VANCOUVER — Six projects have been honoured for their “pioneering work” in reducing embodied cabon in B.C. at the third annual Embodied Carbon Awards.
The Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC), through its Carbon Leadership Forum BC program, hosts the awards to highlight and celebrate what’s possible in low-carbon construction.
Embodied carbon comes from producing, transporting and installing materials like steel, concrete and insulation as well as from demolition and disposal, states a release.
It is estimated by 2050, embodied carbon will represent 46 per cent of B.C.’s annual building sector emissions based on current practices.
“British Columbia and Vancouver are leaders in this space, adopting practices like designing for less materials, using low-carbon materials such as sustainable mass timber, or moving to re-use construction waste in new builds,” the release reads.
The award winners are as follows:
Large (Part 3) Buildings: Equilibrium – Royal BC Museum PARC
The company was awarded for its approach in designing the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus, using materials like rammed earth and wood-to-wood connections for mass timber elements instead of steel. They also integrated embodied carbon into the design build agreement.
Small (Part 9) Buildings: Deep Green Development – 1908 to Net-Zero
This project involved turning a 117-year-old Vancouver home into three net-zero dwellings. Their use of salvaged materials, carbon-storing insulation and commitment to community partnerships and knowledge-sharing made this project a standout in sustainable construction.
Organizational Commitment to Change: Third Space Properties
Third Space was honoured for its commitment to cutting carbon emissions in their buildings and across operations. By tracking embodied carbon at design, development and construction phases of each project, Third Space goes above and beyond standards, the release reads.
Public Sector Leadership: City of Richmond
The city was recognized for its systems-level approach to reducing embodied carbon, integrating it into economic development and procurement strategies; and creating accessible resources and case studies that help turn climate goals into practical, scalable action. The municipality was also praised for fostering collaboration and dialogue across a complex municipal system.
Commitment to Circularity: Perkins&Will
The team’s effort was honoured as they work to reduce emissions through smart reuse of materials and design to minimize waste during their major office move, considering embodied carbon at every stage.
Strengthening the Practice: Jason Shanks, CBRE’s Turner & Townsend
For redefining sustainability in office moves, an often-overlooked area, by reusing materials, cutting waste, and measuring embodied carbon savings.
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