Amphibious Architecture Rising with the Tide Crafting the Future, Preserving the Past VENTURE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES Where Prosperity leads to Progression BUILDING TRADES EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION apeiron-construction.com | JULY 2023We create boundless opportunity With a wealth of experience in reporting, content creation and publishing, Apeiron Media, Inc – publisher of Apeiron Construction – was set up with a clear vision to shine a light on pioneering organizations and professionals throughout the construction industry. We take a nuanced approach to storytelling and our clients benefit from a comprehensive integrated marketing opportunity through our detailed suite of online media. Apeiron Construction delivers stories from across the industry to offer high-end, thought provoking content to our readers. Conducting fascinating in-depth interviews with industry leading Executives, Managers, Presidents and CEOs allows us to gain insight and perspective while having the privilege of telling impactful stories. Our unique approach to content creation allows us to gain expert commentary on an ever-changing industry, from the people that know it best. As a media platform, we believe that our world is boundless. We want to share this world with our clients. W elcome to the July edition of Apeiron Construction. Having reached the halfway point on for the year, it is time to take a step back and restock. Workers across North America will soon be taking vacations, recharg- ing their batteries so that they can drive headlong into the second half of 2023. While this may mean that jobsites will slow down, that is not necessarily the case. The construction industry that has shown great flexibility and adaptability in recent years with good reason. For example, the recession that has been spoken about since last year has not yet pierced the armor of the industry. Though some say it is still looming, experts believe that construction has an inherent resilience that may well protect it from whatever comes. Despite the negative predictions from some quarters, it seems as though the spirit and determination of those working with the con- struction industry has a fortifying effect. In this issue, we are thrilled to bring you many examples of this spirit. Across North America, jobsites are buzzing with skill and innovation. We have the stories that shine a light on them. We take a look at how a circular economy can have transformative effects on a project, how science and con- struction can meet to produce breathable blocks and units, and how construction can play an enormous part in saving those at the greatest risk of floods. Alongside that, we share stories from some of the most inventive and forward-thinking companies working today. We are now at the half-way point. For those working in the industry, holidays can wait. As always, we are delighted to share the best of our industry. Thanks for reading! | 3 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION A note from our Chief Editor APEIRON-CONSTRUCTION.COM APEIRONMEDIAINC.COM CHIEF EDITOR SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DIRECTOR OF SALES CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER DAVID O’NEILL COLIN O’NEILL | PETER SWALE CHARLIE MCCANN | MARK PETERS DARAGH KIERNAN | MARCO GUANNUE | PRINCE ANTHONY AOIFE CHANEY | FIONA SHERIDAN | MANUELA ARMINI ERIC O’CALLAGHAN | EMMA KILCAWLEY HEMANI KAYLA BROWN LINDSAY BAILEY ALEX MULVEYCities are sinking. As catastrophic and alarming as this thought is, it is not necessarily something that is new to scientists and engineers. In fact, when we consider that Venice, the most famous of these sinking cities has navigated this issue through an inventive and lucrative tourist industry, we can take a step back and view it for what it really is. In general terms, Subsidence is the downward vertical movement of the Earth’s surface. 8 Amphibious Architecture – Rising with the Tide12 Crafting the Future, Preserving the Past VENTURE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES 18 A Job Well Done WELLDONE, INC 24 From Humble Beginnings to Industry Leaders GTA GENERAL CONTRACTORS 30 A Roof Over Everyone’s Head NORTEX ROOFING 6 3 Positive News Stories 34 BlocPower – The Building Blocks of Green Equality 38 Where Prosperity Leads to Progression BUILDING TRADES EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION 42 Paving a Safe & Trustworthy Road Forward BOTHAR CONSTRUCTION 48 Success through Dedication and Strength CELTIC SHEET METAL 54 Deconstruction – The Art of Care 58 Steel Manufacturing with Human Intelligence AMERICASE FABRICATION AND CONSTRUCTION 62 Forward Thinking SELETECH ELECTRICAL ENTERPRISES 68 Net Negative – The New Challenge 72 Redefining Usable Space PENGUIN BASEMENTS 5 | APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWith all that is happening around us, it can be easy to miss some of the advancements that are being made in the construction industry. Let’s shine a light on some good news stories that are making our world a little better. Simulated Hurricanes Buildings, in general terms, are very well designed. Much work, skill and forethought goes into every aspect of their design and construction. From materials and orientation to structure, shape, and composition, rarely are any stones left unturned. It is only when the unpredictable aspect of natural weather events become involved that the situation can become slightly more dangerous. In the U.S., flooding, hurricanes, and earthquakes are very real considerations that can greatly impact the longevity of a building. Being able to withstand these events would truly become a gamechanger. A recently published study has used a combination of AI and hundreds of years of data to assist engineers and architects in the intricate nature of simulations. By analyzing and collating historical data, these simulations can predict the direction, location, and intensity of future storms which then feeds into the development of improved building codes in hurricane-prone regions. Rather than mathematically ‘building’ a storm model, as was the traditional method, the machine was taught to mimic actual hurricanes. Adan Pintar, a NIST mathematical statistician and study co-author said, “imagine you had a second Earth, or a thousand Earths, where you could observe hurricanes for 100 years and see where they hit on the coast, how intense they are. Those sim- ulated storms, if they behave like real hurricanes, can be used to create the data in the maps almost directly.” shorturl.at/hlmLM | 6 JULY 2023The Buildings Show NOV 29 - DEC 1, 2023 | TORONTO, ON informaconnect.com/the-buildings-show Plant Fiber Kudzu was first brought to America in 1876 for the Phila- delphia Centennial Expo. An ornamental plant with sweet smelling flowers, it grew popular as both a forage crop and a solution to soil erosion. Having subsequently been declared a pest weed in 1953 due to its invasive nature, it is safe to say that the growing didn’t stop in Philly. Rather alarmingly, Kudzu grows around a foot per day and can cover around 150,000 acres annually which, for the people of Tennessee and its surrounding states, is a significant problem. After Architecture is an architectural studio founded in 2012. Its goal is to repurpose invasive species as construction materials both as a response to the problematic plants and the pre-existing challenges of sustainable construction. Katie MacDonald and Kyle Schumann are the architects behind the company. For them, Kudzu is the perfect choice for the latest project. “We were thinking about the hardiness. It’s really a persistent material — that’s what made it such a challenging invasive species. It’s really hard to cut away, it rolls so fast, it entangles itself with things,” said MacDonald. “We used it as basically fibrous and loose wall assembly, and it was kind of similar to the idea of OSB (oriented strand board) which is a really standard building material.” after-architecture.com Smart Windows Reactive glass is nothing new. People have carried it in the lenses of their glasses for many years. The ability to respond to natural light and darken when it in direct sunlight is a neat, yet normal trick. However, the science behind these glasses is considerably more interesting, and the potential for truly transformative products may just be upon us. The glass itself is coated in thermochromic materials. When in contact with sunlight, molecules are rearranged to darken the glass and block glare. Research is now underway to find materials that block both light, and heat, which would have a considerable impact on the heating and cooling of buildings. While that particular solution is yet to be discovered, other sig- nificant developments have already taken place. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have success- fully managed to great window applications that tint in the sunlight while also generating electricity. By placing a film of a solar-cell called perovskites over the glass, the window reacts in fascinating ways. According to researchers, the potential for reducing energy consumption is enormous. “The work demonstrates the extraordinary promise of per- ovskites to reduce building energy consumption and mitigate climate change without sacrificing the architectural freedom of glazing.” nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38353-4 | 7 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 8 JULY 2023WRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL C ities are sinking. As catastrophic and alarming as this thought is, it is not necessarily something that is new to scientists and engineers. In fact, when we consider that Venice, the most famous of these sinking cities has navigated this issue through an inventive and lucrative tourist industry, we can take a step back and view it for what it really is. In general terms, Subsidence is the downward vertical movement of the Earth’s surface. Caused by both natural and human activities, it is a common and well-known geological feature that is a natural, and perfectly normal part of house building. Research has long been studying the effects of subsidence on large-scale built-up areas such as cities. It stands to reason that, with skylines expanding continuously, the effects on the surface below may also be changing. Editorial credit: George Wirt / Shutterstock.com | 9 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >