BUILDERS SPEAK

Old vs New?
Either way, it’s inspired innovation.

By Judy Penz Sheluk

Good-bye 1950s Vancouver Special, Hello Green
Marken Projects Design Studio and Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association member Naikoon Construction have transformed a 1950s bungalow a.k.a. a “Vancouver Special” into a modern, energy efficient and healthy home.
The home was planned along Passive Design principles, which include optimizing solar gain, maximizing insulation, ensuring an airtight envelope, installing a high-performance heat recovery ventilation system and making the house as energy efficient as possible.
“Retaining the existing structure where possible and improving the envelope at the same time was one the challenges,” said Alexander Maurer, managing director at Marken Projects.
The 1,500 sq. ft. plus basement remodel includes an additional second story, maximizing the allowable living space under the zoning. The modern design also includes low-VOC products and other eco-friendly materials that ensure a healthy indoor environment for the family.
Naikoon Construction handled the custom reconstruction and achieved an airtightness of 1 ACH and an EnerGuide rating of 86.

Canada’s First Active House
Canada’s first Active House recently opened in Thorold, Ont., a community located in the Niagara Region and roughly 90 minutes west from Toronto. This demonstration home was achieved through a collaborative effort between a team of building consultants, Toronto architecture firm superkül, and built by Niagara Home Builders’ Association member Great Gulf.
A European consortium comprised of researchers, architects, engineers, and building product manufacturers first developed the Active House concept that is defined by the use of natural day lighting, fresh air ventilation, and energy-efficient strategies with an overarching concern for human comfort and wellbeing. Adapting the Active House to Canadian specifications for the very first time required a careful analysis of appropriate design, material and site selection, climate, life-cycle costs, thermal comfort, indoor air quality and efficient energy sources.
One of the fundamental qualitative aspects of Great Gulf Active House is the amount of natural daylight available, in addition to windows and the use of 14 electrically powered vented skylights. The design team was able to maximize direct and indirect light reflected off of walls and ceilings to help increase light reflectivity in nearly every corner the home. Areas like stairways, washrooms, and the basement now contain so much natural illumination that little artificial lighting is required during the day. Two intersecting axes that maximize cross-breezes and natural ventilation, minimize a reliance on air conditioning and further guide the home’s design.