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Minto Communites GTA
October 7, 2020

Minto Communities GTA is awarded prestigious EnerQuality Award for the first high-rise air leakage testing pilot program in Ontario

Adding to an already successful awards season, Minto Communities GTA has been recognized with a 2020 EnerQuality Award in the Building Innovation category for a forward-thinking Air Tightness Testing Pilot project at their Yorkville high-rise Minto Yorkville Park. Undertaking this pilot project, Minto Communities GTA is the first developer in Ontario to complete a baseline measurement for high-rise air leakage, with plans to incorporate findings from the testing process into future projects. While air tightness testing for high-rise buildings is not practiced or mandatory in Ontario or the GTA, it offers a range of benefits to residents and building performance such as energy consumption levels.

“It is an honour to be recognized by the 2020 EnerQuality Awards for Building Innovation for our Air Tightness Testing Pilot project,” says Agnieszka Wlochm, Vice President Development, Minto Communities GTA. “We’re really proud we completed some of the first air tightness testing for high-rises in the GTA, and we look forward to continuing to push the envelope and leading the charge when it comes to green building.”

Through this process, the building’s barrier where thick plastic is installed to prevent leakage is tested for its effectiveness. Together, Minto Communities GTA in partnership with experts from RDH Building Science completed guarded air tightness testing, which involves isolating individual floors and capturing air leakage through the building enclosure only. 

The test floor and the floors above and below are pressurized and depressurized identically throughout the process. 

“Testing the air tightness of a building is an important metric because it helps us understand its longevity over the years as it’s used, as well as the comfort of residents in their homes,” says David Robins, Division President, Minto Communities GTA. “We decided to do our air tightness testing at Minto Yorkville Park during construction, which allows us to make improvements while we’re still completing our work. We were really pleased to see results well below standard rates in regulated municipalities, showing us our build quality and material selection meet our own high expectations.” 

Minto Yorkville Park is a luxury 25 storey high-rise tower recently completed in the heart of the Yorkville community. Though this was the first time Minto Communities GTA has completed air tightness testing, Minto Yorkville Park performed extremely well, meeting current standards in Washington State where air leakage is regulated. 

The 2020 EnerQuality Building Innovation Award is the latest in a series of wins and nominations for Minto Communities GTA, who has experienced a celebrated award season throughout the year. Additional wins include top recognition at the 2020 Canadian Home Builder’s Association (CHBA) National Awards for Housing Excellence for Mid to High-Rise Condo or Apartment Project (planned) for downtown Toronto development The Saint, Brochure/Kit for fellow downtown Toronto development 123 Portland, and several Durham Region Home Builder’s (DRHBA) awards for Whitby development Ivy Ridge including three wins in Home Design Excellence. Minto Communities GTA was also recently nominated for 13 Ontario Homebuilder’s Association Awards (OHBA) including High-Rise Project of the Year for 123 Portland. Always a leader in giving back and community involvement, Minto Communities GTA also prioritized a robust COVID-19 support campaign, donating to numerous charitable, non-profit organizations and vulnerable groups throughout 2020.