For a 3-page PDF of the FAQs, please click here.

When is construction scheduled to be completed?
Construction has begun and is scheduled to complete in early summer 2005.

Is a parking stall included in the price of the unit?
Each residential unit will be assigned one parking stall as part of the purchase price. Additional
evening only parking will be available on arrangement with the commercial tenants.

Can owners change the Strata Management Company if they are not satisfied?
The Strata Corporation as a whole can choose to change the strata manager. The Developer
will appoint a strata manager on behalf of the owners until the first Annual General Meeting of the strata
at which time the contract can be reviewed.

What is the relationship between the Commercial Owners and the Residential Owners?
The project is operated with a strata council as per the Strata Property Act for condominiums in
BC. Both the residential owners and the commercial owners have votes, as set out in the
disclosure statement, to appoint council members and decide resolutions. The developer has
filed strata corporation bylaws, found in the Disclosure Statement, which create separate
“sections” within the building, one for residential owners and one for commercial owners. The
purpose of this is to allocate control and operating costs to each respective group for items
specific to them. Each group has its own executive committee. There are three budgets, one
for costs common to all owners, one for residential only items and one for commercial only
items.

Do the residential owners have any say on the commercial uses?
Commercial uses are governed by the City of Vancouver Zoning Bylaw. The developer has
added strata bylaws prohibiting arcade, movie theatre, bar, pub, lounge, brew-on premises, live
pet store, billiard hall, auction facility and “adult only” uses. Commercial hours of operation
are restricted to 7AM to 12 PM.

Will there be regular meetings for owners and how often?
There will be an Annual General Meeting of the owners as described in the strata corporation
bylaws included in the Disclosure Statement. Special meetings of the owners can also be
arranged pursuant to the provisions of the Strata Properties Act

Can I choose the decor in my suite?
The developer has selected a colour and materials scheme for the project. Any variance from
that will be at the option of the developer and the cost of the purchaser.

Are pets allowed in the building?
There are no restrictions on pet ownership in the proposed strata bylaws, however the strata
corporation has rights to evict pets that cause noise or smell disturbances or damage the
common property.

How well is the building soundproofed?
The building has been built with assemblies tested well in excess of the 50 db requirement in
the Vancouver Building Bylaw.
• Party walls between suites are constructed as two separate stud walls with a 1” air
space. Each side is insulated with 3 ½” of fiberglass, electrical boxes are
staggered, floor joints are caulked and each side is finished with two layers of
drywall board. The listed test for this assembly is 65 db.
• The floor separating residential and commercial uses is solid concrete.
• The floor separating the two residential levels is constructed using 1” of concrete
on plywood, manufactured plywood web joists, resilient sound isolating bars, 3”
of fiberglass insulation and two layers of ½” drywall. The listed test for this
assembly is 58 db.

How reliable is the building envelope?
The developer has taken great care in selecting building envelope materials and practices that
will give trouble-free performance for an extended life span.
• Walls are clad with brick and backed with a rain screen sealed with polyurethane
foam insulation and vapour barrier on the outside face rather than within the wood
framing allowing lots of air movement to keep the wood dry and free of moulds;
• A Building Envelope Specialist approved by St. Paul Guarantee is reviewing all
envelope related construction on a regular basis.
• Windows are sealed to the polyurethane foam and built to an upgraded standard;
• An on-site water test will be performed by the building envelope specialist to verify
performance of all building components;
• Roof membranes are SBS modified 2 ply torch-on, inspected, with a 5 year
RCABC Warranty;
• Deck Membranes are protected from damage by insulation and pavers.
• The parkade walls were constructed using Kryton Kim admixture in the concrete.
The additive self-seals leaks in the wall through a crystallization process within a few days, should they develop.

What kind of warranty protection will I be offered?
The developer has arranged for warranty coverage through St. Paul Guarantee Insurance
Company, an approved insurer as part of the new B.C. Home Warranty Program. The program
includes the following coverage:
• two year materials and labour warranty;
• five year building envelope warranty; and
• 10 year structural defects warranty

What is Geo-exchange Heating and Cooling?
The geo-exchange system in the Mason Block provides hot water for domestic use as well as
space heating and cooling. Geo-exchange heating and cooling is a process of borrowing and
replacing heat energy from the earth’s crust. In most conventional heating systems gas or
electricity is used to create heat. In geo-exchange electricity is used to move heat to and from
the earth’s crust and to concentrate it until usable temperature differences are achieved. The
Mason Block system uses a series of wells, heat recovery coils, heat pumps and solar panels.
The wells act as an interface with the ground. The heat recovery coils extract heat from waste
water and exhausted air. Heat pumps concentrate the heat energy until it is boosted to a useful
temperature. Solar panels re-charge the geo-exchange field. The system extracts heat energy from
the ground during the winter and stores it in the summer. The system has been balanced so that
the heat energy added to the field during the summer will equal the heat energy extracted
during the winter. Since the electrical input energy is not being used to create heat but only to
move it significant operating energy efficiencies can be achieved.

What is a Heat Pump?
The most familiar heat pump is your refrigerator. The refrigerator extracts heat from the air
inside the cabinet and puts it into the coils on the back of the refrigerator. (Note how warm the
coils get when the fridge is operating). The refrigerator uses a small compressor and special
CFC free refrigerants to undertake the refrigeration cycle. The geo-exchange system will
operate in a similar fashion with the coils replaced by the wells. In the summer cooling season
the geo-exchange heat pumps will put heat into the ground. In the winter the system will be
reversed to extract heat from the ground.

Does the Strata own the Geo-exchange system?
The strata corporation can purchase the geo-exchange system for $10.00 once the 8-year term
of the lease expires. For the first 8 years some of the equipment is owned by the leasing
company. The lease has an initial value of $125,000. This partially offsets the additional cost
to the developer of installing the system. The savings in energy costs is estimated to be greater
than the lease payments so purchasers enjoy an immediate financial benefit. Once the lease is
paid off the owners will own the system that provides hot water and space heating and cooling
at significantly less energy cost than conventional systems.

What if a well fails?
Wells are put under pressure during construction so any damage occurring can be repaired
immediately. The wells contain high density plastic tubing, which is extensively used for
underground utilities with a very low failure rate. It is unlikely a well will fail. Should a well
fail it is possible to abandon it. The system will still function but not quite as efficiently.

What are the maintenance obligations and costs?
Trak Canada, the system installer, can be contracted by the strata, to monitor the system’s
performance and suggest operational and maintenance efficiencies. Routine maintenance can
be undertaken by a local mechanical service company. Studies suggest Geo-exchange systems
have lower life-cycle maintenance costs than conventional systems offering similar benefits.
The system operates at low temperatures and low pressures and does not burn anything,
therefore there is little stress on system components.

How reliable is Geo-exchange technology?
Geo-exchange systems have been used successfully all over the world. All parts of the system
installed in the Mason Block have a redundant back-up should a part fail or be down for
maintenance. Vancouver area examples include a number of schools and the building on West
Fouth housing Capers Food store as well as the offices of David Suzuki. Trak Canada has been
involved in installing systems all over Canada for 15 years.