Real Projects, Real Results

The Challenge

When the Johnsons came to us, they had a classic Vancouver 1960s rancher that was bleeding energy costs. Loved the neighborhood, hated their hydro bills. They wanted something modern but weren't trying to be that house on the block, y'know? Plus, they had a strict budget after already overpaying for the lot.

What We Did

Instead of the typical teardown-rebuild route, we kept the foundation and main structure. Stripped everything else though. Added a second story that's basically invisible from the street - neighborhood character preserved, square footage doubled. The real magic happened with the building envelope.

• Triple-glazed windows with argon fill (yeah, it's overkill but it works)
• R-60 roof insulation because heat rises and we're not heating the sky
• Heat recovery ventilation that actually works in our climate
• 8.5kW solar array on the south-facing roof extension
• Radiant floor heating with a ground-source heat pump

The Results

First year's been wild. They actually sell power back to BC Hydro most months. Winter was the real test - we had that cold snap in January and their heating bill was... nothing. System handled it perfectly. Mrs. Johnson jokes that her friends think she's lying about the energy costs.

Construction came in 8% under budget because we didn't have to deal with foundation work. That savings went straight into better appliances and finishes. Win-win.

The Brief

Developer wanted to maximize units on a corner lot but the neighborhood was pushing back hard on density. Fair enough - nobody wants a concrete tower next to their house. We proposed something different: a six-unit building that looks more like a big house than an apartment block. Took some convincing.

Design Strategy

We broke up the mass so it reads as three connected buildings instead of one big box. Each unit gets its own entrance at grade - no shared hallways, no elevator. Basically townhouses that share walls and a common green roof. Used fiber cement panels that look like wood but won't need replacing in fifteen years.

The Sustainability Stuff

Went pretty aggressive here because the developer was actually into it. Full solar array on the south-facing roof sections generates about 40% of the building's annual electricity needs. Rainwater system handles all the landscaping irrigation and the green roof actually works - we've got photos of bees and everything.

Construction waste diversion hit 89%, which is way better than the 65% target. Turns out when you design with standard dimensions and actually coordinate with the trades, you don't waste as much material. Who knew?

Real World Feedback

Units sold out in pre-sale, which helped the developer feel better about trusting our design. Owners moved in about eight months ago. A couple of them have reached out to say their heating costs are way lower than their old places. One guy measured his indoor air quality with some fancy gadget and sent us the data - it's really good, apparently.

Best moment was when a neighbor who opposed the project at the public hearing stopped by to say it actually looks nice and they're glad we didn't build what the previous developer wanted. That's pretty much the dream right there.