In conjunction with the fall launch of the book Canadian Architecture, 1967 to the present, this panel discussion looks at sustainability in Canada’s past, present and future. Panelists include book co-editor Elsa Lam, book contributor Lola Sheppard, architect Martin Liefhebber, and architect Carol Philips.

The construction and operation of buildings accounts for 39% of global carbon emissions—more than industry and almost double the transportation sector. Some of the keys to building more sustainably may be found in Canada. Back in the 70s, Canada designed the world’s first “Passive House” in Saskatchewan – a home with no furnace that relied on strategically capturing the sun’s energy for heat — as well as the PEI Ark, a self-contained home including a plant-based “living machine” to filter water, and indoor fish ponds for food. Today, architects are figuring out how to build net-zero-energy and net-zero-carbon buildings. Architects across the country are vying to build taller and taller highrises out of carbon-capturing wood, instead of steel and concrete. They’re also looking to the lessons of Arctic architecture and to Indigenous groups for insights on how to build in harmony with Canada’s diverse environments.