Homes provide a necessary retreat from outside world

There’s something about Christmas that brings out a desire for security and retreat like no other.

It could be the shorter days and cooler temperatures or maybe just the spirit of the season but the idea of being nestled around a cozy fire enjoying the company of family and friends has an almost irresistible draw at this time of year.

What's being touched on here - this desire - is our instinct for security and retreat in our lives. Our homes, in a most fundamental way, embody this need by creating a physical shelter that affords us protection and security from the outside environment while providing an equally important psychological disconnect from that world as well.

Think about it: kids hide away in tree houses, secure in their position of height, revelling in the feeling of being the untouched observer while us adults race for that cosy corner seat in the local cafe to anonymously observe the drama of daily life acted out before us. We all have this desire within us.

Your home may be your castle in a metaphorical sense but few of us want it to feel like a fortress. A well designed home will provide opportunities for its occupants to capture a sense of security and shelter while still enjoying a private association to something beyond.

Frank Lloyd Wright understood this intrinsic human need and provided for it in many of his earlier Chicago homes. By raising the place of retreat from the area it overlooked, Wright was able to increase the feeling of physical separation while enhancing the sense of private association. Primary living spaces would be located on the second floor in order to separate them from the street below and deeply set, low-walled patios would afford views to the street while still maintaining a sense of visual privacy to the occupants within.

In a design for a new home recently constructed in West Vancouver I created a covered porch that fully captured a view to a sunny, south-facing front yard and the ocean beyond while still providing the residents a sense of privacy from a busy street adjacent. By placing the patio above street level, enclosing it on the street side with a low wall and providing a fully glazed railing to the garden I was able to create a space that allowed the residents to move about the patio and overlook the world outside without being observed from the street below.

Human beings like to visually participate in the world around them while being situated in a place of perceived psychological security. The well-designed home is not only a creative response to the corporeal requirements of physical safety and security of its inhabitants but also an answer to their psychological needs as well.

Know your building codes, bylaws

For those of you who've had the pleasure of dealing with a municipality regarding zoning and building code requirements, you've no doubt discovered what a frustrating and confusing experience it can be.

Photograph by: Cindy Goodman, North Shore News

One will often find themselves wading through a quagmire of limits and boundaries that appear, at first glance, to exist simply to confuse and restrict the process but a closer look will reveal a far more coherent explanation.

In a descriptive broad stroke, zoning requirements are unique to a given municipality and are the means by which that community can control and shape the development that takes place within its jurisdiction. Building code requirements work on a provincial and national level and are created to control design, construction and material use in the building process based on health and safety standards.

Understanding the regulations that govern a given site is an essential first step for anyone embarking on a residential project on that property, no matter how small.

In general terms, building code requirements are set in stone. They're the law. Building code requirements need to be met or you don't move forward. Truth be told, there is a means to argue unclear building code requirements if what's being proposed meets the intent of the specific contravened code regulation but arguing such a point is a long and difficult process and is not something one would normally do. For the average homeowner, assume code requirements to be unchangeable. Zoning requirements are a little less succinct.

Every district and municipality has their own set of zoning requirements. Something allowed in the District of West Vancouver might not be allowed in the City of North Vancouver, or vice versa. Be it commercial, multi-family or single family residential, a particular piece of land will be governed by zoning regulations that define its place within a community plan. These regulations dictate the size, shape and location of the building on its site in order to ensure that what's being proposed is in keeping with its context. By setting restrictions on fundamentals such as setbacks from property lines, maximum building heights and permissible built areas, zoning bylaws quickly define what can and cannot be built.

Zoning bylaws are there to shape a community in a positive, predetermined way. On occasion, these bylaws move beyond being reasonable rules and thwart the best and most sensible design solutions. Unlike with building code requirements, one has recourse. Through a variance application process an individual can plead a grievance before a building committee and if their case is deemed justified, the contravening design will be allowed. The key for success in a variance process is for the appellant to successfully demonstrate that undue hardship would be caused by the application of the zoning bylaw requirement.

Here are a few key zoning regulations a homeowner may need to address before embarking on a building project:

Setbacks define buffer zones around the edge of a property in which a building is not permitted. Most bylaws allow certain elements of structure like overhangs and chimneys to protrude into the setback but not always. Accessory buildings such as garages and storage sheds are generally permitted within the main building setbacks but fall under their own individual requirements.

The height of your home is calculated differently within every zoning district. Some measure from average grade height while others measure from the highest façade up. For sloped roofs, maximum heights might be taken to ridgeline or to the median height of ridge and roof spring line. Regardless, this is something that should be established from the outset otherwise the repercussions could be disastrous.

The floor space ratio, or FSR, dictates the maximum amount of floor area permitted on a given site. It includes all floors but often has exceptions for areas below grade. The calculation process can vary widely between municipalities.

If you have intentions of undertaking a residential project, big or small, drop into your local planning authority and get a full explanation of what building code and zoning regulations might affect you.

Parallax brings dynamism to design

It was my final project review in second-year architecture at McGill University and a guest critic commented on my nice use of parallax in my project.

It's always an uncomfortable moment when you've done something you had no intention of doing but, because it was evidently a good thing, I accepted the praise, feigned an understanding of the word and quickly directed the topic to something else.

I went home that evening and looked up the definition of the word so the next time I employed parallax I knew I was doing it.

Parallax is defined as "an apparent change in the position of an object resulting from a change in position of the observer." Imagine sitting on a moving train and how objects in the foreground move across your field of vision much faster than those in the background, with distant mountains appearing stationary while utility poles clip by in a blur. The relative movement of these disparate visual elements created by the movement of you on the train is parallax.

Parallax is an interesting occurrence that may seem a little esoteric at first - in an architectural sense anyhow - but is a dynamic in design that if correctly used can bring a space to life.

Older homes with lots of enclosed rooms connected by corridors don't afford the observer much, if any, sense of parallax. Views are confined and opportunities are few.

But in more open layouts where enclosing walls have been removed (partly or completely), where columns, stairs or millwork begin to define living spaces, one will find that parallax becomes a discernible component of the design. Various elements within the plan will move relative to one another and their backgrounds, creating a sense of movement within the space.

Frank Lloyd Wright intuitively understood the dynamic nature of parallax and enhanced its quality by incorporating a hexagonal grid in the layout of a number of his homes. The oblique angles of the walls and components provided wonderful opportunities for diagonal views through the homes and increased the sense of movement between elements.

The concept of a diagonal view is important when thinking about parallax. Diagonal views are used in both film and theatre to add energy to a scene, and can be used in combination with parallax - as seen in Frank Lloyd Wright's work - to create dynamic architectural spaces as well. The perceived size of a rectilinear space will always seem bigger looking across the diagonal and the illusion can be used in a layout to make a modest space feel larger.

Understanding and utilizing the phenomenon of parallax in design is a wonderful way of bringing energy to a space.

Demystify the building process

Building a new home or undertaking a major renovation is likely among the most financially daunting tasks the average homeowner will ever face.

In most cases, the homeowner has never been involved with a large-scale construction project before and is unsure what to expect from the designer or architect or how the whole process works.

Photograph by: Mike Wakefield, North Shore News

The design and construction of a new home or renovation is divided into five distinct phases: Schematic design, design development, construction documentation, bidding and negotiation and contract administration.

Schematic design is the fuzzy beginning of a project. This is the time when the design professional obtains whatever they can from the client to help shape the dream. A scrapbook of favourite images and a detailed wish-list are very important to this end, but so too is an understanding of the personality of the particular client.

This is the less obvious aspect of the designer or architect's job but is one that can't be overlooked. Are the clients organized by nature or should the architecture assist to this end? Are the homeowners private and reserved or are they the natural life of the party?

Getting in tune with the more subtle habits of the client is very important early on and can play an important role in shaping the design.

Once collected, the information is digested and design begins. Like a painter putting their first strokes to the canvas, this is the exploratory stage of the project. It's the time to consider the larger ideas of overall form and relationship rather than fret about detail. There's little point in worrying about

where to put the fridge if you haven't decided where to put the kitchen.

By the end of schematic design the homeowner can expect rough floor plans with sketchy elevations and a loose 3D building form. The wish-list will have been addressed in addition to other dynamics such as siting, sun orientation and zoning. One will have a sense on what the home will look like but won't feel inhibited to make changes. If the design concept is met with approval the designer will move forward into design development.

Design development is exactly as it suggests, taking the schematic design and developing it further. Like a sculptor who's mocked up a rough form in clay, the design professional or architect now begins to shape in detail the different components of the work. A structural engineer will have been brought in by this point and their input will begin to inform the design. The schematic sketches will likely have made it to the computer by this point but a sketch pad and 3D software remains close at hand as countless details will need resolving.

This can be a very time-consuming phase as the magnification of focus brings ever more issues to the fore. It's very important at this stage not to lose sight of the original concept first developed in schematic design. By the end of the design development phase, the schematic design drawings will have become a set of very readable plans, elevations and models, with the client becoming perfectly clear on what their finished product will look like.

If the work of design development meets with the homeowner's approval the design professional will be given the green light to move into the construction documentation phase of the building process.

In this phase the designer or architect takes on the role of construction expert, transforming the artistic concepts generated in schematic design and design development into a set of technical construction documents that can be submitted for a building permit and used by general contractor to build the home from.

The original planning strategies and design concepts are put to the test as they are detailed with an eye to their technical robustness and structural integrity. New issues will come to light, details will be massaged and ideas will be tested. The designer will need to keep a sharp eye on the original design concept, always aware of the tendency to be pulled off track by the onslaught of technical considerations. An active dialogue between the designer and the engineer will be going on throughout the construction documentation process as the final structural design is completed.

At the end of the construction document phase the homeowner will be presented with a set of technical construction documents sufficient in detail to obtain a building permit and to undertake the construction of their home.

A set of construction documents for a home will include dimensioned plans, elevations, sections and large-scale construction details, and will typically also contain reflected ceiling plans (to clarify ceiling shape and form and to locate lights and other ceiling elements), millwork drawings (detailed drawings of built-in cabinetry), interior elevations, specifications and finish schedules.

Once the construction documents are submitted for permit, the process moves into the bidding and negotiation phase. On larger projects this is typically referred to as a call to tender, where invited builders are issued a tender package and are asked to bid on the project.

For residential projects it works a little differently, as builders rarely commit to a fixed fee for a project, preferring instead to work to a cost-plus arrangement. A builder will submit an estimated cost to complete the project and will add on a management fee at the end - the fee running typically somewhere between 10-15 per cent of the total construction cost. I will often ask for the management fee to be fixed to offset the perception that it would be profitable for the builder to have the overall budget creep higher.

During the bidding and negotiation phase the design professional will answer questions and clarify details to help facilitate the process. They will help select a builder, review the contract between the owner and builder and they will ensure that a reasonable construction schedule is in place and that insurance policies are in order.

Once a contract has been awarded, the building process enters the contract administration phase. During this phase the designer or architect will make routine visits to the construction site to ensure the general conformance of work with the contract documents. They will review and process claims for payment from the builder and will certify that payment reflects work done. They will be available to respond to questions as they occur and will issue site instructions as required.

As the project nears completion the design professional will carry out a substantial performance review and issue a substantial performance certificate.

The final certificate of payment is issued upon the completion of all deficiency work by the builder. A 12-month warranty review is typically carried out by the designer one year after the date of substantial completion.

Understanding the five phases of design and construction takes the mystery out of the process and provides the homeowner with clearer expectations as to what to expect from their design professional.

Rain-screen controls moisture

The exterior walls of a home are fascinating moisture control devices that are far more sophisticated than most of us realize.

Moisture is the single greatest source of construction problems in the wall assembly of a home and its mitigation is a crucial component of good building envelope design.

When left unattended, moisture within a wall assembly will produce mold and mildew, decay and rot, thermal envelope breakdown and structural damage.

There are three distinct ways that moisture can develop within a wall system with the first being from the outside in as outdoor water and moisture works its way into the wall assembly through imperfections and breaks in the exterior skin.

The second way moisture develops is from the inside out as warm, moisture-rich air from the inside of the house migrates into the wall assembly and condenses when it meets a cold surface within. The third and, for me, the least obvious way is the development of moisture from the assembly itself as changing moisture levels in the framing material that make up the assembly produce moisture problems within the wall.

Controlling external moisture from entering the wall assembly has been greatly enhanced in recent years with the required installation of rain-screen walls for new construction by the National Building Code of Canada.

In rain-screen construction the outer layer of siding or cladding of a wall assembly is separated from the inner wall by an air space. This space is created with vertical furring strips or rain-screen drainage mats and is vented to the outside to provide pressure equalization that allows any moisture that makes it into the cavity to escape at the bottom. This new method of construction ensures that if moisture makes its way through the outer protective layer of the wall assembly it will naturally migrate out again. Lack of rain-screen detailing was the primary culprit for the "leaky condo" debacle that plagued homeowners some years back.

Moisture can move from the inside of a dwelling into the wall assembly if moistureladen air from the interior spaces of a home is allowed to make its way outwards. Wind loads, temperature gradients and mechanical systems will create pressure differences between the inside and outside of a building, forcing warm air outwards. As warm air migrates through a wall assembly it will find a cool surface at that magic temperature and it will condense. Think of your lawn after a clear night. The water drawn out of the warm air will create moisture within the assembly and with it all sorts of problems from rotting and structural deterioration of the assembly to fungal growth and visual damage.

Photograph by: Terry Peters, North Shore News

Installing a continuous membrane on the warm side of the wall insulation - typically a 4-6 millimetre polyethylene film - prevents warm, moist air from the interior of the house from migrating into the wall assembly and is the standard way to prevent this insideto-outside moisture problem from occurring.

When constructing a wall assembly one must ensure that the lumber used for framing is considered dry - The National Building Code of Canada deems this to be a moisture level of 19% or less. Green lumber (wood that has been freshly cut) will have a moisture level of 100%. As green wood dries it shrinks and undergoes dimensional changes. It's crucial that the bulk of drying has already happened before incorporating the lumber into the wall assembly. Not doing so will create deformation issues as well as problems of rot and fungal growth as excess moisture is trapped in the assembly itself.

It will come as no surprise to North Shore residents, who understand the destructive effects of water and moisture more than most, that unwanted moisture in a wall assembly will lead to a glut of construction problems and needs to be prevented at all cost.

Region's housing costliest in Canada

In my last column I discussed the present state of our real estate market and how economic indicators suggest we're not in the midst of a housing bubble at all.

I made the argument that limited buildable space and our desirable location make for an environment that will maintain high housing prices. What I didn't address was the repercussions of this lack of affordability.

The Royal Bank of Canada's report on housing affordability in Canada issued in August indicated that most housing markets across the country are affordable or slightly "unaffordable" with one major exception: Vancouver.

The L41 ultra-compact home by Vancouver architect Michael Katz and

designer Janet Corne is a mere 220 square feet.

Photograph by: Jon Benjamin, for the NEWS

"By and large, the share of household budgets, taken up by the costs of owning a home at current market values, remains close to historical norms," said Craig Wright, senior vice-president and chief economist with RBC. "However, extremely poor and rapidly eroding affordability in the Vancouver-area market is somewhat skewing the national picture."

RBC's report lists the affordability of owning a detached bungalow as a measure of the percentage of pre-tax household income required to service the costs of owning a home. Vancouver's index came in at a whopping 92.5 per cent. What this means is that the homeownership cost of owning a typical detached bungalow in Vancouver, including mortgage payments, utilities and property taxes, takes up 92.5 per cent of a typical household's monthly pre-tax income.

What this outrageous number unequivocally states is that if you're a typical household in Vancouver not already in the housing market, you might as well forget about owning a typical detached home in the city.

I believe a solution to this conundrum can be found in the so-called small house movement that has gained considerable momentum in recent years. Architect Sarah Suzanka has been credited with starting this movement with the publication of The Not So Big House in 1997.

Her thesis is a simple one: build smaller but build better. She believes that the quality of a living space is not related to its size but rather to the efficacy of its design.

Buildable land on the North Shore is all but gone and we're left with few options. We can go up, of course, and this is a reasonable solution in some cases but densification by building towers is very different than the densification created by low-rise structures knitted more tightly together.

The sense of community and neighbourhood created by these low-rise models are far more intimate, and in my mind far more successful, than the general anonymity of tower living.

A small home could be a stand-alone residence on a smaller lot or be an additional structure on a lot with a home already on it (the coach house concept). Either way, the small home increases density and affordability without deteriorating the quality of a community.

For any of this to happen municipalities will need to amend their existing zoning requirements to permit smaller scale construction. The City of North Vancouver has bravely moved forward in this direction, recently permitting the addition of coach houses on residential properties.

Smaller houses are a logical, economic and environmentally sound solution for a city that is feeling growing pains. There's no question that the singlefamily suburban model is being transformed. We live in a new era where new models for living need to be entertained for the betterment of our communities.

Report refutes rumours of a housing bubble

The numbers are in and it would appear that our sky-high property values are being held together with far more than a thin film of soapy water.

Reports by the Canadian Real Estate Association and Central 1 Credit Union suggest that B.C.'s real estate market may be slowing down but sure isn't a bubble ready to burst.

Central 1 Credit Union's report, issued on Sept. 15 forecasts that the total number of B.C. home-sales will be slightly lower this year from last, dipping down less than a point, but that house prices will soar to an all-time high, up an estimated 6.8 per cent from 2010.

The author of Central 1 Credit Union's report, economist Brian Yu, suggested that low interest rates - which look to stay low until at least early 2013 - and a limited supply of land will keep housing prices moving upwards. But it doesn't end there.

Photograph by: Terry Peters, North Shore News

The most compelling factor to suggest we're not in the midst of a bubble is far more pragmatic: people are living in the homes they buy. According to Yu, market speculation seems to be at normal level, comprising only two to three per cent of the total B.C. market, so if the economy slows there will be less likelihood of a speculation-induced bust as homeowners will tend to hold onto their homes rather than sell them in a weaker market.

Adding ammunition to Yu's argument was the release of the Canadian Real Estate Association's report on the same day suggesting that 70 per cent of markets across the country are in balance. Even a spike of activity in the Vancouver and Toronto markets seen earlier in the year has eased back to normal levels.

I've intuitively felt that our housing values in Vancouver, specifically here on the North Shore, are not artificially inflated but rather reflect desirability of the locale and the limited supply of buildable land that our topography permits. Our communities on the North Shore are delineated by a perimeter of mountains and ocean that creates one of the most beautiful locales on earth while preventing outward growth. The fact that we're only minutes from a thriving, world-class metropolis suggests to me more than ever the adage "location, location, location."

There are those who argue that the trap door will eventually drop but I suspect it won't be anything so dramatic. My instinct tells me that we'll be able to weather whatever market storms come our way.

Make your home more energy efficient

It might have been the scorching temperatures of the Utah desert that swaddled us, or the flash-thunderstorms that disgorged immeasurable volumes of water upon us, but after spending the last few weeks of summer holiday in a small tent with my family the notion of an environmentally sensitive, energy-efficient shelter kept presenting itself to me.

Photograph by: Mike Wakefield, North Shore News

Living in a tent has a way of making one reflect on the simple things that can positively affect the livability of a home and maximize its efficiency. It's straightforward stuff really. By taking a few simple steps one can greatly increase the energy efficiency of the places we live.

Draft-proofing your home is likely the easiest and cheapest way to make energy-efficient gains in your home. Seal things up and your energy bills will drop.

Having a look at your furnace is always a good move. Older furnaces are often oversized and typically have very inefficient motors and heat exchangers. Upgrading to a more energy efficient model will see immediate gains.

Increasing the insulation in your home is a guaranteed way to move towards energy efficiency. A well insulated, well sealed and properly ventilated home will be a warm and comfortable one and will be the most energy efficient solution.

Replacing single glazed windows with double glazed ones will bring huge gains as a single pane of glass has very little insulation qualities.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. has a number of programs to help out homeowners wishing to make energy-conscious changes to their homes. A quick review of their website will indicate eligibility.

Simply put, an energyefficient home uses less energy and is less expensive to operate. Making some simple changes won't break the bank, you might receive financial assistance to do it, you'll be reducing your greenhouse gas emissions and in the end you'll see significant reductions to your monthly utility expenses.

Make use of nice views

Why is it that so many homes seem to have been plopped onto their site with little or no consideration to the environment they inhabit, their windows appearing as decorative elements facing out to nothing at all while stellar views meet with the blank stare of a solid wall.

Photograph by: Mike Wakefield, North Shore News

Last weekend while exploring my Lynn Valley neighbourhood I was amazed by the number of homes in the area that boast truly remarkable gardens but was equally struck by how few of them actually capture this magnificent landscape splendor for their insides.

Creating a strong connection between the interior and exterior spaces of home, between the man-made and the natural environment, makes for a more livable home. Here on the North Shore our yearround warmer temperatures allow us to utilize our exterior spaces more than most other Canadian locales and it's well worth our while to think about how to better connect our interior and exterior worlds.

One of the simplest ways to do this is to strategically locate a window to capture a desirable view outside.

This might be a view to the mountains, to the ocean beyond or simply to a beautiful tree in your yard, but a conscious effort to frame something from the outside that can be experienced from the inside is the right idea.

Rather than thinking of windows as simply openings to let light in, think of them as picture frames of the world outside. Think about how you will inhabit spaces within the home and what opportunities you have to connect them with the outdoors. I've placed a small window near the floor on one occasion just to capture a view of a small rock garden. A peek-aboo window beside a child's bed that allows a private view, a horizontal window sandwiched between a kitchen counter and its upper cabinet creating a backsplash of garden rather than backsplash tile or vertical slot window that frames a beautiful tree while hiding the garden shed are all good examples of what I'm getting at. Ultimately, breaking away from the preconceived notion of the symmetrically placed window, three feet above the floor in each room is a good place to start.

When designing a new home both the landscape and the physical layout of the home should be designed in tandem as each, ideally, influences the other. Pre-existing homes should weigh the difficulty of landscape manipulation to household reconstruction. The mountain won't move but maybe that Japanese maple can.

Local West Coast modern architects like Ron Thom, Fred Hollingsworth and, of course, Arthur Erickson all loved to blur the line between inside and out, utilizing large planes of glass to capture magnificent views and ultimately to capture the world outside for the inhabitants within.

The concept of home need not be limited to the walls that define it. Understanding the connection between interior spaces of your home and the environment that surrounds it will help you capture some of that outside world as your own.

Entrance key to good layout

As the influential architect and theoretician Christopher Alexander states in his book A Pattern Language: "Placing the main entrance is perhaps the single most important step you can take during the evolution of a building plan."

If the main entry of a home has been placed in a good location the various spaces of a home will naturally fall into place. But if the entry is placed poorly a layout will become confused and disjointed as rooms and spaces attempt to adjust to this improper entry point.

Photograph by: NEWS photo, Mike Wakefield

I believe the concept of entry is far more than just the passing though the threshold of a front door, but rather the transition from one state of mind to another, the feeling that you've entered a place of shelter and security.

Entry to a home begins, in a very real sense, at your first sight of a building. The building appears and you are given an immediate cue to the location of the front entrance as you make your approach. There must be no confusion.

Upon arriving at the edge of the property there should be some sense of a threshold between sidewalk and entry, a line that when stepped across feels like you've moved from the public realm of the street to the more private sphere of the home. This can be treated in a number of ways, from literally stepping through a gateway or arbor to simply changing a level or a surface under foot, but the feeling created should be that of arrival.

As you approach the house through this semi-public zone between building and street your thoughts should further transition to the more private ones associated with home. A step up or down, an altering of texture, light or smell, or a change in direction are all elements that will engage you and bring about this transition.

The physical entrance to the home, the separation space between inside and out, needs to be a symbol of both entry and shelter. It should be differentiated from the rest of the building and provide a place of protection from the elements.

Upon entering the home the entrant should be provided a place to hang their jacket and shed their shoes without being forced to be involved in the activities of another space within the house. This entry space can be treated as something grand or something humble but regardless needs to feel like a space from which you begin your entry into the more private areas of the home rather than feel like you've already arrived in them.

Entering a house involves a psychological shift as much as it does a physical one. It's a transition that affects our thoughts and emotions as we leave the public realm of the street and enter into the private, intimate world of the home. Next time you enter your home, think how you can improve the experience. 

Laundry room redefined

The laundry room today is a far cry from the cramped basement afterthought that so often defined the washer/dryer space of yore.

We've come to understand that a laundry room, enduring the day-to-day use it does, needs to be a place that is both well designed and pleasant to be in.

Laundry rooms come in all shapes and sizes and are as unique as the people that use them. If a new or remodeled laundry room is in your future ask yourself a few questions before you start.

Photo is courtesy of Innovative
Closet Solutions of North Vancouver.

What's the size of your household? Are you an active family with young kids or a more sedentary couple of empty nesters? Do you fold your clothes in the laundry room or bring it somewhere else? Do you typically do lots of smaller loads during the week or just a few larger ones on the weekend? Do you need space to drip-dry clothing? Will you iron there?

Answers to these questions will help shape the design of your laundry room and will help ensure that it best suites your particular lifestyle and habits.

Empty nesters and couples without kids will often find a laundry space close to their bedroom to be most convenient and efficient. The smaller household generally won't require a large laundry space, often needing only an efficient space for sorting and folding clothes with accompanying storage. A bump-out in a corridor with front loading washer and dryer and a countertop above works great for such a scenario and when concealed with fold-away doors, is the perfect setup for efficiency and economy of space.

As households grow so do their rooms and it's no surprise that larger households will typically require a separate, dedicated laundry room to satisfy their needs. The size of the room and how it functions depends strongly on the answers to the questions above. Some families see the laundry room as a multi-functional space that affords the washing and drying of clothes as well as a host of other functions. It's a real trend these days to provide workstations for hobby and project work as well as areas for repotting plants and the like.

Another trend is to incorporate the laundry space within the mudroom. This can be a very successful arrangement especially for active folks who can dump their clothing directly into the wash without having to traipse through the house to find the washing machine. The space ideally has room to hang-dry athletic gear or related outdoor clothing and may even provide a drying rack.

Incorporating the laundry area as part of the kitchen is also a popular trend. It's important to create some differentiation between the two zones though even if their physical relationship is close. The key is to have the capacity to close off the laundry area when needed. The last thing you want when entertaining is to look into the potential ramshackle of a laundry room.

Regardless of its size or location, a laundry room needs lots of work surface and lots of storage. Front loading washer/ dryers are the way to go these days as they allow a countertop to be placed above them for a convenient work surface for sorting and folding.

I like mixing up laundry room storage with both open and closed storage units utilizing open shelves above the sink and appliances for frequently used items (detergent, fabric softener, etc) and closed units to store everything else. I'll always incorporate a tall, full-height cabinet for storing brooms, mops and an ironing board at the end of the room.

The laundry room has taken an important role within the modern home. From the discrete executive arrangement tucked neatly off a corridor to the dedicated room housing a number of other household functions, the laundry room has an essential place within the modern home.

Small room demands a big voice

The powder room is defined as a half-bathroom with a sink, toilet and mirror and is typically located on the main living area associated with the more public to semi-public areas of the home.

Because of its small size the powder room can be relatively straightforward and inexpensive renovation project for anyone wanting to make some refreshing changes to their home. And designing it can be fun.

The powder room is a perfect place to infuse some design pizzazz. It's a small space that wants a big voice to express drama and excitement. Here are a few design tips to make the powder room the expressive room it should be.

Powder room by Interior Solutions 

• Embrace the intense. Don't be afraid to use strong, dark colours or a daring wallpaper for the walls. The added punch will add interest and surprise.

• Create a furnished look. Think about purchasing a one-piece toilet or a wall-mounted variation. Have the toilet appear more like a piece of furniture rather than as a utilitarian plumbing fixture.

• Treat the sink as objet d'art. Vessel-shaped sinks have become very popular theses days coming in all sorts of shapes and materials and they have the wonderful effect of transforming a regular household item into a piece of sculptural art.

• Make the counter shine. The counter your sink sits upon should also play its role. I would suggest a counter with lots of glitter and polish. Recycled glass is an interesting option as is granite, marble or quartz.

• A mirror to reflect it all. You can extend a mirror across the breadth of the room or place it creatively within the space but think about the mirror as a device to make the powder room dynamic and alive.

• A floor for a sophisticated space. The flooring for a powder room should also reflect its character as a special place. Natural stone tiles, granite and marble are popular choices these days as they add that extra level of fine finish. Another popular and successful trend is to use a hardwood floor in the powder room, often carried in from a hallway or an accompanying room.

• Add drama with light. Attaching vanity lights to wall mirror can create beautiful reflective effects within the powder room while adding under counter lights can add a level of sophistication and mood to the space. I've even used a pendant light in a powder room on one occasion to great success. Be creative with your lighting. And don't forget the dimmers.

• Keep your style in sync. Above all make sure the style of the powder room is in keeping with the rest of the home. A nice modern faucet and sink will look totally out of place if incorporated into a traditionally decorated home. Choose a decorative palette appropriate to the style of your home and then let your imagination take over.

The powder room is a small room that demands a big voice. Take some chances, have some fun and create a dramatic room that talks loudly about your home.

Eco-friendly green roof an age-old concept

Recent years have seen a clear and defined shift to a more ecologically conscious building industry. More and more people are looking for products and technologies that not only effectively do the job they are meant to do but also reflect an eco-friendly awareness when doing it. The construction industry is responding.

There's no question that technological advancements in the building industry are allowing us to do more with less and are giving us more ecologically minded options but many of the green building advancements we see today are being created by the simple reintroduction of building practices that have existed all along.

Case in point: the green roof.

The green roof or "living roof" is commonly recognized as a modern, environmentally conscious alternative to a standard asphalt roof but the notion of having contemporary beginnings couldn't be further from the truth.

Archaeological findings on the northern tip of Newfoundland have unearthed the remains of Lief Eriksson's ancient Norse settlement and point to the use of sod roof dwellings by Viking explorers over a thousand years ago.

This is no surprise of course as it was a common building practice for the Scandinavians of yore to use sod atop structures of heavy timber and birch bark to create effective insulating and water resistant roof systems. For these ancient people, the green roof was a simple and effective sheltering system created from building materials that were readily at hand. The green roof as we know it today is clearly different from the sod roof of the past but the fundamental concept behind the two remains the same.

What we define as the "modern" green roof -- the integration of a growing medium over a waterproof roof membrane with the deliberate intent of supporting vegetation growth -- was first developed in Germany in the 1960s.

German designers were first drawn to the idea of a living roof purely along esthetic lines recognizing that the incorporation of a growing medium atop a building's roof would enhance the beauty of the building. But in 1970, the German landscape architect Hans Luz challenged this perception by suggesting that a green roof was far more than a simple decorative covering but rather a feature that would profoundly improve the quality of the urban environment. Today, more than 40 years later, the green roof has finally received mainstream recognition as an ecologically minded system that adds to any sustainable urban management plan.

The modern green roof possesses many benefits that make it an excellent environmentally conscious alternative.

A green roof greatly increases the insulating capacity of a roof system while protecting the waterproof membrane of the roof below. The added mass and thickness of the system provides for excellent sound insulation as well.

Storm-water runoff is greatly decreased by a living roof as the growing medium and vegetation retain large amounts of water that can be released back into the environment at a more manageable rate.

Much of this moisture is released through the process of evaporation which, in itself, creates a cooling effect that helps reduce the urban heat-island phenomena that is so common in our cities today. The large-surface tar and gravel roofs that blanket a typical city roofscape absorb solar radiation and re-emit it back into the city as heat. There's a reason cities are significantly warmer than the areas that surround them. A green roof helps reduce this heat gain.

A living roof is exactly that, a natural surface that provides a habitat for birds and insects while acting as a carbon sink by drawing carbon dioxide out of the air.

As we move forward to create a more ecologically friendly future we might be surprised to find that some answers lie in the past.

Child's room a place for imagination and fun

Designing for children is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.

Kids intuitively understand the idiosyncratic nature of design and are quick to add their input if given the chance. They live in a place where imagination and reality blur seamlessly between one another and having them involved in the design of their world brings out the most for everyone.

When designing a space for kids it's important to remember that you're not creating a space of serenity more appropriate for an adult but rather a dynamic place of imagination and fun suitable for a child.

Don't be afraid to use colour -- your kids will approve of nothing else -- but try to maintain some boundaries when you do so. A colour scheme can be wild and vibrant but keep a method to the madness by adhering to a concept or theme.

Kids will always have ideas for a theme and won't be lacking in ideas on how to realize it but it's the adult's job to rationalize their dream into a reality. My instinct tells me to move away from branding as much as possible while still capturing the essence of what your child desires. A Harry Potter-themed room for example might best steer clear of the obvious commercial references while still evoking a sense of the fantasy world J.K. Rowling has so brilliantly created.

A kid's place is exactly that and should be scaled accordingly. I'm always amazed how the smallest of spaces can become wonderfully functioning spaces for a wee one. A space too small for us and just right for them will invariably become a special place for your child.

Bunk beds capture this concept well and are always a huge favourite for kids. They provide a perfect get-away space for a child while providing a great space-saving solution as well. On several occasions I've stacked a bed above a small play alcove allowing for a dynamic, above-ground sleeping area while freeing up space below for fun.

On a more pragmatic level, making your kid's room as green as possible is the best thing you can do for your child. Use only low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and try to use as much solid wood as possible while eschewing off-gasing materials such as fibreboard and plywood. Carpets have a nasty capacity to trap dust, animal dander and mold spores and, when new, off-gas chemicals as well. A wood floor is always a healthier choice. Replacing vinyl window blinds with cotton or linen window coverings is an easy, eco-friendly decision as well.

Designing for kids is great fun and brings out child-like creativity in all of us. If you're thinking about transforming your child's space, make sure to talk to them first and remember it's their world. Scale it for them and let it become a place for invention and play.

Take advantage of natural light

After one of the dullest springs in living memory we're all craving a little more sunshine.

It's only natural, of course. Take a stroll down Lonsdale Avenue when the sun finally does come out and you'll experience it first hand. We all want sunlight. We need it. Why is it then that so many homes fail to capture it?

The relative position of the sun in the sky is determined by the time of day and by the season of the year. In northern latitudes facing south means facing the sun. It will rise in the east and set in the west. We all know this but we often fail to translate this understanding into a meaningful expression when it comes to our homes.

Photograph by: Mike Wakefield, NEWS photo

When laying out a new home the first thing the designer will do is determine the lighting requirements for specific spaces and then locate these spaces to best take advantage of natural light. This typically means maximizing southern exposure (for us dwellers in the northern hemisphere) and often encourages a form that stretches along an east-west axis. Not every property affords such a layout so understanding the movement of the sun to best capture its rays is an essential first step for any project.

As a general rule spaces like a dining area or den require less light than do the kitchen or living room. Morning light is best utilized by morning activity areas such as en-suites and breakfast nooks while afternoon and evening light better illuminates spaces that buzz later in the day.

Once a general room layout based on sun movement has been established the designer or architect begins to consider how this natural light will illuminate the spaces it enters. Light coming from two directions is always ideal. This might be from windows on adjacent walls or from a window wall and skylight above but having light illuminate a space from two directions adds a vividness to the room and enhances its three-dimensionality.

The use of a wall or ceiling surfaces as a reflector can create interesting and appealing lighting options while helping illuminate from multiple directions as well.

A clerestory is a wonderful way of bringing additional light but one must be cautious about bringing in too much. With sunlight comes warmth. Incorporating well-designed overhangs will block out the unwanted, near-vertical rays of summer while still allowing the warming light of a winter sun to make its way deep into the home.

Everything seen in space is perceived and understood through the light that falls upon it. The more we anticipate how natural light affects our layout, the more we move towards an optimal design for our homes.

Outdoor room extends space

North Shore residents have a special connection with the outdoors -- I'd say we're among a select few "big city" dwellers who aren't shocked to see a black bear or coyote rambling down our neighbourhood streets -- and for many of us it's this proximity to nature that's the reason we live where we do.

Photograph by: Mike Wakefield, NEWS photo

The newly coined "Nature Deficit Disorder" that's plaguing many urbanites these days will have a tough time affecting us.

We're seeing a popular trend in home design to extend the interior day-to-day living spaces of a home to the out-of-doors through the use of well-defined outdoor rooms. The barbecue nook with adjoining multi-purpose plastic chairs and table is transforming into dedicated outdoor kitchens, eating and lounging areas that truly bring the indoors out.

If you're thinking about creating an outdoor room for your home here are a few ideas you may want to incorporate:

• The outdoor room should be a natural extension of the interior space of a home with the delineation between inside and out as seamless as possible. Keep the floor levels between interior and exterior spaces as close as possible and pick exterior furniture and accessories that reflect the style and design of the interior. Long gone are the days of the molded plastic garden furniture as today's offerings are stylish, colourful and comfortable.
• Plan your outdoor room as you would any interior area within your home. Delineate areas for specific tasks. If you're focusing on an outdoor kitchen then anticipate adequate areas to work and to lounge. If you're designing an outdoor living area think about how you will furnish the space, how you will circulate through it and what elements might become a focus for the space such as an outdoor fireplace or a landscape feature.
• Think beyond a simple barbecue and purchase or build a grill island. This full-service cooking centre may have storage cabinets, warming drawers, a sink and even an under-counter fridge - but make sure it's only a cold storage for drinks and the like or those rambling north shore bears will be enjoying your outdoor kitchen as well.
• Think about adding gas or electric heaters to your layout.The addition of heat can make a huge difference on how frequently an outdoor space is used. If designed correctly an outdoor fireplace can produce lots of heat and can make an outdoor lounging area an inviting place even on the chilliest of evenings.
• Make sure to generously cover your outdoor area to ensure greater use year round. A pergola with grapevines is visually nice and will provide shade but will not keep out the rain. We live in a very wet climate here on the North Shore. Our outdoor spaces need to reflect this reality.
• Think about sheltering your outdoor room from the wind as a cool breeze is a sure way to send everyone inside. Latticework with trailing vines, a tight wood screen or a densely planted hedge will all do the trick nicely.
• Exterior lighting is a critical component of a successful outdoor room. Think about lighting the outside as you would the inside with general, task and feature lighting. There are loads of new energy-efficient all-weather options on the market these days.

Adding an outdoor room to your home is a wonderful way of expanding your daily life into the outdoors and making nature a place to inhabit rather than just a place to look at.

Build an energy efficient new home

If you're building a new home and want to make it as energy efficient as possible, you might want to consider Natural Resource Canada's (NRCan) ecoENERGY for Buildings and Houses program.

The NRCan's Office of Energy Efficiency has created the EnerGuide rating service to give expert independent advice on energy-efficient home construction and to provide an energy rating system that reflects a home's energy performance.

Green washing abounds in the construction industry and it's all too common hear claims of energy efficiency without the proof.

The EnerGuide rating system provides this proof by using a standardized rating system that generates a number, backed by the Government of Canada, that can be openly compared between homes.

The rating system is based on a scale from 0 to 100 with 0 representing a home with no insulation, enormous air leakage and over-the-top energy consumption -- picture a derelict barn with a low-efficiency furnace running at max -- and 100 representing a home that is very well insulated, is airtight while being well ventilated and is completely off-grid, requiring no purchased energy whatsoever.

A new home built to current building code standards will typically fall in an EnerGuide rating range of 65 to 72. A new home with some modest energy-efficiency improvements will fall in the range of 73 to 79.

A new energy-efficient home with significant energy-efficient upgrades will rank somewhere between 80 and 89 while a super energy-efficient home, one that requires little or no purchased energy, will rate between 90 and 100.

Many municipalities today recognize the EnerGuide rating system and grant bonuses for new home construction with an EG value of 80 or more.

The District of North Vancouver, for example, offers a density bonus from two to 10 per cent with EG ratings of 80 or more.

Taking part in the Energuide program requires the prospective homebuilder to acquire the services of a certified EnerGuide adviser who will evaluate their construction documents to develop an energy-efficiency upgrade strategy before the building starts.

The adviser will use computer software to model different options, focusing on the heating and ventilation equipment of the home and its building envelope, to create the most cost-effective solutions for optimal energy efficiency.

After construction, the Energuide adviser returns and verifies the energy efficient upgrades and performs a blower door test. The homeowner is then provided with an evaluation report and an official EnerGuide rating.

Simply put, an energy-efficient home uses less energy and is less expensive to operate. By creating one, we choose to invest in the proven value of an energy-efficient home while helping to protect the environment as well.

Stairway can create excitement

Locating a stair is likely the single most important planning decision the designer makes when laying out a home.

The stair can become one of the most dynamic and interesting elements of a layout, presenting an exciting sculptural form that efficiently moves occupants from one level to the next, or it can wreak havoc with a plan, disrupting every space it adjoins while generating awkward circulation patterns throughout the home. It all depends on how it's located.

Photograph by: Paul McGrath, NEWS photo

As a general rule, the stair should be relatively centralized in its location and should be easily accessible by its occupants. It can slide neatly up the side of a corridor, sweep formally out of a central hall or be a feature element of a home, but in all circumstances needs to simplify circulation rather than confuse it.

Vertical movement through space is an inherently dynamic circulation experience and demonstrates the power of the stair to create drama. Spatial relationships created by height differences can suggest feelings of authority or distance while the physical shape of the stair can create a sense of excitement. Architects and designers understand this and design the stair as a staging area for dramatic experience rather than solely as a means of getting from one floor to another.

But the getting from the one floor to other is the raison d'être of a stair and there are a few basic principles one needs to understand when designing one. It may seem obvious but a staircase occupies a volume that's more than one storey in height. One of the most common mistakes made by first-year architectural students is to design a stair that at some point runs itself into the floor above. Laying one out is not as easy as it seems. When thinking about the relationship of the step height to its depth (the riser height to tread depth), use this formula: riser + tread = 17.5 inches. There are building code limitations at the extremes of height and depth, but this rule of thumb can be very helpful.

Here are a few design tips that can make for a more appealing and dramatic stair:

• Let an open stair run down the side of a room. Removing the dividing wall between stair and room creates a dynamic within the room and helps make the room feel larger too.
• Place a skylight above a stair. A staircase is a vertical shaft that runs through your home. The light that washes over it will carry right through the house as well.
• Create a window seat on a stair landing. A landing forms a natural stopping point and lends itself as the perfect "getaway" spot.
• Use the walls that abut the ends of the stair as feature walls for artwork and sculpture.
• Place the stair near the entry, where the added height created by the stair volume will enhance the feeling of grandeur.

With a little forethought and design, the simple circulation device that allows us to move from one level to the next can become one of the most dramatic and appealing elements of our home.

Compare cost of renovation vs. new build

How big a renovation is too big? Well, the answer is: it all depends.

Small renovations that tackle specific and identifiable inadequacies to an otherwise functional home are generally the most prudent and cost effective. They generally don't hold enough momentum to initiate "project creep" and, if thought out well, can add significant value both as a livable environment and as a monetary investment.

Project creep is the tendency of a project to grow beyond the original scope of work for various unanticipated reasons brought to light by the renovation -- one may decide to completely replace drain tile around their home after digging up a small portion of it or be faced with a total electrical upgrade after realizing their current system is inadequate -- but regardless of the circumstance, the result of project creep is more work done and a more expensive project.

Medium-scale renovations are far more susceptible to project creep and need to be carefully monitored in order to not grow out of control. It's easy to keep adding to the program until the medium-sized project has grown into something so extensive that both its affordability and value are called into question.

Photograph by: Mike Wakefield, NEWS photo

As renovations become bigger and more involved it's essential to determine whether it's really worth it. An extensive renovation to an older home will likely cost more than building new.

At a certain point in a large-scale renovation the existing home becomes a liability rather than an asset.

Keeping existing spaces and forms is one thing, but transforming everything while being hamstrung by an existing framework is another. One needs to recognize when this point is crossed.

It's good to ask yourself if the cost of the new renovated home added to the value of the existing property will hold its overall worth in its given context? In many circumstances, it might it be wiser to sell the existing house, add the renovation budget to the overall sum and purchase something new that already has what you're looking for.

One compelling reason to keep an existing home, even through a large-scale renovation, is that the existing home gives you something you won't get if you start anew.

This typically comes in the form of an existing non-conformity where the existing building contravenes a zoning bylaw -- in its location on site or in its overall height, for example -- and won't be required to meet the new standards provided the renovation doesn't make the existing condition worse.

If you're confronted with the dilemma of an involved renovation, the first thing you need to ask yourself is if you're committed to living where you are. If so, it then comes down to whether it's renovate or build anew.

For those individuals planning to spend the rest of their lives on a given plot of land, the monetary considerations might not be that pertinent, but for most people, the balance between what you want and what makes good market sense needs to be addressed.