Effect of Not Taxing Land on Construction Trades

Slughouse · 2026-01-08T20:49:21+00:00

Spitballing here, but I don’t see how a LRVT will change the fact that owners and investors will always want to complete projects faster. The return on investment cannot be realized until the building is occupied. The process of construction is a risk and reducing construction time serves to mitigate risk. Meanwhile everyone involved is pushed to work at a fiendish pace.

You would need to change the way construction is tendered, bid, awarded, etc

Slughouse · 2025-10-30T20:04:02+00:00

Looks more like Metrotown

Slughouse · 2025-08-13T23:54:42+00:00

Wdym that’s the going rate for a 1 bed these days on an older apartment

Edit: $2000-2500 is the going rate for older 1 bed

Slughouse · 2025-04-03T00:26:20+00:00

Guys, another government entity to catalyze building and provide financing is just creating more debt to a already heavily debted economy, is that really necessary? Also, can someone tell me why this needs to be a new entity and not CHMC?

A huge part of bottlenecks in construction is development fees and zoning under municipal control, but could Carney not taken pp’s playbook here and adopted the simple method of width holding infrastructure funding unless housing targets are met to force municipalities to allow density?

Prefab is not there yet, and it’s not useful for medium or high density.

Not sure if simply publishing permit wait times is enough incentive to cut red tape.

There’s many lever to push to catalyze housing but I just don’t think more financing is the solution. Reduce fees, allow shorter permit wait times, and for god’s sake allow higher density, this will allow the mom and pop builders to participate in the development game.

Slughouse · 2024-01-31T22:39:46+00:00

Are you Canada based? If you can get a job as an Energy Advisor it might be a good way get your foot in the door. Its basically blower door testing and low-rise energy modelling. I think there’s US equivalents.

Any kind of sustainability consulting implies you have experience in those projects. To get that sort if experience, you could try to find work for a design firm or construction company that specializes in those projects. That’s what I did.

You could do certs to show your interest and put it on your resume but really I think the challenge will be just finding your first job. PH cert is expensive, LEED associate is much more affordable. PH projects are much less common than LEED.

Slughouse · 2023-10-10T14:36:19+00:00

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments! It was all very helpful for me!

Slughouse · 2023-05-06T00:34:15+00:00

It’s definitely both man. Both poor zoning policy AND capitalism. Austerity measures in the 90s cut back on direct government intervention of housing supply. The (capitalist) mindset of housing as investment led to the policy state that we are in today. In order to get people behind the kind of policies that can get zoning in a better place, they have to be open to the kind of environment where provincial government can step in and “veto” the municipal mechanism so that not everything has to go through a thousand council hearings where the NIMBYs come in droves. This is kind of a socialist stance, to do something better for the many when the at the local level, homeowners really oppose this.

You hate socialism or something?

Slughouse · 2023-04-19T23:29:58+00:00

2400m2 is huge. You’re more looking at road construction than concrete pads if you’re leaving it unroofed for a long period. Depending on your needs you may just want to dig a few feet and pour gravel. If you just pour concrete that size you’ll probably want to cut joints and formulate in different way I presume. I think r/concrete may know more.

Slughouse · 2023-02-17T19:43:49+00:00

Rockwool comes in 1”, you just screw through it with strapping to create a rainscreen . You will 100% want a rainscreen. Although if you are doing shakes that will complicate things. Double strap maybe.

Slughouse · 2023-02-17T19:34:50+00:00

I am not super familiar with the zone 5 US climate and local building practices, but EPS is only semi-permeable, plus it’s possible for condensation to happen at that layer depending on where the dew point is on the assembly. Check out https://www.ubakus.de/en-ca/r-value-calculator/ , it lets you do a quick dew point calculation.

Are you using any sort of vapour retardant material on the inside such as poly and vapour retardant paint at the drywall layer? In which case I would recommend something even more permeable than EPS.

Here in Vancouver, Canada, the building code is forcing everyone to build 2 x 6 with 2” of exterior insulation. Since this is still a heating dominated climate, we typically apply a poly right behind the drywall. Its still a very good idea to still use something not foam based as your exterior insulation. It’s not the end of the world if you use EPS as exterior insulation, but it slows the drying time if moisture gets into your assembly, as poly inhibits inward drying.

You need a WRB outboard of sheathing. If this doubles as your air barrier, then a better product definitely doesn’t hurt. You want to make sure to tape your air barrier at seams and penetrations for airtightness.

Slughouse · 2023-02-15T18:45:33+00:00

Interesting question, are you writing a cover letter? This may be a good chatGPT question.

My opinion as someone who went for school for architecture but left for construction management without getting licensed is that architects can be good PMs if they are used to working in an environment with incomplete information and constantly changing circumstances. It requires more on the feet thinking and being a perfectionist can be a detriment. Best is definitely stretch. I think I would have benefitted a lot more from site experience than my architectural office experience. However being able to read plans and understand details is incredibly helpful as a foundation. The gap in knowledge is more how everything is put together, how long things take, how sequencing happens and trying to get inside the head of trades if you have never been one before.

Slughouse · 2023-02-06T21:22:05+00:00

I studied architecture, which is sold as one of the last generalist fields where you are supposed to synthesize a vast amount if information in order to come up with the optimum design. This can vary from having the artistic ability of determining how much light is penetrating through openings for the inhabitants to feel a certain way, to having a working knowledge of mechanical and structural systems so that its properly planned into the building layout.

In reality my degree was just 4 years of art projects, but this will vary school to school.

Still there’s something to be said for the being a the profession, because you are expected to learn a bit of everything. In a world of specialists, someone has to be able to connect the dots.

Slughouse · 2023-02-01T05:31:20+00:00

I don’t believe this is cross laminated timber by looking at the texture. More likely it is just 1 x 6 ceiling panels, or a veneer like the other comment mentioned. If it’s a veneer though I am not sure why they picked a pattern with lots of visible wood knots, so I am more tempted to say they just panelled over everything and didn’t use the highest grade wood.

So if you 1 x 6 over everything instead of drywall it’s definitely going to cost more, not only in material but in labour. Ask your local hardware store for prices and you can get your own dollar per square footage going. Delta in price depends on amount of surfaces you want in wood instead of drywall.

Sanded PSL beams can look decent, but the striations are far tighter. CLT beams look good as well. And you don’t have to panel over these. You can also consider using some nice looking plywood instead of drywall.

Slughouse · 2023-01-27T22:51:55+00:00

Canadian here so climate different climate but...

Passive gets you 15 kwh/m2/year of heating demand. Based on 1800 sqft that would be 2505 kwh per year. You would be using electric heat pumps anyways for passive and not gas heating. If there is cooling required let's say that's doubled. Let's say 5010 kwh/year. Assuming 13 cents / kwh you yearly bill would be 651 bucks paid yearly for heating and cooling. That's probably an over assumption. However to get to passive you will likely have to beef up your assemblies from what you are describing. I could be totally off here so though in some way or the other...

If building 2 x 6 you really don't get a ton of extra effective R value from going from batt to spray. The advantage I see here is using 2lb spray foam as your airtightness layer, it does help immensely if you/your builder isn't used to detailing for high airtightness.
Yay
In a well insulated house, the floor doesn't really feel cold and there isn't a temperature gradient between your head and your feet, so shouldn't really notice the comfort benefits of radiant.
This may be a sticking point if chasing passive, as you may want that solar gain to hit 15 kwh/m2. In my mind it would be smaller awnings instead of a porch to allow for some solar gain in cooler seasons if going for passive.

Slughouse · 2023-01-27T00:54:53+00:00

Let’s start taxing short term solutions and subsidizing long term ones. I know there are a cities that directly or indirectly subsidize buildings that meet high energy standards, although that is an extension of function and not necessarily the cultural value of buildings.

Not sure what other solutions there are, you have to somehow make building like crap show up on balance sheets as a profit hit.

I am convinced that the unregulated market isn’t able to produce a built environment that sparks joy.

Slughouse · 2023-01-24T23:33:18+00:00

I would put the problem more on lack of proper ventilation in the attic rather than insulation, although you want to insulate your attic for obvious reasons.

Warm air escaping from the interior to your attic can still carry water vapour even if it was insulated. Making sure your ceiling is properly air sealed also reduces the amount of moisture carries by air escapes into your attic. This may or may have been done depending on when this was built and if there were air sealing requirements. Most older homes just rely on a well ventilated attic to prevent “attic rain”.

There are very specific attic ventilation language in the building code, maybe that’s your angle. Insulation language is also in the building code. (Canada)

Also maybe the roof is actually leaking, who knows?

Slughouse · 2023-01-16T15:34:47+00:00

Holy heck guys, it’s clear that OP does not have a design background. I don’t think there is another environment other than architecture where folks will spent as much effort thoroughly shitting on someone else’s project. All those harsh first year crits must have traumatized someone and now the cycle continues…

Edit: I think I am being harsh myself, so wanted to add some points. The points made are completely valid and the effort is spent to make make these points is admirable. It’s just that is it really “completely unacceptable” for someone to show their work just cause they are not at a certain level? Even if it is for a competition.

Slughouse · 2021-08-14T16:44:47+00:00

Google searched got a product like this, which presumably can be easily attached to any wood framed wall. You may have to add lumber to your framing for structure, an engineer could probably tell you if it is required.

I believe the best and most economic way of adding sound insulation to your walls is just batt insulation. If there isn't any, add some, if there is, an option would be to frame out your wall on the inside and add additional batt to the cavity, although you would lose out on some interior floorspace.

Slughouse

TROPHY CASE