How CF teams are helping driving drive decarbonization efforts in Vancouver
It’s these efforts that are safeguarding the vibrancy of our communities for the future, ensuring that the visible work of community building can continue to thrive.
As city builders on a mission to transform communities for a vibrant tomorrow, Cadillac Fairview (CF) leads the way in creating iconic destinations and meaningful experiences across its properties.
These efforts are often visible, but some of the most impactful work happens behind-the-scenes through innovative solutions addressing climate change. It’s these efforts that are safeguarding the vibrancy of our communities for the future, ensuring that the visible work of community building can continue to thrive.
While the technical attributes of such initiatives are varied and complex, for Barney Andersen and his team at Pacific Centre Offices, the reason for doing the work is simple: it’s the right thing to do.
“Many of us want to make sure our jobs are fulfilling a bigger social purpose,” said Barney, Senior Manager, Operations, Pacific Centre Offices. “At CF, all of our work falls under the greater company-wide purpose, Transforming Communities For a Vibrant Tomorrow, which inspires and motivates each one of us to do our part.”
Barney joined CF in 2018 as an Operations Manager at Pacific Centre, overseeing four office towers. In 2021, he was promoted to Senior Operations Manager, expanding his responsibilities to include eight office towers and one of Canada’s highest-performing shopping centres, CF Pacific Centre. Throughout his career, Barney has received strong support and encouragement from management to pursue his career objectives and bolster his leadership within the organization. Today, Barney oversees a team of professionals who are committed to advancing CF’s sustainability strategy.
In 2022, teams at the Pacific Centre and Waterfront Properties office complexes in downtown Vancouver embarked on a series of bold projects to reduce carbon emissions. The process, called “decarbonization,” included innovative solutions like heat recovery, thermal storage, load reduction and electrification.
Key to the decarbonization initiatives is the involvement of our building Operations teams. Their knowledge of the properties and the systems is crucial during the design stage of these projects, requiring the team to own their expertise every day.
“It’s one thing for a consultant to look at drawings, spec sheets and equipment lists to determine the best approach,” said Barney. “For Operations, owning your expertise means knowing your buildings. Our teams understand the nuances of the buildings’ systems, the different tenants, and how they influence building operations, which is really important to delivering an effective plan.”
For Barney and his team, the decarbonization initiatives have been a very “data-intensive” effort that required CF teams to aim higher and exceed expectations, even going beyond the traditional conception of their roles, he said.
“Utility and operations data isn’t sitting nicely in one place where you can just pull it out when you’re looking for utility data or operation sequencing,” he said. “We’ve had to act like archaeologists in gathering and ensuring accuracy of the data needed, and compiling it in a way that is useful for the broader team to use to get the project across the line.”
The efforts help keep the CF’s Vancouver offices in line with—and exceed—the City of Vancouver’s carbon pollution limits for existing large commercial and multi-family buildings. When the projects are complete, emission reductions are projected to be up to 3,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. Beyond this standard, the projects are expected to deliver significant energy-use reductions as well, estimated at 53,000 gigajoules in annual savings.
The project is expected to get across the line within the next few years, with mobilization and design currently underway, and a completion date targeted for October 31, 2026.
“I'm excited about my future with CF and looking forward to taking the steps to achieve my future career aspirations with a company that is committed to making a sustainable difference.”
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