In his new role with engineering consulting firm CIMA+, Martino Fanfani will prioritize growth in east Ontario and spearhead the company's national green engineering strategy, he told Sustainable Biz Canada in an interview.

A mechanical engineer by trade who joined the company in June, Fanfani said his position in the firm aligns with his beliefs on sustainability. Key to his new role as senior director of buildings in east Ontario is taking on climate-related issues and raising CIMA+’s profile in the field.

“While we are performing great engineering, we need to focus our attention on sustainable practice, really leveraging our mission towards the public,” he said.

About Fanfani and CIMA+

Fanfani has 26 years of experience as an engineer, having spent approximately half of his career in Europe and the other half in North America. His interest in sustainable engineering and design blossomed in the 1990s as Europe began to develop building efficiency regulations, he said.

After moving to Canada to work for Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd. in Edmonton, Williams Engineering Canada Inc. in Kelowna, and NORR in Ottawa and Toronto, he became director of Ontario buildings for CBCL Limited, also in Ottawa. While in Canada, sustainability kept emerging at the forefront of his profession.

He was involved in the project to refit the Daniel J. MacDonald Building in Charlottetown, P.E.I. to meet higher energy efficiency and greenhouse gas standards, and a zero-carbon town centre in Toronto, he recounted.

A lengthy conversation with CIMA+ drew him to the company, where he was pitched the opportunity to lead the its green engineering efforts. He was struck by how sustainability is embedded into many of CIMA+’s projects, even if they are not explicitly categorized as such.

“I was really taken by that, and that’s where I decided to join CIMA+ because of this role.”

CIMA+ has dozens of offices in Canada with over 3,000 employees. The employee-owned company was involved in the Pierre-De Saurel wind farm in Quebec, improving the efficiency of a Desjardins office in Granby, Que. and preparing the 700 Saint-Jacques tower to meet LEED and WELL certifications.

The firm offers a range of engineering services in infrastructure, industry and civic buildings. As part of its work to address climate issues from the built environment, CIMA+’s building engineering practice performs tasks such as creation of a net-zero carbon strategy, climate risk assessments, and calculating and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It also advises clients on certifications such as Passive House and Zero Carbon Building.

Fanfani’s mission going forward

As the senior director, Fanfani said he will be writing an action plan with other senior managers over three years which outlines CIMA+’s goal of converging its building engineering with sustainable and green practices. 

The aims are to ensure all of CIMA+’s building engineering practice is identified as green engineering and raising its presence on sustainable projects. This means emphasizing projects that reduce carbon across a building’s life cycle, boost climate resiliency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“It really is a change of heart in terms of priorities,” he said.

Linking to his role as senior director of buildings in east Ontario, CIMA+ will be looking to help the federal government meet the goals of the Paris Agreement climate pact by assisting in reducing operational carbon and improving climate resiliency in Ottawa government buildings.

Another mission is diversifying CIMA+’s services in Ottawa while collaborating on projects with private partners that share its passion for sustainable buildings.

A “concerning gap” exists in the buildings sector, where most projects are focused on the investments but not enough on the building’s life cycle, Fanfani said. Such a mindset is a “short-sighted choice”, he added, as it hinders reaching high-performance targets.

A current area of interest for CIMA+ is reducing the carbon emissions from health care facilities and assisted living centres, he said.

Observing the market, he is seeing greater interest in sustainability through adoption of district energy to heat and cool buildings, and heat pumps as an alternative to natural gas-powered equipment. But he emphasized how the most critical factor to develop a high-performing building is starting with a firm, multidisciplinary approach.