Edmonton – His Worship David Miller, Mayor of Toronto, presented his Mayor’s Tower Renewal plan at the Hotel MacDonald this afternoon to a group of developers, architects, contractors and other city builders.

The luncheon, hosted by the Sustainable Buildings Consortium, was also the launch of reimagine.ca, an Edmonton response to aging buildings. By renewing  Edmonton's existing building stock, owners can enhance and future-proof their assets, reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and improve occupant working environments. Reimagine.ca will provide inspiration for city builders and open up a realm of possibilities that make economic as well as environmental sense.

Most of Edmonton's commercial tower buildings were constructed during the 1960s and 1970s and are now exhibiting various forms of aging and deterioration, primarily on exterior envelope elements. Prudent investments in the comprehensive re-skinning of these buildings are needed to restore durability, improve energy efficiency and enhance appearance.

"What we've learned from designing new sustainable buildings is that the skin, or envelope, of the building is among the most important parts of an integrated design strategy. We have now developed strategies to translate that experience on new buildings, into the sustainable re-skinning of existing buildings." says Vivian Manasc, Architect and Principal at Manasc Isaac.

This summit is the first of a series of luncheons that focus on the critical importance and value of re-skinning commercial office buildings to save energy and enhance cities.

SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS CONSORTIUM

The Sustainable Buildings Consortium is a non-profit research Institute dedicated to:

• Green buildings and materials research and development
• Public policy advocacy for a sustainable built environment

Manasc Isaac Architects founded the Consortium in 1999. Through research, product design, teaching and special events the Consortium aims to raise awareness and build market demand for sustainable buildings in Alberta.