Heating our buildings without impacting the climate

In collaboration with Voilà:, the Canadian Climate Institute has developed a new report on the impact of today’s policies on the transition of buildings to a cleaner and more reliable heating system. The aim of this project was therefore to draw public attention to the invisible challenges associated with gas networks.

An image showing a series of images laid out on a light gray background. Presented like posters, these images are all taken from the report "Heat Exchange" and include both text and charts. At the center, seemingly floating in the air, is the cover image. On this cover, the title "Heat Exchange," in large capital letters, dominates the space, with the two letters "E" and "X" in blue and the rest of the word "change" in red. The letters of "Exchange" are not all aligned on the same baseline, giving it a sense of movement. The letters "E" and "G" create a gradient of shapes behind them with their outlines. The word "heat" is written above this title in smaller, on the left. Framing the cover is the Climate Institute logo at the top, and the subtitle "How today's policies will drive or delay Canada's transition to clean, reliable heat for buildings" at the bottom.

A shifting movement

The report is based on an ambitious scientific study that tackles the inertia of current political decisions. Its goal is intended to stir consumption habits, implying a drastic shift in behavior when it comes to replacing one technology with another.

We illustrated this principle of exchange and shifting movement in our design by seeking movement and balance between graphic elements. Given the Institute’s emphasis on the analysis, we developed a graphic proposal that conveys it visually through technical textures and patterns inspired by elements like heat flows, pipes or other distribution networks.

The image shows a series of three images organized like posters against a completely white wall and floor. The first image shows the report's cover page. The title "Heat Exchange," in large capital letters, dominates the space, with the two letters "E" and "X" in blue and the rest of the word "change" in red. The letters of "Exchange" are not all aligned on the same baseline, giving it a sense of movement. The word "heat" is written above this title in smaller, on the left. The second image shows a page of text outlining the report's structure, with its various sections laid out in a stepped pattern, moving from left to right and descending one level with each new section. The third image presents section 1 of the report. In the upper left corner, the word "section" is written in red, followed by the numbers "01" in very large red letters. At the bottom left of the page is written the title of the section "Net zero and the future of building heat", followed by an introductory paragraph to its right.

Visualize the transition

Transition, showing the shift from one reality to another, is the graphic concept applied throughout the report and adapted to each chart to powerfully convey the message. Here, intermediate shapes reinforces the idea of ​​transition between two data points. It creates visual continuity and graphically supports a change in status over a 30-year time.

The image shows two pages of the report. From left to right, they present the figures B and D, which occupy the entire page. On the left, figure B shows the distribution of primary heating in the residential sector in 2020, along with a projection to 2050 assuming the government adopts an optimal cost trajectory. The page presents this calculation expanded into small multiples, showing it for Canada, then for the remaining provinces. The intermediate shapes concept accompanies the transition between the two years to create a visual connection with the identity. On the right, figure D represents the share of gas consumption in the buildings sector between 2020 and 2050. The chart consists of three scenarios presented as bar charts, illustrating various use cases.

Re-defining error margins

By replacing usual box plots for visualizing error margins, the concept of intermediate shapes has been applied in two different ways in these charts:

  • In a fan shape, to illustrate the spectrum of multiple uncertainties;
  • In hatched textures, to evoke dotted bars.
This image shows two pages of the report. From left to right, they present the figures E and H, which occupy respectively half and all of the page space. On the left, figure E shows electricity peak demand change between 2020 and 2050. This chart consists of small multiples showing the numbers for all Canadian provinces. The demand in 2050 presents a range of uncertainties, with various projections forming a spectrum. On the left, figure H shows low-emission gas use by sector in 2050. This horizontal bar chart compares biomethane on the left to hydrogen on the right for different industrial sectors.

Playing with visual metaphors

The heat flow and the movement concept developed for the cover were also applied in this chart about gas networks. These red and blue “air flows,” proportional in width and height, convey a powerful and visually memorable message.

This image shows a page from the report. It features figure J, which occupies the entire page. At its center, figure J illustrates the expansion of gas networks in the Canadian provinces. To represent this expansion, the bar chart has been modified to depict a proportional "airflow" in width and height for each province. This organic shape is composed by a gradient of red and blue shapes, echoing the cover design.

A compilation of best practices

This report was designed for an expert audience and brings best practices in terms of accessibility and readability. The division of information into sections and highlights, the font size adapted to computer screens, and the streamlined layout make the information much more digestible for readers. Analysis and recommendations are the main topics read by policy makers. Therefore, we chose to present results as full-page charts to ensure optimal readability. Finally, complete navigation (external links, anchors, table of contents), accessible colors and consistency of graphic standards developed make this a truly exemplary report.

This image shows three pages of the report. From left to right, they present a page of text, the figure B, and the continuation of figure B on the following page. On the left, the text page consists of navigation information at the top (report title, page number, chapter title), followed by the text area, with the current chapter title, text paragraphs, and a footnote. On the right, figure B shows the distribution of primary heating in the residential sector in 2020, along with a projection to 2050 assuming the government adopts an optimal cost trajectory. The page presents this calculation expanded into small multiples, showing it for Canada, then for the remaining provinces. Finally, on the far right, the continuation of figure B can be seen on the last page.

This project also turned into a PowerPoint presentation distributed by our client during its launch.

The image is composed of two open MacBook Pro computers, positioned perpendicular to each other. The background is a wall corner with the walls echoing the gradient of shapes. On the left, the first computer displays the report's cover page. On the right, the second computer displays the presentation slide of the PowerPoint developed for the project. On this slide, the same title, "Heat Exchange," in the center and in capital letters, occupies a large portion of the space, with the two letters "E" and "X" in blue and the rest of the word "change" in red. The word "heat" is written smaller on the left of the title.

For more information on this project, click here to see the online version of our complete work.

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