Over the past 15 years, OCAD University Associate Professor Dr. Bill Leeming’s research has focused on innovation and technological adoption in medicine, and notably, the diffusion of genetic visualization technologies in clinical settings in Canada and the United Kingdom. Recently, he has embarked on new research topics related to aging in place and retrofitting climate resilient homes for sustainable communities.
The former refers to individuals remaining in residences of choice as they age and avoiding unwanted relocation associated with age-related personal or environmental limitations. This includes the design of continuing care retirement communities, which represent three successive levels of care and supervision: independent living, assisted living, and nursing care.
The latter, retrofitting climate resilient housing for sustainable communities, is currently being explored by Dr. Leeming through a collaborative project with the Toronto Home Energy Network.
OCAD U caught up with Dr. Leeming to find out more about this collaborative project.
Tell us more about your sustainability research project.
I am currently working in collaboration with the Toronto Home Energy Network (THE Network) on the sustainability project, “A Homeowner’s Journey.” This project is designing a six-stage procedural guide to assess levels of homeowner’s awareness in undertaking sustainable home retrofits through intake surveys; to design considerations in relation to homeowner’s expectations; to discover homeowner’s needs through energy audits; to tally homeowner’s selections of different technologies; to follow the installation of sustainability technologies; and to introduce public sharing of case studies and community outreach to build communities of neighbours helping neighbours at the grassroots level.
We plan to carry out the design process beginning in November 2025 and ending in April 2026. Extensive discussions between staff members of THE Network and I have already taken place and will be ongoing during the design of “A Homeowner’s Journey.”
Speed bumps will be identified and analyzed concerning reasons why undertaking home retrofits may be (a) construed as something to be avoided, (b) abandoned mid-stream, or (c) a cause for regret for having started a journey.
Finally, and of particular interest to me, is an exploration of potential options for undertaking partial home retrofits – what THE Network is calling a “reasonable home retrofit” – with a view to developing options for taking on additional retrofit opportunities later when financial resources are available and/or tolerances of homeowners permit for living with levels of disruptions in undertaking home retrofitting.
What inspired you and drew you to your research topics?
I am now in my 70s and take the idea of aging in place seriously. My partner and I have lived in Seaton Village since 1991. It is a wonderful community with wonderful neighbours and walking access to most everything we need.
Our house was built in 1911. It is settling and in need of renovations. Along with this, we are looking at the impact of climate change which is currently happening. It’s not just something that is going to happen. It is happening. This started me looking at what is available – and what is affordable – in home retrofitting two years ago.
What problem is your research trying to solve and why is this important?
There are at least three questions that immediately emerge with a project like the one outlined above:
These questions are themselves shifting targets given the speed with which new innovations are now entering the market for homeowners to choose from. Additionally, the expectations of homeowners obviously differ from case to case. This made doing a comparison of homeowners’ experiences make sense to me.
What do you hope people – both inside and outside of your field – will take away from your research?
Ultimately, we see this project as contributing to building communities of neighbours helping neighbours at the grassroots level rather than neighbours having to independently seek and rely on contractors and municipal policy initiatives.
I foresee using the outcomes and experiences of what is being proposed as a springboard for further collaborations between organizations like THE Network and its partner communities, and the Global Centre for Climate Action at OCAD U, as well as developing ongoing placement opportunities for OCAD U students.
Regarding the latter, I have found increasing numbers of our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are looking for opportunities to involve themselves in design and art that focuses on community-based, bottom-up problems and solutions rather than policy-driven, top-down problems and solutions.