BC Housing hired SSG to research best practices and propose strategies in achieving carbon neutrality and LEED Gold certification for new construction. BC Housing assists British Columbians in finding affordable and appropriate housing, from emergency shelter and housing for the homeless through to affordable rental housing and home ownership. BC Housing is also responsible for licensing residential builders, administering owner builder authorizations, overseeing the third-party home warranty insurance system and carrying out research and education to improve the quality of construction of new homes.

 

Under the BC Climate Action Charter, BC Housing is mandated to make its operations, which include 7,800 units of multi-unit residential buildings and 300 group homes, carbon neutral. BC Housing has also committed to LEED standards for all new social housing projects they fund. In order to achieve these ambitious targets, SSG helped the agency evolve its operations.

• Analysing construction standards.

• Revising standards to reflect LEED Gold requirements and Carbon neutrality.

• Providing expert guidance on Integrated Design Process and hazardous materials.

• Developing carbon neutral targets.

We worked with BC Housing to define carbon neutrality in the context of their operations. We analyzed current construction standards and revised them to incorporate LEED Gold and carbon neutral targets. Additionally, SSG provided guidance on using integrated design and PVC to help BC Housing achieve their goals.