Canadian Funding Corp Reports on the Current Status of Highrises in Canada
The current state of high-rise residential buildings in Canada requires improvement. The following report highlights some of the inadequacies that are commonly found.
High-rise residential buildings play an important role in expanding Canadians’ housing choices.
The buildings provide housing choices ranging from affordable housing for low income renters through to luxury units in some of Canada’s most prestigious locations. It is estimated that 20% of Canadians live in multi-unit residential buildings.
While the benefits of these housing choices are generally considerable – proximity to services, public transportation, efficient use of land and infrastructure – the quality of the housing units has not reflected recent technological advances.
A list of common inadequacies include:
- water penetration and air leakage through the building envelope resulting in structural and other damage, high energy cost and occupant discomfort,
- inadequate thermal envelope performance and thermal bridging resulting in occupant discomfort and high energy bills,
- HVAC systems influenced by strong building stack effects and wind pressures which result in poor comfort levels and poor indoor air quality,
- insensitive use of land which impacts on stormwater flow,
- high domestic water consumption,
- occupant dissatisfaction relating to noise levels,
- a lack of accessibility to people with disabilities.
These problems are not solely those of the building occupants. Increasingly across the country, the cost of remedial repairs and replacement of deteriorating components of the building are being legally passed back to the developer.