This session explores two community-rooted residential projects in Edmonton, Alberta: Urban Green Cohousing, a new values-driven multifamily development, and a mid-century home transformed into three efficient units through a deep energy retrofit. Learn how early collaboration enabled the team to secure financing, navigate complex zoning, and prioritize performance.
Speakers:
Tyler Dixon, Partner, DIALOG
Tyler is a born-and-raised Albertan and passionate architect, focusing his career on addressing quality of life through evolving the discussion of urban infill, repositioning and renovations, housing, and our impact on the environment. As an architectural technologist and architect, Tyler works at all scales and within every aspect of the projects he is involved with. Tyler increased his international exposure by collaborating on a wide range of projects while working for firms in Turkey and Singapore. With strong roots in rural Alberta, Tyler appreciates the opportunity to bring this diversity of experience back to a local context, constantly exploring the historic and future identities of uniquely Albertan architecture. As a Partner in DIALOG’s Edmonton studio, he has the opportunity to realize the outcomes of design decisions alongside a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to improving community well-being and the environment we all share. Tyler believes that community wellbeing starts with a healthy home and has focused his career on exploring housing types ranging from single family dwellings, seniors housing, townhouse developments, mid-rise, and high-rise. He has worked with co-housing groups and cooperatives, private developers, publicly funded groups and institutions, and the general public in various formats to understand the impact of housing on mature neighbourhoods, urban sprawl, social isolation, and true mixed-use. He has led the design of numerous projects in Edmonton and throughout Alberta, including Station Lands, The Citizen on Jasper, and Glenora Park.
Andrea Linsky, Director, Emissions-Neutral Buildings, Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
As Director, Emissions-Neutral Buildings at Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, Andrea Linsky launched  Alberta’s first Emissions-Neutral Building Information Exchange (ENBIX). This platform helps to accelerate a net-zero built environment by breaking down barriers and sharing best practices. She also leads the Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator, a federally funded program to support building owners and industry through deep energy retrofits in Alberta.  Previously at the City of Edmonton, Andrea mapped a pathway to carbon-neutral operations by 2040 and developed policies requiring all new City buildings to be emissions-neutral. Andrea also led the development of one of North America’s first Municipal Carbon Budgets. A Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University and a Master’s of Leadership from Simon Fraser,  Andrea brings over 15 years of experience with energy and emissions reduction in buildings to her work.
Adam Larson, Owner, Zu House
Adam co-owns and operates Zu House and is a leader in high-performance construction in Edmonton, Alberta, with over 30 years of experience building custom infill homes. He specializes in energy-efficient design and construction, focusing on Net Zero and advanced building envelope systems that deliver exceptional performance, durability, and comfort. Respected throughout the industry for his expertise in architectural components and construction detailing, Adam combines building science with refined craftsmanship to create homes distinguished by precision, structural integrity, and architectural calibre. He is a Red Seal Journeyman Carpenter and a graduate of the Inside Passage School of Woodworking.