Toronto Met Alumni named top 10 under 40 in the Passive House Movement
Toronto Met Alumni Stuart Fix and Matthew Tokarik have been named top 10 under 40 in the Passive House movement by the Canadian Design and Construction Report (external link, opens in new window) . This marks an important step for the sustainability movement (external link, opens in new window) in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Passive House, once seen as an esoteric oddity for environmentalists and green thumbs, has evolved into a serious field of research in architectural and engineering design and practice in the AEC industry. It's no surprise to those here at DAS that it would be Stuart and Matthew to lead this important effort. Their time in the building science masters program cemented their passion for sustainable building design, allowing them to pursue multiple projects and collaborations in the field.
Congratulations Stuart and Matthew! How does it feel to be named leaders in your field?
SF: It’s humbling to be a member of such a select group of pioneers in the industry. It’s tremendous that this list even exists, as evidence of our movement becoming more mainstream; this is exactly what I hoped to be doing, when I set out for Grad school at Toronto Met in 2008! Nice to be recognized for the past decade of work.
MT: It’s always rewarding to be recognized, but it’s even more rewarding to see a trade publication like the Canadian Design and Construction Report publish a list like this related to Passive House. This is a market signal that Passive House is becoming more recognized, marketable, and of interest to the magazine’s audience.
Take us back to your university days. What was your Toronto Met experience as a Building Science Masters student?
SF: I attended the first year of the Building Science Grad studies program and was captivated by the interdisciplinary collaboration available with both the faculty and my peers. During my time here, I also became involved with the local burgeoning Passive House industry and forged many strong personal and commercial relationships that are still key to my success today.
MT: What I love about the BSc program is the flexibility it offers. Aside from the coursework and thesis research, I pursued a number of extracurricular endeavours including: consulting with Stuart at ReNü Engineering (external link, opens in new window) , competing in and winning the first US Department of Energy Race to Zero Student Design Competition with a group of Building Science and Graduate Architecture peers, earning accreditation as a Certified Passive House Consultant, and eventually launching my own consulting company.
Since leaving Toronto Met, you’ve gone on to do important and innovative things.
SF: My early efforts in Passive House taught me the importance of the interrelated nature between building envelope and mechanical systems performance, on overall building energy efficiency. I also recognized the importance of educating trades on better ways to execute Passive House methodologies. In support of these efforts, I was a Founder of the federal non-profit, Passive Buildings Canada, aiming to foster information dissemination across the country. I also joined the Passive House Institute US’s Technical Committee, aiming to stay at the leading edge of North American Passive House development. In 2011, I founded ReNü Engineering (external link, opens in new window) as a vehicle for this, with the long team goal of Passive House practices becoming the norm. Since then we have seen a steady growth in the industry, starting from single family home projects, then multi-family, and now well into the commercial and institutional realms.
MT: I’ve acted in various roles in the green building industry, all with the goal of moving toward zero-carbon building. As an energy consultant, I am proud of my involvement with the Humber Building NX retrofit project which will be certified as a Passive House under the EnerPHit program and a Zero Carbon Building certified with the CaGBC. As a member of the CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Standard Steering Committee, I’ve been part of a group of industry leaders working to update a building standard that will directly help reduce GHG emissions in Canada’s building sector. As an instructor, I’ve taught undergraduate and graduate students in areas of energy, sustainability, and building science. I find it very rewarding to work with students who will have a direct impact on the performance of our building stock in the future. Now at Subterra (external link, opens in new window) , we are most excited about our Yorkville project - a 62-storey luxury condo in Toronto’s core, when complete, will be the tallest building in Canada with a geothermal heating and cooling system.
How has the AEC industry evolved since you first became a part of it?
SF: We’re focused on mitigating the impact of buildings on Climate Change, through drastic improvements in energy efficiency, and by eliminating the use of fossil fuels on site. We’ve seen this industry develop from the beginnings of a few pioneering single family home projects into mainstream municipal, provincial, and affordable housing projects of many different types. We’ve developed an effective recipe for fully electric buildings, with 80-90% reduced overall energy demand, and the lowest 20+ year life cycle cost available. We achieve this using Passive House building envelope design methodologies, heat pump + heat recovery ventilator systems, and on site Photovoltaic systems.
MT: GHG emission reduction is the largest driving factor in the green building industry right now. I am excited about many new technologies, but the three I am watching most closely are: i) long-term battery storage and its impact on grid resilience, grid-scale renewable energy production, and electricity market pricing, ii) sewer water heat recovery and its application for low-carbon district heating and cooling, and iii) mass timber structure and its use in high-rise construction as a means of embodied carbon reduction.
What would you like to see change in the AEC industry to lower its carbon footprint and what is the future for the Passive House building standard?
SF: I believe the answer to both is to see the Building Energy Codes continue to evolve until 3rd Party Standards like Passive House are not required. We’re seeing this process already at work, with the implementation of the NECB in current codes, with the BC Energy Step Code now in place, and with the ASHRAE 227p Passive Building Standard committee being struck. I see ASHRAE 227p articulating the Passive House methodologies in such clarity that this ASHRAE standard can be adopted by building codes nationwide, and used as a tool to meet incrementally increasing Energy Step Code requirements. I have applied for membership to ASHRAE 227p, and if successful, will use that committee position to further this effort in Canada.
MT: The AEC industry should look to the retrofit market to find technical solutions that are supported by good business cases, as existing buildings account for the majority of building carbon emissions. The Passive House standard will continue to incorporate further consideration for renewable energy generation as it encourages building designers to push toward net zero operation. The standard already creates a path for ultra-efficiency, and when coupled with highly efficient mechanical systems and onsite renewable energy generation, provides the formula for net zero energy building operation.
Do you have advice for students going into the Building Science program?
SF: Enjoy your time at Toronto Met, those moments are rich, yet brief! Believe in yourself. Through hard work and perseverance, you can accomplish your goals, and slowly change an industry: one step at a time.
MT: Get involved in the industry community. Groups like CaGBC, SBC, OBEC, and ASHRAE host events throughout the year, and most offer Student memberships. Go to an event at least once a month, meet as many people as you can, and stay on top of industry trends so you have something to talk about. The easiest way to find a job, get advice, or get involved in projects is to build and stay in regular contact with your professional network. Even if you have to pay to attend these events, the investment will be well worth it.