Giaimo

Did you know you can regrade salvaged lumber!? Or that you can cut your energy bill by 80% by just upgrading airtightness!? Or that developing net zero communities makes economic sense!? If you missed our panel hosted by AZURE Media, don’t worry, you can find us here and elsewhere. Ask us, Giaimo, Ouroboros Deconstruction, or TAS_Impact about circularity anytime 🤙

It was an honour to participate at the AZURE Media conference on Climate Change Mitigation in Architecture and Design last week. Our founder Meredith Moore shared the stage with Robert Raynor of TAS_Impact, Kurtis Chen of Make Good, and Joey Giaimo, OAA, MRAIC, CAHP of Giaimo, to talk about the need for a shift from linear thinking to circular systems, where REUSE becomes first priority. It's so inspiring to be surrounded by colleagues who are committed to the concept of reuse at the heart of the circular economy. Thanks to all of our fellow panelists for your contributions to this important movement!

Last week as part of AZURE Media's Human/Nature climate conference, Joey Giaimo, OAA, MRAIC, CAHP presented The Hermant Building Transformation as part of the session "Doing Less: Scales of Reuse". Reuse is at the core of this 90,000sq.ft. interior retrofit and exterior restoration project. The transformation inherently leverages the buildings embodied carbon, and all interventions sought to minimize new material use. Where the original scope requested window replacement, Giaimo instead assessed the windows and determined that only 24 of the 216 required replacement, while all others were restored. The building transformation recognizes that the project does not end, it will continue on through maintenance, disrepair, and new tenants, and will consume accordingly. But we don’t have limitless resources. The updated layouts are thus designed to ensure future renovations will be less carbon intensive by providing base building conditions and tenant guidelines that require minimal intervention. The session also included presentations by Meredith Moore Ouroboros Deconstruction, Robert Raynor TAS_Impact, moderated by Kurtis Chen highlighting the many design alternatives to unnecessary demolition in a climate crisis. (Photo by Joseph Flett). https://lnkd.in/ecxJxPpv

In Toronto we’re faced with significant loss of historic brick through demolition - wasting the embodied carbon of buildings, disregarding the craftsmanship and labour that goes into materials, and diminishing the cultural heritage of our city. For AZURE Media Human/Nature climate conference at George Brown College, Giaimo and Arcana Restoration have collaborated on a salvaged brick display, highlighting the benefits of building and material reuse and encouraging designers and city-builders to shift towards seeing “waste” as a resource. If you’re at the conference today come say hi!

We’ve all heard of the 3 R’s—reduce, reuse, recycle—but how do they apply to something as complex as a building? And how can we implement them at a meaningful scale to reduce construction’s environmental impact? Join Make Good’s Kurtis Chen in conversation with Robert Raynor of TAS_Impact, Joey Giaimo of Giaimo, and Meredith Moore of Ourboros Deconstruction at the Human/Nature conference by AZURE Media, where they’ll discuss how these principles are being put into practice today.

🏆 Congratulations to Giaimo and Joey Giaimo, OAA, MRAIC, CAHP who received an Award of Merit for their work on the Rockwood Academy. Thank you for your outstanding contributions in safeguarding Canada’s rich heritage for future generations. - 🏆 Félicitations à Giaimo et Joey Giaimo, OAA, MRAIC, CAHP qui ont reçu un prix du mérite pour leur travail sur l'Académie Rockwood. Nous vous remercions pour votre contribution exceptionnelle à la sauvegarde du riche patrimoine du Canada pour des générations futures. #HeritageConservation #CAHP2024 #HeritageAwards #PreservingHistory

Joey Giaimo, OAA, MRAIC, CAHP will be a speaker as part of the session Doing Less: Scales of Reuse on Friday, October 25, 11:30-12:30, alongside speakers Meredith Moore(Ouroborous Deconstruction), Robert Raynor (TAS), and moderated by Kurtis Chen (Make Good). Climate advocates across industries are calling for a shift from linear thinking to circular systems and reduced consumption. For designers, architects, developers, city-builders, contractors, and planners, this means we must work with what already exists and see the creative potential in doing so. The concepts of both reuse and circularity in architecture are not new, and the environmental and cultural benefits of both are well researched and documented. Unfortunately, reuse is rarely applied in practice in Canada, due to concerns and challenges related, but not limited, to: financial costs, feasibility misconceptions, lack of policy, creative ownership, and knowledge of how to work with the existing. Appeal to novelty, planned obsolescence, and hyper-consumerism are also factors that result in the city-building industry favouring demolition and new construction. This session will thus focus on navigating these daily challenges and offering scalable solutions towards circular construction in Canada. Case studies will include the large-scale retrofit of the historic Hermant Buildings by Giaimo Architects, new net-zero communities by TAS, and pragmatic insights into material salvage by Ouroborous Deconstruction. https://lnkd.in/ecxJxPpv

Giaimo has been engaged by the Municipality of North Grenville to explore potential future uses of the former Oxford Mills Township Hall building as a public facility through community engagement. The former Oxford Mills Township Hall is a National Historic Site of Canada and also designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. Built in 1875 as the Oxford Mills Township Hall, the building later became a branch of the North Grenville Public Library. Since 1998, the 2-storey building has mainly been used as a storage facility. For this project, Giaimo will undertake engagement with community interest groups and develop 3 high-level adaptive reuse concepts to present to the public through an in-person open house and online survey. Based on community feedback, a report will be prepared to include recommendations for adaptive reuse. https://lnkd.in/eDkJ2jFY

As a member of AZURE Media's climate conference advisory committee, I’ve had a behind the scenes look at the planned sessions and cannot wait to hear more from this inspiring line-up of speakers. Session themes include circular design, Indigenous urban futures, mass timber, food access and social infrastructure, and more pertinent architecture and design topics. October 24 and 25 in Toronto, hope to see you there!

It's encouraging to see even more advocacy for "using what's already there" ie adaptive reuse and circularity! While not a new concept, as Alex Bozikovic points out "it's important to see a leader of the architecture world [Studio Gang] come down so firmly in favour of self-effacement, economy and efficiency." Also very grateful to see Giaimo and Ha/f Climate Design mentioned in this article for our efforts in supporting greater circularity and reuse in Canada.