new like the careful placement of win-
dows, for example, would prevent heat
gain, designing for wind flow for natural
ventilation rather than air conditioning.
Stopping air leakage to prevent heat loss
can also greatly minimize energy con-
sumption from heating and conditioning.
These are just some building techniques
that can be more sustainable, and more af-
fordable, than LEED-quantified design.
Wright spoke candidly about green aware-
ness in Canada. “Europe is much further
ahead than North America in this,” he said.
“So finding the right way to do it so own-
ers still make money will be a result of the
entire team being on board.”
Other industry trends include a fluctuation
in the demands of the various sectors in
architecture. At the moment, the hospital-
ity sector has a growing niche for boutique
hotels. Having worked with powerhouse
hotels like Hilton, Marriott and Best West-
ern as well as larger residences like the
Georgian Home, ACI has naturally devel-
oped a niche in this market.
Wright expects new trends to emerge in
the hospitality market as the older genera-
tion is replaced by the fascinations of the
millennial generation.
“We’re going to see a very different style
of hotels coming into the market, although
one could argue they are reinventing past
decade hotels,” Wright said. He’s thrilled
to be currently involved in designing some
of the first in Canada.
JUNE 2016
H
business elite canada
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