Feature Stories

WEB EXCLUSIVE: P3s light the way to better infrastructure

A new era is dawning in construction, says David Bowcott. While it is hard for some to believe, first cost is no longer king and the emphasis is gradually shifting to infrastructure life-cycle costs.

Canada's retail sector continues to attract foreign chains and developers
Canada will continue to be a retail haven for large U.S. chains and developers from around the world. According to Colliers International’s 2012 Spring Retail Report, Canada offers developers a stable marketplace with untapped growth...

Construction in Canada enters second decade of strong growth
Construction employment will remain at all-time record high levels in Canada for the next decade or so, according to a new forecast of labour supply and demand published by the Construction Sector Council (CSC).

Commercial real estate in China: the 50 cities to watch over the next decade

Web Exclusives

The Updated Ontario Building Code
The update to the 2006 Ontario Building Code, which went into effect in January 2012, is the most progressive code-required energy standard in North America. There are some significant changes to the code which will likely significantly reduce...
Dehumidification: A Concrete Plan to Avoid Construction Delays
The construction industry has long been judged on its quality of work and ability to complete projects on schedule. Construction managers, general contractors and sub-contractors who must meet tight timetables and warranty the work feel the...
Potential Impact of Climate Change on the Building Envelope
Many scientists believe that what appears to be a gradual warming of the earth’s surface and atmosphere may be the result of human activity and increasing urbanization around the globe. Many also believe this warming trend has the...
PR 101, pt. 4: What to say when you have nothing (new) to say.
To paraphrase George Gershwin, "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin' and Nuttin's plenty for PR." The leading man in Porgy and Bess lacked a car or mule, but that was fine wif' him. Likewise, if you're seeking...
Where is the conserve in Harper's Conservatives?
Prime Minister Harper's 1960s piano tunes may be timeless, but his single-minded approach to developing new energy supply is long out of fashion. Attitudes have changed, and Canadian leaders need to keep up. Before proposing new megaprojects to...
12 energy-related predictions for 2012 in Canada
Does Canada need more energy supply or more insulation? Clearly, this is a gross simplification but it is estimated that almost a third of Canada's current energy consumption is used for heating and cooling buildings and homes. This number...
Hybrid fire testing of the whole structure
Traditional fire resistance testing evaluates the performance of individual building elements with no consideration given to the interaction with other parts of the building. On rare occasions, fire performance is assessed by constructing and...
PR 101, pt. 3: Winning Pitches with Super Superb Superlatives
In my first PR 101 column, I promised some "juicy bits" in future installments in the form of case studies of winning publicity campaigns for clients, many of whom would be near and dear to Building readers. Well, now I'm delivering. This...
Get your head in the cloud
Over the past decade a paradigm shift has taken place as control of valuable real estate industry data has been transferred from the exclusive domain of professionals to the building owners.
Building Outrage: How Corruption Has Crippled the Construction Industry and What Owners Can Do to Take Back the Building Process
It reads like a story from the recent financial collapse when headlines exposed the corrupt practices of many of the Western nations' big financial companies. This time, however, some of those corporate giants are the ones getting fleeced