In for permit
Whoot!
Gaulhofer windows
Windows are especially important in order for us to obtain Passivhaus certification in this climate. They've got to be the bees knees. And they are. We decided to go with Gaulhofer simply because they have been tried and tested. Mark has heard nothing but positive reviews on the windows themselves as well as the service and install. These babies are Austrian-made marvels that will be be a joy to use and last a life time. They are rock solid.
We have been working with Adrian from Hermann Timber Frame Homes. He emigrated from Austria, started a family business of building homes, and became frustrated by the lack of quality windows and hardware options available in Canada. So they started importing European building products. He's one of a handful of reps now in North America bringing these windows over.
The windows represent a rather large chunk of our budget. Doors and windows will be coming in at around $50k, without install. Yikes. Sure hope our building permit comes through, along with the preliminary modelling because those windows are now set in stone. We jumped ahead and ordered them because Gaulhofer was offering a bit of a promotion — their UPVC window line, with upgraded aluminum cladding at no additional charge. It's good that we jumped ahead too so that we're not waiting for them to arrive from across the Atlantic, which can take a good 2-3 months...
We're invested now. No turning back.
Passive House in The New York Times
Pablo Enriquez for The New York Times
There was an article published last week called The Passive House in New York. It really goes to show that the ball is rolling here in North America. I'm impressed by the mayor's initiative over there. It looks like they are poised to be at the forefront of the movement in the US.
It can be argued that Ottawa is leading the way here in Canada. Mark is currently working as the Passive House/Passivhaus (US/German) designer on a multi-unit community housing project here in Ottawa. He's working with Salus and CSV. If it achieves certification, it will be Canada's first multi-unit Passivhaus building. And how wonderful that it's 'supportive housing' and doesn't have developers thinking about how much more they can be charging for rent (as in the NYT article). He's working on another Passive House set for build this summer over in Chelsea. And there are a number of other projects in the works, by other fine folks, as well. Our project will be the first in Ottawa to actually gain certification (if we get it).
Now if only we could work on really bringing prices down. With all this momentum, a factory in China has opened up to manufacture Passivhaus-certified windows. Surely that will help. China is actually setting itself up to be the world-leader when it comes to Passivhaus builds. The factory to make these windows will be built to Passivhaus standards, becoming the world's first factory. They also have a giant hotel in the works. China doing China's thing. There's an economic drive now behind Passivhaus, which will hopefully benefit more of us in the near future.
How long will it take?
Mark and his partners are busily working away on our construction drawing set. When they are complete, they will represent a rather large milestone in the project. Mark claims he is going to be finishing them tonight, post power nap…if he ever wakes up from it. I don’t blame him for taking a nap — he is running two companies, building a house and has a baby, a two-and-a-half-year-old and a fancy lady, after all. There aren’t enough hours in the day. He should get a bit of a breather once they are complete as they’ll be in other peoples’ hands for a short while.
The construction set will go to:
- Our builders for more accurate costing
Mark and I chose one of our builders, Cornelis Grey, back in the fall, before the redesign. We did this because we wanted to establish an open, working relationship — one where we could share ideas back and forth and ensure the project would be cost effective. Our other builder, Green Giant Design Build, was recruited because traditional builders simply can’t compete with pre-fab construction prices. So the two of them will be working in tandem. They are already very familiar with the design and have given us a couple cost estimates, but the construction set will go in to even more detail than they’ve already seen. The more detail and knowledge they get upfront, the more accurate they will be able to cost, resulting in what we hope will be fewer $$ surprises. This round of costing will be the 'fixed' one we sign off on. - The city for building permit
We’re not seeking any amendments to zoning or building code so this should be a fairly smooth process. Or at least we hope it will be. You never know…I imagine leading in to spring there will be quite a few applications in which might generate a bit of a back log. Mark estimates 2–3 weeks. We already have an application open with them from our initial design back in the fall, so theoretically we’ll be able to submit these drawings under the same application. As a side note: I hope that in the future, municipalities will make an attempt to fast-track green builds like ours. There are no incentive programs or rebates for us do-betters, the least they could do was not stand in our way of getting it built. - The appraiser assess value
As part of our construction mortgage, our house design needs to be appraised at a high enough value for the bank to dish out the funds. Our banker whiz is Etienne at DesJardins. Another side note: We often hear talk about green building being between the architects, builders and clients, but many other professions and institutions are involved as well. If the market is going to shift, change needs to happen with them too. Banks and real estate agents do not yet see the added value that building a Passivhaus brings nor how to market them. The appraiser wants to know what we're installing granite and hardwood nevermind r-values and energy efficiency. - The Passivhaus Academy for energy modelling
Mark is continuously editing his own Passivhaus model (where he inputs a whole bunch of variables related to our house into a computer program which then generates an estimation of energy consumption) and the model appears to be performing well. Mark is a certified Passivhaus designer, but for a house to become Passivhaus certified, it has to go through an additional verification check by a third party. We have decided to use Ireland-based Passive House Academy, where they’ve been certifying these things for years now. Having them look at the house at this stage is called a Design Stage Assurance. This should also take approximately three weeks. It’s not strictly necessary but it makes us feel a whole lot more comfortable knowing it will meet the standard before starting construction. They will look at the house again when it's finished and tested.
Earlier I mentioned that Mark would be gaining some breathing room once the construction set wraps up. I, however, will be holding my breath as we wait for the green light. I might have to add an addition on to Mina’s cardboard house as an outlet.
Finally...how long will it take? I’ve added a rough timeline to our numbers page. I’ll be updating and modifying it as more info comes in and as we progress with the build. Have a look-see. We've marked the start of the project as December 1st, 2014. This is when we decided to start the re-design so that it reflects the design/build process. Mark is cautiously optimistic that we will be in the house by Christmas of this year. Wouldn't that be nice. Time will tell.
Model house
What started out as a fun little project for our daughter has into something...more elaborate. Mark has had nothing to do with this one. I think it's a result of "I just want to get started already" frustration and the fact that, right now at least, the build is completely out of my control. A cardboard house is something I have control over (with my daughter's supervision, of course).
The house factory: an adventure in pre-fab
We took the kids to check out the "house factory" yesterday, aka Green Giant Design Build's assembly shop, which is just outside of Picton. The owner, Adam, is just putting the final touches on it. It will be up and running this spring and our house will be one of the first off the line.
The basic shell of our house will be made in Adam’s factory, loaded on to a truck, and assembled on-site in a matter of days (vs. weeks using traditional construction techniques). There are some major benefits to be had by going this route, not the least of which is cost.
All the building stuff is very cool, but I’ll let Mark or Adam discuss it in more detail as construction approaches.
Meanwhile, I’ll tell you a bit about the factory building itself. Adam’s shop is tucked inside an old airplane hangar that was once part of a WWII Army Barracks. The whole scene is surreal. Row upon row of identical, weathered, old, shingle-clad buildings – all of which are now commercially rented out, though you would never know to look at them. It looks like a ghost town. Inside the airplane hangar was a treasure trove of random objects like: the Niagara Falls fire truck, pair of Airstream trailers and heating ducts from a cement factory. So very bizarre and fascinating. Take a look at the pics.
Our zero energy house
Back in November, before commencing the redesign, Mark and I thought we needed to feel more connected to our land. So we camped out on it! The girls were safe and warm in the house with my mother who was visiting from Vancouver.
If the house build goes awry, the tent will be our fall-back. Do you need a permit for a tent? I bet the neighbourhood association would have something to say...
No furnace
Our new furnace
This winter has been a particularly harsh one, with record breaking (and soul breaking) cold temperatures. In our older, traditional neighbourhood rental home, we’ve often had the furnace cranked up to 23° and have still been suffering from cold toes and sniffly noses. Even with a higher efficiency furnace, our Enbridge bills have been hefty this year.
It seems unfathomable that we could live in such a climate without a furnace. But apparently we can. We will not be installing one in our new home. Neither will we install in-floor radiant heating or a pellet stove. Nothing, nada: zilch. The heating requirements of our home will be mostly satisfied simply by living in it — heat from our bodies, cooking, bathing, etc. The size of heat source that we will need to make up that last little bit of heat will be only about as big as the collection of candles you see above.
Impossible you say? Wrong. One of our builders, Casey, built himself a Passive House last year in Manotick and tweeted this earlier this week:
Energy cost for the coldest month on record in our 3000sqft #fossilfuelfree #passivhaus = $10.63 What do you think @LeoDiCaprio #WeNeedMore
Pretty impressive. I won’t be missing those Enbridge bills.
Another nice little tidbit: a Passive House can't freeze. So no worries anymore about having your furnace konk out or power go down during the middle of a polar vortex. Take that ice storm '98! What'd I tell you: makes sense.