OnTrack Series - Glotman Simpson

Category: OnTrack Series

Glotman•Simpson’s Journey to Net Zero

In the last few years, several ominous phrases have crept into our daily lexicon including “atmospheric rivers”, “quarantining”, “social distancing”, and “air-quality index.” Oxymorons are also taking over our headlines such as “stormy California” and “rainy Arizona.” Spurred by the pandemic and climate crisis, the world is changing faster than ever before – and our ...

Considering The Balance Between Material Costs + Labour Efficiency

October 5, 2023 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series

We recently stumbled upon a thought-provoking article, authored by Steve Webb, in The Architectural Review. Webb envisions an alternative future where taxes are employed to protect human labour and penalize excessive material use, thus curbing wasteful practices. Historically, the cost of labour has outweighed the price of materials, resulting in buildings designed to minimize labour …

Building Decarbonization and Technology: BIM Integration

September 1, 2023 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series

The embodied carbon policy landscape in North America is rapidly evolving, and at Glotman Simpson we are fully embracing the change. Slowly but surely, policies are aligning with the current environmental demands of the era. With these policy shifts, we must adapt to create a more sustainable, equitable and decarbonized built environment. The question then …

Let Post-Tensioning Take the Stress for the Planet

August 2, 2023 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series

Concrete slabs can be held accountable for most of the embodied carbon in our buildings, responsible for nearly 40% to 70% of the total concrete volume in a high-rise tower. For developers looking to reduce their building’s carbon footprint, directing their attention toward these structural elements is a great starting point. This month, we dive …

On Track: Footing Elements & Sustainability

May 30, 2023 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series

Footing Elements + Sustainability Footings are the unsung heroes of building structures, performing a vital role without attracting attention. Unlike the prominent architectural features of ever-popular Mass Timber structures or the aesthetically rustic steel braces systems often found in retrofit buildings, footings are often buried below a layer of soil and then further covered by …

On Track: Structural Transfer Design

April 25, 2023 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series

Our On Track series explores what levers we can pull to reduce the environmental impact of building structures. The need to accelerate climate action in the form of innovative solutions that minimize both operational and embodied carbon is imperative and represents a critical part of a low-carbon future. Last month focused on policy and …

On Track: Policy and Embodied Carbon

March 21, 2023 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series

VBBL 2022 Revisions – Buildings + Sustainability With the challenges of climate change and the increasing demand for housing and infrastructure, sustainable construction has emerged as a means to mitigate the difficulty of these impacts. As stated by companies similar to Carbonclick, policies are a major component of sustainable construction, setting the standard for the …