CUSP Update!
A new semester started and the students are ready to continue with their Net Zero projects. After the Christmas break, the CUSP class started by providing feedback to the students on their proposals and individual reflections. It was important for them to understand what they could have done better to improve their future reports. In our first class, we also had the chance to plan for this semester and organize a schedule for the students’ work and future field trips. The students had a say on the places they want to visit and the people they want to meet as they know what will be the most beneficial for their projects.
During the following week, we had our first guest speaker of the term, Derek Satnik who is the Vice-President of Technology at s2e Technologies Inc. S2e Technologies is a development company located at St. Jacobs, Ontario which is interested in providing sustainable energy solutions in the region. His talk was very informative as he helped the students understand the importance of Ontario green laws, the municipal role in building Net Zero in the region and how developers can adapt to sustainable solutions.
Based on his research study (https://s2etech.com/fcm-gmf/) on middle-sized growing cities (London, Kitchener, Waterloo and Kingston), their team concluded that the role of municipalities in promoting sustainable projects should be based on three factors: technical questions (feasibility of Net Zero), financial (who will pay?) and policy viability (legality of projects). His talk was relevant because he also explained how developers work with the municipalities and how specific situations affect developers’ and builders’ ideas and projects. For example, social issues like immigration should be considered by developers as this will affect the density of the city.
One of the key lessons is to improve communications between builders and planners so everyone can be on the same page. In his talk, he also explained that in order to make a real change in the industry we need both “living buildings” for inspiration and other in-depth programs that provide the basis for long-term transformations. The students’ projects aim to contribute to the long-term promotion of green durable solutions in Cambridge.
This term the students will have to prepare their final report which will include all their findings and recommendations and that will address the requirements of the City in their Request for Proposal. We are all excited to see the students’ final projects!