Reframed Lab

The Reframed Initiative aims to transform how we 
retrofit multi-unit residential buildings to eliminate climate pollution, reduce energy waste, improve health and safety, and increase resilience to extreme weather events. We’re collaborating with stakeholders in the housing sector to achieve this important goal.

The Reframed Initiative has teamed up with BC Housing and Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation to commission deep retrofit designs for six multi-unit residential buildings.

Multi-disciplinary teams are participating in the six-month Reframed Lab to design deep retrofit solutions for low-rise residential buildings in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, Capital Regional District, and Southern Interior. With support from their peers and experts, teams are integrating carbon reduction, climate adaptation, energy conservation, seismic safety, and health and wellness through a comprehensive regenerative design process.

Medewiwin  |  Dany Guincher  |  Crossroads Inn  |  Manor House  |  Le Chateau  |  Crown Manor

“Participating in the Reframed Initiative Lab gives us great opportunity to practice our skills in data-driven high performance design, and to learn more from the experts and peers working alongside us.” ~ Christopher Rowe, Low Hammond Rowe Architects

Medewiwin, Victoria

Pacifica Housing

Supportive housing for seniors

Year built: 1972 (addition in 2002)
Size: three-storey, 1390 m2
Units: 26
Residents: 26-50
Annual energy consumption: 1,341 GJ + 160 MWh (estimated)
Annual energy cost: $29,000 (estimated)
Annual GHGs: 47 tonnes (estimated)

Description:

  • Wood-framed low-rise MURB; freestanding; typical cladding; large windows
  • Some articulation; balconies and entry overhang
  • Natural gas DHW and hydronic heating
  • Electrical panel capacity: 125 A/suit
 A project of BC Housing
 

Schematic design proposal

Presentation
Slides 

 

Meet the Medewiwin design team

Low Hammond Rowe Architects

Christopher Rowe, Principal-in-charge
Jan Veselsky, Architect

ReNü Engineering

Stuart Fix, Energy and sustainability consultant
Mike Otto, Energy management specialist
Mark Napora, Certified Passive House consultant
Todd Carson, Electrical engineer

RJC Engineers

Leon Plett, Structural engineer

RDH Building Science

Byron Searle, Project manager
Christy Love, Building science specialist
Graham Finch, Building science specialist

Hanscomb Ltd.

Ken King, Surveyor

“We are excited to contribute to the Reframed Initiative to demonstrate the feasibility of energy efficient and climate adaptive deep retrofits, and to help remove barriers to rapid adoption of retrofit solutions for residential owners in British Columbia.”
~ Michael Lembke, Entuitive

Dany Guincher, Vancouver

Tikva Housing Society

Affordable rental housing for people living independently with disabilities 

Year built: 1990
Size: three-storey, 770 m2
Units: 11
Residents: 11-15
Annual energy consumption: 423 GJ + 68 MWh (estimated)
Annual energy cost: $11,000 (estimated)
Annual GHGs: 22 tonnes (estimated)

Description:

  • Wood-framed low-rise MURB; freestanding; typical cladding
  • Some building articulation; small windows; balconies; underground parking
  • Natural gas DHW and hydronic heating
A project of BC Housing
 

Schematic design proposal

Presentation

Slides

Meet the Dany Guincher design team

Entuitive

Michael Lembke, Principal-in-charge
Salah Imam, Project coordinator
Timothy Wong, Building envelope specialist
Lindsey Kindrat, Sustainable building consultant
Emily KingLifecycle assessment specialist
Tristan TruyensEnergy modelling project manager
Kitty Leung, Structural engineer
Prem Chane, Structural engineer
Kenny Yip, Structural engineer
Colin Maxwell, Building envelope specialist

Martin Pykalo Architecture

Martin Pykalo, Architect
Alison Brown, Architecture project manager

AME Group

Mike Kasuya, Mechanical engineer

Advicas Group Consulting Inc.

Francis Yong, Quantity surveyor

“RJC is thrilled to be participating in the Reframed Initiative. Reducing embodied and operational greenhouse gases from our existing buildings in a holistic manner, learning from each other as industry leaders, and helping to change the way buildings are addressed were all key factors in our decision to join the program. We view Reframed and similar initiatives as ways to positively affect people through buildings, both individually and collectively.”
~Michael Blackman, RJC Engineers

Crossroads Inn, Kamloops

Ask Wellness Society

Supportive housing for people living with mental health and substance use issues

Year built: 1994
Size: four-storey, 1340 m2
Units: 50
Residents: 50-75
Annual energy consumption: 1,600 GJ + 170 MWh
Annual energy cost: $32,700
Annual GHGs: 82 tonnes

Description:

  • Concrete and steel, low-rise MURB; freestanding; few articulations
  • Small windows; at lot line
  • Natural gas DHW and hydronic heating; window air conditioners
  • Hydraulic elevator
A project of BC Housing
 

Schematic design proposal

Presentation

Slides

 

Meet the Crossroads Inn design team

 
RJC Engineers

Michael Blackman, Principial-in-charge
Robert Haw, Structural engineer
Mohammad Fakoor, Senior building performance lead
Veronica Ochoa, Building energy performance and tenant engagement
Deanna Perrin, Structural engineer
Arman Chowdury, Structural engineer
Kali Olson, Design engineer

Cover Architectural Collaborative

Robert Stacey, Architect

AME Group

Moises de Alba, Project panager
Scott Stewart, Mechanical engineer

Projects with Grace Inc.

Grace Bergen, Construction project manager

O’M Engineering

Hira Boparai, Electrical engineer

LTA Consultants Inc.

Lyndon Thomas, Quantity surveyor

“We are excited to have the opportunity to be part of the innovative group that will pave the road for all future deep energy retrofits, address climate resilience, provide clean energy transition, and holistic building design.”
~ Alex Chang, Morrison Hershfield

Manor House, City of North Vancouver

Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation

Supportive housing for families, seniors and people with disabilities

Year built: 1972
Size: four-storey, 3870 m2
Units: 50
Residents: 50-80
Annual energy consumption: 2,905 GJ + 204 MWh
Annual energy cost: $47,300
Annual GHGs: 146 tonnes 

Description:

  • Wood-framed low-rise MURB; freestanding; large windows
  • Balconies; Underground garage
  • Natural gas DHW and hydronic heating
  • Sub-metered electrical
 

Schematic design proposal A

 

Presentation

Slides

 

Schematic design proposal B

Slides

 

Meet the Manor House design team A

Morrison Hershfield

Alex Chang, Project manager
Carolina Maloney, Building science consultant
Ali Mohammedzadeh, Energy specialist
Kalum Galle, Sustainability specialist
Mark Lucuik, Embodied carbon specialist
Don McCallum, Climate risk analyst
Khader Ghazal, Health and wellbeing specialist
Ruth McClung, Building performance analysis lead
Matthew Yim, Mechanical lead
Kevin Pearson, Electrical lead
Felipe Merino, Building science lead

Fast + Epp

Tobias Fast, Structural engineer
Steve Jeon, Structural engineer

Hanscomb Ltd.

Ken King, Surveyor

Meet the Manor House design team B

RDH Building Science

Alex Chang,
Len Sakuragi,
Yan Marineau-Brachmann,
Sarah Bozoian,
Ellen Klein,
Jesse Listoen,
Rashad Brugmann,
Christy Love,

FRESco

Paul Ristow,
Frank Lee,

SES Consulting

Scott Sinclair,

AES Engineering

Victor Lü,

“We are honoured to participate in the Reframed Initiative because we believe that scaling up deep retrofits is important to Canadian decarbonization efforts and we want to be part of the solution.”
~ Patrick Roppel, Evoke Engineering

Le Chateau, Coquitlam

Metro Vancouver Housing Corp

Supportive housing for families, seniors and people with disabilities

Year built: 1980
Size: three-storey, 1770 m2
Units: 24
Residents: 24-48
Annual energy consumption: 2,379 GJ + 149 MWh
Annual energy cost: $36,700
Annual GHGs: 119 tonnes 

Description:

  • Wood-framed low-rise MURB; freestanding; large windows
  • Balconies; underground parking
  • Contiguous concrete slab to extended parking rooftop that extends
  • Natural gas DHW and hydronic heating
  • 600 Amp; 3 phase power
 

Schematic design proposal

 

Meet Le Chateau’s design team

 
Evoke Buildings

Patrick Roppel, Team lead
Alex Blue, Energy specialist
Nicholas Proulx-Jones, Building science engineer
Derek Budde, Building envelope engineer

Monstera Projects

Rebecca Sobara, Project manager

Impact Engineering

Ben Mills, Mechanical specialist
Ruffy Ruan, Passive House specialist

Bush, Bohlman & Partners LLP

Dr. Tim White, Structural specialist

Station One Architects

Justin Dyck, Architectural specialist
Chelsea Mueller, Architect

O’M Engineering

Mo Khan, Electrical engineer
Marko Kovac, Electrical engineer

BELi (Building Enclosure Labs Inc.)

Randy Van Straaten, Building science specialist

Hanscomb Inc.

Ken King, Quantity surveyor

“Our team decided to participate in the Reframed Initiative as it presents the unique opportunity for consultants to collaboratively tackle the pressing problem of decarbonizing existing buildings. This approach promotes a collective problem solving and exploratory pursuit, which is not common to traditional projects”
~ Laurence Kao, Williams Engineering

Crown Manor, New Westminster

Metro Vancouver Housing Corp

Supportive housing for families, seniors and people with disabilities

Year built: 1964
Size: three-storey, 1770 m2
Units: 28
Residents: 28-60
Annual energy consumption: 1.400 GJ + 172 MWh
Annual energy cost: $31,000
Annual GHGs: 71 tonnes 

Description:

  • Wood-framed low-rise MURB
  • Balconies; underground parking; Contiguous concrete slab to extended parking rooftop that extends
  • Natural gas DHW and hydronic heating
  • 600 Amp; 3 phase power

 

Schematic design proposal

Presentation

Slides

 

Meet the Crown Manor design team

Williams Engineering

Liv Ehlert, Project manager
Lindsay Austrom, Sustainability team lead
Laurence Kao, Building performance team lead
Jim Gilliland, Structural lead
Anca Cojocaru, Electrical lead
Mike Nowlan, Structural engineer
Danny Kim, Mechanical lead
Binghang Li, Building performance analyst
Tasha Hueston, Project coordinator
Innes Hood, Technical advisor

Integra Architecture

Shamus Sachs, Architect
Rhys Leitch, Architect

TLSE Engineering Inc.

Thomas Leung, Structural engineer
Michael Powley, Structural engineer

Advicas Group Consulting

Margarita Payne, Quantity surveyor

In partnership with

Stay in touch

Get the latest news about the Reframed Initiative.