flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Toronto mandates green roofs

Toronto mandates green roofs


August 11, 2010
This article first appeared in the 200906 issue of BD+C.
Toronto now requires up to 50% green roof coverage on multi-unit residential dwellings over six stories, schools, nonprofit  housing, and commercial and industrial buildings.


The city of Toronto late last month passed a new green roof by-law that consists of a green roof construction standard and a mandatory requirement for green roofs on all classes of new buildings. The by-law requires up to 50% green roof coverage on multi-unit residential dwellings over six stories, schools, nonprofit housing, and commercial and industrial buildings. Larger residential projects require greater green roof coverage, ranging anywhere from 20–50% of the roof area.

"The City of Toronto's leadership on all things green took another major step by making it obligatory to have green roofs for all types of new buildings," said Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone, the primary champion of the new by-law. "This by-law is a major part of the solution to climate change, the creation of green jobs, and it represents a whole new mindset on how our cities approach the 20% or so of surface area that are roofs."

Chicago has the greatest number of installed green roofs, according to the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' Annual Green Roof Industry Survey released last month. The mandatory by-law in Toronto may change that, resulting in approximately 50 to 75 new projects annually, according to GRHC president Steven W. Peck.

Toronto already requires green roofs on city-owned properties, has established a financial incentive of up to $5 per square foot for existing buildings, and is currently building a publicly accessible green roof on its city hall.

For more on the green roof by-law, visit: www.toronto.ca/building.

Source: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' Fourth Annual Industry Survey
Chicago 534,507
Washington, D.C. 501,042
New York 358,986
Vancouver 320,000
Philadelphia 196,820
Baltimore 150,032
Montreal 75,700
Grand Rapids, Mich. 74,784
Princeton, N.J. 56,250
Newtown Square, Pa. 48,130

Related Stories

| Aug 4, 2014

BIM Giants: Firms enhance BIM/VDC with advanced collaboration tools [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Cloud-based data sharing, rapid iterative design, and cross-discipline collaboration are among the emerging trends in the BIM/VDC field, according to BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 Report.

| Jul 15, 2014

A look into the history of modular construction

Modular construction is more than a century old, and throughout its lifespan, the methods have been readapted to meet specific needs of different eras.

| Jul 14, 2014

Meet the bamboo-tent hotel that can grow

Beijing-based design cooperative Penda designed a bamboo hotel that can easily expand vertically or horizontally.

| Jul 1, 2014

7 ways to cut waste in BIM implementation

Process mapping, split models, and streamlined coordination meetings are among the timesaving techniques AEC firms are employing to improve BIM/VDC workflows.

| Jun 25, 2014

AIA Foundation launches Regional Resilient Design Studio

The Studio is the first to be launched as part of the AIA Foundation’s National Resilience Program, which plans to open a total of five Regional Resilience Design Studios nationwide in collaboration with Architecture for Humanity, and Public Architecture.

| Jun 19, 2014

Singapore's 'Tree House' vertical gardens break Guinness World Record

The high-rise development will have a 24,638-sf vertical garden, breaking a Guinness World Record.

| Jun 18, 2014

Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components

The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.

| Jun 12, 2014

Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method

Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.

| May 29, 2014

Wood advocacy groups release 'lessons learned' report on tall wood buildings

The wood-industry advocacy group reThink Wood has released "Summary Report: Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings," with informatino from 10 mid-rise projects in Europe, Australia, and Canada. 

| May 27, 2014

Contractors survey reveals improving construction market

The construction industry is on the road to recovery, according to a new survey by Metal Construction News. Most metrics improved from the previous year’s survey, including a 19.4% increase in the average annual gross contracting sales volume. SPONSORED CONTENT

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Engineers

Navigating battery energy storage augmentation

By implementing an augmentation plan upfront, owners can minimize potential delays and unforeseen costs when augmentation needs to occur, according to Burns & McDonnell energy storage technology manager Joshua Crawford.


3D Printing

3D-printed construction milestones take shape in Tennessee and Texas

Two notable 3D-printed projects mark milestones in the new construction technique of “printing” structures with specialized concrete. In Athens, Tennessee, Walmart hired Alquist 3D to build a 20-foot-high store expansion, one of the largest freestanding 3D-printed commercial concrete structures in the U.S. In Marfa, Texas, the world’s first 3D-printed hotel is under construction at an existing hotel and campground site.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021