Canada's Housing Crisis: Challenges & Solutions

This session explores how heat pumps can play a much larger role in Ontario’s energy system than simply improving efficiency at the building level. As electrification accelerates, concerns around peak demand continue to grow, yet emerging research points to a different opportunity. By aligning heat pump operation with periods of low grid demand, these systems can help fill the valleys rather than contribute to the peaks.

Drawing on recent findings from Navius Research, this presentation will examine how widespread adoption of heat pumps, particularly when paired with thermal storage, can reshape load profiles and significantly reduce winter peak demand. A key focus will be on the role of phase change materials, which enable buildings to store thermal energy and shift when heating loads occur without sacrificing comfort.

A central theme of the talk is selecting the right heat pump for the job. This includes exploring not only what technologies are available, but more importantly why certain systems are better suited to specific applications. Considerations such as load matching, system design, and integration with hydronic distribution will be discussed in the context of both building performance and grid impact.

Through real world examples and practical design insights, this session will demonstrate how thoughtful selection and integration of heat pumps and advanced storage strategies can transform buildings into flexible energy assets, supporting a more resilient, efficient, and balanced grid.

Michael Ridler

Owner, Eden Energy Equipment Ltd

Raised in an HVAC family business, Michael developed an early understanding of mechanical systems that shaped a lifelong career in the industry. Today, as General Manager at Eden Energy Equipment, he works closely with contractors, engineers, and building professionals to advance high-performance HVAC solutions. Passionate about technology, innovation, and mentorship, he actively supports industry development through writing for Plumbing+HVAC Magazine, presenting on emerging technologies, and volunteering with organizations such as CIPH and IGSHPA. With a background that also includes software development, he brings a unique perspective on how new technologies and smarter mechanical systems can improve building performance and energy outcomes.

Drawing on the design of hundreds of high-performance affordable housing units in recent years, Diamond Schmitt Architects have established a clear, evidence-based pathway to delivering resilient, energy-efficient, and comfortable homes for residents and families.

In the first part of this session, Arne Suraga will present the findings of a comprehensive study commissioned by Ottawa Community Housing. Diamond Schmitt conducted detailed energy modelling and a total cost of ownership analysis on a prototype building, evaluating five distinct energy performance scenarios. The study compares the Total Cost of Building Ownership over a 60-year lifecycle, offering practical insight into how performance targets influence long-term operational costs, capital planning, and asset resilience.

The second part of the presentation will translate strategy into practice. Attendees will explore how high-performance goals are realized through integrated envelope and mechanical systems design, carried through construction documentation, and executed on site. This session will provide property owners, housing providers, and project teams with a practical framework for aligning sustainability ambitions with financial responsibility and long-term building performance.

Arne Suraga

Diamond Schmitt Architects

Throughout his career, Arne has been engaged on projects of truly varied scales: From temporary pavilions through to multi-tower developments, but his attention to detail and design are central to them all. His portfolio of experience includes a broad range of building typologies, from institutional academic facilities and residential projects, through to commercial spaces and installations. Arne joined Diamond Schmitt Architects in 2013, and is currently in the role of Senior Associate. He became a Certified Passive House Designer in 2017. Developing designs with high-performance goals and clear sustainable objectives is a key element of his design ethos, leading him to design buildings that meet the Passive House Standard, Zero Carbon Building and Net Zero Energy in the residential, institutional and academic sectors. He has been a regular presenter at both national and provincial conferences, including being featured in the Globe and Mail for his work on high-performance affordable housing.

Low‑rise, multi‑tenant commercial buildings are increasingly being converted into emergency shelters in Toronto. Although modest in scale, these buildings present significant retrofit challenges due to shallow roof assemblies, limited ceiling and plenum space, discontinuous air barriers, and structural systems not designed for continuous occupancy or elevated ventilation rates. These constraints are compounded by requirements to meet Net Zero performance objectives, increased air changes per hour to reduce infectious disease transmissivity, and Toronto Accessibility Design Guidelines, often under accelerated delivery timelines.
 
This presentation examines these challenges through the lens of a two‑storey former multi‑tenant commercial building converted into an emergency shelter, drawing on many years of experience in structural restoration and building renovations. The session focuses on how envelope upgrades, HVAC retrofits, and architectural modifications must be coordinated when performance expectations significantly exceed the building’s original design intent. Particular attention is given to low‑rise, roof‑dominated enclosures, where ventilation strategies, pressurization control, and moisture management are tightly interconnected.

Rather than a discipline‑specific technical deep dive, the presentation emphasizes how performance targets are established, prioritized, and validated in shelter retrofit projects. Topics include setting realistic airtightness and compartmentalization goals, aligning high‑ACH ventilation strategies with enclosure durability, understanding the structural implications of new mechanical systems, and recognizing how accessibility upgrades influence planning and system routing. The session concludes with key project management considerations essential to achieving durable, healthy, and energy‑efficient retrofit outcomes.

Brett Tersigni

Brett Tersigni is a structural restoration engineer with over 10 years of experience specializing in the assessment, repair, and rehabilitation of existing buildings. His work is focused on renovation, retrofit, and adaptive re‑use projects, where he helps extend service life, manage deterioration, and integrate new uses into aging structures. Based in Toronto, Brett is particularly engaged in projects involving legacy building stock, where uncertainty, phased construction, and real‑world constraints require a pragmatic, experience‑driven approach to structural restoration.

When he’s not chasing cracks, corrosion, or construction schedules, Brett is a devoted supporter of all Toronto sports teams—through thick, thin, and “rebuilding years”—though his heart belongs first and foremost to the Toronto Blue Jays. In his spare time, he enjoys attending live concerts, digging through record bins, and growing collections of vinyl records and board games that have long since passed 300 of each.