a clear glass tile.  Aquarius glass tiles offer a unique blend of colour & texture within a glossy finish glass tile.  Available in 20 colours & 3 sizes: 2″x2″; 4″x4″; and 1-1/4″x8″.

Agates: lustrous glass pebbles with hand blended colours that give the cabochons subtle colour variations.  Available in 20 translucent colours and meshed sets of 4″x4″; 6″x6″; 3″x12″; 4″x12″; 6″x12″; and 12″x12″.

River Crystals: random shaped translucent glass pieces that have the appearance of smooth tumbled rocks.  The colours are randomly distributed within each piece to give the visual effect of depth.  Available in 10 colours and meshed sets of 4″x4″; 4″x12″; and 12″x12″.