KindredSpirit said:
My photos are on the new minto midtown group on facebook - the one open to people who aren't part of the Toronto network. I don't have enough time to put them elsewhere right now to display them here. Realized with the big discussion of the electrical box that I never got any photos of bedroom and only one bad photo of full living room. I'm going back tomorrow with my interior designer and painter, so will try to take more then.
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thanks for your impression. I doubt they will fulfill your requests. I would consider them minor inconveniences.

Also, you mean you can go back to your unit as many times, once you've done a PDI?
 
I don't consider these items minor inconveniences as I will have to sell my brand new wardrobe as there is no place for it and get rid of my wall unit as I'd never be able to reach the thermostat. I am already severely short of storage space and will be left without any furniture other than my bed if they don't move that panel and without bookcase and place for my electronics in living room. The wardrobe is solid wood and weighs a tonne and I'm not allowed to do any heavy lifting/pushing.

The locations are really stupid - why put an electrical panel on a closet wall and have it facing into the bedroom and not into the closet? Why is a thermostat more than foot in from the wall edge on a wall just big enough for a wall unit? And yeah, I really want my tv in the corner by the windows - a big tv would interfere with balcony door lol.

No, you can only go back once for half a hour. They said I could go anytime Wednesday but my interior designer only got back to me tonight, so I have to call in the morning and make sure it's still ok. They still have a LOT of work to do. The end of my hallway is a huge open space to outside right now. I was told around the 7th floor there is carpet, and apparently they do have to have the flooring in our hall done before we move in.

Mary
 
Any fortunate guys/gals who have already moved in, post some pics of their suites?
Mary, can you post some pics of your suite with those issues? I too think that these are more than just minor inconveniences and would possibly like to get this fixed for my place.

Thanks.

Danny
 
These are very UN-efficient buildings.

Hello,

I am new here and this is my first post.

I can see that these buildings are almost all GLASS (similar to a few in the city).

If you check ASHRAE there is a Code No. 90.1. web site http://www.ashrae.org/

(ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings)

The code is in place to ensure the buildings are energy effiecent. There is a computer program that you can buy and use to ensure your building passes the code by entering the entire wall area and total glass area. etc. etc. In my experience you CAN NOT go over 50% glass....and if you do....it will not pass the computer program.

This is a big issue in this city with many building going up that do not meet this CODE, while at the same time they are selling them as energy effiecent or green developers.

Just happy none of my friends and family bought into a glass building...cause just wait when the energy bills show up, extra big matching the glazzing.

Kind regards,
Sven

I will be going through the list when I have time and tag the building NOT compling to this code.
 
svenglezz,

There are different types of glass that have different performance levels. A builder/develop can still achieve high levels of efficiency depending on the type of glass used (e.g. crappy single pane vs triple-glazed with high-solar-gain Low-E Glass with high pressure argon or Krypton gas pumped between the panes of glass - plus a whole range of products in between - Some windows even use four glazing layers - with this window, both Low-E coatings are spectrally selective in order to minimize solar heat gain). There are plenty of examples of LEED Gold structures that have mostly glass surfaces.

I don't know specifically the types of windows at Quantum, but Minto is very committed to their green program - everything they build now is at least LEED Silver, they constructed the first LEED certified condo in Toronto and are now marketing a couple LEED Gold buildings - they also have several quality green/energy technical specialists on staff that are making a strong push for concrete result rather then 'green-washing' for the sake of marketing. I strongly doubt they'd be utilizing a low performance window glazing system at this project.
 
Dear Mike,

Yes and thank you for the info :)

I have the software for this code and "much-much" experience with this :cool:.

Just one example is I worked years back for co. showed the calc. of a building to the engineer...and how you say... :eek:...the engineer was on it like "fly on sh*t" and the architect had to replace "glass panels" with "wall panels" and "tint" the glass etc. etc. but of course that was BEFORE they built it.

From what I see in our City ....many APARTMENTS/CONDO'S would not PASS the software...now if it's triple glass....then that MAYYYY be different, but they are not that GREEN. (and even if triple prob. still would not pass....say 65% with triple glazed argon filled spaces between the panes and the glass and still would require LOTS of tint...and as you noted lot's of details in this and complicated, we must remember one major factor that will effect the calculations...the locations to North/South/East/West building glass faces....and if all are glass on all faces ...uhm...could be big problems.

Please note that in the past we had to submit this information (software calculation) at the City to get permit......then it shifted to just the Arch. and Eng. to "stamp" and sign the first form only, oh and couple other forms c/w check marks...I'm sure that covers it :D

We must remember that regardless of how green the developer is...it's the job of the architect and engineers to ensure they are building to code. If i'm not mistaken the original concept arch. was from the states...they should have known better they to must follow this code...it's is an American organization that implementrf this code, after all.

I don't understand the engineers role in this...more architects role they spec. and the engineer approves I guess :confused:...I think in Europe its the standard to use triple glass...and some even make the commercial and/or residential developments produce 20% of there own electrical needs, now that's a STRONGE PUSH for Green, without the staff....but more work for the engineers...and prob. triple for the architect...due to COSMETIC issues :eek: don't forget the solar panels in the rendering :D

For "commercial" buildings it's different due to TRADE-off's so say you do a building and does not pass....can add heat-recaim etc. to offset this..but in a apartment or condo. this is another story due to the "individual" condo suites. For example the standard in condo's/apartments...the Outside air is pumped into the corridors (pressurised) then enters the suite thru' the crackes in the entrance door :rolleyes: each unit is an individual unit...no ducts pass thru' or into the suites all ductwork is internal.

If you take this building for example it's a 2 pipe fan-coil unit with a suppliment heating electric coil for off-season use in the suites... the "cheapest" h.v.a.c. you can put in and most costly to run during this off peek usage,....that's green? Not in my books ;). esp. with lot's of glazing... could have used a heat-pump system and offest heating/cooling thru' the system to save energy and that's a common system in condo's.

Just what a shame it is....we have so much potential to do this right...but
the only green I am seeing now in some of the condo' is Green in the pockets of the developers. Just hope one day the people of this city will wake up and realy look at what is being built and fix this and be leaders in this field.

Green Regards,
Sven
 
Oh it's all real...did you even go read the ashrae 90.1?

I don't need to worry, I did not by a "glass" condo :D and pricy hydro bills to match.

I'm thinking more off the grid....and lot's of online resources to explore :D
Green regards,
Sven
 
In our climate, a properly insulated concrete wall will always be more energy efficient than even a triple glazed insulating glazing unit filled with argon (which by the way eventually leaks out and is replaced with air), and with a high quality coating.

LEED is, in my opinion, not the most effective way of determining how green a building is. If a building was glazed from top to bottom with single pane windows, it may lose 1 point for the poor energy performance of the building envelope, but could gain back an equally weighted point through the installation of low emission carpets. LEED doesn't penalize poor practices, doesn't have enough prerequisite points, and is by no means equally effective in different climate zones. If the building I described was built in northern Saskatchewan, it could likely still attain LEED Platinum if the owners played their cards right.
 
Dear Chuck,

You noted that the gas in between the glazing will leak out :eek:
how long does this take for this to happen?

I did look at some glass this morning and noted that they do seal it around the glass...so I guess this seal breaks down over time?

Green regards,
Sven
 
Chuck said:
LEED is, in my opinion, not the most effective way of determining how green a building is. If a building was glazed from top to bottom with single pane windows, it may lose 1 point for the poor energy performance of the building envelope, but could gain back an equally weighted point through the installation of low emission carpets. LEED doesn't penalize poor practices, doesn't have enough prerequisite points, and is by no means equally effective in different climate zones. If the building I described was built in northern Saskatchewan, it could likely still attain LEED Platinum if the owners played their cards right.
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LEED is by no means perfect, it's a cumbersome process and as you noted the point system doesn't really take into account local conditions and the weighting of the point system has issues with it. There are also liability issues that have dragged on in the States. Hopefully the system can be better "Canadianized" and improved by the Canadian Green Building Council (more info at www.cagbc.org). For better or for worse LEED is the green building label that has most widely been embraced by the multi-unit residential and ICI sectors as well as government sponsored construction contracts across Ontario and in other areas of Canada.
 
A bit blurry, but making a statement at Yonge & Eglinton:

2760586591_bf1deba847_b.jpg
 
a statment ? like what? it's grey and realy has no character...guess everyone has different taste.

But still not very Green it's a shame, wonder how they will fix this it's a huge problem.

Green regards,
Sven
 
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