...then it all came together

Budding Tree Fern

My new (unofficial) mentor Leanne Beard– project manager of the residential rating tool at the NZGBC - says there are no accidents in life. In reviewing the last few years of my life, I am inclined to believe her.

First, a trip long ago to beautiful New Zealand where I discovered that the only thing that left me disenchanted with the country was the state of its homes. Cold and damp due to insufficient heating and insulation, I frequently complained that I, a hardy Canadian, had never been colder. No one should have to wear a toque to bed! Now, a return to the country I love to work a fantastic internship position and the task that is assigned me? Help develop the residential rating tool that will transform the way New Zealanders think about their homes by making them drier, warmer and more comfortable.

Though I’ve already spoken about this project in an earlier post I feel it is necessary to revisit it as it has provided me with more ‘Aha!’ moments than I can count.

The most exciting aspect of this project to me was the breadth of stakeholders needed on board to make it a reality. To move an entire country’s population towards renovating their homes means engaging everyone, from the government to industry players to retailers, interior designers and real estate agents.

Early on I was told my task would be to focus on “stakeholder engagement”. I had never heard this expression before. It was while attending Business Model development meetings with chief executives along with technical framework meetings with the core technical team and Marketing Managers meetings with partner representatives that I truly understood the meaning of the two words “stakeholder” and “engagement”. If we are to truly change the way we make and do things in order to create a more sustainable society it is crucial that all actors be involved in the creation of this new system. If one needs to be convinced or tricked into doing something, commitment will last no longer than the lifespan of the trailblazer who started it all. However, involve everyone in setting the new direction and all will have a stake in seeing it succeed. The wide-spread adoption of Homestar, the Residential Rating Tool, will serve to illustrate this.

I'd been desperately looking for my missing link, now, thanks to this experience, my research has veered into a new direction and with a new and exciting purpose: collaboration is now the name of my game. I even have an external supervisor willing to support me. This internship could not have been more successful! My only regret is of leaving New Zealand before the grand public unveiling of the tool, set for mid-October. I eagerly await New Zealand’s reaction and eventual transformation. Can’t wait to visit in another 5 years!

Below, a sampling of cool architecture found in NZ:

Typical cottage style house in Auckland's Ponsonby neighbourhood

The Whangamomona Pub - off the Forgotten World Highway (jurassic park anyone?)

The Old Sofrana House, downtown Auckland - Home of the NZGBC

Tree planting on Motutapu

Team New Zealand Green Building Council! (and friends)

Arriving at Motutapu

Last weekend the New Zealand Green Building Council participated in one of their yearly volunteer activities, tree planting on Motutapu Island. This island is situated in Auckland harbour and is basically right next to Mount Rangitoto, the volcano featured in earlier photos.

Apparently Motutapu was one of the earliest inhabited sites the Auckland region and was largely deforested following Rangitoto's eruption in AD1400. The vegetation not damaged by the eruption was subsequently decimated by human settlements (both Maori and European) as well as the introduction of pests.

This island is beautifully located, amidst the bay and fellow islands, but looks eerily barren, despite it's rich green pastures. The Motutapu Restoration Trust has been working hard to return it to its previous splendour, and for the past 20 years volunteers have planted over 350,000 trees, all indigenous of course, achieving 80 hectares of native bush. Massive pest eradication has also been on the agenda and the island is now free of wallabies and possums, though hedgehogs remain plentiful.

This was one of my first opportunities (i'm embarrassed to say) to finally get out of city life and smell nature once again. Bird calls abounded and it felt truly wonderful to get dirty on that beautiful sunny winter day.

Auckland, as seen from the ferry

Some of the landscape to be transformed

Hard at work

A successfully planted patch, about 15 years old

A rare sight, an old growth tree amongst the new forest

To the left, the new forest, to the right, there's still lots to go!

View out towards the Pacific ocean

First example of Green Building?

nah, just military battle stations set up during World War II. And sheep.

A quick note on the kindness of others

I recently moved, from an 8-person home where unbelievably enough you always felt alone (no but really, the students living there were really nice, my room was just dysfunctionally small, plus I think it had fleas) to a much more reasonable set up in a shared home with a couple. She plays rugby with me, he's a real estate agent (but a nice one). Appalled by my living conditions they invited me to stay at their house for the remainder of my time here, for half the rent!

I gladly accepted.

Unfortunately they didn't have another bed, just a sort of fold out mattress. I hastily moved in thinking it would be fine and that it would all work out. Instead I spent all last week in a zombie-like state due to extremely poor sleep. My supervisor was even worried about my glazed over eyes.

I jokingly mentioned in a conversation at work that I was looking for a spare bed. A co-worker immediately offered hers but wasn't sure about delivery. At that point my supervisor jumped in saying that she'd happily help me to move it this weekend as it was well worth it to them that I be well rested! Sure enough, yesterday she picked me up, paid for the a trailer rental and drove all the way across town to pick up the bed with me.

I am truly grateful to the people who go out of their way to help others when they really don't need to (though she said it was in the NZGBC's best interest to have me firing at 120% again). Then again, i've never met an ungenerous New Zealander.

Here's to a good night's sleep!

The old mattress on the floor set up

The new set up. Luxury!

(Notice all the heating components necessary for not freezing!)

Changing cities one bike lane at a time

Jan Gehl, amongst it

Sometimes transformation can occur before you even realise it’s happening.

This was the primary message that I took out of legendary Jan Gehl’s presentation in Auckland tonight entitled "Cities for People", and one that I am very happy to have heard.

Jan Gehl, a Danish architect and urban planner with a vision towards restoring the planet’s cities for its inhabitants, has a simple message: “if you are sweet to people, they will be sweet to you”. He had the slides and images to back that claim up too.

After introducing the state of architecture when he himself emerged out of architecture school 50 short years ago – where buildings were grand and people were small, where the most important perspective – eye level – was completely forgotten, and where “bird sh** architects” dropped massive concrete buildings on cities like bomber pilots (all his expressions, not mine!), and in an era where Jane Jacobs fought successfully to keep her beloved Greenwich village from becoming ground zero for an expressway – some cities where already shifting towards a revolutionary style of city, one where people are its central focus, not cars.

Copenhagen is one such city, explains Gehl. Little by little, and with the direction of a visionary architect and city planner, Copenhagen began to systematically reduce the amount of available parking space by 2%. The amount was negligible (small enough for no one to really notice) and with it came the appearance of lovely human thoroughfares, with benches and cafes and places for people to sit and chat and walk if they wanted. Copenhagen never knew what hit it and in the space of 1 year the main street was completely pedestrianized.

When this plan was laid out in 1962 stores along the street balked. Surely there sales would drop! But – and City of Toronto mayoral candidates should listen up – not a peep was heard from them after its inception.

The truth of the matter is very simply, lay down more concrete and more cars will come, remove the concrete – or use it differently – and people will come (and with them their money). People are the life of any city; Gehl reminds us that it is in our nature to be around people. We enjoy watching them, talking with them, walking amongst them on a sunny summer’s day. When a street is deserted, it feels unsafe and bizarre.

Gehl boasts that his beloved Copenhagen, in its efforts to meet its stated goal of becoming “The world’s finest city for people” is aiming to get 50% of its population on bikes. Businessmen bike to work, grandmothers bike, pregnant women bike. The spaces afforded them are wide, safe and numerous. Compare this to Brisbane, Australia (as told by Gehl) – and I would also offer Auckland – where biking is considered an extreme sport only done by 25 to 35 year old men dressed in full “survival gear”. Biking can and should be a preferred way of transportation in a truly mixed-use city. In Copenhagen cars must cross sidewalks to turn, not people crossing streets. What a beautiful distinction!

Bikes in Copenhagen

And so it turns out, that Auckland has been studied by Gehl for a “public realm health check” in 2009. Its preliminary recommendations could be just as easily suited for Toronto:

• Celebrate your beautiful natural setting – from this emerges that it should go without saying that people should be able to easily and pleasantly access the waterfront on foot.

• Connect the oases of life (parks, attractions) throughout the city to encourage people to move around.

• And finally and obviously, take out the 150 cars per hectare parking spaces (compared to 23 per hectare in Copenhagen!), and bring back the bicycle.

To show that it can be done, Gehl concludes with some images of his work in New York City (of all places). Since 2008 NYC has been transforming itself. Separated bike paths have been introduced on its main arteries and car lanes reduced. Broadway Avenue is now permanently closed to motor vehicle traffic since February 2010 leaving what used to be permanent gridlock (as I remember it in 2006) to reinvent itself into a street wide open air café. And just to show how happy everyone is, business has gone up 75%.

This is astounding and a positive sign that when you are serious about changing you city, the city will gladly respond.

Now let’s just make sure to redirect this increase in spending power away from the toys and chocolate abundant in that part of New York and rather towards sustainable goodies and practices – photovoltaic suppliers and vermicomposter retailers pay attention, now you know where your next potential customer base might lie!

Parasols on Broadway Plaza

People, not cars, on Broadway

How to celebrate Canada Day in New Zealand

For the good of all kiwis (principally those found within the four walls of my office) I put on my, non-existent, baking hat this week and decided to try my best at making my family's all-time favourite desert: Nanaimo Bars. What could be more Canadian than that?

Now please believe me when I say that I am not a cook, much less a baker. I have an uncle who does that professionally (check it out! Fresh N' Fancy Bakery in Cochrane, Ontario) and so really, why bother when I get as many delicious Tourtieres as I can handle?

Since certain ingredients aren't available here - graham crackers, shocker! - I checked the trusty internet for substitution ideas. Now apparently many Canadians before me have tried baking Nanaimo Bars in a foreign land; there was heaps of help!

I did a first batch, only took 3 hours (bashing nuts with a rolling pin isn't all that effective but forget paying $8 per kilo for crushed ones!), and my flatmates loved them. So the day before Canada Day I spent another 3 hours (not any easier the second time around) making the grand finale batch. They turned out amazingly (ahem), though I still have yet to work out how to make the chocolate layer shimmery and smooth like those my grandmother, aunts, mom... the whole family really, makes. I’m pretty sure everyone was delighted as all bars were finished pretty promptly. I printed out a mini Canadian flag and also offered some of my mother's home made maple syrup to make a more complete Canadiana experience.

The most memorable comment of the day: "I can really taste the tree in them!" (in reference to the maple syrup)

I think everyone enjoyed their Canada Day morning tea break and I have now lost my fear of baking... Thank you Canada for giving me the excuse to give it a go!

GSNZAP - Say it three times, quick!

Today I got to experience an outsider's perspective of the Green Star NZ world, New Zealand's green building rating tool (not to be confused with Green Star period, Australia's green building tool - on which the NZ tool was based) and I must say, it was quite unexpected.

This morning about 40 people (including myself) gathered on the top floor of the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Auckland, overlooking the beautiful and green (thank you evergreens!) University of Auckland campus, to take part in a full day training course on the Green Star NZ tool. Our lovely presenters were Liz Root, Green Star Technical Manager at the NZGBC, and Quinton, a NZGBC Green Star assessor and assistant creator of the tool itself. The room was packed with would-be Green Star New Zealand Accredited Professionals (refer to the above acronym), from Energy Analysts, to contractors and engineers to property valuers and building services managers, all keen to be initiated into the world of green building and supportive of the steps to get there.

Or so that's what I assumed.

In reality, our presenters were met with what could politely be described as distrust but in fact sometimes seemed to simply be outright hostility. I am told this is specific to the Auckland crowd.

My perspective going into this day of training, which is a precursor to sitting the Green Star NZ Accredited Professional exam (NZ's counterpart to the LEED AP exam), was that everyone was a convert and saw the intrinsic value of creating a more sustainable and less harmful built environment. However, a few (too many) of the participants seemed completely jaded and mistrusting of the tool apparently only seeking a soap-box platform for venting their frustrations instead.

I completely understand cynicism, but not the (misdirected) hostility. Take the case of the waste contractor who explained the dichotomy of waste managers in NZ:

In one camp there are those who DO own landfills and thereby make their money collecting waste and then chucking it into the landfill

On the other side are those who DON'T own landfills and make money collecting waste but must spend more to dump it (thereby giving money to their competitors).

The latter group clearly have a much larger incentive to divert waste (in fact they would be bad business men - let's face it, they're all men here - if they didn't) whereas the former do not. This creates problems, as the gentleman pointed out, when the former are the ones contracted to remove waste from a Green Star building site under the presumption that they will be diverting the waste when in fact they are not. This is a legitimate and extremely troubling concept, unfortunately one that has now been added to my already-too-large repertoire of examples of how hard it will be to get everyone to sign up to join the Green Train (i just made that up, want to hop aboard?).

What was completely inappropriate was the way it was broached. His tirade went on for perhaps 10 minutes, his voice was loud and his tone accusatory. This type of interaction has no place in a constructive space like this training sessions. Our presenters support their tool 100% and believe in its efficacy while still being very aware and realistic of its limitations. Green Star NZ has been developed to the best that it can be at this point and of course will continue to grow and improve as time goes by. Obviously there are things that could be better, this will always be the case as the world's standards on green building keep rising. But as a non-profit organisation with very limited staff, not that any excuses need to be made as it is an excellent tool, the NZGBC cannot take the role of a third party auditor as well. We can only rely on the integrity of those who sign the reports stating that waste has been diverted. It is what it is and NZ is the better for it since 2007 (when the first version of the tool was released).

So to those who criticise so loudly and readily, I say give your time, give your energy and help us make it a truly strong and all-encompassing tool. It's the job of many and the only way we can ever get there.

And my utmost thanks to Liz and Quinton for responding to the "attacks" with such tact and respect!

a bit of introspection

So I've come to a realisation, it is time I came to terms with my blog!

In the past I have always considered blogs to be somewhat presumptuous and vain in nature. I am not typically a blog reader as I find they are often simply well designed (and well illustrated) calls for attention populated with inane commentary on mundane activities. I admit that when it was recommended I (and my fellow IGBers) start one I was a bit nervous about putting myself on display in such a way. I suppose it is completely hypocritical to have reservations about blogging when I am so quick to prance and preen on facebook for all my "friends" to see. (Though admittedly I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with that forum as well). Previous posts on this site have not come easily. Before each I wrestled with questions dealing with who the blog was actually directed to and why. Similarly, I was hesitant to make it too personal but at the same time aware that it should not be too formal either. It seemed a delicate dance indeed.

Thankfully, I have come across many very interesting and intelligent sites which prove that blogs are whatever you want them to be. Dawn Bazely's blog on the IRIS forum is a great example of an articulate, timely and important blog (http://www.irisyorku.ca/category/blog-posts/) as it demands readers to step back and ponder the insightful questions posed (such as waste, climate change and climate justice). I also very much enjoy reading my fellow IGBers blogs as I've loved hearing all about the experiences and opportunities awarded them in their respective countries through the GBCs. Basically I've learned that a blog can be many things: an opinion piece, an autobiography or simply just musings on random thoughts. Mostly what i've learned is that above all, a blog is somewhere that is comfortable to the author; a private (and yet oh-so-public) place to think out loud, muse or simply to vent.

And so, I raise my glass of cheap (but still so tasty because it was 6$ off for the bottle!) wine to this realisation. Here's to prancing and preening with the best of them!

Touring in Auckland

The hard life on the front balcony

Daily walking route

Mount Rangitoto and cold, cold water

Mount Rangitoto and dedicated surfers

Auckland from Mount Victoria (Davenport)

Homes of New Zealand

Changing NZ one house at a time

What an exciting time to be in New Zealand!

A country plagued by an inefficient building stock is a place where exciting opportunities may emerge for one involved with the Green Building Council. Indeed, the NZGBC is in the thick of it. We’re transforming the very definition of a NZ home!

A study put together by Branz and Beacon Pathway, two kiwi research institutions, have highlighted the extent of the housing problem: over 1 million homes (in a country of 4 million inhabitants) cannot provide sufficient thermal comfort to its residents. Not only that, but over 45% have rampant mould issues. New Zealand is no tropical paradise, though it may certainly feel that way when you’re thick in the lush green bush during the summer months. Winter comes by every year making its inhabitants feel the wrath of -5 degree weather. Of course this sounds ridiculously temperate to anyone coming from a country that experiences -30 degree spells, but please do trust me when I say that cold outside cannot compare to cold inside. I’m not trying to belittle or ridicule when I say that standard heating methods in this country include hot water bottles and electric blankets. Not to mention the trusty extra jumper (aka hoodie).

Quick anecdote: In the (Southern Hemisphere) winter of 2007 I lived in Wanaka in the South Island and worked at the local ski field. I have repeatedly said that I believe I have never been as cold as I was then. I effectively lost my body heat sometime in mid-June and didn’t recover it before the end of August. Just like all my friends’ places, our rented house had ONE heated room in the house: the living room thanks to the wood burning stove. The complete lack of insulation, particle board-like walls and extremely draughty windows meant that bedroom temperatures hovered around 2 degrees. I am very comfortable throwing on extra layers to go outside in -30 degree weather, but I am not as prepared to wake up to a frosted bathroom. Maybe I’m just being a baby. Whenever I repeated this story to kiwi friends, their response was inevitably: “Harden up!”

Thankfully for warmth-conscious people everywhere, the NZGBC is no longer prepared to accept this as a solution. Not only is heating in NZ more expensive than anywhere else in the world, but such draughty conditions lead to a very unproductive and unhealthy population. Insulation wasn’t even mandatory until 1992! “Leaky homes” syndrome caught the attention of all homeowners in recent years and finally, there seems to be a shift in the populations’ global consciousness as well as a demand for adequate housing standards.

So there it is, the groundwork is set for an exciting adventure with the goal to change the very way people experience their homes. And this will not only concern new buildings, like the many standards that already exist, but those existing homes which make up the vast majority of the housing stock.

This month, the NZGBC in partnership with Branz and Beacon Pathway will be launching a new, never before seen, residential rating tool. This tool will be independent, reliable, and easy-to-use. It will be accessible for free online and will allow homeowners to rate the performance of their homes. This tool is seeking to create a common language around the issue of home performance as well as to provide homeowners with the information they need to undertake renovations. Partnerships are being created with select commercial distributors who will assist homeowners in selecting “solutions” relevant to their needs. This will be a one stop shop where individuals will be able to rate their homes, learn where the issues lie, and then, if desired, find out what products exist out there to improve comfort (including a super cool google feature mapping out the nearest retailer). These will range from renewable energy suppliers to no-VOC paint suppliers.

The goal is modest but the difference will be gigantic. Making central heating, insulation and double glazing standard in homes will have a tremendous impact on reducing this country’s demands on energy as well as simply making life more pleasant for New Zealanders, and those travelers crazy enough to come during the winter months.

My role amongst this is still being defined but nevertheless my days are filled attending numerous executive meetings devising business models, partner relationships and public documents. I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have come at such an exciting time and be able to meet those whom I know will be of tremendous assistance during my own studies. It’s all coming together and it’s only just starting!

Soon winter will set in and I’m told that my office gets extremely cold (surprise surprise) to the point where my colleagues don’t even remove their outerwear for the work day (including gloves). In fact consensus has just been reached on Friday that NZGBC vests will be made for all. The poncho lost by a narrow margin.

Tackling things head on

And just like that (click your fingers) I’m now playing rugby in New Zealand.

Well I guess not just like (click your fingers) that, but after googling clubs in Auckland I found the closest one to my neighbourhood (I have a home! Details to come): the Ponsonby Fillies Club. Tonight was my first practice, a wet and chilly night indeed. After speaking with a few of my future teammates, I realised a quick series of interesting facts:

1. New Zealand is the premier country for women’s rugby in the world.

2. Auckland is the premier region for women’s rugby in New Zealand

3. Ponsonby is the premier women’s rugby club in Auckland

The first fact I knew very well, the second seems intuitive now that I think about it, but oh what a hilarious fortune that the third is also true!

Consider me a little intimidated and more than a little afraid. Some of the women give the impression that they would be more than comfortable taking on a Canadian men's club any day of the week. I, on the other hand, would run the other way. I used to have speed. My old age and lack of fitness have taken that away but I hope to get back to top form in a matter of weeks (hey, it’s a possibility if I try really, really hard... probably).

I’m very excited about this new development. I played rugby ages ago in Montreal but it’s now been a solid 4 years since I’ve set foot on a rugby pitch and I truly missed the feeling of getting pummelled and dirty on the field. I knew what I was doing when I joined this club, but imagined myself playing socially on a second’s team! No such luck. I’m told I’ll probably play in Saturday’s game. Most of the teams have NZ nationally ranked players on their rosters. Hopefully upcoming pictures will not feature any gruesome injuries!

Next up, a glimpse into my new 8-person home AND the amazing developments taking place at the NZ GBC, to which I will have a front row seat. It’s an exciting time to be here!

New beginnings in the land of the Long White Cloud

Ahh New Zealand. Following a seamless flight over the ocean, I landed once again on Kiwi soil. And how happy was I to say hello! From the jovial customs fellow to the keen-as shuttle driver everything was just as I remembered it. A working-holiday year in NZ in 2007-2008 doesn’t feel quite so long ago anymore, and the innumerable roundabouts, Countdown grocery stores and backpacker vans that I saw in those first 30 minutes ensured that I was smiling the whole way to my new home for the week – the Uenuku Lodge. I even remember the owner who checked me in at 8am on Saturday morning (more like 4pm on Friday afternoon!).

Last Monday I started work at the New Zealand Green Building Council. I was nervous and excited; I wore my suit (my first suit!) to make a good impression. Too bad I arrived 15 minutes late! I could only laugh as I walked in and apologised profusely only to be told in classic kiwi laid back style “no worries, everyone’s late on Mondays!” and sure enough, the office was practically empty with people (including the bosses) streaming in for the next 30 minutes!

The next three months at this internship are going to be fantastic. It’s pretty evident already as I absolutely love the team at the NZGBC. The office is straight out of Old Montreal, a grand heritage building with wooden floors and ceiling beams, tall ceilings and countless fire doors (I can only imagine how quickly a fire would spread in that space!). On the 3^rd floor (2^nd floor in NZ since “Ground Floor” is actually the first floor) the office feels like a revamped loft. We share the floor with a couple of architecture firms (fittingly enough!) and what appears to be some sort of art display studio (where I never hesitate to peer in whenever the door is left open to check out their wicked installations).

There are about 12 people in the office in an open-concept floor plan. Despite being cubicle-type desks, the space feels very open and fresh. The lighting is pleasant and the windows let cool air in (though I’m warned it gets freezing over the winter – ironic that while working at a green building council I am definitely not in a green building). Jazz plays in the background. And best of all, everyone has kiwi accents!!

My designated space is nicely set up and everyone made me feel extremely comfortable right from the very start. I even helped out in the weekly “fruit run” to gather enough fruit for the whole week for the team. I love this office!

So far my tasks have been pretty non-specific but I have apparently arrived at a time of huge change, the founding CEO has just started her position at the World Green Building Council last week and the new CEO is only 7 days in! Also, the team leader of the project I’m supposed to be working on (helping to develop a standard for residential buildings) has also just arrived last week. So before I can start to understand what I’m meant to be doing, they too must wrap their heads around everything. We’re all in it together and it feels great!

Still at the backpackers now, though it is one of the best backpackers I’ve encountered through my travels in NZ and Australia a few years ago, so really, I’m happy to be there for now. Every night I prowl around for an apartment that could be more permanent. No luck yet but it’s only just begun!

A view on my walk to work from the backpackers


Here we are, best.office.ever

Inside the office


Poutine Night at the Backpackers! Some newly initiated friends and I attempt to recreate one of my favourite dishes