Sep 22 2010, Toronto: One Planet House Retrofit seminar @ Green Building Festival
Toronto. Scott Demark of Build Green Solutions will present on his project to transform his home using the One Planet approach. Download the Powerpoint here (25,899 KB).
Seminar Synopsis: One Planet House Retrofit. This seminar is an in-depth case study of a deep green sustainability retrofit in Ottawa, Canada. This project involves the demolition of all but the shell of an existing 1920′s home, and retrofits it to meet LEED Platinum/PassivHaus standards. Using the One Planet framework the design of this home looks broadly at sustainability, including net zero energy, ultra-low potable water usage, sustainable materials, exemplary indoor air quality, on-site food growing, and responsible site selection. The objective is to present a detailed case study of one of the greenest homes in North America. Attendees will learn about the One Planet framework’s application to green home design, the challenges of building deep green, and be inspired to incorporate sustainability innovations into their projects. Read more.
One Planet Team shortlisted for major infill redevelopment competition
A plane flies above the City Centre airport in Edmonton on March 11 2010.
BioRegional North America, in collaboration with sustainable architecture and planning leader BNIM, have developed one of five submissions short-listed for a design competition for the Edmonton City Centre Airport Redevelopment, beating out 28 other teams.
While BNIM serves as the project lead, BioRegional North America hand-picked team members Windmill/BuildGreen Solutions, transportation planners Crandall Arambula, district energy experts FVB Energy, and Edmonton-based Minasc Isaac – a renowned green architecture firm headed by Vivian Minasc, a co-founder of the Canadian Green Building Council. BNIM of Kansas City are behind many notable projects, from the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (Living Building/LEED Platinum) to the award-winning masterplan for the reconstruction of tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, to the greening of the US White House.
Other finalist teams are Sweco of Oslo; Perkins + Will of Vancouver; KCAP of Rotterdam; and Foster + Partners of London. The City of Edmonton plans to turn the 217 hectare in-fill site into a sustainable development for 30,000 people. The BNIM/BioRegional submission calls for it to be developed as a One Planet Community. Greg Searle previously served on a Special Advisory Panel of the Urban Land Institute to the University of Alberta’s south campus project in Edmonton.
The redevelopment opportunity is a significant development because of its urban infill location just north of downtown. The City of Edmonton wants to turn the 217 hectare city centre airport into a sustainable, family-oriented development that can hold 30,000 people. According to BNIM’s Master Plan Submittal, the company plans to do this by strictly adhering to the 10 One Planet Principles. A jury will select the winning team in December or January. The City of Edmonton hopes this redevelopment will lead the way for other urban in-fill projects not only in Alberta, but around the world.
May 4 2010, Ottawa: Keynote to Home Builders’ Association
May 4, 2010 @ 6:40pm – Ottawa, Canada. Greg Searle is to provide a Keynote address to the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association on One Planet Communities.
Vancouver Sun: Urban eco-village concept moves from Europe to North America
January 30 – Vancouver. An excerpt: Already frustrated by the process and results he was seeing in his own LEED projects, Geof Syphers of Codding Enterprises welcomed the challenge One Planet Communities offered when developing the Sonoma Mountain Village. “Even in the very best-case scenario, under an LEED Platinum project, we were only reducing CO2 emissions by 15 to 20 per cent relative to the status quo,” says Syphers.
“Even if we were beating stringent codes by 40 per cent, and we’re supplying half of the power with renewable energy, we’re still providing the other half with fossil fuels and causing a net detriment to the planet.”
Syphers says the One Planet framework was attractive, in part, because it lays out exactly what is needed to achieve sustainability.
“It makes no claim that you’ll succeed,” he says, “but if you fall short, you’ll know exactly what the gap is and why, and then they publish that widely.
“Instead of patting ourselves on the back for reducing waste by 89 per cent, we say we made good progress, but still have a long way to go, and if you can help us, that would be great. It allows real science to happen.”
Kite-skiiers on longest unsupported polar expedition promote “one planet living”
Greenland. A British and two Canadian adventurers will be attempting a unique unsupported traverse of the full length of Greenland, from the Atlantic Ocean on the south coast to the Arctic Ocean on the north coast between May and July 2009 to draw attention to the need for “one planet living”. The team will also raise awareness of the effects of global warming on the Greenland ice cap and carry out scientific monitoring. Using the power of the wind to kite ski and haul 150kg sleds for 2 months over a 3500km route that has never been done before, the Emirates NBD Greenland Quest will also likely be the longest unsupported Arctic Polar journey in history. Become a fan of the Greenland Quest Facebook page!
Apr 17 2008, Vancouver: Green Living Manifesto launched at Living Future 08
Vancouver. We were invited to speak this year at our favorite green building conference, the Cascadia Green Building Council’s Living Future “Unconference”. In addition to co-presenting on the Sonoma Mountain Village One Planet Community project with green building & energy gurus KEMA, Greg Searle was also invited to address the plenary with “15 minutes of brilliance”. He used the opportunity to launch the Green Living Manifesto – a call to arms for green building professionals to also focus on green lifestyles. Treehugger says: “yet another affirmation … that green buildings or sustainable technologies are not enough in themselves – social solutions are just as vital if we are ever going to dig ourselves out of the mess we have created. An initiative well worth supporting.”
June 19 2006, Vancouver: Greg Searle helps launch EcoDensity Initiative at World Urban Forum
Vancouver Congress and Exhibition Centre. Mayor Sam Sullivan invited One Planet Communities to speak at the launch of his laudable new Vancouver EcoDensity Initiative as a kick-off to the Third World Urban Forum. The BBC – on hand for the World Urban Forum – ended up quoting one of our remarks. We wrote a short brief on ecological footprint impacts of densification, using the framework of the ten principles of One Planet Communities. Official quote: “EcoDensity promises to be one of the most important strategies to reducing the ecological footprint of Vancouver residents, and it will enhance their quality of life, too.”
Download Brief (129kb)
May 27 2006, Toronto: Greg Searle to lecture at Ryerson University
CMHC’s Design Faculty Summit – Fifth Edition
27 May, 2006
Ryerson University
Toronto, Ontario
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"It's time to stop planning for energy efficiency and start planning for zero impact. It's time to move past 'green' and embrace truly sustainable development. One Planet Communities has given us the framework to do just that."
Geof Syphers
Chief Sustainability Officer
Codding Enterprises