Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) says it will host a public virtual expert panel on May 19 to spotlight what it describes as the “urgent need for low- and zero-carbon buildings.
In a statement, OAA says “a panel of experts will showcase the tremendous economic and environmental advantage of high-efficiency performance, for both new and existing buildings.”
The free, public online plenary panel, part of the OAA’s 2021 OAA Virtual Conference Week (May 17 to 21) has been titled: The Value of Zero: Investing in Carbon-Free Design.
The program with a four-expert panel “will champion sustainable architecture in the context of green finance, offering a pathway to Canada’s post-pandemic, green economic recovery,” the OAA says.
Panelists are:
- Jamie Gray-Donald, senior vice-president, Sustainability and Environmental, Health & Safety at QuadReal;
- Tom Rand, author, venture capitalist, and climate expert;
- Lisa King, City of Toronto Senior Policy Planner; and
- Joanne McCallum, architect with the practice, mcCallumSather.
“As part of a one-hour discussion moderated by economist, author, and broadcaster Linda Nazareth, each speaker will discuss their work and share ideas and insights as they relate to the built environment and then answer questions from the audience submitted via Zoom and social media,” the statement says.
“Whether as deep energy retrofits or zero-carbon new construction, this panel will foreground that sustainable architecture is not something to do ‘in the future,’ but something architects are already doing now with great success and outcomes. This is a unique opportunity to gain a rich understanding of the economic and investment value of green architecture.
This virtual event at 9:00 a.m. is free and open to the public and can be streamed via the OAA website or on the OAA’s YouTube Channel.