Design Primer for Low Carbon ConstructionPolicy, Strategy
Ha/f authored the Project Planning & Design Primer for Low-Carbon Construction, guiding Canada’s shift to net-zero buildings.
The primer outlines whole-life carbon concepts, introduces mitigation frameworks, and applies strategies across project phases—pre-design, design, construction, and occupancy—emphasizing systems thinking, phased decision-making, and life cycle assessments to reduce embodied carbon emissions.
/Read the Primer
CMHC Housing Design Catalogue /
Energy Modelling & Life Cycle Assessment, Certification, Policy
Ha/f collaborated with Acorn Sustainability and Carbon Wise to provide energy modelling, life cycle assessment, and whole life carbon assessments for the CMHC Housing Design Catalogue.
Working with LGA Architects & Planners, Dub Architects, 5468796 Architecture, Oxbow Architecture, Kanva Architecture, Abbott Brown Architects, and Taylor Architecture Group, the assessments provide a holistic view on building performance for builders and owners.
/See the Catalogue
The Cost + Carbon of Canadian Commercial Construction
Policy
The Mass Timber Institute at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto teamed with Entuitive, Ha/f Climate Design, and Bird Construction to develop structural designs, life cycle assessments, and cost estimates for commercial buildings built in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.
Working across four structure systems - reinforced concrete, steel, mass timber, and timber-hybrid - the project team developed schematic-level design, cost estimates, and regionally specific carbon data to reveal clear insights. /Read the Report
The Bentway Phase 1 LCA Strategy, Certification
Working with The Bentway, Ha/f Climate Design assessed Phase 1’s design and materials to understand their carbon footprint. The study found that concrete and paving are key sources of emissions, while green spaces store carbon. For future phases, the report recommends recycled materials, low-carbon alternatives, and nature-based solutions to create more sustainable and resilient public spaces.
Ha/f’s analysis supports The Bentway’s commitment to creating more climate-resilient and sustainable public spaces, while providing a valuable blueprint for reducing carbon impacts in urban infrastructure projects.