GlassTalk

Ontario’s Bill 23 has attracted some hot reaction from environmental groups, up to and including claims it has taken away municipalities’ ability to enforce environmental regulations on construction. In the glass industry, most of the questions are concerning Toronto’s bird-friendly glazing rules. As one of North America’s preeminent bird-friendly glass suppliers, Walker Glass is keeping a close eye on the situation. Architectural representative, Marc Deschamps, and marketing manager, Danik Dancause, join the podcast to update us on where things sit and how they are likely to develop. We also get into a longer discussion of bird-friendly glazing in general, including discussion of a recent study at the University of Saskatchewan that showed just how effective it can be at reducing fatal bird collisions.

Dr. Mukhopadhya is a building science professor researching thermal testing and modeling at the University of Victoria and he joined Glass Talk to explain his latest work on thermal testing that may open the door to understanding thermal performance of facades based on smaller test sample sizes. He also discusses measuring thermal transmission through building materials and what the future may hold for infrared imaging and standardization of thermal standard. Professor Mukhopadya is also working on embodied carbon evaluations and thermal bridging science – all critical topics of anyone involved in designing the high performance building envelopes of the near future.

The Ontario government has announced a string of programs and restructurings aimed at improving and promoting skilled trades training. Robert Bronk is CEO of the Ontario Construction Secretariat, an agency that acts as a forum for construction contractors and construction unions to work together. As such, he has some great perspectives on the state of skilled trades learning and the apprenticeship system. In this episode, he talks about the new Ontario initiatives; how our apprenticeship system is viewed around the world; what is working and not working; how the education system has let skilled trades languish; and the intersection between apprenticeship and unionization.

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance continues to evolve into a truly North American organization for the architectural glass and window and door industries. It’s most recent move is the absorption of Fenestration BC, the association created 10 years ago out of the merger of the Canadian Window and Door Manufacturers Association of BC and the Glazing Contractors Association of BC. With the retirement of long-time FenBC executive directior, Zana Gordon, FenBC went looking for new resources to steer the group and found a willing partner in the FGIA. FGIA chairman, Dan Parrish, and FenBC chairman, David Goldsmith, joined GlassTalk to explain everything and map the course forward.

The August issue of Glass Canada magazine featured Canada’s Top 10 Under 40 young professionals in the architectural glass industry, and four of them joined Glass Talk to help us get to know them even better. Corey and Blake Sanders of SpandrelTech, Ameet Balilty of High Performance Glazing and Vincent Couturier of Unicel talked about what’s changed since their fathers’ day; where things are likely to go in the future; some of the crazy stuff that’s happened to them in the industry; and lots of general industry gossip. The industry is in great hands with a next generation like this!

Thermal modeling for façade component certification is going to become a bigger and bigger part of our business as energy efficiency standards continue to tighten. Jonathan “JoMo” Layton and Taylor Wight join GlassTalk to talk about the importance and uses of modelling in today’s design process and how it might influence our efforts in the future. We discuss the new NBC tiered codes; Layton’s experiences modelling designs around the world; the differences between Passive House and NFRC standards; the need to change our approach to solar heat gain; thermal bridging and more.

Aynsley Dueck is operations manager at Duxton Windows and Doors and has focused on bringing Continuous Improvement and Lean processes to her operation for several years now. She talks about just what these concepts are and how they can be applied to window, door and commercial façade manufacturing environments. We cover how to deal with the disruption and change that comes with reforming your processes; how to get employee and management buy-in and how to avoid some common pitfalls. We also look at some of the tangible and less-tangible benefits of CI and Lean, and pick up some specific tips from Aynsley that they’ve discovered in their CI journey.

With prescient timing, Samuel Doyon-Bissonnette, co-president of Unicel Architectural, has recently developed and brought to market a Passive House-certified stick-built curtainwall system using engineered wood. The timing is great because recent changes to codes and standards allow architects to do more with wood construction than ever before. Also, wood answers many questions about energy efficiency and embodied carbon. Samuel discusses the opportunity for wood curtainwall and some of the unique features and challenges of working with this material.

Last year in Ontario, 30 percent of all the working people who died from opioid overdose worked in the construction industry. It’s clearly time for we who employ tradespeople to pay some extra attention to this issue and be prepared to help those in our companies who struggle with substance use and misuse. To help, Jan Chappel, a senior occupational health and safety specialist with CCOHS, joined Glass Talk to give us some advice on what to look for in employee behaviour that might indicate a problem; how to address the issue; and where to find the resources both you and your employee might need.

Hospitals and other health care facilities are commissioning some of the best glazing projects in Canada today. Not content any more with square brick facades, the healthcare industry has become a prime target for architectural glass companies looking for opportunities to apply their very best creativity and technology. Vincent Couturier, COO of Longueuil, Que., fabricator, Unicel Architectural, joins Glass Talk to share knowledge gained from his experiences delivering award-winning solutions to this lucrative sector. Couturier talks about the special needs of the healthcare industry, including designs that are easy to clean and don’t accumulate dust; the need for enhanced sound control; solar heat gain considerations; extra privacy needs; and the concept of “behavioural glazing” to deal with the habits of patients who might be destructive. Fascinating stuff!