Wo-Built Inc: Design + Build Construction Company

Accelerate Women’s Employment in Non-Traditional Trades

2012-02-02T14:51:00.005-05:00

Flyer: Success Strategies for Women & Trades
An event to accelerate women’s employment in non-traditional trades
Hosted by Centennial College, Toronto, March 6, 2012
Credit: Women’s Access to Trades Network

Women’s Access to Trades Network

Invites you to join us to celebrate and identify

Success Strategies for Women & Trades

Hosted by CENTENNIAL COLLEGE

An event to accelerate women’s employment in non-traditional trades

Featuring

Launch of Provincial Women’s Access To Trades Network
Success strategies in recruiting, training and employment
Conditions for success - what we need to do more of
Opportunity- envision what needs to change for change to occur
Update on status of College of Trades

Who Should Attend?
All those who want to see more women succeed in non-traditional trades

When
Date: Tuesday March 6, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

RSVP: By February 24, 2012 with Rebecca Anderson
Phone: (416) 247-7181 ext. 2328 or email randerson@microskills.ca

Location: Centennial College, Ashtonbee Campus
75 Ashtonbee Road Toronto, Ontario M1L 4N4

Public Transit Directions: From Warden Station, take the 68 Warden bus north to the campus. From Kennedy station take the 34 or 34C Eglinton bus westbound to Warden. Walk one block north on Warden to Ashtonbee Rd.

Funded by:
The Government of Ontario
The Canadian Women’s Foundation

links:
thecentre.on.ca: Provincial Women’s Access to Trades Network – Halton Information Evening
Join us for the Provincial Women’s Access to Trades Network – Halton Information Evening on February 28, 2012, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Location: The Centre for Skills Development & Training, Burlington Site – Georgetown Room
RSVP by February 21, 2012, to matozzos@thecentre.on.ca
Posted on January 27, 2012 by scottd

wobuilt.com/blog: Save the date: March 6, 2012
Success Strategies for Women and Trades: Women Trade Forum

Interior Design Show 2012 – Wo-Built’s WOW! Moments

2012-01-31T16:21:00.005-05:00

youtube.com: InteriorDesig Show: IDS 12: 90 Seconds of Design - Details
Uploaded by InteriorDesignShow on Nov 28, 2011

Connecting the right people

with the right product
in the right place.
IDS12: Interior Design Show 2012

This weekend saw world-renown designers and architects descend on Toronto for the thirteenth annual Interior Design Show. Held at the Metro Toronto Convention centre, the event was a showcase of the latest trends in home design and décor, with exhibitors and guest speakers participating from around the world.

As always, Wo-Built was in attendance to get the low-down on the latest trends and technologies making their way into homes across the GTA (and around the world). Here are some of the products that caught our eye and/or captured our imagination.

Wo-Built is all about space, and the Space beds really caught our eye. These cool beds have handy storage built into the base, with single and double-height drawer models available. We think they’re more functional than a murphy bed for smaller rooms, eliminating the need for additional storage.

youtube.com: NewMusikPlayer: Positive Space Interior
Uploaded by NewMusikPlayer on Sep 20, 2011

Next, we couldn’t help but gush over the sample kitchen outfitted with the latest Blum SERVO-DRIVE drive system. This motor-assisted system makes opening, closing and organizing drawers and cabinets in the kitchen truly effortless. It’s a thing of beauty you really need to see (and touch) to appreciate; and one Wo-Built intends to put to excellent use for clients looking for the ultimate in kitchen utility.

youtube.com: brianwong73: Blum Servo-Drive Kitchen System
Uploaded by brianwong73 on Jun 23, 2008

Less spectacular but no less functional, Infinity Drain offered up a clever designer twist to an old problem. The “Tile Drain” replaces that boring old drain-cover with one that blends seamlessly into the décor of your shower. A very slick solution that we intend to put to good use in future bathroom installations.

Infinity Drain Linear System Installation from Infinity Drain on Vimeo.

There was lots more cool stuff at the show, like the Siena Adagio Chaise Lounge from Stone Forest, the amazingly high-tech Cristadur sinks distributed by Novanni Elite, and the funky indoor wall fountains from Saline Solutions.

There is so much to see, we were there several hours at least. But after all that, perhaps what we enjoyed the most was a nice relaxing recline in VAD’s Contia zero-gravity chair. We seriously did NOT want to get up! These chairs go together with phrases like “deep meditation” and “stay-at-home vacation;” not “high productivity.”

IDS 2012 Toronto was a fun time and thoroughly enjoyable. Too much to talk about/show in a blog, so do yourself a favour: give Wo-Built a call and let us show you how you can transform your existing space into the epitome of “form-meets-function.”

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Interior Design Show: Ideas and Inspiration in Design and Architecture

2012-01-26T13:57:00.008-05:00

Screenshot: IDS12 Interior Design Show
January 26 to 29 2012, MTCC Toronto
Canada's Largest Contemporary Design Fair
Left: William Yeoward, Designer, London, Presented by Primavera,
Osborne & Little for Designers Guild,
Keynote Speaker: Globe Style Saturday presented by Para
Right: Paul Aloisi, Language Structure, Toronto, Prototype Exhibitor
Credit: www.interiordesignshow.com

Being design and build construction company we know design is all around us. Coming from an architecture background, we look at spaces and often start analyzing them to see what makes them work or more often not. Spaces define values. We believe that well-designed and built spaces can increase productivity and improve our clients’ quality of life. We would like to inform you about one of the most exciting contemporary design fair upcoming today in Toronto - the Interior Design Show.

Interior Design Show 2012
Connecting the right people
with the right product
in the right place.
IDS12

When: January 26-29, 2012

Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North)
255 Front Street West, Toronto Ontario M5V 2W6

Now in its 14th year, the Interior Design Show (IDS 12) presented by RADO, is Canada's largest contemporary design event.
IDS12 will be a year of fresh ideas and new events, with the most innovative in international and Canadian products presented by over 300 best-in-class exhibitors.
Legendary design stars and emerging talent are set to share their ideas through never-before-seen features and enlightening symposiums.
Introduced for the first time is IDS PLATFORM presented by RADO and AUDI: a series of talks, installations and exhibits, highlighting the cultural content of design.
Located in Toronto, IDS has established the city as a design destination and secured Canada as a leading player on the international design map.

Thursday, January 26, 2012
Conversations in Design - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
IDS Opening Night Party - 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Friday, January 27, 2012
Professional Trade Day - 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

Saturday, January 28, 2012
Public Day - 10:00 am to 7:00 pm

Sunday, January 29, 2012
Public Day - 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Details and Tickets at:
InteriorDesignShow.com
IDSPlatform.com
ConversationsInDesign.com

Twitter Live Stream @IDSToronto: #IDS12

Come see the design world's trailblazers, gamechangers and celebrities and hear about their inspiration, projects and view on the direction of current design trends.

Health & Wellness Professionals: You wouldn’t let just anyone Run your Practice; Why let just anyone Remodel your Premises?

2012-01-24T15:45:00.010-05:00

Image Mosaic: “Health and Wellness Professionals Trust Wo-Built”
Image Credits: Microsoft Office Clipart: Kids playing doctor and patient;
Healthcare clinic waiting area; Band-aid

“The groundwork of all happiness is health.”
Leigh Hunt, English Poet

Beyond medical, dental, and chiropractic care, health and wellness today includes diet, nutrition, exercise, psychology, even spirituality. From naturopathic, homeopathic, and Chinese doctors to physio-, massage, and acupuncture therapists, wellness professionals are leaving the ‘clinic’ to work in Yoga studios, spas, high-end gyms, even trendy aesthetics salons. Health and wellness has truly become a ‘holistic’ affair.

It’s only logical that ‘mind, body, spirit’ practitioners and their premises are being held to the same high expectations established by the medical field. This begs the question: should a wellness practice of any kind risk their reputation and/or litigation for the sake of saving a few thousand dollars?

The days of the cold examination room or the dingy downtown office are numbered. People demand a comfortable, healthy and aesthetically pleasing environment. Spas and salons understand this very well, as do yoga and martial arts studios. Space has a look and a ‘feel.’ Poorly designed and/or cheaply constructed spaces simply have a bad vibe to them. This reflects poorly on you and your practice.

Even the traditional doctor and dentist are beginning to understand that they own a business; and, like any business, they cope with competition and benefit from efficiency. Space defines efficacy. Well-designed and built spaces increase productivity and improve clients’ overall experience. This reflects well on you and your practice.

The Greater Toronto Area is ranked among Canada’s most stressful cities. As a wellness professional you will appreciate Wo-Built’s top-drawer design and build services which recognize your practice may be a business, but you are only human. We do the work on your premises in the shortest time and with the least stress for you.

The bottom-line: we are nothing without our health. Wo-Built could mean everything to the health and wellness of your practice.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Check our four elements of healthcare facilities design which would ensure flexibility and adaptability without increasing the initial capital costs:
Medical Facilities - Building Image and Branding of Your Spaces

Buildings need Doctors, too!

2012-01-19T12:15:00.007-05:00

Do you think that a building can be sick?
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: doctors, environments, sick buildings

Oh yes, buildings can be sick. The term Sick Building Syndrome has been around for years and refers generally to air quality issues caused by inadequate heating and ventilation systems, outgassing of materials and organic compounds such as mold in the air. Mostly used for the work place, Sick Building Syndrome is also applicable for residential buildings.

Ok, buildings don’t sneeze, sniffle or blow their noses to indicate that they are sick. But there are telltale signs. Musty smells, damp and humid air, wet patches on walls and ceilings, cracks in walls and ceilings, sloping and bouncy floors, leaning walls and many more. Then there is the “illness” behind walls: old, faulty and incorrect wiring, deteriorating plumbing and insect infestations, sometimes only apparent after a more destructive investigation.

And like any grumpy patient suffering from ailments the building will make its “discomfort” known, often by making the inhabitants sick. Mold is a serious matter and if there are signs it needs to be addressed immediately. Termites can literally eat your house around you, weakening the structure and in worst case scenarios have whole walls collapse. Faulty wiring can cause fires, and so on.

As professional contractors we have an affinity for buildings, we like buildings and we often dismay at the state we often find them in. Sometimes even the most obvious signs seem to have been ignored by the home owner, or they waited until the problem became widespread and the whole house “turned on them.”

Our best recommendation is to do regular checks, cleaning, maintenance and repair on your building. This is the most cost effective way to keep your home and family healthy. To minimize expenditures, plan your repairs and do the work in stages. If you play ostrich and think the problem will go away, you will only be faced with a much larger problem down the line…when a simple fix just won’t do…and instead of a general MD your house might be in need of a surgeon.

The good news, of course, is that most problems can be fixed. Buildings are often more forgiving and resilient than we think, especially when the foundations and structures are sound.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
emcp-pmce.ca: The Enrichment Mini-Courses Program, May 7-11, 2012: Carleton University: 223 Heritage 101: Did you know that buildings need doctors too?

wobuilt.com/blog: When Home Buying, Mind your Manors!
Homeowner's Inspection Checklist: Conduct your own inspection to keep your home in top condition.

Success Strategies for Women and Trades: Forum

2012-01-17T13:49:00.008-05:00

Comic Strip: Wobinna & Friends: The Joys of Shop Class!
Illustrations and story by Dawn Palfreyman
2012 © wobuilt.com

Save the date
March 6, 2012
Women Trade Forum
An event for those who want more strategies to accelerate women’s employment in non-traditional trades.

Success Strategies for Women and Trades

Showcasing and enhancing best practices
Illuminating ideas to accelerate change

Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Centennial College, Ashtonbee Campus
75 Ashtonbee Rd., Toronto, ON, M1L 4N4

Coordinated by the Women’s Access to Trades Network**, and hosted by Centennial College, with support from the Province of Ontario and Canadian Women’s Foundation.

Who should attend?
This event will benefit all those who want more women working in the non-traditional trades:

Employers seeking more women and skilled workers
Labour groups looking to include more women in trades and apprenticeship
Tradeswomen looking for more compatible workplace
Groups accountable for equity, diversity, labour force development, productivity, poverty reduction
Colleges, training centres looking to increase women in trades programs
Secondary schools seeking more career options for girls
Women looking for better paid jobs

What will the day offer?

Success strategies in recruiting, training and employment
Conditions for success -what we need to do more of
Opportunity to envision what needs to change for more change to occur
Update on status of College of Trades
Emerging opportunities for change – a provincial women’s access to trades network

Why are we doing this now?

Advancement on this issue is still a work in progress
The demand for skilled trades’ workers is increasing
We need to collaborate, link up and scale up in order to achieve a critical mass of women in trades
Women need access to the full range of well paid jobs. It’s in our social contract.

Women’s access to trades is about…
women’s equitable participation in the economy.

And reducing child poverty.
And improving labour force development.
And increasing productivity in a global economy.

**The Women’s Access to Trades Network is a collaboration of organizations dedicated to accelerating women’s participation in non-traditional trades to increase women’s access to good jobs and decrease their risk of poverty. Members include MicroSkills, On Track Career and Employment Services, The Centre for Skills Development and Training, George Brown College, YWCA, South Asian Women’s Rights Organization, Centennial College, Canadian Association of Women in Construction, IBEW Local 153 Women’s Committee, Skills for Change.

links:
about.com: Non-Traditional Employment for Women: Chipping Away At the Glass Ceiling
By Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com Guide

WIL National Mentorship Program: 2012 · Vancouver · Toronto · Montreal: Toronto Mentorship Program Application Packages

itabc.ca: The British Columbia Industry Training Authority: : Women in Construction Trades: A Strategic Plan to Promote Women
Prepared by The Women in Leadership Foundation, WIL, November 16, 2007

alis.alberta.ca: Career Planning - Education - Jobs: Women in Non-Traditional Occupations: Stories to Inspire

swc-cfc.gc.ca: Status of Women Canada: Statistics: Women in Canada 2010-2011 - A Gender-based Statistical Report

statcan.gc.ca: Statistics Canada: Women in Non-traditional Occupations and Fields of Study
"As was the case for occupation, women have made fewer inroads into non-traditional fields of study in the trades. The top five trades in which men had earned a trades certificate accounted for 79% of men in the trades in 2006. In these top-five male-dominated trades, women accounted for 2% of those with trades certificates in mechanics and repairers and in construction trades; for 3% of certificates in the precision production trades; for 7%, in transportation and materials moving; and for 10%, in engineering technology."
by Kathryn McMullen, Jason Gilmore and Christel Le Petit

employmentjourney.com: Women in non-traditional trades and technology: raising awareness
"Trade HERizons is a program coordinated by Women’s Network PEI. The aim is to encourage women to consider a career in trades and give women the support needed to make that transition."
by Gloria Welton

thecentre.on.ca: Local skilled trades training program helps women achieve their dreams
by mcdonaldm

wobuilt.com: Community: Mentoring: The Wo-Built Career Advancement Program
Our mission is to help women enter and succeed in the skilled trades. We hope to open more doors and provide more opportunities for women who strive for a career in the building/finishing trades.

wobuilt.com/blog: Helping Women in the Building Trades

Home Renovations Today: Freedom versus "Grid-lock"

2012-01-12T14:48:00.008-05:00

Collage: Home Renovations Today: Freedom versus "Grid-lock"
Illustration Credits: MS Office ClipArt
House with solar panel & Electricity, energy, homes
2012 @ wobuilt.com

“We often take for granted that our lights will come on when we flip the light switch, but the reality is that our reliability standards and the current state of the transmission grid leave us all vulnerable to blackouts.”
Richard Burr, Politician

What would happen if tomorrow you flipped the light switch and nothing happenned? If you turned on the tap and nothing came out? If you went to the grocery store and the shelves were empty?

The term “grid-locked” is fair and fitting. Like a Toronto motorist trapped in rush-hour traffic, our lives and progress are at the mercy of the grid. In simplest survival terms, we are not truly free.

We think of ourselves as being a first-world nation built on a solid, stable financial system and democratic society. The fact is, our so-called “freedom” teeters perilously atop a house of cards that has grown so large, complex, and reliant on co-dependent systems, any number of minor failures in any one of those systems could spell disaster for our established way of living.

How many of us could switch to a life without electricity overnight? How about growing (or hunting/fishing) our own food? Providing our own fresh water? Heating/cooling? Very few, indeed.

With ever-increasing food and energy costs, it is clear the grid—in all its myriad forms—is under a great deal of stress. Do we really want to wait until it reaches a breaking point? Do we trust those in power to look after our interests? What if every home could be a net producer instead of consumer of energy?

Home renovations today should address these issues. Put aesthetics aside a moment and consider the long-term sustainability of your living space; its resilience in the face of catastrophic grid failure.

Any sustainable community will have de-centralized and distributed production of the most basic measures of freedom (energy, food and water security) for inherent resilience and stability. The imperial “bigger is better” mentality of centralized production is oppressive and obsolete.

Wo-Built is a champion designer and builder of the future. We actively research and develop complete systems to address household needs at all levels—including the most fundamental.

Leaving no stone unturned, Wo-Built scours the world for best-practices in sustainability and the latest in green technologies to offer complete home renovation systems and additions that transform houses from victims of grid-lock to off-grid bastions of freedom, ecological responsibility and sustainability.

Wo-Built asks you to consider: we all buy home insurance "just in case." Strange, there is no insurance policy covering all the essentials without which our households cannot survive. The time to prepare our homes for the inevitable challenges of 21st Century is now. Wo-Built is taking the lead.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
greenhomebuilding.com: Building Today for Tomorrow: Avoiding Gridlock in your Home
"The typical gridlock image is of being stuck in your automobile in a traffic system that has bogged down because it cannot handle the volume of traffic. You feel helpless because you have to use the car, but it's not getting you where you want to go. You are locked into a dysfunctional system."
by Kelly Hart

choosingourfuture.ca: Choosing our Future: Building a Sustainable National Capital Region: Our Choices Today - Create Tomorrow.
Choosing our Future is an innovative joint planning initiative of the City of Ottawa, City of Gatineau and the National Capital Commission.

blog.homerenovationguide.com: Blogging about the world of home renovation and improvement.

Quality Renovations with Better Value: Press-Release

2012-01-10T14:47:00.008-05:00

Press-Release: Property Owners See Better Value,
Fewer Headaches with Quality Renovations
2012 @ wobuilt.com

For Immediate Release

Property Owners See Better Value, Fewer Headaches with Quality Renovations

New Website: Renovating Trumps Moving; should be Fun, Stress-Free Adventure

Toronto, (January 6, 2012) – Property owners and real estate investors stand to benefit from renovating in 2012, but only if they lay aside their misgivings about construction. According to newly revamped website www.wobuilt.com, homeowners should consider renovating over moving and discover all the benefits a building project offers. Design & Build Champion, Wo-Built, Inc., is out to convince owners: building can be enjoyable, relaxing, rewarding.

“We inspire Toronto real estate owners and investors to take a bold plunge into a stress-free adventure in building,” says Wo-Built President, Martina Ernst. “We offer people an uplifting approach to construction: quality, value-based, friendly and fun. We keep homeowners excited about their new house.”

Many homeowners overlook the advantages of renovating due to misconceptions there’s less cost and fewer headaches in selling and buying a new home. Wo-Built puts this and other myths to rest with “Renovate or Move?,” revealing financial and other benefits of renovating an existing property versus selling/buying.

“Wo-Built offers homeowners a revitalizing, fun experience,” Ms. Ernst continues. “We promise to have a general contractor onsite regularly giving updates; looking after the client’s vision; really listening to them; handling issues and communicating solutions with honesty, clarity and transparency.”

A client advocacy approach relieves people’s worries about construction. Wo-Built fights for clients at every step of the process; ensuring homeowners get the best possible result for the budget they have to work with, maximizing property value with absolutely minimal impact on clients’ lifestyle and stress-level.

With real estate red-hot in the GTA and interest rates low, Wo-Built encourages property owners to take the plunge into fun and adventure with value-enhancing upgrades to properties that reward on many levels.

###

Wo-Built, Inc. is a women-owned Design & Build General Contracting Company specializing in residential, commercial and investment building projects including additions, major renovations, high-end kitchens, complete interior redesigns, new builds, and more. Wo-Built’s vision is “to be the best while doing good” for its clients, the community and the environment. Its social mission includes training and supporting women in the trades.

To arrange an interview with Martina Ernst, please contact 416-402-2679.

For further information:
Martina Ernst, President
Tel: 416-402-2679
Fax: 416-354-2555
Email: info@wobuilt.com

Media Contact:
Attila Lendvai, VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
Suite #3, 1287 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, ON M6E 1B8, Canada
Tel: 647-460-0560
Email: attila@wobuilt.com

Photos: Before and After
Second Storey Addition
2012 @ wobuilt.com

link:
newswire.ca: /CNW/ Canada Newswire: Wo-Built Inc. | Property Owners See Better Value, Fewer Headaches With Quality Renovations

A New Year, a New Adventure in Building

2012-01-05T14:38:00.008-05:00

"... we will never forget the great experience of our renovation and the truly exceptional folks that made it happen!”
Carla Ciallella

Wo-Built’s New Year’s Message to You: Relax. Have an Adventure!

In 2012, Wo-Built is relieving people’s misgivings about major residential and commercial renovations. It begins with our newly renovated and re-launched website, www.wobuilt.com.

We occasionally get to see the results of a beautiful home renovation, but the “disaster stories” we hear through the grapevine seem to leave an impression. Along with sticker-shock from being sold what doesn’t actually exist yet, “the building nightmare” seems thoroughly established in our minds.

The alternative—moving—comes with its own headaches, hassles and costs. You may get taken to the cleaners (or discover “nightmares” hidden behind the walls, under floors, in the basement, etc.).

At the start of a New Year, Wo-Built encourages all Toronto homeowners and even real estate investors in the GTA to take a bold step into the unknown: a stress-free adventure in building.

A major home, commercial or investment renovation should be fun, and we make it so! We listen to you, handle the issues and explain the solutions with clarity and transparency. We keep you in the loop.

Above all, we are your advocate: we fight for you at every step of the process, to ensure you get the best possible outcome for the budget we have to work with, with absolutely minimal impact on you.

The end result is always, “Wow! Look what I built with Wo-Built’s help!” There’s nothing better for us.

Addition, major renovation, high-end kitchen … you name it, it can be done. With real estate red-hot in the GTA and interest rates low, why wouldn’t you take the plunge? As your builder-with-a-difference, we work with you (not against you), listen to you (not talk down to you) and keep you in the loop (not keep you up all night). Wo-Built makes residential, commercial or investment building projects a fun adventure to last a lifetime.

Learn more at Wo-Built’s freshly redesigned website for 2012: www.wobuilt.com.

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Screenshot: Wo-Built Inc. - Your Design & Build Champion
Inspired Design + Adventure in Building + The Wow Factor
2012 @ wobuilt.com

Christmas Message 2011 from Wo-Built

2011-12-23T20:07:00.007-05:00

Christmas cookies, milk, Santa hat and note all on a table
Image credit: MS Office ClipArt -MH900216163

"It is no longer good enough to cry peace, we must act peace, live peace, and live in peace."
- Shenandoah proverb

At this special time of year, the entire team at Wo-Built, Inc. would like to take an opportunity to wish you and yours Seasons Greetings.

It is also worthwhile to mention at this meaningful time of the year that as a company Wo-Built continues its dedication to our social missions and to helping strengthen communities.

We also send our heartfelt wishes for peace at home and abroad, and the alleviation of hardships for all those less fortunate than ourselves.

We also remember the planet itself at this time of year. Mother Earth has been good to us, no question about it. She, too, deserves a token of kindness at this time of year. Wo-Built renews its commitment to eco-friendly building.

Last but not least, should you decide with your family that the New Year should bring a profound change to where and how you live, please remember that Wo-Built is here to help you create the house of your dreams for the family who calls it home.

To you, your family, your friends, and all those you care about, a very happy Holiday Season and a healthy, prosperous, peaceful New Year.

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Lighting Design of a Retail Space

2011-12-20T17:52:00.005-05:00

Photo: Corus Entertainment Building - Overlooking the Atrium
See how the eye is drawn towards the light.
2011 @ wobuilt.com
Uploaded on twitpic.com

Design is all around us. Coming from an architecture background I look at spaces and often start analyzing them to see what makes them work or more often not. Recently I looked at the impact daylight has on the illumination of an up-market restaurant.

Let's imagine a restaurant with a store front, i.e. any passer-by can look into the restaurant and daylight can enter the building. This is a challenge during the day due to the brightness contrast between outside and inside. If the restaurant is not lit brightly enough to be seen, the space will look dark and forbidding from the outside. How often have we stood in front of a restaurant or a shop and wondered if it is open or closed. And, of course, if there is uncertainty we don't even try the door.

An up-market restaurant is a special case, since over lighting it during the day would make customers feel as if they were in a fast food environment, not very romantic and relaxing, but under lighting it would not be very inviting from the outside. Big dilemma.

Fortunately, a solution for this dilemma is simple and inexpensive. The solution is a combination of lighting and surface treatment. As the eye is automatically drawn to bright areas, the end area or wall of the restaurant has to be brightened up by using lighter colours and light fixtures that will wash the wall with light. This will give the inviting element to the space. The remaining restaurant can be kept relatively darker to create the more intimate setting. The lighting should be concentrated to shine on the tables, so that the diner can appreciate the food as we do eat with all our senses: taste, smell, appearance and even sound (just remember the crunchiness of freshly baked bread).

It is important to be able to create different light levels, as at night the contrast to the outside is reversed and it does not take as much light to sparkle. Hence in any design dimmers and selective switching of light fixtures is a must.

Lighting design is not cookie cutter and each situation need to be designed on its own merits. We incorporate lighting in all of our designs, and for restaurants and retail spaces good lighting is an absolute must. It will often make or break a space. Just imagine how much better your business would do if you created the right ambiance for your space.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
Member of IESNA
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America

To Renovate or Not to Renovate?

2011-12-15T15:48:00.010-05:00

Image: Existing House or New House: Move or Renovate Spreadsheet
A homeowner dilemma: To stay-and-renovate an existing property
or to buy-and-move into a new house
2011 @ wobuilt.com

When talking to prospective clients often they wrestle with the choice “Shall we renovate or just move?”

Even though there are many reasons that will play a role in the decision, such as loving the house, proximity to schools/amenities, friendly neighbours, gardens, making the house exactly as you want it etc, money is high on the list.

Let’s look at the following scenario: An existing house and a new house located in the same Toronto’s west end neighbourhood.

The existing house required a rear or side extension to gain extra bedroom or family space : Current value: $ 400,000 + Reno cost $100,000 + HST

New house with required extra space (some renovation required): Estimated: $475,000 - $500,000

Scenario 1: To Renovate an Existing House
(owner can live in property while it is renovated)
Current value: $400,000
Renovation costs (Addition): $100,000 + HST
Estimated renovation cost: $113,000

Total staying and renovating costs to get the extra space: $113,000

Scenario 2: To Move to a New House
(some renovation required)

Estimated value: $475,000 - $500,000
Upgrade costs:
Difference to existing house : $75,000 – $100,000
Land transfer tax: $11,200 - $12,200
Difference to existing house buying costs $86,200 – $112,200

Moving costs:
Commission: $24,000 + HST
Moving expenses: Estimated: $2,000 + HST
Legal expenses: Estimated: $1,500 + HST
Home inspections: Average: $500 + HST
Minimum renovation: (window coverings, painting, bathroom upgrades, new carpets etc): $10,000 + HST
Estimated moving costs: $42,940

Total upgrade and moving costs to get the extra space: $131,140 - $154,940

Of course this is a simplified calculation and in reality the cost will vary according to the specific circumstances, but the case can be made that a renovation is more cost effective in the above situation.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

A Message from the CEO: Why Hire Us? We Are the Best...for You

2011-12-08T16:29:00.008-05:00

Giving a helping hand.
Image No: 0722800 from Canstockphoto.com
All rights reserved

My recent experience having an advocate while dealing with one of Wo-Built's issues reminded me how much of a relief it is to have someone you trust guiding you and fighting in your corner. It made me realize that what we do for our clients is very similar.

Often, a large renovation is a once-in-a-lifetime project and it can be at once exciting, daunting and scary. You don't know what is going to happen and what to expect.

In the past articulating why I believed we are the best was always a challenge. Yes, we are the best because of our inspired designs, our professional work force, our transparency, but this is just as it should be. We’ve called it a stress-free renovation, but that didn't address what made it stress free.

Having had someone I could rely on to do the best for the company and therefore me, was a revelation. This person was my backbone, my resolve, my guide, my coach, my consultant, my cheering section… and this is what we do for our clients. This is what makes us the best for you, our clients.

We are your advocates, your champions and we 'fight' for you against all the obstacles a project might have: the city, the weather, building surprises.

We are also your coach, giving you guidance through the emotional rollercoaster. You can rely on us to do the best for your project and therefore for you.

We are stakeholders in your project, not only because we like you — that is a given as well — but because we have both a financial stake (we like to be paid) and reputational stake (we like to show off the projects we do).

Like any coach, advocate, champion… our success depends on you ‘winning.’ That is why we are the best for you; and, why you shouldn’t settle for second best.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: A Message from the CEO: What Guides Us

wobuilt.com/blog: We Are Looking for Adventurous Building Owners

wobuilt.com/blog: What We Do: Renovating, Contracting, Building Custom Homes

wobuilt.com/blog: A Reflection: Inspiration - Using the Building Trades for a New Start in Life
by Sabrina Erneman

Contemporary Design vs. Classical Design – Personal Preference or De-facto Evolution of Design?

2011-12-06T11:39:00.008-05:00

Collage: Contemporary Design vs. Classical Design
Images Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Cube Houses in Rotterdam; Row Houses in Amsterdam

"All the evolution we know of proceeds from the vague to the definite."
Charles Sanders Peirce

Vs.

"All the ills from which America suffers can be traced to the teaching of evolution."
William Jennings Bryan

Quotes Sourced from: Brainy Quote

The argument for and against evolution is fitting given the question of contemporary versus classical design. It’s a case of the future versus the past. But which belongs in the present?

Contemporary designers would argue no-doubt theirs is the valid approach. After all, isn’t this the 21st Century? Raised on Star Trek, dreaming of the day our living spaces made us feel we were an advanced, sophisticated, space-faring society, why not envelope ourselves in stainless steel, glass, concrete, etc.? Trouble is we are none of these things (at least not in the way we imagined). Technology has made us more detached from each another, our communities, our food and the environment. Contemporary western society confuses connectivity with connection; complexity with sophistication.

Maybe this explains contemporary design’s obsession with simplicity and “cleanliness.” Simple forms and clean lines counter the chaos of the modern world, but does it create warmth; comfort? There is nothing warm or inviting about stainless steel and concrete. Like industrial food (another “technological wonder” of the last Century), all the “life” has been processed out.

Classical design, on the other hand, seems sorely outdated—quaint for stay at a B&B in the Muskokas or a fancy dress ball at the Royal York. But really, who needs all that clutter in their everyday life? If you live in a farmhouse in rural Ontario, great; but, in East York, Oakville, and elsewhere in the GTA, the trend is to blend contemporary interiors with existing buildings (be they brownstones or loft conversions of old factories). Blending old and new in — dare I say it — a contemporary way.

The reality is that design is always a sign of the times. Like any other art form, it reflects the idiosyncrasies of particular eras or moments. Our society faces advancing technological complexity at a pace never before imagined. Resistance to change is equally potent. Today’s design is truly eclectic. We can see every conceivable permutation and combination of old and new imaginable. Old-style houses made from faux concrete stones with stainless steel kitchens, steel roofs and hardwood floors. Concrete, glass, and stainless steel buildings with animal skin rugs, wood furniture, stone accents.

To say it comes down to personal preference seems like a cop-out. It’s really about livability. Does a space strike a liveable balance between what you find aesthetically pleasing and what you need practically speaking? It’s not just about what a space looks like or how it works, but also how it feels.

The question of contemporary vs. classic has always been there, as each generation struggles to fit the new into the established. What makes a space liveable for you? That’s what matters today.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Architecture: Combining New and Old

wobuilt.com/blog: Do Industrial Buildings Have a Future?

wobuilt.com/blog: Design in Motion … in a House!?

Build Yourself a Dream Business: Open a B&B

2011-11-29T17:04:00.009-05:00

Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: buildings, inns, Swiss architecture, travelers

“Manuel will show you to your rooms - if you're lucky.”
- Basil Fawlty from Fawlty Towers

Ever dreamed of “getting away from it all” permanently? Maybe opening a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) is right for you. And no, we are not suggesting you follow the “Basil Fawlty School of Inn keeping.”

The concept is simple enough: open a room or two in your home to strangers. For a fee, offer them overnight accommodation in a warm and friendly atmosphere along with a nice breakfast.
Whether you’re in The Beaches in Toronto, by the lake in Oakville, up north, or anywhere, doing a B&B right will mean more guests and more revenues.

That will require some serious design and building considerations, whether you are building from scratch or renovating / re-building your existing home.
How will you redesign the space — maximum occupancy potential or maximum comfort (even luxury)?
How do you envision the common areas, kitchen, and dining room?
Bathroom facilities: will they be shared or will each room have their own?
Will you have at least one room with an in-suite Jacuzzi (popular with fatigued business travelers and romantic couples alike)?
What about a fireplace in each room?
Will the rooms have entertainment in-suite?
Will you provide internet wirelessly or will you also provide a wired network?
Will you offer parking?
How many spaces?
If the idea of converting your existing property into a viable bed and breakfast sounds appealing to you, but you don’t know where to begin, you may want to start by calling a contractor who you can trust to help you envision the dream and make it a reality.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wikipedia.org: Bed and breakfast
"A bed and breakfast (or B&B) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals."

michaelwalker.ca: CITY OF TORONTO ZONING BY-LAW No. 438-86 AMENDED DECEMBER, 2001 Section 6 - Residential Districts
"22. A bed and breakfast establishment is a permitted use provided: (425-93)
(i) a maximum of two rooms are used for the purpose of providing lodging to the travelling public;
(ii) the detached house, semi-detached house or row house within which such establishment is located
is not simultaneously used for the keeping of roomers or boarders; (425-93)
(iii) the bed and breakfast establishment is operated by a person or persons whose ordinary and
principal residence is within such detached house, semi-detached house or row house; and (425-93) (858-88)
(iv) vehicle access is by means other than a mutual driveway. (425-93)"

mississauga.ca: Bed and Breakfast Chart: APPENDIX 6: Page 1 BED AND BREAKFAST ESTABLISHMENTS PROVISIONS OF SELECTED MUNICIPALITIES
"City of Toronto Official Plan defines “Bed and breakfast establishment”- means a portion of residence for lodging the travelling public.
No licensing By-law regulating Bed and Breakfast Establishments."

cra-arc.gc.ca: Canada Revenue Agency: Operating a Bed and Breakfast in Your Home

Helping Women in the Building Trades

2011-11-24T14:06:00.011-05:00

Want to have a career in the finishing trades?
Interested? This could be you...
2011 @ wobuilt.com

"What could be better than providing a necessary building while helping women to build a future for themselves."
Martina Ernst

Our bulletins – Wo-Built's recent involvements in helping women in the trades.

March 2012 Forum for Women in the Trades and New Network of Women in the Trades

Toronto, November 15, 2011 - Wo-Built Inc, represented by Elida Huignard, Vice President of Training, participated in the November meeting to organize the March 2012 Forum for Women in the Trades.

Skills for Change invites the participation of several Ontario Building Trades Unions like the Sisters in the Trades from IBEW353; and professionals associations like CAWIC (Canadian Association of Women in Construction); colleges like George Brown, Centennial, The Centre for Skills Development & Training; the Ontario Works Apprenticeship Committee, SAWRO, the YWCA and On-Track for Women.

Skills for Change and all the above organizations will coordinate the forum where the launch of the Provincial Network of Women in the Trades will be announced, for which Skills for Change has obtained three year funding.

Wo-Built Inc, a private contractor that promotes the training of more women in the trades salutes the initiative and will participate enthusiastically in its development.

Meeting with Sisters in the Trades, at the IBEW353

Toronto, November 16, 2011 - Wo-Built Inc, represented by Elida Huignard, Vice-president of Training, Jane Wilson and Rebecca Anderson from Skills for Change participated in the informative meeting with the Sisters in the Trades at the Electricians IBEW 353 Union Hall.

Skills for Change, who provide learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees, requested the participation of the Sisters at the planned March Forum of Women’s Access to Trades. They also inquired about any issues the Sisters see important to be discussed at the Forum.

The Sisters, a lively group of trades’ women consisting of Journeymen (that are women) and apprentices; many which contributed with important insights in the life of women in the trades. These issues will open many venues of discussion at the Forum.

The Sisters in the Trades is a young organization which is attracting women from several Union Halls: electricians, plumbers, painters and carpenters, united to defend the rights of women in the trades.

links:
microskills.ca: Microskills Annual Report 2011 Highlights: Trades and Technology: Women’s Access to Trades Network
"We launched a Women’s Access to Trades Network, in partnership with several organizations and individuals dedicated to assisting women to get good jobs in the trades. The Women’s Access to Trades Network hosted a "Women in Trades Forum" where more than 80 stakeholders offered recommendations in a report that highlights the need for more leadership and commitment to greater opportunities for women to access employment in the trades. A copy of this report is available on our website. As part of the planning committee for a Youth Trades Fair sponsored by Career Foundation, we designed a very successful Women in Trades Corner aimed at teenage girls."

cawic.ca: Women’s Access to Trades? Not Even Close! A One-day Forum for Accelerating Change
An invitation by MicroSkills Women Services and several collaborators to review women's progress in the trades and ways to increase women's access and success. Fort York, 250 Fort York Blvd. Toronto, November 25th, 2010

wittnn.com: Women in Trades & Technology National Network (WITT NN)
WITT National Network (WITT NN) is an education and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting and assisting in the recruitment, training and retention of women in trades, technology, operations and blue collar work (TTO/BCW) across Canada.

wobuilt.com/blog: Fulfill Your Dreams, and Have a Great Career in the Trades

wobuilt.com/blog: Building Homes - Leading Women into Construction

wobuilt.com/blog: Career Possibilities for Women in the Building and Construction Trades

competencescanada.com: Skills / Compétences Canada (S/CC) is a national, not-for-profit organization that works with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trades and technology careers among Canadian youth.

skillsontario.com: Skills Canada - Ontario is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the skilled trades and technologies as viable, first-choice career options for Ontario youth.

skillsontario.com: The Ontario Technological Skills Competition & Career Exploration Showcase
1900 Competitors, 30,000+ Spectators, 60+ skilled trade contest areas, Over 325,000 square feet, Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary Students
Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1, 2012, Waterloo, ON

skillsontario.com: The Ontario Technological Skills Competition & “Think Skills…Think Future!” Young Women’s Conferences
Mentor Registration: A mentor is a woman who works, trains or teaches in a skilled trade or technology field and is willing to share her positive career experiences with the student participants through informal networking activities.

Building Value in Your Home in Uncertain Economic Times

2011-11-22T14:33:00.009-05:00

Collage: Build Value in Your Home
Illustration Credits: MS Office ClipArt
House with red roof & Red dollar sign
2011 @ wobuilt.com

"Price is what you pay. Value is what you get."
- Warren Buffet

If all the media hype around “uncertain economic times” is making you shop around for the lowest possible estimate on your building, addition, or major renovation project, you may want to think again.

Any financial planner will tell you one of the safest places to put your cash is in your home. With low interest rates and red-hot prices in Toronto, adding value to your home is a smart financial strategy.

Be advised: buyer beware. “You get what you pay for” is doubly true when it comes to building projects. Ask yourself (or better yet, ask your contractor): how can they promise so much for so little? What does a low price tag say about the quality of materials and labour used? A quality builder delivers real value. Quality is also the original eco-knowhow. Longevity and efficiency mean you save money over time and increase resale value. Adding the latest green technologies will add even more value over time.

Then there’s the question of design. We’re not talking fly-by-night fashion trends, here. You may have to live with your design decisions for years to come. You want a designer who understands this. The truth is good design saves money. Standard cookie-cutter layouts waste square footage. Smart design makes better use of space, and well-designed spaces work as good as they look.

Last but not least, there’s the whole process. A building project (especially an addition) can present challenges you may not have anticipated. Beware estimates that promise low costs with no contingency plans. You may be signing yourself up for more than you bargained for (and less of what you deserve).

You want to choose a design and build contractor who inspires confidence and delivers value, not the short-term high of "getting a deal." The money you think you’re saving today will cost you much more down the road; meantime, you’ll have to live with what you paid for.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

You can read other related articles here:
wobuilt.com/blog: What to Do When You Outgrow Your House? Move or Be Moved?

wobuilt.com/blog: Aspects of Longevity of Design: How to Design Timeless Spaces

wobuilt.com/blog: Construction Statistics and Economic Indicators: Signs for Future Projects

wobuilt.com/blog: Adding Value to Your House – How About Adding Value to Your Life?!

wobuilt.com/blog: Top Renovations That Increase Home Value

Don’t move into a retirement home; retire your house and stay at home!

2011-11-15T16:39:00.006-05:00

The LEGO House
Image Source: bc.vt.edu: Virginia Tech:
Building Construction: Passive Solar Design of Lego Houses

“Retirement has been a discovery of beauty for me. I never had the time before to notice the beauty of my grandkids, my wife, the tree outside my very own front door. And, the beauty of time itself.”
Hartman Jule

It’s a beautiful thing: to be able to wake up one day in the neighbourhood you’ve loved and lived in for years and realize: “I don’t have to go to work today…ever again.”

You can take a stroll down the street to the nearby park where you took your children to play. Now you’ll be able to take your grandchildren there as well. You can stroll part the shops near your home in East Toronto, West Toronto, the Beaches, Oakville, or wherever. You’ve shopped there all your life; but you’ve never had the time to really browse until now.

The new backyard garden can be tended while chatting with your neighbours. In the winter you can invite them into your new sunroom for tea. Your friends can reach you and vice-versa as easily as they ever could…no long drives to the suburbs; no gated communities; no “common areas;” no nonsense. Just you, the place you love, and a beautiful new house that you can call home for years and years to come—worry free, designed with every conceivable contingency in mind for your future.

Yes, you have kept the beauty of the family home by retiring the old family house. With a sensible re-design and rebuild of the property (think Lego), you have preserved all the memories and beauty of your existing home, with a brand new living space designed for a comfortable and safe retirement.

Just think of the joy and satisfaction you’ll feel helping your grandkids build a tree house in the tree you planted outside your front door years ago. Now that’s what beautiful retirement living is about.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

You can read other related articles here:
wobuilt.com/blog: Comment about Aging: Adapting Your Home for Comfortable Living

seniors.gc.ca: Government of Canada: Seniors Canada: Working for Seniors

servicecanada.gc.ca: Service Canada: Services for Seniors

carp.ca: CARP Canada: A New Vision of Aging in Canada

southeastsun.com: Senior living : How the right home updates help seniors age well at home
"With a few home improvements and modifications, seniors can stay safe at home and live independently for many years."
by ARA Advertorial

A Truly Liveable Space Needs a Nourishing Colour Palette

2011-11-10T12:05:00.006-05:00

Collage: Choose a Nourishing Palette for Your Mind and Soul
Image credits: “Equinox” by Hans Hofmann, 1958, painting
MS Office ClipArt: Paint can and paintbrush
2011 @ wobuilt.com

“The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color. Our entire being is nourished by it.”
Hans Hofmann

If the above quotation by American abstract expressionist painter Hans Hofmann is considered in the context of our living spaces, the choice of colour should never be left to a complete stranger.

When Wo-Built completes a building or renovation project, they often deliver a “blank canvas” to their clients. This usually means white walls primed for interior design and finishing—in a word, colour.

So what do you do when presented with a beautifully designed space yearning for a personal expression of colour that will “feed your being” for years to come?

For starters, you might want to read-up on the psychology of colour. Don’t make the mistake of simply going with “what looks nice,” in a magazine or on a colour swatch. Our perception of colour changes over time. To test this theory, go into your closet and find that outfit you’ve only ever worn once.

Generally, colours are categorized as warm (red, orange, yellow) or cool (blue, green, violet). Warm colours enliven and are associated with higher energy, while cool colours promote serenity and tranquility. Blue is especially calming. Red and orange are said to stimulate hunger, while blue is said to curb it. Yellow can be cheerful, while violet promotes creativity, but both can get tiresome quickly.

Another factor to consider is colour combination. A monochrome colour scheme (different variations of the same colour), provides a soothing effect. A little more audacious is a colour scheme based on similar colours. A contrasting colour scheme is most dynamic, with colours appearing brighter than they actually are, and is best suited to high-activity areas like the kitchen; these can also get tiresome.

There is one more approach to consider: let your furniture and artwork be your colour! With some well-placed “accent walls” painted to draw focus and separate spaces, the rest of the space can remain just as it was delivered by Wo-Built: a clean canvas “painted” by your interior pieces; personal style.

Finally, don’t worry about impressing others with your “sense of colour.” Instead, choose a “nourishing palette” for your mind and soul. This will support a truly liveable space. Guests will respond to the positive energy of a space more than they will to a designer colour palette.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

You can read other related articles here:
wobuilt.com/blog: How many paint colours?!

wobuilt.com/blog: Paint Colour Trends 2008... Are you making the most of your investment?
by Sylvia O’Brien

wobuilt.com/blog: Colour for Your Home and Your Life: Intention Of Space
by Lonya Miller

When Home Buying, Mind your Manors!

2011-11-08T14:25:00.007-05:00

CMHC: Homeowner's Inspection Checklist
Conduct your own inspection to keep your home in top condition.
Image credit: CMHC Publications and Reports

The other day we went on a call and encountered a fairly common problem: termites had ravaged the structure of a circa 1940’s bungalow. A bungalow which, we must point out, was purchased recently.

The first takeaway is simple: get a complete professional home inspection before you buy. That means finding a qualified home inspector you trust, and making sure they give you a thorough report on all potential safety hazards: structure, electrical, gas heating (if applicable), etc.

It also means focused inspections of three key areas: moisture, asbestos and termites. But you may have to request the termite inspection specifically; you cannot assume a standard home inspection is going to find them.

Toronto in general has termite infestations, with pockets in East York, the Beaches, West Toronto and North Toronto. A termite inspection might be a good idea when looking at a cottage up north, too. As for moisture, cracked foundations, rotting wood and black mold are not your friends. And asbestos? Come now, do we really need to point out why you don’t want any asbestos in your house?

Of course, home inspectors aren’t psychic! By law they cannot make holes to look inside walls or inspect foundations below the ground (unless you actually own the property). No home inspection is foolproof. No amount of preparation or protection can catch every problem, especially if some problems are well concealed.

Hence the second takeaway: even with a complete home inspection you still may find extensive damage to your property, especially in basement areas.

Furthermore, should you discover problems that were not disclosed to you by the previous owner, you may consider initiating some sort of legal action (and hope you have a friendly banker to finance the repairs in the meantime). Such cases are not to be rushed into, however. It can be a drain on your resources; it’s often difficult to prove any wrongdoing; and, winning it is one thing: getting paid is another matter.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
cmhc-schl.gc.ca: CMHC: Homeowner's Inspection Checklist
Publications and Reports 62114: Conduct your own inspection to keep your home in top condition.

cmhc-schl.gc.ca: CMHC: Home Inspection Checklist
Use this Checklist to review the report you receive from the home inspector.

zillow.com/blog: Tips & Advice: Is a Home Inspection Good Enough?
by Leonard Baron

Relax During Your Home Renovation: Press-Release

2011-11-01T12:16:00.014-04:00

Wo-Built: Relax During Your Renovation
2011 @ wobuilt.com

For Immediate Release

Wo-Built Inc. Announces "Relax During Your Renovation" Campaign for Oakville

Toronto, (November 1, 2011) – Wo-Built Inc., Ontario’s social, ethical and environmental builder, is about to launch its newest campaign promoting complete quality home upgrades for homeowners in Southern Oakville. The campaign’s focus: relax during your renovation.

“Many people are hesitant to undertake a major building project for the simple reason that they — or someone they know — have had unpleasant experiences with renovation projects in the past,” Wo-Built President Martina Ernst said. “Wo-Built is different. We listen to our clients. Their concerns are our concerns. Our genuine empathy and honesty gives Wo-Built clients greater confidence in their builder and a more relaxed experience.”

Although built with modest sizes and the technology of their day, older houses along the Lakeshore in Oakville (and thru the GTA) can be completely rebuilt to new standards or custom specifications. “Few people appreciate they need not compromise their Lakeshore location in order to have the large home of their dreams,” Wo-Built President Martina Ernst elaborated. “We can transform a 1000 sq. ft. bungalow into a 3000 sq. ft. two-story plus loft, complete with home theatre or legal apartment in a newly re-imagined and bone-dry finished basement.”

Martina Ernst, Co-founder and President/CEO of Wo-Built Inc, is a sought-after contractor, designer of residential and commercial properties, lighting designer, mentor and speaker. She has worked on numerous building projects, both in Canada and internationally.

Wo-Built Inc. is a leader in green building and complete home modernization, with an active social mission to train young women wanting to pursue a life in the trades as well as educating homeowners, commercial property owners, investors and governments. Wo-Built is an accredited Better Business Bureau (BBB) general contractor, a Member of Live Green Toronto, Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and complying with the RenoMark™ ethical code of conduct. To find out more, please visit www.wobuilt.com.

Media Contact:
Attila Lendvai, VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
Suite #3, 1287 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, ON M6E 1B8, Canada
attila@wobuilt.com
647.460.0560

# # #

Happy Diwali: Festival of Lights

2011-10-26T16:58:00.010-04:00

Collage: "The Children's Book Of Celebration" 2011
Publication of Regional Maple Leaf Communications Inc.
Illustrations by Cecilia Camet
Credit: regionalmapleleaf.com

Today is the Hindu holiday of Diwali, the Festival of Lights. I first experienced joyful Diwali or Deepavali celebrations in Singapore when I lived there. The festival of lights definitely owned up to its name with lots of fireworks, colour and light. As a lighting designer and member of IESNA I knew the colorful light displays were a treat to look at. When the Children's Book Of Celebration put our advertising on the Diwali's page, fond memories of the festivals came back.

I love the idea of decorating your home brightly and even doing home renovation prior to an important festival. For me it gives a sense of renewal, happiness, joy and new beginnings. When I look at my own home the best value is always painting; it freshens up the space, gives it a new look and feeling and it is not expensive to do. I also dust off my knick-knacks and change them around to uplift my space.

In the past some of our guest bloggers and decorator gurus had great and inexpensive ideas on how to brighten up your spaces for any occasion. Please click here to read a great article Unique Spaces – Is your home really you? by Ayanna McAlmont, with her guides to homeowners to have homes which reflect who they are at heart. And check Hayley's Hot Tips on Home Decor: Add a Little Bit of Magic into Your Home.

We wish everyone a joyous Diwali and a happy prosperous New Year.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Forget the Darker Side of Urban Life: Get Yourself Some Stairs and Step up into the Light

2011-10-25T15:25:00.010-04:00

Photo Collage: Forget the Darker Side of Urban Life:
Get Yourself Some Stairs and Step up into the Light
2011 @ wobuilt.com

"They may be America's last pioneers, urban nomads in search of wide open interior spaces."
Cathleen McGuigan

When it comes to housing, you will pay per square footage according to the following:
Proximity to “happening places;”
How “happening” your place is;
Number of years since your place first “happened.”
Consider downtown Toronto for a moment. If want new apartment on a budget, expect to live in a 300 sq. ft. closet—er ...bachelor. You can save some coin while living relatively close to downtown in a slightly more spacious apartment with not too many creepy-crawly “tenants.”

What is true for condos is especially true for houses. To live near the lake, be it the Beaches, East York, Etobicoke or even Oakville, you might think you have to settle for a tiny bungalow built either at the turn-of-the-century or just after WWII. Welcome to “the dark side” of urban housing compromise.

But let’s take a look at that brand new 300 square foot bachelor studio condo for a moment. From brand new kitchens and stainless steel appliances to high-tech lighting and a murphy bed, a small space can be pretty swanky…when it’s planned and built with state of the art technology and modern design.

The trouble with older houses is that they were designed and built with the technology of their day. Luckily, a house (bungalow, backsplit, whatever) can not only be re-built, it can be expanded and upgraded with space that doesn’t exist yet. All it takes is a little vision to “see the light” of urban living.

Want a 3000 sq. ft. home near the Danforth and the lake instead of an hour north of Toronto? Then transform your 1000 sq. ft. bungalow into a two-story plus loft. (Maybe put a home gym, home theatre or legal apartment for guests or income in your newly re-imagined and bone-dry finished basement).

Are you an urban nomad in search of wide open interior spaces? Don’t search; find the wide open space above your head, beneath your feet, in front or out back. Call a vision builder who specializes in cutting-edge designs with the personal touch so you can step up into the light of a no-compromise urban life.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Another Addition Renovation We Are Proud of: The Wow Factor Approach!

wobuilt.com/blog: Good Daylight Design Strategy for Your Home

5 Good Ideas Book Launch

2011-10-20T09:53:00.008-04:00

Photo-Collage: Five Good Ideas Book Launch
October 18, 2011, Toronto's Network Orange;
Hosted by: Author and broadcaster Jane Farrow;
Featured: Interview with the editors, Maytree Chairman Alan Broadbent and
Maytree President Ratna Omidvarand, insights from a panel of contributors.
Photos: Olga Goubar @ wobuilt.com

Five Good Ideas
Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success
Edited by Alan Broadbent and Ratna Omidvar
Published by Coach House Books, Toronto 2011

Here are some quick thoughts on possibilities for merging profit and non-for-profit worlds in construction industry.

I got dragged out again of the office to attend a book launching event. The event was held at the Downtown Toronto's ING Orange Café, a really interesting community space to hold meetings with a lot of green ideas: living walls, reusing the old warehouse structure, movable walls to reconfigure spaces to suit and many more. The book ‘Five good ideas – practical strategies for non-profit success’ edited by Alan Broadbent and Ratna Omidvar of the Maytree Foundation. I was captivated what some of the contributors mentioned, and I got the book.

On cursory inspection of the index the topics reflected the same issues as running a company: leadership, organizational effectiveness, human resources, resource development, communications, advocacy and governance. So will it be that non-profit organization behave similar to for profit organization? Or will there be differences.

On a personal note, since I tried to help non profit organizations become profitable in one of my former lives, the book will be extremely interesting to see if any of my ideas are reflected. For Wo-Built, since we are spinning out our social mission, this book will be invaluable.

Since I haven't read the book the jury is still out, but if my gut feeling is correct this book is also valuable for any CEO of a construction company. My personal believe is that our industry, the construction industry, should be responsible for implementing its own social initiatives such as apprenticeships, education of the next generation, health and safety issues and more. Some companies are very active in this regard, but we could do so much more as a collective, and not just leave this to nebulous “government”. We, as an industry should look at hybrid solutions, combining our for profit missions with social innovation to provide us with the future labour force the industry can be proud of.

Maybe after reading the book I can report on some of the possibilities of merging the two worlds.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
nextbillion.net: blog: Development through Enterprise: The Best of Both Worlds? Blending For-Profit and Non-Profit Models
by Shanika Gunaratna

socialedge.org: forum discussion: Creating a Hybrid For-Profit / Non-Profit Social Enterprise Structure
Hosted by Jeff Hamaoui (May 2005 - Closed)

attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca: Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General: Not-For-Profit Incorporator's Handbook

ic.gc.ca: Industry Canada: Federal Not-for-profit Corporations: Create / Maintain a Not-for-Profit Organization

wobuilt.com: blog: Why do so few women choose the skilled trades as a career?

When is a Home a Castle?

2011-10-18T13:31:00.010-04:00

"Holway House, La Crosse" - watercolour painting by John W. Johnston
Image Credit: jwjonline.net
The personal web pages of John W. Johnston of Northampton, England - JWJ

"Yes, your home is your castle, but it is also your identity and your possibility to be open to others."
David Soul

It’s a very romantic notion: your home is your castle. Some might call it old fashioned, but I like to think of it as never being more relevant than it is today.

Our home is our sanctuary from the world “out there.” Sure, we might have a hi-definition window onto that world, but we watch it from the relative comfort of a sofa, a bowl of comfort food nestled lovingly in our loungewear-clad lap. In moments as these, our home is literally our “happy place.” From romantic nights to family get-togethers; new loves to newborns, the space we live in literally accommodates life’s most cherished people and moments.

It’s no accident that real estate prices increased again in September, with Toronto once again particularly buoyant. Considering the time, energy and money we spend on (and in) our homes, it becomes clear we’re investing in more than just a living space; we’re investing in our own “headspace.”

How do we feel when our space feels “off?” Can we feel we’re standing on solid footing living in an older home with potentially faulty footings? Where is our headspace when our living space was designed for people 50, 60 or even 80 years ago? Is it “our castle” when the walls seem “a little thin?”

Unlike our cranium and grey matter (which we’re more or less stuck with), a complete overhaul of our living space is possible and may be just what we need to overhaul our life! Just think what a total upgrade of your home’s core structures and components will do for your headspace (and heating bills).

Invest in some cool green technology. Build an addition for a home theatre, listening room, Jacuzzi, greenhouse…whatever reflects your headspace right now—or the future. With all the stress “out there,” making your home a castle of refuge for the space “in here” has never been more important.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Home Renovation Do’s and Don’ts: What to do before you do anything

2011-10-13T16:53:00.008-04:00

Home Renovation Discoveries: Black Mold,
Spaghetti Wiring, Arching Electricity, Crappy Plumbing.
Look for These and Other "Fun Discoveries".
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt:
Mans face featuring a pondering emotion
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Today we begin a series on what to do and what not to do when it comes to your home renovation projects. We’ll take you inside one of Wo-Built’s projects to see the reality behind the advice. And, perhaps more importantly, appreciate the impact of not taking our advice…

What do you do before you start any major home renovation project? Call a good general contractor. Why? Because a general contractor has a sense for "the big picture" and an eye for "all the little details," whereas a more specialized contractor or tradesperson may not.

Case-in-point:

Homeowners Bob and Marsha (not their real names), decided they wanted to remodel and renovate their bungalow in East York of roughly 60 to 70 years of age (the bungalow, not Bob and Marsha). So, they went ahead and had the ground floor remodeled with beautiful trim, fresh paint, a remodeled bathroom and had a brand new kitchen.

They were so happy with the way everything looked, they said "Let’s finish the basement now." Only then did they contact Wo-Built to come do the basement, after their main floor renovations. It was only after Wo-Built took down the walls in the new bathroom adjacent to the new kitchen (to get at the black mold and properly insulate the walls to prevent it from returning) that the electrician found a single wire spliced into an electrical box (running on a single 60-70 year old circuit / fuse) powering no less than 5 outlets in the kitchen (in addition to the outlets and fixtures it was powering in the bathroom).

So, someone using a hair dryer in the morning while the coffee maker and toaster is going? What about throwing in a blender for that morning smoothie? It could have turned into quite the morning StairMaster workout to go reset the fuse every morning. Now, Wo-Built has to cut into recently finished and painted walls in a brand new kitchen to fix an electrical wiring oversight by the individual(s) who installed it.

Wouldn’t it have made more sense to have called in a reliable general contractor like Wo-Built to oversee any renovations being planned from the get-go? Isn’t it better for the realistic scope of the project and correct order of work to be determined before a single hammer is lifted? Wo-Built would have been able to spot problems and avoid wasted effort, saving Bob and Marsha time, money and headaches.

And this is just a taste of the "horrors" lurking behind the walls, in the foundation, and elsewhere in the basement of this benign little bungalow in a sleepy little East York neighborhood of Toronto, Canada.

Black mold behind walls of the "new bathroom," the spaghetti wiring with arching electricity and scorched insulation, the complete lack of insulation in some areas, and plumbing that looks like it was put in by a lonely octopus. Look for these and other "fun discoveries" in the weeks to come (i.e. the Halloween edition…for obvious reasons).

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Green Renovations: Sharing Experiences and Lessons Learned

2011-10-11T12:41:00.012-04:00

Green Renovations Lessons Learned
BILD Renovator & Custom Builder Council
October 11, 2011; 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Credit: BILDGTA.ca: Meetings & Events

Building, Industry and Land Development
Renovator & Custom Builder Council

Topic: Green Renovations
Lessons Learned

Join Building Industry and Land Development Association for this informative case study approach as panelists share their experiences on small, medium and large "green" renovation projects:

Whole house "green" renovation
The Green Home Makeover: Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP)
Diagnosing and renovating Mansard and similar roofing

Speakers:
John Godden, Clearsphere Inc.,
Martina Ernst, Wo-Built Inc.,
Emilio Cosentino, Keystone Interiors Inc.,
Shannon Logan, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, SNAP
Greg Labbe and Don Noble, Greensaver.

When: Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Time: Pizza and Networking: 6:00 pm
Program: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: BILD Awards Hall
Address: 20 Upjohn Road, North York, ON M3B 1Y2

For more information please contact:
BILDGTA.ca: Meetings & Events

Live Green Toronto: Wo-Built

Our Green Commitment
We are dedicated to being environmentally conscious and have embraced "Green Construction" in all our projects. We strive to be the leading design and build company that is sought after for its innovative design and quality construction and one that is recognized for using their projects as a means to help women, the community and the environment.

Our Special Offer for Members
Incorporate in your renovations the following: green roofs, solar, geothermal or heat recovery measures and save 5% of the retail costs.

Design in Motion … in a House!?

2011-10-06T12:35:00.009-04:00

Jerome Olivet Visionary Design: Architecture: Jet House
Image Credit: Jérôme OLIVET Book: Architecture: Plant inspiration

Good Engineering and Beautiful Aesthetics Can Go Hand in Hand in Your Home.

In recent years, there has been an emerging school of thought in design that could be called "motion design" or even "design in motion." From computer animation to automotive, the focus is on designs that look good while moving, not just while standing still. In the automotive world, the approach evolved from ever-more intense aerodynamic testing for performance and fuel efficiency. In other words, it was a natural progression of an age-old tradition in design called "form follows function." When we consider design in motion as another example of form follows function, we can apply the concept directly to home design and layout — and no, we’re not talking mobile homes!

A house is in constant motion. It’s all a question of perspective and relativity. After all, in a wind tunnel test, a car stays in one spot: it’s artificially generated wind that’s really moving; and yet, its aerodynamics can be tested … that is design in motion. In much the same way, rooms, hallways, counters, closets — all these elements stay put. It’s the people living in and around them that move. The motion of a house relates to its occupants. So, if you really think about it, design in motion is perhaps the most relevant consideration when building a house, an addition or any major re-redesign project.

Here are some questions worthy of consideration: in the morning, how many people are there in the house getting ready within the same time-frame? What is the flow of people between bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, laundry and hallways? Where are the “bottlenecks”? We live in Canada: does the home have an alternate entrance and/or mudroom where slushy shoes and snowsuits can be removed and stored away from the primary entrance (i.e. the one used by visitors and guests)? Speaking of guests, is there an office or sitting room relatively near the main entrance close to a powder room where surprise guests can be entertained without disturbing the rest of the household? Perhaps that same office can contain a sofa bed or futon to accommodate overnight guests (in which case it’s best the powder room also has a shower for them to use). Is there a handyman in the house? A gardener? How about a laundry room with a shower within easy reach of the garden, workshop, or wherever soiled people and their clothes enter the house?

Of course, people are not the only things that move in a house. Sound is also an element that is in motion; "sound carries." Anyone who has ever lived in a side-split or back-split arrangement will attest to a design which essentially turns the entire house into a single audio zone (and these are very common among the many "cookie-cutter" designs prevalent in the Greater Toronto Area and elsewhere in Ontario). The placement of rooms next to or above other rooms where "noise contamination" may take place is an important consideration. In some cases (positioning a baby room) you may want to hear every sound coming from the adjacent room. Of course, sound carries through houses in sometimes unanticipated ways. Duct-work can channel noise remarkably efficiently. A finished basement with ceiling vents connected to existing duct-work could inadvertently make a direct (and unfortunate) "audio pipeline" between the basement washroom and the main floor kitchen or living room.

Similarly, light is also an element in constant motion. Obviously, over the course of a day, daylight and shadow shift from one side of the house to the other. But in the evenings, artificial light from one space within the home can "flood" an adjacent space quite easily. There can be too much light or not enough given the activities in any particular room. Often, designer fixtures that "look good" in the showroom are sorely lacking in terms of providing adequate light. Finally, new digital dimmers and timers add a whole other dimension of motion—changes in lighting intensity over time.

The point is this: aesthetic considerations of design aside, a home must be lived in. Designing the layout and functionality of a house in motion will result in a more livable home. The key is to work with a designer and/or contractor who has the ability and the patience to take you through the process of understanding the numerous motions the house will go through to determine the best design.

If all this sounds too much like an exercise in engineering and too little like design, remember: good engineering and beautiful aesthetics go hand-in hand. Truly, having one without the other is not very practical when it comes to building anything that "must be lived with" (lived in). However, one thing is absolutely certain: having a home that just "looks good" at first glance will become very tiresome very quickly if it encumbers the natural flow of the people and daily life. Maybe that’s why so many people in Toronto are opting to build additions or have dramatic re-designs and re-builds done on their existing properties — what was aesthetically pleasing once must be brought up to speed of 21st Century living.

As for the "Aerodynamic House" in the image that opens this blog: in the not-too-distant future, global warming and more extreme weather patterns — particularly here in Canada — may indeed begin to play a more critical role in design in motion considerations as they relate to homes. But that, as they say, is a topic for another day.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Jérôme OLIVET. La boutique

Jerome Olivet Visionary Design

gizmodo.com: home is where the art is: Jet House is a New Look on an Old Design
By Christopher Mascari

Cjacotguth’s Blog: Research: Aerodynamic House
By Charlotte Margareta Jacot Guth

luxist.com: The Jet House, Sleek Aerodynamic Living
by Rigel Celeste

Good Daylight Design Strategy for Your Home

2011-10-04T18:36:00.008-04:00

Collage: Mirror, mirror on the wall,
What is the best light source of all?
- Daylight, sunlight is best of all!
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Homes, Houses, Mirrors
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Mirror, mirror on the wall, what is the best light source of all? - Daylight / sunlight is best of all.

Wouldn't be great to have a magic mirror that can give a definitive answer all the time? Life would be so easy. But this was an easy question as the answer is undisputed. Generally, we humans love daylight and sunlight, it makes us feel more secure, safe, our productivity is up and our health improves. So it is absolutely important to include daylight/sunlight into our designs.

Now the question how to do this would stretch even the best magical mirror, since there are so many different things to consider:
Is it used for lighting or heating?
Are the windows used for views or sunlight penetration?
Do you need even lighting or can there be highlights?
What are the spaces used for?
And many more...
Let's look at some of the components:

Daylight as a light source
Daylight is diffused light, that has less extreme brightness contrasts and thermal impacts, than direct sunlight. For working environments daylight is preferred, as it has excellent colour rendering, high even light levels that make tasks easier to perform, creates a visual comfort and allows energy savings. However, there is no drama in daylight and it provides little visual stimulation.

So a good daylight design will take natural visual variations into consideration. Maybe sunlight is reflected via light shelves to an area that is not necessary for tasks performance such as a ceiling or an end wall. Or the windows provide a view to the outside world. The challenge is to avoid glare, so that a comfortable working environment can be achieved.

Sunlight as a thermal source
However direct sunlight is perfect for passive solar design where a thermal mass such as a floor or a wall is heated up by the sun and acts as a heat sink. The heat, if designed properly, will be released during the cooler periods to heat the environment.

The two components are often in conflict with each other and a balance will have to be struck, even in a residential setting. Lighting and thermal design is not only for offices, malls, commercial and public buildings, but also has to be considered for a person's home. For example, glare in a kitchen would not do considering that sharp knives are used and glare could lead to accidents. Overheating in summer would be very uncomfortable. And view windows in a bathroom might not be appropriate.

Daylight will have to be introduced in a sensitive and effective method via skylights or utilizing external shading devices such as overhangs and trees. Trees, especially trees that loose their leaves in winter are very good sources of sunlight control as they provide shade in summer and let through light and heat in winter.

Daylight can also be introduced by using light tubes, which are coated on the inside with highly reflective material, which allows the light to travel longer to an area. Light tubes can bring light into basements from the roof, making the spaces more pleasant.

Daylight / sunlight is a renewable energy, it is available in abundance and if designed correctly will enhance spaces and make them more comfortable while saving energy.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Illuminating with Presents from the IESNA
IESNA - Illuminating Engineering Society of North America

wobuilt.com/blog: Light – the Music of Architecture

bchydro.com: Make The Most Of Natural Light
Daylight is by far the best light source. It's free, sustainable and can give a sense of energy and well being. Some housing is not well designed to catch sunlight, but by making the most of the light that is available, you are likely to achieve some energy savings and create a more comfortable and healthy living space.

www.gia.uk.com: Natural Light Works

creativeapplications.net: DaylightCal visualises the duration, angle and quality of sunlight wherever you are.
Using weather forecast data, DaylightCal calculates the distribution of daylight for any location and date worldwide. Find out how much daylight you’ve got left today and how much to expect tomorrow.

omeonet.info: Light medicine of the future: Let there be light
By d.hagers

freelanceswitch.com: 10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Home Office Cheaply
9. Improve the lighting
By Collis Ta'eed | The Working Day

useefficiency.eu: Educational issue: “Rule of thumb“ for students in architecture
"To include energy optimized building design from the beginning of a draft there are some simple rules architectural students can follow to avoid problems with the daylight, the ventilation and the protection against overheating."
Escrito por Sonja Schelbach, HCU-Hamburg

What to Do When You Outgrow Your House? Move or Be Moved?

2011-09-29T14:21:00.012-04:00

Collage: Relax during a renovation? This could be you!
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: home, living room, couple, relaxing
2011 @ wobuilt.com

What to do when your family, tastes, and or other needs outgrow your current home: buy a new home, build a new home, or remodel your home. Explore different options to create your family dream home.

Many people believe there is only one way to "trade up" in the world of real-estate: to move. Fair enough: there’s an entire industry — and a very vocal one at that — focused on gearing us to think in terms of selling our home, finding a new home, getting a new mortgage, moving, etc. The fact that there are middle-men (i.e. from real estate agents to mortgage brokers) at every stage of this process all "taking their cut" is a little factoid of information rarely mentioned. Still, it’s an understandable approach to the dilemma of what to do when your family, tastes, and or other needs outgrow your current home. And certainly, one need only look around the Greater Toronto Area to see the real estate sales cycle in full swing.

Another popular route is to build a new home from scratch. In the contemporary scenario, this usually means a move to the suburbs (or "suburban hell" as I like to call it), where "reasonably-priced" lots are still available. Of course, from a GTA perspective, this means going to areas west of the city like Mississauga, Oakville, and Milton. Or, perhaps north to Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, or Newmarket. Possibly east to Scarborough, Oshawa, Peterborough. If you’ve ever wondered why all the houses in any particular subdivision in any of these cities all look the same (including older areas in Toronto, from downtown to Etobicoke to North York), it’s likely because all the designs came from one builder’s binder of cookie-cutter plans. If you ask me, cookies belong in lunch boxes, not neighborhoods. Besides, visit any decent bakery (i.e. in the city) and you’ll see how appealing a spread can be when there’s a good mix of decorative cookies on offer — a selection that’s a bit more creative than "chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin or peanut butter."

So what about the least well-known yet possibly most economical route? That is, of course, to build a dream home on the lot that’s available already underneath your existing home. The advantages are numerous. For starters, you don’t have to move to a different location. If you like your neighborhood, neighbors, location, etc. why pick up and transplant your family to a completely new one? Many people living in Toronto near the lake — East York and the Beaches, for example — want to stay in the area, what with the proximity of the Danforth, subway, etc. — and only need to upgrade their older house. Secondly, you already own the lot beneath your home (at least partially, if you still have some mortgage left to pay on it). At the very least, you will be able to leverage its current market value without having to go through the hassle of selling and the expense of paying an agent.

Presumably, you picked the property you live in for a number of good reasons. If some of your needs have changed over time, a simple addition might be just the thing. Of course, if your home choice was limited by your economic status at the time, perhaps you could consider something a little more involved than a simple addition: a complete re-design. It is a little-known fact that you can tear-down the vast majority of an existing home and build something almost completely from scratch in its place (maintain a few basic elements) and have it qualify as a renovation. This has significant benefits over building a house entirely from scratch. Plus, as already mentioned, your new dream home is built in the neighborhood you know and love. This option is especially attractive to anyone living in an older bungalow in East York, The Beaches, along the Danforth, Etobicoke, even Oakville. Lakeside properties that have houses which were designed to be "cottage-like" are now prime candidates to be transformed into lakeside dream homes — close enough to downtown Toronto, preserving the cottage feel, but with all the benefits of a brand new home.

The point is this: in today’s real estate market, you may be able to sell high, but that means you also have to buy high. Alternatively, you have to go where you can buy cheaper and be stuck in suburban hell in a home that looks like everyone else’s, while adding some extra time into your morning commute. Or, you can take advantage of low interest rates and rising property values to make an investment into your lifestyle and the property value of your existing home. We’re not talking about a "lipstick and rouge" job, either. With some professional design consultation and creative use of space, you might be amazed at the value a "complete renovation" can add to your quality of life — house and home.

In other words, why just move when you can be moved?

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
moneysense.ca: MoneySense Magazine: Homes: Renovate or relocate
If you’ve run out of space at home, you have a big decision to make. Should you move? Build an addition? Raze and rebuild from scratch? MoneySense costs out the options.
By Bryan Borzykowski

moneycentral.msn.com: Is it time to remodel -- or buy a new house?
Keeping up a home for 30 years may cost you up to four times its purchase price. Is it smarter just to buy another home every 10 years? Here's how to decide.
By Liz Pulliam Weston

realestate.msn.com: Why build? Move an older house instead
Moving and fixing up a reclaimed home sounds like a real bargain. But it's not a simple job. Here's how two friends did it and came out ahead.
By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

cmhc-schl.gc.ca: Renovation and Home Purchase Report - Major Market Highlights
"Forty-two per cent of households in ten Canadian markets renovated their home in 2010."
This publication highlights the key trends, analyses and statistics from CMHC's Renovation and Home Purchase Survey, conducted in ten major Canadian centres. The survey provides information on prior year's renovations in all ten centres. Intentions to buy or renovate a home are highlighted in five of the centres, so you can learn more about Tomorrow's Customers Today.

headstartforbaby.com: Can I Afford to Buy a Bigger House for My Growing Family?

Expanding Architecture: Design-Build and Social Mission

2011-09-27T13:42:00.007-04:00

Collage: Our Busman's Holiday Inspiration:
Design Expo, Home Show, and Word on the Street
Credit: iidexneocon.com + fallhomeshow.com + thewordonthestreet.ca
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Our Busman's Holiday Inspiration: Design Expo, Home Show, and Word on the Street

I had a busman’s holiday over the weekend – IIDEX/Neocon Canada, the Toronto Fall Home Show and Word on the Street.

I am exhausted but inspired: so many great things for Wo-Built!!!! Maybe it was design, build and social mission days. The three pillars of our company.

On Friday I went to Canada's national design expo and conference, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada and I really enjoyed seeing so many great interior design elements, I hadn’t seen before. I loved ThinkGlass’s glass countertop, the new innovative LED light fixtures from Lumo: very European, some really cool signage from MediaGraph and the living wall systems by TropicsNorth, just to name a few. On a more practical note I was impressed by Evonik Industries acrylic building materials. Maybe something we will use for covering decks and patios as it is very versatile.

But the most interesting for me was the DIRTT’s (DIRTT = Doing It Right This Time) booth. We are very interested in using partitions in offices, but their system is much more versatile: it can be used for the residential as well as the non-residential projects. They had beds hanging off their partitions, a fire place, wine racks, shelving, a version of a living wall and many more practical items; so many I cannot remember them all. It was an impressive showcasing of their innovations, products, and trends.

The Toronto Fall Home Show on Saturday had a few surprises as well. One was the Lumon balcony glazing system, which enables enclosing existing balconies and patios and making them three-season spaces. Look out, we definitely will incorporate this into our designs where appropriate. Also kudos to my fellow BILD members who were there and either had a booth or showed their work at the BILD renovation booth. Great work!

But the most fruitful for our social missions was the Word on the Street festival. I had never been and was astonished at the selection of independent publishers. I got a range of books, from community organizing (Community organizing: a holistic approach, by Joan Kuyek) via green politics (The no-nonsense guide to green politics, by Derek Wall) to a comic book (This will all end in tears, by Joe Ollmann). Lots to read which might further Wo-Built’s causes. But the find I am most happy with: A collection of quotations by Frank Lloyd Wright on architecture, nature, and the human spirit.

A current personal favourite Frank Lloyd Wright quote on architecture is from 1957, maybe because it resonates with what we try to do for our clients and our community: "The mission of an architect is to help people understand how to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhyme and meaning to life."

Maybe what I learned and still will absorb from this past weekend will bring us closer toward our goal to be the best builder while doing good.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

An Addition = A Home that’s more than just the Sum of its Parts

2011-09-22T12:06:00.009-04:00

Collage: An Addition Creates a Home That Is More Than The Sum of Its Parts
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Additions, Extensions, Homes
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Our "pain in the neck" house was converted into our "dream home" just by addressing the handful of pet peeves with a little imagination and a leap of faith — the addition truly created a home that was more than the sum of its parts.

I can distinctly recall the family meeting that took place a number of years ago at our kitchen table… “We need more useable space in the house. That carport is utterly useless as-is. We need another bathroom in the house. A Jacuzzi bathtub would be nice. An office that is tucked well away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the open-concept house would let someone work in relative peace and quiet. What about a heated garage and tool-room / workshop?...” and so on.

The problem? The thing is, we didn’t want to move. Notwithstanding the usual considerations of market prices, logistics of moving, etc., the simple fact was we liked where we lived. After all, isn’t real estate all about “location, location, location?” To give up a prime location that works for everyone in the family for the sake of a little more useable square footage seemed like an unwise exchange. That’s not to say we didn’t consider all our options. We certainly did look around for an alternative property (and I cannot begin to count how many weekends were completely consumed in the process of house-hunting…all those weekends we’d never get back). Plus, it seemed like every house we looked at was too big! Our existing house suited our needs except for a few sticking points; it seemed strange buying extra rooms we couldn’t use for the sake of solving a few pet peeves. In the end, there simply was no house that sensibly met our budgetary limits and location needs. So what was the solution?

The solution? I must admit, when we first sat with the contractor to discuss an addition onto our house, I was a little sceptical. Building a new garage, office and mudroom seemed straightforward enough, but converting the existing carport into a living room and bathroom? Somehow it was difficult to wrap my head around the transformation of a space that had been a thorn in our family’s side for years (one cannot escape the bitter irony while shovelling snow drifts out of a “garage wannabe”). Despite not being to “see it,” I went along.

The result? The solution to almost every problem we had with our existing house. We had a beautifully finished living room for the antique furniture set and Persian rug, complete with hardwood floors, stucco ceiling, crown mouldings and chandelier. It was bright and airy, thanks to the two windows knocked out of the carport’s solid brick wall. Being able to move a number of furniture pieces into the new space opened up existing rooms in the house as well. Our existing dining room felt more airy and not like a furniture warehouse anymore. The extra bathroom with Jacuzzi tub was like manna from heaven for a family of four. As for the new office, hours of privacy could be had while studying for exams, working on assignments, playing a computer game, or simply talking on the phone. The new garage had an automatic garage door opener, plenty of space for two cars, and featured a tool room and workshop to boot (also snow drift free). It was all pretty much exactly what we had brainstormed around the kitchen table in our original family meeting, even if we “couldn’t see it” at the time.

The cost? A lot less than having to move into one of the many monster-sized homes we had seen (especially if we take into account real estate and moving fees). The best part was we were able to stay exactly where we wanted to be, in the neighbourhood we loved. Our “pain in the neck” house was converted into our “dream home” just by addressing the handful of pet peeves with a little imagination and a leap of faith — the addition truly created a home that was more than the sum of its parts.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com: Second floor addition project

wobuilt.com/blog: Another Addition Renovation We Are Proud of: The Wow Factor Approach!

wobuilt.com/blog: A Second Storey Addition - New Construction Approach

wobuilt.com/blog: What Do These Three Renovation Projects Have In Common?
A Comparison of Three Renovation Projects: the Classic, the Ranch and the Tower. What Do These Projects Have in Common?

A Reflection on Jane Jacobs' Contributions to Urban Planning

2011-09-20T15:45:00.011-04:00

Photo-Collage: Jane Jacobs' Toronto Forum,
September 15, 2011, OISE Auditorium;
On the occasion of the release of the
50th Anniversary edition of Jacobs' classic book,
The Death and Life of Great American Cities;
Hosted by: the Centre for City Ecology.
Photos: Olga Goubar @ wobuilt.com

Jane Jacobs' Toronto
Event date: Thursday, September 15, 2011, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, OISE, Auditorium, main floor, 252 Bloor St. West at St. George subway
On the occasion of the release of the 50th Anniversary edition of Jacobs' classic book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, join the Centre for City Ecology and four of Toronto's past Mayors for their reflections on the impact of Jane Jacobs on our city.
* David Crombie, Mayor of Toronto, 1972–1978
* John Sewell, Mayor of Toronto, 1978–1980
* Art Eggleton, Mayor of Toronto, 1980–1991
* Barbara Hall, Mayor of Toronto, 1994–1997
Jane Jacobs arrived in Toronto in 1968 and lived here until her death in 2006. These four Mayors knew Jacobs personally. They will discuss the impact of her work on the city and her influence on their leadership of it.
Presented by Centre for City Ecology, Cities Centre, Canadian Urban Institute, SaloN cAmDen.
Credit: citiescentre.utoronto.ca

Last week I went to a discussion to celebrate Jane Jacobs' urbanism hosted by the Centre for City Ecology. Four past mayors John Sewell, Art Eggleton, David Crombie and Barbara Hall all retold their dealings with and admiration for the woman who was instrumental in shaping Toronto as a City.

My architectural education was from Europe and though I had heard of Ms Jacobs, I was not familiar with her work. Listening to the mayors who knew and worked with Jane Jacobs was an eye opener. Many of her ideas resonate with me.

Her four main urban planning principles mentioned were:
Mixed uses.
Short blocks.
Buildings of various ages & states of repair.
Density.
The third point: buildings of various ages and states of repair is especially interesting for us. We, as a company, are great believers that cities grow and evolve; hence giving a sense of history. Generally we are not in favour of tearing down old buildings without looking into the possibility to keep, add and improve them first. In past postings we looked at the rational of combining old buildings with new architecture. We believe strongly that marrying old with new can revitalize buildings and in extension communities. However, we also believe that buildings should be kept in good repair, even though a run-down building might bring more flavour to an area.

Re-evaluating Ms Jacobs' ideas for the next phase of Toronto's development is a must in our opinion. And it is timely. As the Toronto Official Plan is being discussed again, there are opportunities to re-look at some of the recommendations, zoning and transportation needs and adjust them for Toronto's ever changing development. The preservation of neighbourhoods as viable living, working and playing areas is important, but we have to incorporate change that is suitable for our ever growing city.

Future posts will look at our take on mixed use and density.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Combining Old and New: Keeping the Neighbourhood and Community Thriving

wobuilt.com/blog: Do Industrial Buildings Have a Future?

wobuilt.com/blog: Aspects of Longevity of Design: How to Design Timeless Spaces

wobuilt.com/blog: Architecture: Combining New and Old

guardian.co.uk: Obituary: Jane Jacobs
Urban philosopher and activist with an intimate interest in how things work
by Veronica Horwell, The Guardian, Friday 28 April 2006

pps.org: Project for Public Spaces: Jane Jacobs
Biography • Perspectives • Quotable • Publications • Links • Contact

peopleplantoronto.org: PPT Planning Glossary: How we talk about how we build.

cityecology.net: Responses to Jane Jacobs' Toronto event last night
Posted by Heather Ann Kaldeway on September 16, 2011

@spaikin: ex-mayors crombie, sewell, eggleton, and hall discuss jane jacobs' contrib to urban life. yfrog.com/h496171100j
by Steve Paikin from TVO's "The Agenda with Steve Paikin" managed to tweet while moderating the conversation between the Mayors.

Toronto Real Estate Development: Big Headaches … Little Progress

2011-09-15T15:49:00.011-04:00

Architect with Engineering Blueprints Watching Construction
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Construction, Construction Sites, Cranes.

Why the vast majority of major development in the GTA is condo, and new rental housing developments are almost nowhere to be found?

Have you noticed all those cranes in the GTA? The vast majority of the developments are high-rise condos. And no wonder: the fastest way to guarantee cash flow and ROI is to sell off 80% of the building before you ever break ground. What investor wouldn’t like that risk profile?

When it comes to other types of massive developments or redevelopments, the rule of thumb is:
the first developer goes bankrupt,
the second developer maybe breaks even,
the third developer turns a profit.

Let’s break it down:

The first developer believes with economies of scale, know-how, experience, and deep pockets, they can “find the holy grail” where all others have failed. And, motivated by such thinking, inevitably fail. They run out of money (or can no longer stomach sinking tens of millions more than what their projections had planned for, knowing they will never see a return on their investment).

Like any dutiful vulture would, the second developer swoops in, snaps up a half-completed development at pennies on the dollar (thank-you very much) and then jumps two-feet first into the “killer-deal.” Killer is right, as the second developer promptly discovers how deep and deadly the sink-hole the project actually is. After throwing tens of millions more into it than expected, they also either sell off the headache or just barely break even. Either way, they are happy to climb out of the money-pit.

The third developer is the real shark. Smelling so much blood in the water, comes in and gobbles up a bona fide feast: a two-thirds or three-quarters completed development pennies on the dollar. They complete the development and are able to turn a profit (usually, although not without challenges).

So what are the first and second developers thinking? Is this the real reason why the vast majority of major development in the GTA is condo, and new rental housing developments are almost nowhere to be found? Is this why it’s next to impossible to conceive of huge urban beautification and renewal projects? It’s not surprising developers are gun-shy. With so much precedent, who would be crazy enough to be “first guy to take a bullet, this time ‘round?”

More interestingly, is there a solution? Can the “holy grail” of massive developments be found? Only time will tell. One thing is certain: clearly in the past developers have believed they’ve found the solution; and yet, we know they haven’t.

What big progress could be achieved, indeed, if someone could solve this puzzle in the world of real estate development? What amazing urban renewal and re-envisioning designs could see the light of day? For now, we wait for someone to figure out how to hit one out of the park at first bat.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

What We Do: Renovating, Contracting, Building Custom Homes

2011-09-13T10:43:00.006-04:00

Wo-Built Inc.: Renovating, Contracting, Building Custom Homes
2011 @ wobuilt.com

We would like to introduce our company to you as a General Contractor specializing in home renovation and custom built construction projects.

Renovation

Everyone wants to live in a "dream home." That means different things to different people, but most would agree that no matter what they live in right now, it falls a little short of their dream. Many will cite sky-high real-estate prices in Toronto, the headache of selling one home and buying another, and the hassle of moving as reason enough not to pursue their dream-home vision; so, it tends to remain just that: only a dream.

Introducing Wo-Built, the Vision Builder. Dream Homes are our specialty. We are in the business of helping you create your ideal home by transforming the property you already own (we also renovate and/or transform commercial properties). No selling. No buying. No moving. Just the exciting creative process of turning the space you already know into the dream home (or office) you will truly love.

As specialists in designing and building large renovations and additions, we help you see the vision for your property realized. Our designs are innovative, green, cost-effective and always provide a "wow factor" that will impress friends, strangers…even your in-laws.

To find out more about the Company and our Dream-Renovation Program, please visit our website.

Contracting

With over 50 years combined design and building experience, including involvement in several prestigious projects, the Owners have the know-how to tackle the oft-misunderstood and easily-underestimated property renewal and transformation process. We have the honesty to be up-front on estimates and the integrity to deliver on contracts.

Introducing Wo-Built, the Vision Builder. Wo-Built is a Design and Build Construction Company in the west end of the Greater Toronto Area (Ontario, Canada), offering complete design and build services for both residential and non residential clients. We specialize in commercial light construction and projects such as home extensions, additions and custom homes.

Our vision is to build the future on a foundation of timeless values: innovative designs that are, green, cost effective, always provide a wow factor and are built to last. We are also actively involved in the education, training and apprenticeship of the next generation of vision builders.

For more information about Wo-Built, the Vision Builder, please visit please visit our website.

Custom Homes

So you’re thinking about building a custom home: maybe you’ve just purchased a bungalow or piece of land, but are unsure how to go about building a custom house, let alone something you could call your dream home. Will it be completely new or a custom addition? What are the pros/cons of each option? What about zoning, permits, timelines, budgets? Wo-Built, the Vision Builder offers a one-stop-shop for your project.

Introducing Wo-Built, the Vision Builder. We offer a one-stop-shop for your construction and renovation project. Our Custom Home / Addition Service begins with consultations designed to capture your visions for your dream home. By exploring your individuality, along with your unique needs, challenges and circumstances, we can determine what will best suit you. Next, we answer any and all concerns you may have openly and honestly. We lay out just what you can expect during the building process and what you can look forward to in the final product. Then, we deliver; keeping you informed every step of the way.

This is how Wo-Built envisions and creates dream building projects from start to finish. We want our customers to tell others about the integrity and reliability of their builder…the Vision Builder…Wo-Built.

For more information about the Company and our services, please visit please visit our website.

Perils of Basement Renovation

2011-09-08T15:50:00.010-04:00

If your house is not new, but old;
Remove any basement mold.
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Basements, Buildings, Houses
2011 @ wobuilt.com

If the basement is used as a living space, it has to be safe, dry and healthy.

We never want to be the bearer of bad news when we do our renovations, but basements seem to be our nemesis (with regards to being the messengers of bad news). In cases of unfinished basements problems are easily identified, but in finished ones: many evils are covered up.

Originally most basements were designed for storage, unfinished utility rooms, coal storage; generally the walls were left unfinished and not insulated, making a wet basement not a huge problem. Later, the same basements were converted into living spaces. This is when a lot of problems started.

There are two main issues: water and water related structural ones. Wet basements are common, especially in older buildings. Most older homes do not have a working weeping tile system on the outside, which would drain the water away from the house. Water is allowed to reach the walls and put pressure onto them. Over time due to water and ice attacks the walls develop cracks and the water will seep through them. Some construction methods seem to hold up better than others, but there are no hard and fast rules.

It is quite possible that when the basements were converted that the walls were still in reasonable condition. Water damage can occur at any time. However, some basements we now encounter have horror stories to tell.

Once the water has access to the basement interior and is allowed to soak the drywall, mould will form and spread rapidly. Moisture ingress can be difficult to detect, especially in a dry spell, and unless there is evidence of water stains and exterior mold, home inspections can be mislead. Once found, we recommend that both drywall and studs are removed to allow a thorough mold remedial.

Water related structural problems can be found if the water has been allowed to seep through the wall for a long period of time. Concrete block work seem to be affected the most. The wooden spacers between each layer of block rot way and can form large gaps, potentially making the wall less stable.

The principle of fixing the water issue is relatively straight forward. You either keep it away from the wall from the outside, or let it come in and then divert it to a sump pump where it is ejected from the house. The choice of system and method will depend on the severity of the structural damage, where the water enters the building, the ease of being able to dig outside and if it is possible to trench inside due to choice of flooring and finishes.

However, there is a choice you cannot make: to do nothing. If the basement is used as a living space, it has to be safe, dry and healthy. Even if you decide to do the mold remedial and fix the structural issues, if you do not control the water, the problems will not go away. If anything they might become worse.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Please, follow the links to find more information:

cmhc-schl.gc.ca: Renovation Fact Sheets: Renovating Your Basement for Livability
If you are planning a basement renovation, you should inspect your basement for possible problems.

cmhc-schl.gc.ca: Avoid Surprises: Renovating Your Basement — Moisture Problems
Moisture problems are caused by a buildup of a variety of water sources. Whether it comes from surface or ground water that leaks in, water that wicks up or water vapour that condenses, it must be controlled.

wobuilt.com/blog: Top Reasons to Do Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations

Attila Lendvai – VP of Strategic Development

2011-09-06T13:23:00.009-04:00

Attila Lendvai, MBA, VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Wo-Built’s Team Is Expanding

We are happy to welcome Attila Lendvai to the Wo-Built's team.

For us Attila is responsible for the strategic development of existing, and new business initiatives and to explore new and exciting building’s initiatives that are in tune with our company philosophy of being the best builder while doing good. He will work closely with our existing partners and look to develop new partnerships with likeminded parties.

He is well suited for this position since he has worked alongside managers and business owners in industries ranging from textiles and designer fashions to power generation and maintenance to I.T. and the Internet. He has helped develop and manage brands, strategic communications and investor relations. Attila is incorporating his skills and training in linguistics, communication, collaboration, and presentation into what he sees as a gaping hole in the world of business. For years he has worked as a consultant developing, practicing and perfecting his simple system for strategic innovation, communication and execution.

Today, Attila applies his unique skills and experience as a Social Entrepreneur Executive Management Consultant, supporting social entrepreneurship and corporate social intrapreneurship where hearts and minds are open to crafting and executing conscious strategies that make the world a better place.

In addition to his consulting practice—Attila is also a respected public speaker, spokesperson and emcee. He is an accomplished essayist, blogger and published author, notably his contribution, “A StratCom Model for the Practice of International Competitive Intelligence” published in Competitive Intelligence and Global Business and his book entitled The Attlas Project – SEE the World in a New Light, and weblog of the same name.

All his experience and his ability to look at matters from unique angles will be of great value to Wo-Built. We look forward to a successful collaboration.

From the entire Wo-Built team - Welcome Attila!

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Attila received Honours Bachelor degrees in English Linguistics and Dramatic Arts from the University of Guelph and his Masters of Business Administration from Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo. In addition, he has a Diploma in Television and Radio Broadcasting from The National Institute of Broadcasting, Toronto.
website: The Attlas Project
linkedin: Attila Lendvai
facebook: SEEATTLAS
blog: The Attlas Project: Raise Awareness. Awaken Consciousness.

For Wo-Built related issues contact:
Attila Lendvai, VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
Suite #3, 1287 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, ON M6E 1B8, Canada
email: attila@wobuilt.com
phone: 647. 460. 0560

Being Part of Green-committed Businesses in Toronto

2011-09-01T14:29:00.011-04:00

Screenshot: Live Green Toronto Membership Card
New Business Member: Wo-Built
Credit: livegreencard.ca

"Get your free Live Green Toronto Membership Card and join the growing number of shoppers who choose to support green-committed businesses in Toronto. "
livegreencard.ca: Save more than money

We would like to thank the Live Green Toronto team for including us on the LiveGreenTOcard.ca website. We fully support the City of Toronto in their efforts to encourage green living.

Our Green Commitment
We are dedicated to being environmentally conscious and have embraced "Green Construction" in all our projects. We strive to be the leading design and build company that is sought after for its innovative design and quality construction and one that is recognized for using their projects as a means to help women, the community and the environment.

Our Special Offer for Members
Incorporate in your renovations the following: green roofs, solar, geothermal or heat recovery measures and save 5% of the retail costs.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Please, follow the links to find more information:
livegreencard.ca: Looking for a consultant, contractor or company to help you go green?
These participating businesses can help you reduce your ecological footprint by providing products and services for your life, home and workplace. You could find our green deal under the Specialty cluster of the Livegreen Toronto businesses.

wobuilt.com/blog: Carbon Neutral Neighbourhood Project Launch in Toronto

wobuilt.com/blog: Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment

wobuilt.com/blog: National Home Show - Wo-Built Inc. Green Design and Build Presentation

wobuilt.com/blog: Wobuilteco Is Our Eco Green Building Blog

Do Industrial Buildings Have a Future?

2011-08-30T15:53:00.006-04:00

Is there a future for industrial sites?
Redesign of old industrial buildings.
2011 @ wobuilt.com

I always had an affinity for large industrial buildings. I admire their scale, the unabashedly form follows function designs and the amazing structures and shapes this creates. There is an inherent beauty in those buildings which should be preserved; they are a part of our heritage.

In past posts we talked about combining old and new, i.e. adding a new part to an old building. We concentrated mainly on residential and commercial buildings, but what about industrial ones. Would this be an option? Often we see these interesting buildings disappear, to be replaced by condos and housing developments.

I lived in London, England, in the 80s and out of interest I researched what happened to the extraordinary Battersea Power Station, a listed industrial building, which was decommissioned as a power station in the early 80s. To my delight the latest proposal by Real Estate Opportunities is placing this great building as part of a massive overall area redevelopment, aiming it to be the largest carbon neutral building in Europe. This would be an amazing green achievement.

So realistically what needs to happen to save these great buildings?

The public will to save them: Before Battersea Power Station was listed as heritage I remember many voices shouting for its demolition. Without doubt, it is easier and less expensive to develop a site without having to preserve, rebuild and sanitize an old building. However, as these buildings are part of the history of a city considerable thought should be given to their inherent identity value.

Attraction of private money: Private investors need a decent return on investment. As the restoration and remodeling work for the existing building will be substantial the surrounding area developments will have to offset these costs. Appropriate density, scale and easement of existing restriction are required. Economy of scale is a must.

Usable volumes/spaces: Of course the more rectangular or square building are the easier to convert them into usable different applications. The building examples above all have their own challenges, but their size will still allow innovative million dollar designs.

The closest example in Toronto is most likely the Distillery Historic District, which was converted from an industrial application to an entertainment/residential/commercial destination one with art galleries, restaurants and offices. The initiative gave a historic part of Toronto a new lease of life.

Usually the first step to see if a project is viable is the feasibility study. We would love to be part of one.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Please, follow the links to find more information:
wobuilt.com/blog: Combining Old and New: Keeping the Neighbourhood and Community Thriving

wobuilt.com/blog: Architecture: Combining New and Old

wobuilt.com/blog: Doors Open Toronto 2011 Featuring City in Focus: Architecture + Photography

A Message from the CEO: What Guides Us

2011-08-23T16:40:00.011-04:00

CEO Message: We will be able to serve you, our clients,
and the community even better than before.
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Taking all the experiences we got over the last five years, ... we will be able to serve you and the community even better than before.

The Exhibition just started again, signaling the end of summer. The great weather over the summer allowed me to visit our great patios in Corso Italia and, since I am not actively involved in the day to day running of projects, reflect on the last five years. Yes, Wo-Built is almost 5 years old.

Like any start-up company we had our ups and downs, but what fantastic ups we had.
Our addition projects: the Classic, the Ranch, the Tower, the Lodge, each is unique in their own way.
Our social mission: helping women in construction and the trades.
Our anime: WoBinna.
Our community involvement: Corso Italia.
But as any start-up company we also had a huge learning curve over the last 5 years, especially since we based our company on a social mission. I am still convinced that for profit companies should have a social mission as the core. (In the same way that I believe any not-for-profit organization should have for-profit programs to offset some of the peaks and troughs of operation brought on by the uncertainty of funding.)

Over the last 5 years we have added to our original mission to help women in construction. Community, Green Building and Eco Consciousness now play a large role in our company. Hence, to give our original mission the attention it deserves, we are now going to form our own not-for-profit to help women in construction.

One of the other areas of change is our operation. Even though we had rewarding smaller projects in the past, we are now going to concentrate on larger projects, due to our change in organization structure. Our former president Elida Huignard has kindly agreed to head the not-for-profit organization and is therefore stepping back from the day-to-day running of projects, which she did so amazingly over the last years. In the future our projects will be run by project management consultants who are committed to our high standards of ethics, construction expertise and excellence.

One of the corner stones of our operation is transparency in both our financial and operational dealings. We have now decided to be even more transparent, and we will be embarking on a multi-year project of producing our own Best Practices Manuals.

In the past we said that we wanted to be the best builder while doing good, we still maintain this for the future. Taking all the experiences we got over the last five years, implementing the elements discussed above and we will be able to serve you and the community even better than before.

But first let’s enjoy the rest of the summer.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: What Is Special About Our Design And Built Construction Company?

wobuilt.com/blog: Our Achievement Lunch

House My Nephew Wants to Build

2011-08-18T16:29:00.006-04:00

My Dream House
"... a tree house with stairs, plumbing for the washroom,
roof that opens, an extra area for the kitchen/living room,
and additional supports for the structure."
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Where does our imagination go?

My soon to be 7 year old nephew Alex drew me his version of a dream house recently and I was totally blown away. Not only can I harbour hopes that there will be a designer or architect / engineer in the next generation, but I marveled at the depths of his ideas at his age.

All I asked him was if he could draw his dream house, the one he would like to live in and he immediately said: "Oh, I draw you a tree house." And not just any tree house, one that has stairs in the tree trunk, plumbing for the washroom, roof that opens and an extra area for the kitchen/living room. He even thought of extra supports for the structure. Amazing! I am so proud.

It struck me: if we as children have so much 'realistic' imagination, why do we end up with standard unimaginative boxes to live in when we are adults? Where does the sense of adventure go? Is it a question of supply and demand? Are we getting what we ask for or are we given only limited choices or are we conditioned to like boxes? These are questions that warrant lengthy answers, but maybe we just have to ask them. I am not advocating that we all live in a tree house or castle, but that we let our imagination loose.

If we have to end up with a box, maybe we can make it an interesting one. We can use the notion of inside-outside space, using orientation, playing with levels, daylight/sunlight, natural ventilation, window sizes, structure and other architectural themes and tools to bring wow into the space.

But talking again about tree houses. My nephew is not the only one dreaming about living in or around a tree. In our post Wobinna’s Dream Home Contest: Submission #2 Tree House we described a tree house with amenities, just as my nephew did. There seems to be something ancient and elementary in humans that likes the idea of back to nature, green and simpler, but with modern amenities. Maybe we need to bring this element back into our designs.

Hence we are considering reviving our dream house competition where we would like to push the envelope of home design; where we can let our imagination come true. We, as humans, have an abundance of imagination. We are influenced by many factors from popular culture to space travel, from traditional design to modern architecture. So dream away and something marvelous will come from it!

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Aspects of Longevity of Design: How to Design Timeless Spaces

2011-08-16T12:21:00.012-04:00

Importance of Longevity of Design:
Bright and spacious top floor flat
with vaulted ceilings to the reception.
Two Bedrooms. Fitted Kitchen. Bathroom.
Credit: Zoopla

There are many physical, technical & operational aspects to great design and we believe longevity of design is an essential aspect of the architectural design.

Recently I found my old London flat (near Camden Town) for sale again on the Internet. Oh, first I cried when I saw the price (Maybe I should have held onto it?), but then I looked at the spaces and was amazed: it had not changed substantially within 20 years. Of course, the kitchen was updated with new cabinets and the bathroom had some alterations, but the overall design of the spaces and their modern feel did not change.

I realized, the reason I am so happy is that my ex husband Andrew and I designed and built the flat 20 odd years ago. It took us 3 years of tears, sweat, hard work, laughter, arguments and lots of stories to tell to convert it from a one bedroom place to a two bedroom one. We had no idea what we let ourselves in for and the scope of work got bigger by the minute. But we were so proud when we finally finished it.

At the time we did not think about longevity of design, we just designed it according to our own taste: the double height ceiling, the skylights, the glass shelves, the wardrobes with the blinds, the white walls and many more details I cannot see in the photos, but hope they are still there. We didn’t even think about resale value, but somehow, we managed to design spaces that proved to be timeless. It’s probably because we got the wow factor in the space design, not the finishes. We did not design it trendily, we designed it classically with twists.

This everlasting approach is also very much our philosophy at Wo-Built when designing for our clients. We try to provide spaces that play with levels, daylight, sight lines and other architectural means to achieve the timelessness of the design. The architectural composition serves as the canvass for the finishes. The finishes, such as paint, wood and tiles, often bring the trendy aspect of the space and can be changed according to tastes and with the times. But the 'bones' of the spaces will continue for a long time.

I am still so excited that the first place I ever owned still has some of Andrew’s and my ideas in it. For designers this is the best compliment.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Illuminating with Presents from the IESNA

2011-08-11T15:44:00.009-04:00

Screenshot: IES Illuminating Engineering Society
Credit: iesna.org

Wo-Built Got Presents Today Courtesy of IESNA

This morning I felt like a kid in a candy store, two huge boxes were delivered to the office. From the IESNA, Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. Since I am now a member of the Society they sent copies of the current IES Lighting Library (Hurray!), including the latest IES Lighting Handbook 10th edition, a verifiable door stopper.

Looking back to my roots transforming spaces through light and my love for lighting design, this is going to be such a treat reading about the latest technologies and processes. The Lighting Library is a huge step towards Wo-Built’s goal to become more involved in large scale lighting and non-residential interior renovations. It brings the most up to date knowledge at our disposal to be able to add to our comprehensive experience about lighting. We are no strangers to large scale lighting projects having worked in the past with the Metro Toronto region school boards and on the Singapore MRT expansion.

One of the Publications caught my eye immediately: A Guide to Designing Quality Lighting for People and Buildings. As designers and contractors, we at Wo-Built are always pushing for quality design of spaces through our design processes. Therefore I wanted to see what the Society had to say.

Quoting a paragraph under the architecture section: "A successful lighting design supports the architect’s artistic intent. Lighting can be used to "paint" a space with light to meet the architect’s goals of inspiration, spaciousness, interest, etc." to highlight a fact it looks completely like my sentiments. In March 2011 I wrote a post Architectural Lighting Design as a Work of Art: Painting with Light where I compared the processes of painting and lighting design using a local artist’s painting for illustration.

Daylight design is an important aspect for our projects and I was pleased to see that the Society is putting emphasis on this topic. Our philosophy of light design was well presented in the description of a development of one of our addition project where we introduced skylights over the staircase. We achieved two effects: making the staircase a feature in the room and allowing plenty of daylight to penetrate to the lower open concept level as the staircase has a very open design. Further, we like daylight because it allows energy savings, but more importantly it enhances living and working comfort.

Looking forward now to attending meeting of the local Toronto Chapter, renewing old friendships and making new ones.

Martina Ernst, proud member of IESNA
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Wo-Built's Second Floor Addition Project
"...allowing plenty of daylight to penetrate to the lower level as the staircase has a very open design."
Photo © 2008-2011 Wo-Built Inc.

links:
iestoronto.ca: Illuminating Engineering Society Toronto
iesna.org: Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
The IES seeks to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public.
Illuminating Engineering Society:
twitter: @IllumEngSoc
hashtag: #IESNA
linkedin: IESNA
facebook: IES Community

wobuilt.com/blog: Light – the Music of Architecture
wobuilt.com/blog: The Development of an Addition Project: Part 1
wobuilt.com/blog: Lighting with LEDs – The Benefits
wobuilt.com/blog: Kitchen Lighting Trends

Visit Our Office in Corso Italia and Discuss Your Dream Project

2011-08-09T12:04:00.010-04:00

Wo-Built and Corso Italia
Venus Creations In The Neighbourhood
15th Edition, August 2011
Credit: venuscreationsintheneighbourhood.com

Wo-Built and Corso Italia

We are often asked why we like Corso Italia and the surrounding areas so much. After all, as a general contractor we can have our office in any part of the city. Usually we say, people are friendly, we like the community spirit, great restaurants, everything you need to run an office and life is available on this traditional High Street. But on reflection it goes a lot deeper than this and it has to do a lot with deep rooted emotions. The area is very European – lots of patios where you can meet your friends and neighbours. The architecture is still very human scale, for better or worse the larger developers have not arrived here yet. Corso Italia and adjacent Business Improvement Areas have lots of green spaces and parks, everything is in walking distance.

Being here just over a year brought us closer to many of our business neighbours and we feel very much at home here. From the start we could get almost everything we need from the local merchants. We designed our office interior with flexibility in mind and some of our walls are made out of excellent fabric, which we got from Tessuti Venezia, just a few doors down from us. We use A3 Graphics as our printers and of course Amar Flowers for their excellent flower arrangements. Food plays a big part in our office life; we have staff and client meetings at Novecento, Tre Mari Bakery and Via Espresso. We go for lunch at our favourite spots at Agio Ristorante, Sunnyville Grill, Invictus, Porto and recently for great burritos from Big Boss Burrito. And we are adding to our list, during Summerlicious we tried La Bruschetta and we loved the food. We get our fresh fruit and vegetables from Diana Groceries and I even went clothes shopping when I needed special outfits. Also I have my personal Kung Fu trainer at Tiger Dragon Kung Fu downstairs from our office. My apologies if I have forgotten to mention anyone of our friends and neighbours and I am sure over time we will get to know all of you, especially if you come to the Venus Creations social gatherings.

The sense and maintenance of community is an important part of our company, either by helping to preserve it or by building it. We are taking an active part within the local BIA to help promote the area and throughout the last year we have written and tweeted about our neighbours, Corso Italia events, such as the Corso Italia Festival, on our Forum, Facebook and Twitter. We like to spread the word for this amazing area and we would love to connect with our neighbours on Twitter (@wobuilt) and Facebook (wo built) to help in their efforts to promote themselves.

The move to Corso Italia has been good for us. We even have a Corso Italia Festival Special Offer for a limited time – Sign-up for a Design + Build of an Addition, and we pay the permit Drawings (estimated value $2500).

We envisage us staying in the area for a long time. We value our ties with the surrounding businesses and residents. Our door is open for anyone who wishes to discuss design or construction related issues. We would like to invite anyone to visit our office and the surrounding businesses.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

This article was originally published in the 15th Edition, August 2011 issue of The Venus Creations In The Neighbourhood magazine, pp. F1/6.

links:
Venus Creations In The Neighbourhood Magazine
wobuilt.com/blog: Our Corso Italia Neighbourhood Involvement
wobuilt.com/blog: Canada Day and Corso Italia Festival on Our Home Turf
wobuilt.com/blog: Design and Build for an Addition with Our Special Corso Italia Offer

feedback on the web:

Screenshot: Visit Our Office in Corso Italia and Discuss Your Dream Project
The Toronto Daily, Tuesday, Aug. 09, 2011
Published on paper.li by DealChangers

RT @wobuilt: Our Business life in #CorsoItaliaTO http://bit.ly/o5x41R - Visit Our Office in Corso Italia and Discuss Your Dream Project #Toronto
Retweeted by TantienHime via TweetMeme

@TantienHime Thanks to your retweet Our Business life in #CorsoItaliaTO bit.ly/o5x41R we got picked up in The #Toronto Daily - Cool!!
Tweeted by wobuilt

Fulfill Your Dreams, and Have a Great Career in the Trades

2011-07-25T22:11:00.006-04:00

Poster: Women Transitioning to Trades
Moving On celebration
Friday May 7, 2010
5 - 5:45 Food and reconnect
5:45 - 6:30 Guest spakers & video
Georgina Quartaro - Dean, School of Work and College Preparation
Elida Huignard & Martina Ernst - Wo-Built Inc.
Dee Smith - Home Improvement Technology & Services
Nadine Sookermany - Parkdale Project READ
Dixon Hall Video
6:30 - 7:00 Gifts and Thank Yous
Credit: georgebrown.ca

Women Transitioning to Trades is a George Brown College program (funded by the Ontario Women’s Directorate) that is designed to make the skilled trades and technician training accessible to women who are looking for safety, support, independence and control in their lives.

This program works with you to help you identify and assess your skills and career goals as well as the skills and training required for a wide variety of skilled trades.

If you are interested in exploring the world of trades - this is a fantastic program.
Women Transitioning to Trades Program

We were looking through some older files and came across an event last year we were invited to speak: George Brown's Women Transitioning to Trades.

We hope many of the young ladies from that course were able to fulfill their dreams to have a career in the trades.

We wish them all the best and much success.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment

2011-07-19T17:11:00.007-04:00

Summer: Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment
Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Floral Leaf Green

It Is Summer Time: Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment

It is summer, hurray. It is the silly season for news. So why not talk about something light – my composting Red Wiggler worms. Like any proud pet owner, I am very going to boast how well they are eating my fruit and vegetable leftovers. They are verifiable eating machines. And like any other pet owner, I worry: are they too warm, too cold, do they have enough oxygen, do they like their box, should I put air conditioning into their box, shall I buy gourmet apples, would music help …

But joking aside, I have often been asked why I would do vermicomposting at home, in my apartment, something so yucky (my mother’s words). It is actually really clean, but I guess worms can cause a certain emotional response.

Well, it is all about doing your bit for the environment, even in on a small scale. I do not have access to a garden to do proper composting and getting my little wigglers was the next best thing. Also, as a sidebar, I need to eat more fruit and vegetable and since I refuse to go shopping for my worms, I need to consume suitable quantities myself to keep them alive. So I eat more healthily, do my bit for the environment and feel good about it. And those worms are actually quite interesting; it’s like having a strange terrarium.

Being a contractor with an emphasis on green of course we would encourage all our clients to implement green measures, such as day lighting, sun shading, heat sinks, heat recovery units and even solar, geothermal and wind power. Of course solar and wind get really exciting when you can convince your neighbours to put solar cells and wind mills on their roofs as well.

Large scale installations are so much more effective. For example, Partners in Project Green: the area around Pearson airport is an eco-business zone which includes four municipal jurisdictions – the Region of Peel, City of Toronto, City of Mississauga and City of Brampton. Here businesses implement green measures to help their bottom line.

But we also get excited about smaller community projects such as Project Neutral. These projects inspire people to change their attitudes and in their own way try to do as much as possible; change light bulbs to energy efficient ones, change their appliances, upgrade their insulation and much more.

But back to my worms. They may not be mainstream, but in their way they help me be more green.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: From Worms to Green Building

wobuilt.com/blog: Carbon Neutral Neighbourhood Project Launch in Toronto

slideshare.net: Green Design and Build - Wo-Built's Presentation

+ feedback on the web

Screenshot: Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment
The Composting Daily, Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Published by CompostMania.com

Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment
wobuilt.blogspot.com - Summer: Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment
Squirm

RT @wobuilt: Feeling Green and Doing My Bit for the Environment http://bit.ly/rhQGVT - from composting worms to big projects #projectneutral
@Squirm Cathy Nesbitt, Toronto

@Squirm many thanks. The worms seem to be doing splendidly. Trying to keep them cool during the heat wave. #vermicomposting
@wobuilt

That's great. Many thanks @Squirm bit.ly/pQzpOE Your blog was included in The Composting Daily! #vermicomposting
@wobuilt

Our Business Model Innovation

2011-07-14T17:17:00.009-04:00

Photo: Wo-Built's Business Model Sketch
2011 @ wobuilt.com
Credit: businessmodelgeneration.com

"Business model innovation is about new ways of creating, delivering and capturing value"
Alexander Osterwalder
Author, Speaker and Advisor on Business Model Innovation

Our business model in review based on Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder

Recently I came across a great YouTube video about Business Model Design by Alexander Osterwalder. A different way of looking at Business Models based on their bestselling book Business Model Generation. It’s a language that is more tangible and visible and based on 9 building blocks, segments with different value propositions and relationships. The nine blocks are Customer segments, Customer relationships, Channels, The offer, Key activities, Key resources, Key partners, Cost structure and Revenue stream. What I liked about it was the apparent simplicity to show a business model in one picture, to be able to change and add components without having to start from scratch each time.

So we immediately started to put our Business Model together showing all our offers. It’s a work in progress, but the interim is shown above. I am not going into detail, but it showed us where we need to build up resources, partners and distribution and marketing channels. It showed where we need to concentrate our efforts and clearly showed the relationships between our offers and how we can leverage overlaps.

On further review we started to use the same model for each of the segments to develop them in more depths. This time we use it as a project management tool. But we found that we need to rename some of the segments to give a coherent picture. For example the Channels segment, which communicates and announces the offer to the customer segment, has now on the right side of the model success measurements, success implementation and key interactions. Success measurements ensures that the performance of the channels are monitored and tracked, success implementation shows the end results (number of contract signed for example) and key interactions shows the overlap and leverage between channels (for example sales meetings and Speaking engagements, both can be educational and sales).

Why are we on the look out for new ideas for business models and try to use them for us? The answer is simple: even though we are a construction company in a very traditional field we want to be on the cutting edge of business practices, technology and social thinking to build and grow a company that is fit for the 21st century. Many of the old paradigms are changing and we need to find the tools to work within our changing environment.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

+ feedback on the Web:

wobuilt
Our #Business Model in review thanks to #bmgen http://bit.ly/oFQ3DY - building and growing our #construction company in 21st century
Tweeted by @wobuilt 19 Jul

Retweeted by TantienHime

Alex Osterwalder
@wobuilt great!
@business_design in reply to @wobuilt19 Jul via TweetDeck
Mentioned in this Tweet

Our Corso Italia Neighbourhood Involvement

2011-07-12T17:18:00.008-04:00

Photo Collage: Our Corso Italia Neighbourhood Involvement
Wo-Built at Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood First Anniversary Celebration
Sunnyville Grill (1218 St. Clair Avenue West,Toronto), June 29, 2011
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Corso Italia was a happening place last week and it started all with the 1st Anniversary celebrations of Venus Creations, a grassroots community initiative by founder Joe Furtado. Following is our tribute, which will be published in the Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood magazine.

Big thank you to Venus Creations Founder Joe Furtado

Venus Creations, Joe Furtado’s brain child to help the neighbourhood merchants, celebrated its’ first anniversary in great style last week. The evening of festivities were hosted at the Sunnyville Grill by Viviana Reppas and her son Louie Reppas; and the generous spread, which included a very tasty Moussaka, was absolutely delicious. The cake kindly sponsored by Anna-Maria Deleo of Tre Mari Bakery was stunning to look at; the Venus Creations Logo, a surprise for Joe, was amazing; and the cake tasted sublime. The flower arrangements by Isabel Amaro, Amar Flowers were beautiful and added much to the atmosphere of the venue. We at Wo-Built Inc were honoured to be the facilitators of the event.

The evening kicked off with a heartfelt celebratory toast, Champagne generously provided by Joe himself, to thank him for all his hard work to make Venus Creations into the success it is today. Venus Creations was founded by Joe to help merchants in the area to weather the hard times brought on by the streetcar construction and the recession. His original idea to encourage merchants to help and support each other and generate business for each other has developed into a sense of community which will strengthen the area. The Venus Creations Magazine encourages participation by the merchants to contribute articles; it announces events and serves as a directory for services.

It was great to see so many friends and supporters celebrating this achievement and sign the special poster which was given to Joe at the end of the evening. Joe is a champion of the area and our main speaker, Tony Bolla of MyStClair.com, summed up Joe’s achievement very well when he paraphrased Margaret Mead’s quote “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” We wish Joe and Venus Creations a very happy and successful second year.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

What do grassroots initiatives such a Venus Creations do? It is all about building relationships that will strengthen, in this case, the economic viability of the area. People will get to know each other; they refer business to each other, tell their friends and neighbours; and most importantly buy from each other. Maybe even advertise together, form partnerships and alliances. It is promoting the area from within. It is creating a sense of togetherness, trust and community and it is also nice to meet your neighbours socially. A strong core group is key to help revitalize any business area.

We fell in love with Corso Italia and we are happy to support and help community and business initiatives such a Venus Creations both with the personal touch and via Social Media. Let us know what you think about the area via Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. We like to share good thoughts and thanks to our social media friends, especially Corso Italia BIA and its Coordinator Brad Watkin, we are able to spread the word about the area and its great features.

Wo-Built's Team

Big Thank You to Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood
Martina Ernst' Article, page 18, July 2011, 14th Edition
2011 @ wobuilt.com

links:
Why Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood Is Doing Great Work for Our Community?
Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business

East York Mirror: Wo-Built Home Builder with New Affordable Initiative

2011-07-07T12:06:00.008-04:00

Wo-Built Boutique Home Builder Advetorial
The Mirror, Thursday, June 23, 2011, page 14
Credit: East York Mirror

Recently we kicked-off our marketing campaign for our new ValueXeptional Classic 2nd Storey Addition initiative in the East York Mirror.

We had two reasons for choosing East York, Toronto as our first area – one, the area’s building stock consists of a large number of bungalows and two, more importantly, we like the area, it has a friendliness and community feeling about it.

ADVERTORIAL
Wo-Built boutique home builder

As boutique home builders we are experts at designing and building additions, extensions and large renovations.

We offer a complimentary "Dream House" assessment which will determine your needs, wants and possibilities. In the words of one of our clients, "Thank you to Wo-Built and everyone who did such great work on our little house - we will never forget the great experience of our renovation and the truly exceptional folks that made it happen!"

We are all about creating both space and "wow" factors with architectural component. We are also about giving customers the most value for their money and in the face of having so many similarities, we came up with our new ValueXeptional Classic Second Floor Model Initiative. This is a second floor structure with architectural and design features such as master bedroom with either cathedral or coffered ceiling, an en-suite bathroom with large shower area, skylights and light pipe, and where possible green construction.

Design and Build of second floor (excluding all finishes) is affordable at a starting price from $167,000 plus HST due to our fast track processes. Finishes contract is separate.

For more information about the services offered by Wo-Built visit www.WoBuilt.com or call 416-402-2679.

The East York Mirror
Thursday, June 23, 2011, page 14

links:
Renovate with ValueXeptional Classic Second Storey Addition
A Second Storey Addition: New Construction Approach

Canada Day and Corso Italia Festival on Our Home Turf

2011-07-06T15:09:00.009-04:00

Photo Collage: Celebrating Culture, Music and Food at Toronto Corso Italia Festival
St. Clair Ave West (between Westmount & Lansdowne Avenue), July 2-3, 2011

Happy Canada Day ! #toronto
@wobuilt 1 Jul

Everyone's invited! --> FREE Canada Day BBQ in #CorsoItaliaTO! torontocorsoitalia.com/events.php?id=… #HappyCanadaDay
@CorsoItaliaTO RT by @wobuilt 1 Jul

Off to the Annual BBQ at Earlscourt Park (near #corsoitaliaTO) hosted by Councillor Cesar Palacio. Great weather for it. #toronto
@wobuilt 1 Jul

Back from my walk along #CorsoItaliaTO. Lansdowne-Dufferin. Lots of fantastic stuff happening 4 the festival. Come early-lots of fun #toronto
@wobuilt 2 Jul

Last few hours of the #CorsoItaliaTO festival. It's hot and people enjoying the fun music. Come and join in the fun. #toronto
@wobuilt 3 Jul

We had great fun over the Canada Day weekend here in Corso Italia. It started off with a BBQ hosted by councilor Cesar Palacio at Earlscourt Park on Canada Day and continued with the Corso Italia festival throughout the weekend. We had great turnouts to both events and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We had people dancing in the street to the fantastic sounds of lively bands, lots of great eats and of course the heavens smiled on us and gave us superb weather. If anyone followed our tweets throughout the weekend you might already have a feel for the joy.

We were here throughout the weekend just to soak up the atmosphere. On top, it was the kick-off for our Corso Italia Festival Special Offer: sign up for a design and build for an addition and we pay the permit drawings. We wanted to share with our potential clients the joyous occasion. Our friends at Agio Ristorante co-advertised with us and helped us spread the word.

We are often asked why we like Corso Italia so much (Perché ci piace Corso Italia così tanto?). After all, as a general contractor we can have our office in any part of the city. Usually we say, people are friendly, we like the community spirit, great restaurants, everything you need to run an office and life is available on this traditional High Street. But on reflection it goes a lot deeper than this and it has to do a lot with deep rooted emotions. The area is very European – lots of patios where you can meet your friends and neighbours. The architecture is still very human scale, for better or worse the larger developers have not arrived here yet. Corso Italia and adjacent Business Improvement Areas have lots of green spaces and parks, everything is in walking distance.

We envisage us staying in the area for a long time. We value our ties with the surrounding businesses and residents. Our door is open for anyone who wishes to discuss design or construction related issues. We would like to invite home owners to visit our office and the surrounding businesses.

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Celebrate Culture, Music and Food at Corso Italia Festival
Design and Build for an Addition with Our Special Corso Italia Offer

Design and Build for an Addition with Our Special Corso Italia Offer

2011-06-30T13:30:00.008-04:00

Poster: Wo-Built's Corso Italia Festival Special Offer
"Sign up for a Design and Build of an Addition
and we pay the Permit Drawings"
July 1- September 30, 2011
2011 @ wobuilt.com

As you know we fell in love with Corso Italia, located on St Clair West roughly between Lansdowne and Dufferin, because it is friendly, offers most of the things we need for our business and life and just has got this special atmosphere of enjoyment.

Our Corso Italia Festival and Canada Day Offer

As a company we would like to mark the occasion of the 14th annual Corso Italia Festival 2011 and upcoming Canada Day and bring to our potential clients some ongoing festive joy. For a limited time starting July 1st, 2011 to September 30th, 2011 we have the following special offer:

Sign up for a Design and Build for an addition and we pay for the permit drawings.
Estimated value up to $2,500.

Conditions:

Ground floor addition has to be at least 12ft x 20ft;
Ground floor addition contract has to include finishes;
Our ValueXeptional Classic 2nd Storey Addition is included in offer;
If Build portion is cancelled for any reason, the offer is void and Wo-Built will have to be reimbursed for the drawings.

Not included in the offer:

Design time, consultancy and fees;
Engineering time, consultancy and fees;
Any structural, foundation and other feasibility investigations;
Wo-Built’s fee and Mark-up;
Permit fees, City deposits and applicable taxes.

Wishing everyone a happy Canada Day and great fun at the Corso Italia Festival. See you there either at the festival or when you visit the area to shop and dine.

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt: Renovate with ValueXeptional Classic Second Storey Addition
wobuilt: We Are Looking for Adventurous Building Owners

+ Added Link
kijiji.ca: Special offer for Design & Build for Addition
"Located in the Corso Italia area in Toronto we decided to have a Corso Italia Festival Special Offer which is valid until September 30th, 2011 - so don't worry that the festival is over. Sign up for a Design and Build for an addition and we pay for the permit drawings. http://wobuilt.blogspot.com/2011/06/design-and-build-for-addition-with-our.html (conditions apply) "
Greater Toronto Area Over 3,902,655 Free Local Classifieds
Date Listed: 06-Jul-11

Celebrate Culture, Music and Food at Corso Italia Festival

2011-06-28T16:17:00.008-04:00

Collage: WoBinna: "Corso Italia Festival - Free Admission
July 2 & 3, 2011 - Cool - Check it out!?"
Credit: torontofiesta.com
2011 @ wobuilt.com

CORSO ITALIA SUMMER STREET FESTIVAL 2011
"Celebrate European culture, music, and food July 2-3 2011 as CORSO ITALIA welcomes the World to its 14th Annual CORSO ITALIA FESTIVAL. St. Clair Avenue West between Lansdowne & Westmount is transformed into a European "PIAZZA" for the week-end with: Live music on street corners representing the best of Italian, Portughese, Latin, Jazz, Classical & Swing bands; Local Italian, Portuguese, & Latin restaurants featuring their delicious versions of 'street-food'; Some of the finest European-style shopping this side of the Atlantic with local family-style retailers who pride themselves on service with that special "personal" touch; and delightful children's activities found throughout the street including rides & games for the entire family to enjoy.
CORSO ITALIA, long-known as the epicenter of Italian-Canadian World Cup celebrations in 1982 and 2006, invites you to experience a little bit of Europe in Toronto this Summer. On July 2nd & 3rd, come discover what makes this neighbourhood unique; and such an enjoyable place to live, work, and play!
WELCOME, BENVENUTI, BEM-VINDO, BIENVENIDO, and BIENVENUE!"
Jeff Gillan, Chair Corso Italia BIA

What: 14th Annual Corso Italia Festival

When: Sat Jul 2, 2011 / 1:00pm - 11:00pm
Sun Jul 3, 2011 / 1:00pm - 8:00pm

Where: on St. Clair Avenue West
(between Westmount & Lansdowne Avenue)

Free Admission

torontofiesta.com
Corso Italia BIA

Wo-Built Invites Everyone to Join in the Corso Italia Festival

In past postings we told the world about the wonderful area we found to relocate our office in: Corso Italia, St Clair West, between Dufferin and Lansdowne. We talked about supporting our neighbours, the community and our passion – food. Corso Italia really offers most of the things that one needs to run a business, go shopping for groceries, clothes, day-to-day items, restaurants, ice cream, walks in the park, exercise, professional offices, doctors – you name it and you can probably find it in Corso Italia. But we also found friends among our neighbours.

So we would like to invite everyone to come to the Corso Italia Festival on July 2nd and 3rd to check out the area, have fun, listen to music, have wonderful ice cream, taste some of the great food and of course fall in love with the area as we have.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Please check out our Corso Italia Festival offer:

Sign up for a design & build 2nd storey addition for your home before September 30th, 2011 and we pay your permit drawings with an estimated value of $2,500. Conditions apply.

Renovate with ValueXeptional Classic Second Storey Addition

2011-06-23T15:10:00.007-04:00

Postcard: Wo-Built's ValueXeptional
Classic Second Story Addition Model
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Wo-Built's ValueXeptional Classic Second Floor Addition Model Offer

In previous posts we have been an advocate of families staying within their existing communities rather than moving to new ones since established communities can give stability, help and security. But of course we understand that sometimes more space is required. Adding a second storey or a rear addition is the next consideration. However, adding to the building often only becomes an option if the cost of the addition is in line with buying a bigger house in move-in condition. Hence we looked hard at providing families with an offer that makes adding a second storey affordable.

Today is our launch for our ValueXeptional Classic Second Floor Model, a fast track 2nd floor addition initiative that combines cost effective return on investment with innovative design.

After having looked at the GTA housing stock for the last few years we noticed the amazing similarities in bungalow design and we were able to develop a typical second storey floor plan that takes into account the increase home value potential.

The ValueXeptional Classic Second Floor Model is based on providing 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and closet space on the second floor. The starting price of $167,000 + HST is based on 800 sft, no finishes and external cladding, since finishes and external cladding are design and material driven and offer many choices. A separate finishes contract takes care of the final touches for your dream home.

ValueXeptional, a derivative of value and exceptional, refers to our value added fast track processes that reduce the hassle, stress and timelines for the construction, hence being cost effective and to our exceptional designs that bring wow-factor to our projects. Classic refers to the second floor typical layout for a bungalow.

The typical floor plan does not prevent your own personal touches and dream house niceties. This is where our 4-step Process for Making Your Dream House a Reality comes in to play. We start with your Dream House Assessment, a 90-minute exploration of the possibilities, your dreams and needs. Followed by your Dream House Design, where we design innovatively and take care of the details, including dealing with the City or municipalities. In your Dream House Construction we manage and take care of the construction process, leaving you free to go about your normal life. Finally your Dream House Outcome where your dream vision comes to life delivered on time and on budget.

ValueXeptional Classic basic specification for $167,000 + HST
(detailed specification is per individual contract):

Design to permit drawings, includes test holes for foundation and soil investigation
Demolition of roof
Carpentry of floor, walls and roof
Roofing
Rough-in of electrical, HVAC and plumbing (includes new furnace and electrical panel)
Standard Stairs and Railing
Standard vinyl windows
2 Skylights and 1 Light pipe
Drywall/Mudding/Priming
Drywall repair on 1st floor

Options (extra to basic price):

Permit fees, committee of adjustment fees and deposits
Any engineering services required for complicated architectural features
Any architectural, services upgrade and structural work on first floor and basement (Option)
External cladding (brick, siding, stucco, stone) (Option)
Green measures such, but not limited to as heat recovery units, solar panels, green roofs etc.

Exclusions (separate contract):

Finishes work on First Floor, Basement including kitchens and existing bathrooms
Flooring
Baseboards/Trims
Doors and hardware
Electrical finishing, including light fixtures
Plumbing finishing, including any bathroom fixtures
HVAC Finishing, such as grilles, louvers etc
Bathroom Tiling and finishes
Painting

Conditions, but not limited to, to meet base price:

Based on 800 sq.ft.
Sound walls and foundations
Deviation from typical plan minimal
No existing Rot, Mould and Asbestos

If you are interested to know more about the offer or know someone who would be, please do not hesitate to contact us. Call us 416-402-2679.

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Cost vs. Return on Investment: Top Renovations That Increase Home Value

A Second Storey Addition: New Construction Approach

annarbor.com: Marcia Lyon's Creating Spaces: REMODELING: Two-story addition transforms second floor of home to make it more livable
By Marcia Lyon, Jun 16, 2011

Carbon Neutral Neighbourhood Project Launch in Toronto

2011-06-21T16:08:00.011-04:00

Photos: Project Neutral Neighbourhood Launch
Green 13 - The Junction, June 18, 2011
Annette Street Public Library
2011 @ wobuilt.com

@wobuilt: "Will attend #junctionTO GREEN 13 - Project Neutral Community Launch at 10am at Library at 145 Annette Street www.projectneutral.org #toronto"
18 Jun via web from Toronto, Ontario

Last Saturday I attended the launch of Project Neutral (projectneutral.org) in the Junction, one of the two neighbourhoods in Toronto, Riverdale is the second one, that are embarking on making the area carbon neutral. The initiative is spearheaded by Green 13 neighbourhood grassroots organization, who has brought Project Neutral to the Junction. The turnout was good, indicating that many residents in the area are interested in reducing their carbon footprint. Afterwards I saw that many signed up to be volunteers to canvas the neighbourhood to encourage participation for the survey for the green house gases baseline. Both MPP Cheri DiNovo and Councillor Sarah Doucette gave their congratulations to the successful launch.

What Is Carbon Neutrality?
Generally speaking carbon neutrality is a balance between carbon emission and carbon absorption. Living in Cities creates a great imbalance (we emit a lot more CO2 than we absorb, due in part to inefficient use of energy and lack of green spaces). Often we concentrate on making new buildings and developments the focus of energy effectiveness and environmental initiatives, but in Toronto the residential sector represents 25% of the green house gases emission. This sector represents a great opportunity for reduction in the carbon footprint and Project Neutral attempts to do that. This is a commendable ambition and one which deserves our support.

What the Project Is Trying to Achieve?
What the project is trying to achieve is the participation of as many households as they can, in both the survey to establish a baseline and the implementation to reduce the carbon footprint. In our opining what the projects are most likely going to achieve is a much larger awareness of what communities can do when they band together. The projects will encourage discussions of innovative ideas on financing and implementing the reduction measures, often the strongest stumbling blocks for home owners. Most of all, the project can achieve starting or providing the infrastructure for larger community initiatives such as large scale solar panel installations, central rain/ grey water collection or recycling points and other larger scale ideas.

Going Carbon Neutral
The two projects are not the first in Ontario or Canada, one of the pioneers is Eden Mills, Ontario. The village of 150 households was the first village in North America to tackle climate change. Apparently they were inspired by the example of Ashton Hayes, a village in England. As part of the launch Charles Simon and Linda Sword gave a brief outline of Eden Mills of their considerable success since their start in 2007. Other examples of carbon neutral cities can be found in Europe such as Germany and Sweden and in pockets throughout the world.

For a construction company dedicated to green building this kind of project is very exciting as it is potentially mind and attitude changing on a larger scale. The possibilities to instill green thinking in people are enormous and will push green construction further. The education part is key with workshops and information sessions in the Junction.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Wo-Built at the Home Show with Green Presentation

Being Green, Building Green Design and Construction Company

Going Green in the City: Building and Renovating with "Being Green" in Mind:
Part 1 - Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
Part 2 - Going Green Is Becoming Mainstream
Part 3 - Living Rooftops - An Environmental Alternative for "Green" Building

Eco Green Building: Wo-Built Inc's commitment on Being Green, Designing and Building Green and Sharing our Knowledge.

Photos: Project Neutral Neighbourhood Launch
Green 13 - The Junction, June 18, 2011
Annette Street Public Library
2011 @ wobuilt.com

Green 13: Top 10 Environmental Tips
Greening Parkdale – High Park

Walk, bike or carpool. If you do drive, make sure your vehicle is in good repair and remember, do not idle.
Conserve energy. Turn off appliances and lights when not needed, power down, wash in cold water and switch your bulbs to florescent.
Replace older household appliances with energy efficient ones. Select Energy Star ratings.
Be Water Wise. Use a low flow aerator on your showerhead, get low flush / dual flush toilets. Collect rainwater. Reserve landscape watering.
Recycle, Reuse, Reduce. Use the largest City of Toronto recyclable bin, challenge yourself to use the smallest garbage bin. Learn to donate unwanted items and try hosting an annual yard sale.
Faithfully use the City of Toronto’s Green Composting system. Think of it as an investment toward future organic fertilizing. Try composting your own garden waste and start a Holistic Garden.
Plan a tree for the future. The majority of the City of Toronto’s street lined trees and destined to perish at the same time. Start a home garden and grow your own produce. Plants are lungs of Society.
Live Solar. Plan deciduous trees on the south of your home for summer shading and winter solar access. Plant evergreens to the north of your home to serve as protection from cold winds. Close window covering on a hot summer day, open them when you want bright warming rays. Dry your clothes outside.
Make your home more efficient. Insulate, weatherstrip. Upgrade your heating and cooling systems.
Shop Local. Balance out the carbon footprint by eliminating transportation costs, which affects fuel consumption and pollution creation. Support your Neighbour.

Credit: Green 13 is a volunteered environmental group originating from Ward 13, Toronto
green13toronto.org
green13toronto.blogspot.com
green13group@gmail.com

We are using KLOUT – The Influence Metric

2011-06-16T13:29:00.005-04:00

Screenshot: Wo-Built's Klout Dashboard
Social Media Analytics
Credit: Klout - The Standard for Influence

We are probably one of the few small to medium sized construction companies that use social media extensively. Hence it is important for us to see how effective our social media efforts are. In the past the only indication of effectiveness was our hit rate to the website by links from Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Like anything, social media is an investment in time and a return on investment needs to be achieved to justify the activities. Do not kid yourself, anyone who claims you can do social media effectively and meaningfully in 15 minutes a day, is thoroughly mistaken in our view. Effective social media means you should correspond with your friends and followers, answer their tweets, acknowledge their input and comments. In return, comments from you to them are also important. No amount of automation will achieve the personal touch, however there has to be structure. As a sample, we set-up the Wo-Built Daily on Paper.li not to miss interesting articles and comments by our followers and friends. But even this will take more than 15 minutes.

So, when we heard about KLOUT we jumped on the chance to see our effectiveness and our measure of our overall online influence. To our delight we found that we are classified as 'Socializer's, a hub of the social scene and people count on us to find out what is happening. We are also influential at present in the following topics: toronto, construction, business and neighbours, all topics close to our heart and our expertise.

Influence is defined as per KLOUT’s own website: “We believe that influence is the ability to drive people to action -- "action" might be defined as a reply, a retweet, a comment, or a click. We perform significant testing to ensure that the average click-through rate on links shared is highly correlated with a person's Klout Score. The 25+ variables used to generate scores for each of these categories are normalized across the whole data set and run through our analytics engine. After the first pass of analytics, we apply a specific weight to each data point. We then run the factors through our machine-learning analysis and calculate the final Klout Score. The final Klout Score is a representation of how successful a person is at engaging their audience and how big of an impact their messages have on people.” Scores are out of 100.

Our Overall KLOUT SCORE is 37, which means "You are effectively using social media to influence your network across a variety of topics".

Our True Reach is 92, which means "You have a small but tightly formed network that is highly engaged".

We are delighted by the scores, as they show that we are not wasting our time; however they also show some of the potentials. We need more responses from our friends and followers and we will be actively working on those. We will further relationships with women in the trades and construction, green professionals and of course our neighbours in Corso Italia and our clients.

The score on KLOUT gives us another tool to analyze how we reach our public. Leads for projects will come increasingly through social networking. That’s why it is important to know how effectively our message connects with our network and subsequently prompts potential clients into action to buy our services. In the end all that counts is money in the till.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

From Worms to Green Building

2011-06-15T13:11:00.008-04:00

Photo-Collage: From Worms to Green Building
From Worm Composting to Sustainable Living
2011 @ wobuilt.com

"Every family needs a pound of worms,"
declares Cathy Nesbitt ...
from Learning to love the magic of worms
by Ellen Moorhouse Special to the Star
Published on Sat Sep 19 2009

I normally don’t write about my private life, but I got new pets, 800 to 1000 to be precise. And I had them for a week and a half and they are still alive!!! They are red wiggler worms (scientific name: Eisenia foetida), they live in a composting bin in my kitchen and they eat my organic kitchen waste.

When I got the little wigglers, I didn’t know anything about vermiculture or vermicomposting. I met Cathy of Cathy’s Crawly Composters a few times over the years and always said I wanted to try. So last week I finally picked up my worms and to my surprise I got two cartons of worms, one bottle of distilled water, one carton of soil/lime mix, bedding of paper shreds and of course the composting bin (size of a blue bin). Not quite assembled as I hoped, but I guess bonding with your pets is a good thing. So when I got home I had to set up their new environment and luckily Cathy provides a manual with the kit. Bedding your worms is quite a science. So is feeding them. I now have a freezer full of worm food, freezing helps to break down the structure, easier to digest.

Anyway I must have done something wrong and for a few days some of the little critters tried to escape. Making me a concerned worm owner. But I finally fluffed their bedding (more oxygen) and all is well in wormland. Pheeew!!!

I got the worms, because I wanted to do my tiny bit for the environment and live more healthy. I started juicing vegetable and fruits to eat the recommended daily 7 portions according to my chart from the My Food Guide at Health Canada, something that is almost impossible otherwise. But I didn’t want to throw away the pulp or the food scraps, so perfect timing for the worms. My own personal commitment to green which of course extends to my professional commitment to green building.

Living healthy, living green or living sustainable is a way of life and it does not have to large scale. The same applies to green buildings. Of course we would like to install all the large scale measures such a solar panels, geothermal and windmills or green roofs, but smaller measures can be as satisfying. A heat recovery unit is affordable at approx $4000, a light pipe to bring daylight into enclosed spaces can be as little as $1000 installed. If you really want, you can even consider composting toilets. If you add an extension to your house it may be possible to design in the environment to achieve an energy effective house. Measures such as orientation, glazing, heat sinks, daylight, natural shading, natural ventilation all play a vital role. For a second storey addition, skylights, light pipes and extra attic insulation are great ways to reduce energy usage. We discussed some of the ideas in our post about the Aboretum.

I am a great believer that we do not have to do without the comforts of modern life to be green or live an sustainable life, I like to live in a well designed, bright, warm or cool comfortable home, but I will encourage all our clients to think about ways how they can be green. The worms are my start, what would be yours?

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

PS: Father’s Day is just around the corner. Kids, instead of buying things or making some craft items for Dad, why not persuade him to get a children’s worm kit from Cathy’s Crawly Composting. Caring for the worms can be great fun for the whole family.

links:
ehow.com: How to Build an Attractive Worm Bin
by Mindy McIntosh-Shetter, eHow Contributor
updated February 08, 2011

Wormilicious — diary of a worm composting revolution
by Cassandra: the worm coach

Construction Statistics and Economic Indicators: Signs for Future Projects

2011-06-09T15:14:00.004-04:00

Collage: The Ranch and the Tower Projects:
Interesting Additions with Architectural Merit.
Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Silhouettes

On Tuesday, June 7th the Toronto Star published an article "GTA developers seeing slowdown" by Tony Wong about the slowdown of new residential and non residential construction seen by developers in the GTA. A follow article "Home building frenzy slows down" about the subject was published on the Toronto Star website on Wednesday. In his articles Mr. Wong mentioned that "in the key Toronto market, permits fell by more than half at 55% to 945 million in April", due to a decline in the condominium driven market and institutional buildings. However, high volumes of sales in the condo market are predicted to eventually translate into housing starts. He also mentions a record sale in existing homes in April. But with the Bank of Canada’s likely raise of interest rates and the home prices’ significant outpacing of job growth and income, affordability of new homes will be weakened, according to Francis Fong, an economist at the TD Bank.

In our opinion what is the likely outcome for the large scale home renovations such as additions? Due to the record home sales in the first half of the year it is likely that less renovations were scheduled as people moved rather than added to their home. Even at spring time, usually the start of the building season we observed fewer building signs from our competitors; larger renovations seems to be done by the owners or developers.

However, higher interest rates, a soft economical environment and a larger sale of condos will likely impact the prices in the house market negatively. It is conceivable that more large scale renovations will be undertaken by home owners once this happens.

But will it? The Toronto housing market has not performed over the last few years during the recession as one would expect; lesser housing prices, fewer sales, more large scale renovations in the medium price range ($150,000 to $500,000). On the one hand owners seem to hold back, on the other they bought new houses driving the market price up. The home sales were helped by extremely low interest rates. Recently, some of the major banks lowered their mortgage rates, even though the Bank of Canada rate stayed the same. Does that mean a decline in housing sales in May?

As a construction company specializing in the medium range construction it seems that even when the normal economic indicators forecast a likely increase in potential home extension projects, there are no sure outcomes. Our approach is two-pronged, being global, but staying local:
a) In the World: as a strategy - it is key to raise our brand profile to become a household name among the global community. In our experience social media is a great vehicle for sharing and connecting with our clients and partners and allowing us to show the public what we are about.
b) At Home: as a strategy and a core believe - it is important to promote and further local social concerns and we are working with community papers to make our name more known in specific areas of Toronto, such as East York / Beaches and Etobicoke; both areas have emotional connections to us. At home also includes the community around our office, Corso Italia and The Junction / High Park / Swansea (location of one of our previous offices).
As there is no crystal ball as to the future of the Toronto housing market and home owners’ behaviour, the two-pronged approach is likely to yield a steady, sustainable growth regardless of circumstances. The key is to increase market share by being a household name, not to rely on a larger number of construction projects.

But of course if the economic reality becomes such that for homes to appreciate in value the owners rather stay put; maybe a future article by Mr. Wong will indicate this; we would like to reiterate words from Ari Berman’s posting: "In short – if you bought it, keep it. If you need more of it, expand it. And, if you plan to sell it at some time in the future, maintain it in good condition while staying as free of debt as possible. "

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
moneyville.ca: Home building frenzy slows down
by Tony Wong | Wed Jun 08 2011

HomeView: Ontario Home Starts Decline in May
by: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Published on Jun 08, 2011

wobuilt.com: House Prices: Part of the Problem or Part of the Cure?
by Ari Berman | Mon October 06 2008

Wo-Built Inc Daily: We Are Publishers

2011-06-07T18:24:00.006-04:00

Screenshot: The Wo-Built Inc. Daily
Easy to Read Newspaper-style Format
Spreading construction, design and build ideas through social media
Credit: Paper.li

Paper.li – Be a publisher
Paper.li organizes links shared on Twitter into an easy to read newspaper-style format. Newspapers can be created for any Twitter user, list or #tag.
@SmallRivers - Creator of paper.li

We are publishers courtesy of paper.li, who compile our tweets and those of the people we follow in a newspaper form every day for free. We love The Wo-Built Inc Daily for three reasons:
It shows all tweets of the day of our Twitter friends in one place. So we do not miss interesting tweets from people and companies we like to see updates from. Often I find stories about design, renovation or construction which I consider educational or informative and which, since I do not check Twitter every hour, I would have missed.
We can share the paper with our friends and followers and of course Paper.li is an open forum and anyone can view the papers. Previous editions are archived and can be used for future reference. We can choose the keywords we want to share and the newest features include great editorial powers.
The look of the paper is phenomenal. It is well laid out, easy to read and to navigate. It simulates a real newspaper and therefore has more of a stimulation effect than just reading the tweets as it shows the attachments in full with images and text.
Wo-Built Inc Daily is only the start for us. The next step is to setup papers which are geared to specific topics such lighting, green, environment, construction and architecture, topics which are important to us and which we tweet about all the time.

I found paper.li through people I followed on Twitter since they used the application and shared their papers. I thought this was a wonderful idea as it referenced the contributors (some of them grabbed my content) and gave such a great opportunity to engage in a conversation with Twitter friends. We have in turn recommended the application to others. Check out The Toronto Corso Italia Daily, run by the Corso Italia Business Improvement Area (BIA), Wo-Built’s home turf.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Combining Old and New: Keeping the Neighbourhood and Community Thriving

2011-06-02T17:15:00.005-04:00

Photo-collage: Architecture: Combining Old with New
Keeping the Neighbourhood and Community Thriving
2011 @ wobuilt.com

We are continuing our series about old and new, a topic that is very dear to our heart. We believe strongly that marrying old with new can revitalize buildings and in extension communities. As a company we would love to be involved in their revitalization.

As the Junction area is close to home I have seen the area transform over the last few years. We got more art galleries; recently I bought a painting from The Telephone Booth gallery, more new and exciting restaurants, coffee shops; Starbucks and Crema to name a few and many more interesting shops. The Junction has become much more up market than before.

There are also changes in the architecture. Several corner buildings had a third floor added. A sign that the area is well on its way to gentrification, people invest in it. The buildings all had a commercial unit on the 1st floor and two residential floors above. The third storey design, simple and uncomplicated, blends in well with existing building. Old and new are complementary to each other.

As a business case the additional floor has to provide value in excess of the costs of construction. They all had the following in common: the building footprint is already large enough to give some economy of scale and it is providing enough space for several individual units. But the amazing fact is that the buildings are not enormous and not substantially larger than other buildings in the Junction, yet still they seem to be commercially viable.

The Junction is only one area in Toronto which is undergoing change and it took a long time for the turn around. The building extensions happened when the Junction was on the cusp of turning, meaning that the property values increased, making the initial capital costs viable. Many other buildings in the Junction are likely candidates for adding a third storey. Other areas in Toronto which are on the cusp of turning also might have buildings that are suitable.

Any building owner with a commercial 2-storey unit might find it beneficial to undertake a business case study to see if an addition is feasible. Viability can be measured in return of investment and break even points. We can help building owners make an informed decision as we have the necessary management and consulting expertise in our company.

Building investments in areas like the Junction will keep the neighbourhood and community thriving.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Doors Open Toronto – Humber College Arboretum

2011-05-31T16:03:00.004-04:00

Photos: Doors Open Toronto – Humber Arboretum
May 28, 2011 @ wobuilt.com

Humber Arboretum Centre for Urban Ecology
205 Humber College Blvd, Toronto, ON M9W 5L7
Event information: Visit the Humber Arboretum & Centre for Urban Ecology - a favorite location for photographers interested in modern architecture and nature alike. This site is where many Humber College photography, landscape, design, and media arts students learn their craft. Accordingly, student and staff work will be on display in the Centre with building and landscape tours scheduled throughout the day.
Architect and year: Taylor/Hazell Architects, 2007

This was a bit of a busman’s holiday, personally my first Doors Open Toronto. We had heard a lot about the Arboretum, LEED award winner, so we were interested. Granted it is a bit off the beaten path (427 and Finch), but once we found it, well worth the visit. Tucked behind the main college building, the Arboretum is located in the middle of a lovely garden park, nestling within the terrain. We were told that the park had oodles of wildlife (we saw geese and ducks), and we did enjoy sitting outside and talking to some of the visitors.

The building makes use of the slightly hilly terrain, a part of the energy efficient set-up. A teaching and research facility it packed almost all the known “green” systems into a small space and expressing them architecturally. The most visible systems of course are the sun shading slats on the south facing wall, reducing the high sun angles and the ventilation shaft in the center of the building, that extends 1 storey above the main floor and that facilitates the natural ventilation. Form follows function, making for interesting architecture. Rain water tanks for plant watering are buried into the hillside; behind the building are grey water recycling tanks, also used for plant irrigation. Other elements include green roofs, daylight and motion sensors, triple gazing, radiant heating, dual flush toilets and more. My favorite: large amount of daylight in the space.

The most interesting aspect of the building for me was the natural cooling system. Outside air is drawn into the building, directed into the basement which is several degrees cooler and then distributed to the warmer spaces where the air differential will have a cooling effect.

We were given an informative tour around the building and were assured that the environmental conditions are great and working there is a pleasure. As it is a small building all these systems are bound to be very effective as they can be finely tuned. They also would work very well for any other centrally controlled building (residential or non residential) provided there is enough space available to implement the measures. In multi-unit dwellings the implementation would become more complicated. Some measure such as green roofs, triple glazing, radiant heating, grey and rain water recycling, sun shading will all work as they are not part of individual choice. Ventilation and cooling is however a more personal matter. How much control would the individual units have to relinquish to make the natural ventilation and cooling work?

The Arboretum is an example and showcase on how any of these systems work. We need more examples accessible to the public to increase awareness of what can be done. We are committed to incorporate as many of these systems as possible in all our buildings. It is not necessary to incorporate all systems in each building. Even just one or two measures will make an impact over time. Going “green” is a valid way to reduce our footprint on the environment we live in, and we encourage anyone to take baby steps.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

link:
Doors Open Toronto 2011 Featuring City in Focus: Architecture + Photography

We Are Looking for Adventurous Building Owners

2011-05-26T15:45:00.007-04:00

Collage: The Ranch and the Tower Projects:
Interesting Additions with Architectural Merit.
Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Silhouettes

Adventure is not something usually associated with construction at least not in a positive way. But it should be. When owners embark on a building project there should be the sense of adventure – for the design, the materials used, the innovations for the building. Buildings can be so much more than just boxes. And of course this applies for both residential and non residential.

The term "adventure" here is defined as the willingness to undertake risk. Not of course in the sense of using a cowboy builder and skimping on the permits and the choice of appropriate materials – not that kind of risk. But the risk to be daring, bold and enterprising, of looking at alternative innovative designs and materials, of being in the forefront of green construction, of considering architectural features different from the norm - that kind of risk should be considered.

We are looking for adventurous building owners, who have the vision of looking at a building project in an innovative way. In the past, we had the good fortune to work on residential buildings where our clients looked at a different aesthetics, different layouts and green considerations. In past postings we called two of them the "Ranch" and the "Tower". Both projects started out as bungalows and ended up with interesting additions and with architectural merit.

We like to be adventurous as well and push the envelope further. We like to think outside the box. In our dream house competition ideas we explored different concepts for living and even though they were hypothetical, they looked at possibilities outside the norm. We do not suggest that "adventurous" building owners have to go as far, but just allow yourselves to dream.

Part of the adventure is to incorporate the green design aspects. Green design does not only consist of using the appropriate materials, but also using the space and its environment to achieve energy and water savings and reduce our environmental footprint.

Our designs of spaces will include the consideration of living walls to cleanse the air and supplement the HVAC. Heat sinks in conjunction with heat recovery units to reduce heating. Rain and grey water recovery systems to reduce water usage, solar and wind power to reduce electricity and many more. But the key is balance between the need to reduce the ecological foot print, the wow factor that will make the space special and also the consideration for human comfort. Right from the start of the design we will take these conflicting requirements and design for the best possible balance.

Let’s be adventurous together.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
polyvore.com: let's be adventurous together.
by murphluv

Wo-Built: What Do These Three Renovation Projects Have In Common?

Wo-Built's Dream House Ideas:

Building a Company around a Social Mission

2011-05-24T15:26:00.009-04:00

Collage: Clarifying Our Social Mission
Credit: MS Office ClipArt MP900407401

Building a company around a social mission – does it make sense? Our new way forward.

Over the last four years we have written extensively about the need for mentoring and helping women succeed in the Construction Industry and our commitment to play a significant part, but we never really talked about the impact that adopting this particular social mission as our core had on our business.

When we started the company we believed unfailingly that companies need to have a social mission at their cores to make a difference in their communities. However, most companies that follow that model are not-for-profit entities, and so eligible for third party funding. In contrast, we are a for-profit company, mainly to keep self determination, so we are ineligible for almost all grants available to not-for-profits.

Some for-profit organizations have aligned their social mission with their primary product or service. A solar panel company that wants to provide green energy to everyone for example has aligned the green mission with their product. In contrast, our social mission to help women succeed in the building industry is only tangentially connected to our bread and butter activity: designing and building home renovations, additions and custom houses. Hence publishing our social message often distracted from our building message making a coherent marketing effort difficult.

Our business model is to finance our social mission through building revenue, meaning if we dilute our message for getting work we are less successful in obtaining new projects, therefore our women’s site mentoring will suffer. Also, since we are a start-up company, staff time is scarce and we could not do as many workshops, introduction to students, training initiatives etc as we had wanted. We are very proud of our anime WoBinna who is helping to increase awareness about the mission.

On the benefit side we had a lot of interests, publicity in our social mission and it certainly was a talking point. It also showed our sincerity and community spirit. And over the last 4 years we have encouraged a few women to make the trades their career. It was a great feeling seeing that our efforts were successful.

So, why are we continuing to be committed to the cause of helping women in construction? Why haven’t we abandoned it to concentrate on our bread and butter message? After all, a for-profit organization’s goal and only goal is to make money for its shareholders. Otherwise we are talking about a hobby.

Well, we have made a decision. We are 100% committed to helping women succeed in the building trades, but we cannot do this under the Wo-Built Inc, the contractor, umbrella any more. We have other community and green initiatives which are more in line with our building message and which will continue the social missions within the company and making a stronger brand for the design and build construction.

Our core social mission has gained a lot of recognition, and hence we are going to bring more prominence to it and establish a Wo-Built owned not-for-profit foundation specifically established to help women in construction. This will bring more attention and resource optimization to the table and help push the mission to its next level.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
The EDGE Group: Turning "For-Profit" to Focus on Mission
Posted by Shannon D. Barnes, Sep 16, 2010

The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Does Nonprofit Status Offer the Best Way to Achieve Your Mission?
By Kristin Giantris, Sept 14, 2010

wobuilt: Wo-Built Inc's Commitment to the Community

That's Women's Work: Social values a basis for our company
by Martina Ernst, August 12, 2010

A Year of Change and Development

2011-05-19T16:38:00.003-04:00

Photo-Collage: A Year of Change and Development
2011 @ wobuilt.com

What a difference a space makes!?

This week, one year ago, we moved from the Lakeshore to Corso Italia. The physical relocation also marked a year of growth, of rethinking the core of the business and to manifest many of our ideas.

A year in Corso Italia brought us closer to many of our business neighbours and we feel very much at home here. The sense and maintenance of community is an important part of our company, either by helping to preserve it or by building it. We are taking an active part within the local BIA to help promote the area and throughout the last year we have written and tweeted about our neighbours, Corso Italia events (such as the annual Festival which will be held this year on July 2-4) on our Forum, Facebook and Twitter.

Being here also strengthen our believe that amending homes to the growing needs of families is much better than moving, especially if the family is already integrated in their neighbourhood. So after months of development we have just launched our idea of the standardized approach to design and build of a 2nd storey, making the idea more affordable.

Our office also influenced some of our design ideas. We have three windows and we just love the great amount of daylight and sun shine in the space. As I wanted to see the windows from every place in the office, all our dividers are designed transparent and are hung from the ceiling to give maximum flexibility and visibility, but break up the space into distinct areas. We are now promoting the same space planning idea to corporate clients.

Some of our posts in the past year dealt with our design philosophies, especially my love for conservatories and glass houses. I think the daylight in the office inspired us and we are now developing a new idea with glass houses in mind which we will unveil soon. It will also include green and food elements. I also blame the daylight in our office for another change. My background is lighting design and I was inspired to go back to some of my roots. Check out some of our lighting posts.

The move to Corso Italia has been good for us. It confirmed and inspired ideas. We feel at home and we look forward to a prosperous second year.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build