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Changes to the Ontario Building Code, announced in 2024 and put into effect on January 1 of this year, along with stringent requirements of the Toronto Green Standard (TGS), are placing greater emphasis on how buildings handle thermal performance, with balcony connections emerging as a critical detail in reducing heat loss and meeting carbon targets. Balconies that once served as straightforward extensions of indoor space are now under scrutiny for their role in thermal bridging, a key factor in energy efficiency.
UrbanToronto spoke with Antonio Manchisi, Vice-President of Construction at Sapphire Balconies, to understand how the company is responding to these changing standards through innovations in 'thermally broken' systems and transparent performance reporting.
Thermal bridging occurs when heat escapes through highly conductive materials that bypass a building’s insulation, creating weak points in the envelope. In conventional North American construction, for example, wood studs can act as conduits that undermine the effectiveness of fibreglass insulation. Balconies introduce similar risks at the slab edge, where unbroken connections allow heat to pass from interior to exterior.
As Manchisi explains, “We’re seeing a clear shift toward balcony connections that minimize thermal bridging, often through fully integrated thermal break systems.”
Ontario’s 2025 Building Code requires a boost in energy performance compared to the previous standard, while the Toronto Green Standard continues to push projects toward higher tiers with stricter targets for greenhouse gas intensity. Although Bill 17 has limited the ability of municipalities to set requirements beyond the provincial code, the City of Toronto still treats thermal bridging as a priority under the TGS. Manchisi notes, “Developers are increasingly aware that failure to address thermal bridging can impact their ability to meet the required greenhouse gas intensity targets under the TGS.”
For developers, improved energy performance can help projects qualify for programs such as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) MLI Select, which offers reduced mortgage insurance premiums for buildings that demonstrate higher efficiency. Reviewers at the Site Plan stage increasingly expect to see balcony connection details that reflect low-conductivity design, supported by early energy modelling.
By the time projects reach the Building Permit stage, stamped drawings must confirm that thermal breaks meet structural loads, fire ratings, and Ontario Building Code requirements. “Improved building energy performance, especially through reduced thermal bridging, can contribute to achieving higher energy efficiency ratings,” says Manchisi.
Sapphire has spent decades refining balcony systems that tackle heat loss at its source, focusing on anchors and slab-edge connections where thermal bridging is most severe. Its prefabricated balconies use thermal breaks that separate interior and exterior materials, cutting conductive heat transfer. Insulating layers at junctions between floors and ceilings further limit energy loss.
By limiting heat transfer at the slab edge, Sapphire’s anchors help maintain warmer interior floor surfaces and reduce drafts near balcony doors. Higher interior surface temperatures also minimize the risk of condensation forming on frames or flooring, lowering the chance of mould.
As embodied carbon reporting becomes a standard requirement in Toronto and other municipalities, design teams are demanding verifiable data to support their material choices. Sapphire has developed third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) providing lifecycle emissions data that can be used in energy models.
“We provide EPDs for our primary balcony components, including aluminum framing systems, thermal break elements, and steel connection hardware,” Manchisi explains, noting that transparent reporting helps projects pursue higher tiers of the Toronto Green Standard, LEED certification, or Zero Carbon Building status.
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