2025 Building for Sustainability Symposium
On November 6 & 7, 2025, industry leaders, innovators, and sustainability champions gathered at the Malcolm Hotel in Canmore, Alberta, for another successful Sustainability Symposium in the heart of the Bow Valley.
Hosted by the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley and the Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association (BOWDA) for the third year in a row, the event brought together a powerful mix of perspectives from across the building, development, sustainability and public sectors.
👉 Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley
👉 BOWDA
With a dynamic program of field experiences, expert insights, and forward-thinking discussions, this year’s Symposium delivered both inspiration and practical strategies for shaping a more resilient built environment.
A Dynamic Program Rooted in Real-World Impact
The Symposium brought together a rich and diverse program designed to bridge theory and practice. Attendees had the opportunity to explore seven immersive field trips, each showcasing outstanding sustainability initiatives across the Bow Valley—including two projects we were proud to help bring to life.
Canmore’s Greenest Home
This just-completed, all-electric, net-zero-ready Passive House is built atop a reclaimed coal mine and represents a leading example of high-performance residential design. Designed with resilience in mind, the home includes wildfire-conscious exterior detailing and fire-resistant bamboo composite decking.
Collaboration between HSS Design Build and Bow Crow Design.
Canmore’s Greenest Home
Sustainable Design: Where Performance Meets Aesthetics
This deep energy retrofit project in Canmore demonstrates how high performance and thoughtful design can work hand in hand. The retrofit significantly improves energy efficiency and occupant comfort through upgrades such as high-performance windows and doors suited for cold climates, an in-floor radiant heating system, an air-to-water heat pump, new exterior insulation, and a dedicated energy recovery ventilator (ERV). The home is transitioning fully off gas, with solar photovoltaic panels planned to generate clean electricity
Collaboration between HSS Design Build and Hereby Architecture.
Deep Energy Retrofit with Lightwell. Render by Hereby Architects
These on-the-ground experiences highlighted how climate-conscious design and construction are already making a tangible difference in communities.
The event also featured two compelling keynote presentations that set the tone for the days ahead:
Climate-Ready Buildings: Integrating Sustainability and Resilience with Dr. Anabela Bonada of the Intact Centre for Climate Resilience explored how buildings must evolve to meet increasing climate risks while maintaining long-term performance.
Why Sustainability Pays Off — Economically and Beyond with Jonathan Westeinde, CEO of Windmill Developments, demonstrating the strong business case for sustainable development, reinforcing that environmental responsibility and financial success can go hand in hand! Something we were very much excited to see!
Adding to the depth of the program was a thought-provoking panel discussion, How to Incentivize Building for Sustainability, hosted by Marissa Koop, Sustainability & Environment Lead at B&A Studios. The conversation brought together diverse perspectives on policy, market drivers, and the future of sustainable building incentives.
With 17 value-packed workshops, participants engaged in hands-on learning, knowledge exchange, and collaborative problem-solving across a wide range of topics—from energy performance to resilient design strategies.
Our Presence: Driving Innovation in Retrofit Solutions
As a proud sponsor, HSS Design Build was thrilled to play an active role in this year’s Symposium. Our booth became a hub for meaningful conversations, where we connected with industry peers, shared ideas, and explored opportunities to accelerate sustainable transformation in the built environment.
A key highlight of our participation was Joe Hopkins presenting insights from our recent research on PEER (Prefab Exterior Energy Retrofit) based on two Deep Energy Retrofit projects we are currently working on in the Bow valley. Joe demonstrated the real-world potential for achieving significant energy reductions in existing buildings—an essential step in meeting climate targets. This forward-thinking approach is designed to streamline retrofit processes while maximizing performance outcomes. By leveraging prefabrication, PEER offers a scalable, efficient, and less disruptive pathway to upgrading building envelopes—helping owners and communities transition to high-performance buildings faster than ever before.
The response from attendees was very positive, with strong interest in how these solutions can be applied across a variety of building types and climates.
👉Watch Recording: Sustainable Home Retrofits: Wood Fiber Prefabricated Exterior Energy Retrofit
Joe Hopkin - Building for Sustainability Symposium
Supporting Teams on the Ground
One aspect of the Symposium that our team especially appreciated was the availability of half-day tickets, which made it easier for our site team members to attend while balancing active project commitments. This flexible option allowed them to participate in hands-on presentations and practical sessions, bringing back valuable, immediately applicable insights to improve work on-site.
Providing access to this kind of targeted, real-world learning is essential for empowering teams in the field—and we were pleased to see the Symposium support that need so effectively.
HSS Design Build Team attending 2025 Building for Sustainability Symposium
Looking Ahead
The 2025 Sustainability Symposium reinforced a clear message: collaboration, innovation, and action are essential to building a climate-resilient future. From inspiring keynotes to practical workshops and in-depth conversations, the event highlighted the momentum already underway - and the critical role each of us plays in accelerating progress.
We’re grateful to have been part of such a dynamic and impactful gathering and look forward to continuing the conversations sparked in Canmore in beyond!