The magazine was launched in 2006, not long after the introduction of the LEED green building rating system to Canada. As momentum developed, Don Griffith (formerly the publisher of Wood Design and Building magazine, sensed a new opportunity opening up. As we had been working closely together for almost 10 years, Don and I developed the SABMag concept together.
We both wanted it to be a ‘How To’ magazine that would focus on completed projects in Canada. This reflected the approach of Wood Design and Building, as well as my preference for the UK Architects’ Journal, the more practical and process oriented companion to the internationally known Architectural Review. This is why we feature construction details wherever possible and focus on the challenges and opportunities that projects address. We also wanted to include practice and technical articles that would help readers stay current with the rapidly evolving green design and construction industry.
In 2008, we launched the Canadian Green Building (SAB) Awards, an annual awards program for completed Canadian projects. Its criteria reflect my own broad interpretation of what sustainability is – not simply the successful application of high performance, energy saving and other ‘hardware’; but also, the ‘software’ of community connection, equity, inclusion, health and wellbeing.
For several years, the holistic submission criteria were well ahead of the game and, although most people now embrace a much broader definition of sustainability, the SAB Awards remain the most rigorous of their kind in the country.
The following sample spreads are available:
Read article on Clayton Community Centre
Read article on Prototype Laneway Housing
Read article on Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation
Read article on Grand Théâtre De Québec: Conservation & Rehabilitation
Read article on Building a New Culture of Care
Read article on Virtual Design and Construction: An Owner's Perspective