Climate-Resilient New Building Meeting Step Code 3
Located in East Vancouver, this multistorey building was designed before all of the seasons of wildfires hit Canada and will be able to filter out wildfire smoke. Designed to be earthquake resistant, energy efficient to BC Step Code 3, and designed to deal with a future climate that is hotter and more humid.
Award-Winning Eco Resort
Treading lightly on undeveloped land, this 29-room inn and community centre in the remote subarctic was designed with a robust building envelope built to last 500 years, 100% fresh air ventilation, wood biomass boilers, tertiary waste treatment system, water efficient fixtures, and non toxic eco friendly interior finishes as well as a commercial kitchen designed for slow living.
Sustainable Condo Interior Design
Renovations provided opportunity for a more efficient layout accommodating ageing-in-place. Nontoxic millwork, with eco friendly non toxic finishes were used throughout, along with new energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
Multi-Tenant Commercial LEED for Existing Buildings Certification
Energy and water audits found opportunities to upgrade this building and short paybacks. Engagement with the tenants found opportunities for green purchasing, shielding light during the bird migration season, nontoxic green cleaning and less harmful snow removal proceedures.
First LEED Platinum House in the Greater Toronto Area
Salvaged wood and brick structure, FSC-certified wood interior with daylight, natural finishes, fresh air ventilation, airtight construction, geothermal heating, solar photovoltaic system. Designed for multi-family use and adaptability.
Award-Winning Humber River Hospital
2nd-most energy efficient acute care hospital in the world uses automatic tinting windows to prevent solar heat gain, 100% fresh air ventilation, LEED-for-Healthcare grade nontoxic interior finishes, green roof, and more.
We are affectingchange, a female-owned Canadian green building consulting practice. We help architects and building owners across Canada create and certify their green buildings faster—without the headaches.
Our Story in Green Building Consulting
We’ve been a pioneering force in green building consulting, helping to create groundbreaking projects across the country.
Our projects include the first Ontario hospital with 100% fresh air ventilation, an award-winning five-star inn on the shores of Newfoundland, the first LEED Platinum house in the Greater Toronto Area, plus we empowered the TAF Towerwise retrofits with an award-winning competitive procurement process.
We not only help you make a space environmentally friendly, but also help you use design as a tool for empowerment.
With projects from across Canada and in the United States, we make a difference on projects that see more to green building consulting than just a plaque on the wall. Explore our green building consulting services to see how we can support your next project.
Daring to dream beyond the ordinary; we transcend ratings and standards. We use systems thinking and organizational change strategies to bring together stakeholders, find leverage points, assist organizations in reducing their risk, and carbon impact while improving climate resiliency, and built environment.
Tech-enabled for Better Results
No, it’s not AI. We augment real human facilitation skills using digital technologies.
We host design charrettes (brainstorming sessions) using a transformative integrative design process, informed by MIT’s Presencing Institute’s Theory U, using state-of-the-art interactive digital technologies such as Miro.
Then we bolster communications between subsets of teams on our enabledchange™ platform. This creates an space where communication and reporting that is required to meet deadlines.
Why Being a Female-Owned Canadian Firm Makes a Difference
Are there already diverse perspectives within your design team? If not, then it is time to get a new perspective.
If you’re looking for a more inclusive approach to green building, let’s talk. Book your free intro call here.
Proven Award-winningResults
We have a track record of creating groundbreaking high-performance buildings and winning grants for our clients.
Whether we are helping a design team meet a previously-unmet level of performance in energy efficiency or prototyping a new procurement method, we will be successful when we are pioneering through the work. We are especially proud of landing grants for infrastructure work in indigenous communities addressing food insecurity.
We have been in operation for over 16 years, and we are trusted by architects, developers, charities, indigenous-owned organizations and nonprofits across Canada.
Deep Retrofit Expertise
affectingchange is a proud member of the Toronto Hydro Cleantech Services Directory and is listed in the BOMA Enspire Service Provider Directory. These recognitions highlight our proven expertise in existing building green building consulting and our trusted role in advancing sustainable, high-performance deep retrofits on buildings across Canada.
Start Your Project Today
Access our expertise in green building consulting and our unwavering commitment to your goals. Together, let’s shape spaces that not only meet your needs but radiate sustainability, sparking a movement. Book your free strategy call today.
Founder and CEO
Sandra Leigh Lester
BTech(ArchSci) MCOD ARIDO IDC CPHD CSBA LEED® AP BD+C
Director of Sustainable Building Consulting
Sandra Leigh Lester is a building performance strategist and designer with more than three decades of experience in sustainable building systems, architecture, and environmental design.
Her career began in the early 1990s working on pioneering regenerative building projects, including the Boyne River Natural Science School in Ontario, where she helped design plumbing systems for bioregenerative wastewater treatment, electrical systems, and energy strategies. From the outset of her career, Sandra worked across disciplines — integrating mechanical systems, energy modelling, and architecture to create buildings that perform as ecological systems.
Over the years Sandra has contributed to a wide range of projects, from high-performance institutional buildings and healthcare facilities to hospitality environments and residential developments. Her work includes sustainability consulting on major projects such as Humber River Hospital, research contributions to the City of Toronto’s HELP program, and international hospitality design including the 350-seat Sridan restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel in Doha.
Sandra is known for bringing systems thinking, design intelligence, and decades of experience to projects that must perform beautifully for people, assets, and the planet.
Today Sandra focuses on helping architects, developers, and building owners design and retrofit buildings that meet the demands of a changing climate. Her work combines envelope strategy, Passive House-level performance thinking, and practical construction knowledge to reduce risk, improve resilience, and deliver buildings that perform over the long term.
Sandra is particularly interested in helping real estate portfolios and development teams navigate deep retrofits and high-performance design strategies that reduce carbon emissions while protecting asset value.
Credentials include: Bachelors of Technology in Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University; Masters Certificate in Organizational Development, York University; Certified Sustainable Building Advisor; LEED-accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction; and Certified Passive House Designer.
Let’s Work Together
Let’s create your next high-performance project together. Book your free intro call today.