In the first installment of our series on the Devils in the Acoustic Details, Brad Pridham discussed two important decisions for metal stud acoustic wall assemblies: 1) the stud gauge; and, 2) the stud spacing.…
The Effects of Air Pressure Imbalances on Tall Buildings What is the Stack Effect? Stack effect is the movement of large volumes of air through the envelope of a building due to temperature differentials between…
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) has revised the environmental approvals process in Ontario for air and noise emissions as of January, 2017. The new EASR regulation made under EPA is:…
I previously talked about master planning, but not everyone is lucky enough to get to make the decision about the location and layout of a subdivision within a community. So the question becomes, how can…
From my experience resolving noise and privacy issues in buildings I have learned that the cause is usually an oversight of seemingly small but absolutely critical details. Details that could have been addressed during design…
Master planning is step one in development. Sometimes it’s done through secondary plans, or subdivision plans. Whatever it is labelled, it is intended to be holistic and all encompassing. In this era where pedestrian usage…
“Every site is different” is a mantra for design that encompasses the diversity of issues that we all face on projects. Topography, demographics, infrastructure, and other site-specific information is typically accessible to a design team…
It’s all doom and gloom it seems, especially in Alberta. As recently as two years ago the cost of oil was up over $100 per barrel, and since then we’ve seen billions of dollars in…
Many people believe the phrase "prevailing winds" implies that the wind blows from a certain direction, or a limited set of directions, most of the time. While this interpretation has become commonplace, it can be…
