Category: GS Sustainability
OnTrack: Our 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 ...
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OnTrack: A Retreat from Conventional Design: Reducing Embodied Carbon Through Engineering Innovation
August 1, 2025 GS Sustainability OnTrack Series
Glotman Simpson prides itself on being at the cutting edge of structural engineering. As engineers, we are always looking at new ways of sharpening the pencil on our designs. These efforts are shared in our technical retreat, a two-day event held in Whistler every few years. It’s a forum for thoughtful discussion on the implications …
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OnTrack: The Structure Behind the Stats: Sen̓áḵw’s 22% Carbon Cut Explained
July 11, 2025 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series
Glotman•Simpson’s role as the structural engineer on Sen̓áḵw – Phase 1, an Indigenous-led development in Vancouver, BC, is projected to eliminate over 7,800 tonnes of embodied carbon setting a new benchmark for sustainable construction in Canada. Although this study was conducted independently of the building’s design, it reinforces a broader principle we uphold; designing efficiently …
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OnTrack: Partition Choices, Carbon Consequences: The Case for Smarter Material Selection
May 27, 2025 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series
When we think about embodied carbon, slabs, beams, and footings all come to mind, but what other elements are missing and how important are they? Look inside any building with partition walls, and you’ll notice the square footage of partition wall is considerable—often considerably more than the floor area in that space. All that material …
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OnTrack: Speed Up, Carbon Down: How We made LCA Lightning Fast
April 29, 2025 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series
At Glotman Simpson, we are continually enhancing our capabilities as sustainable designers. We’re always aiming to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and in line with this commitment, we’re thrilled to announce that we now conduct Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in-house using a custom tool built specifically for structural engineering. Developing …
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OnTrack: Not Your Average Tower: Cutting Carbon in Campus Construction
March 31, 2025 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series
The focus on minimizing embodied carbon continues to grow in new public sector buildings, especially in educational institutions. These projects often set clear targets for embodied carbon reduction, requiring the project design team to collaborate closely and put in a collective effort to meet those goals. For a recent mixed-use institutional project, we collaborated closely …
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OnTrack: Patience is a Sustainable Virtue
February 27, 2025 General GS Sustainability OnTrack Series
Over the last several years, we have put significant effort into refining our structures to be more efficient from a sustainability standpoint. This is a topic we’ve explored extensively during our On Track Series. Whether it is working with architects and owners early to reduce or eliminate the need for transfer slabs, pushing towards post-tensioned …
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