?Global warming.? “Climate change.? “Greenhouse gas emissions.? “Kyoto Protocol.? These words are the lexicon of a world on the brink of ecological devastation. The message is now clear: “Environmentalism? is not just a buzzword used by a Left-leaning minority but a mainstream ethos by which we must all live in order to slow the degradation of the planet.
And as unlikely as it may seem, with its vast natural resources, vast tracts of pristine wilderness, and small population, Canada is on the leading edge of sustainable building design--building design that uses resources carefully and has a significantly reduced impact on the Earth's resources compared to conventional building. Sustainable building means creating buildings that are healthier and more comfortable for their occupants. It conserves resources (including energy, water, raw materials and land) and minimizes the generation of toxic materials and waste in its design, construction, landscaping, and operation. And as a byproduct of all this, sustainable building results in some of the most innovative and aesthetically pleasing architecture build today.
Canada Innovates: Sustainable Building is the result of a research project conducted by the School of Design at George Brown College in Toronto and includes essays on the history of sustainable design and its future directions by architects, constructors and practitioners involved in the construction of sustainable buildings. Over 50 projects are featured in detail from across Canada including institutional, residential, commercial, community planning and educational buildings. The book also contains extensive resources on sustainable design and building.

LUIGI FERRARA is an architect, designer and urban planner, and has served as President of The International Council of the Societies of Industrial Design. He was Vice president of the Design Exchange, Canada’s centre for design and innovation. He is the Director of the School of Design at George Brown College and an academic leader of the Institute Without Boundaries programme.

EMILY VISSER is the Assistant Coordinator for the Graphic Design Programme at the School of Design at George Brown College. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Ontario College of Art and Design where she studied drama and environmental design respectively.

JUSTIN AITCHESON is a graduate of the graphic design programme at the School of Design at George Brown College. Awarded the Umbra Excellence Award for the top-graduating student in 2006, he was responsible for the design of the 2003-2004 School of Design Annual.]]>

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