If we Can Do It, So Can You

Working with Marken Design and Consulting out of Vancouver and utilizing local and regional suppliers and labor, the city completed the North’s first certified Passive House in 2016. Built as a demo house to educate and inspire local builders and homeowners, the Passive House basically serves as a classroom to showcase new technologies, building materials, and cutting-edge energy conservation practices. 

With 2,000 sq ft of living space (2,679 sq ft external), this 3-bedroom, 2.5 bath home is two levels and universally accessible.  The home is the first building certified to Passive House and LEED Platinum Standards, the Northernmost Passive House in North America, and the first detached passive house residence in BC. It’s also rated EnerGuide 91.

Don’t Tell Us, Show Us

With triple pane windows in aluminum and wood, triple-paned doors with thermal inserts and exterior cladding, the passive home construction goal is to keep indoor temperature stable without using copious amounts of energy. Solar panels do all the heavy lifting, providing energy production. In the north, monthly power bills are a combination of electric and gas use. Residents spend anywhere from $200 – $600 per month to heat their homes during the winter. For the first year and a half tenant ‘caretakers’ lived in the Passive House. The monthly power bill? $47. That’s a stunning number, by anyone’s standard.