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.

Flexible living spaces are ideal

Are the spaces in your home really designed for the activities that take place within them? Do you find rooms that you use every day to be simply too small while others, some lying vacant most of the year, are just swimming in area?

If the answer is yes, don't be surprised as a vast majority of our homes have been designed on a planning model that is long outdated and in desperate need of a rethink.

Many of our homes have been designed with the notion that separate activities need to be housed in separate spaces, an idea routed in a more formal way of living that's not appropriate to today's lifestyle.

Look around and you'll see it everywhere: a main entry that's used rarely while the more convenient, day-to-day entry is littered with recycling bins, hockey gear or whatever detritus daily life sheds or a formal dining or living area that lies empty most of the year, standing testament to a bygone era rather than being part of the daily life.

A great exercise for homeowners is to look carefully at how they truly live within their homes. Walk around your home and quickly pace out the spaces within it to get a rough square footage area of each. Make a list of these spaces and their accompanying area and write down what activity goes on in the space and how it's being used. The numbers might surprise you. It's amazing how much space goes unused in the average home.

I find such an exercise a great starting point for rethinking the planning of a house. One sees how the square footage of the most used spaces of the home compare to other areas and gives an immediate insight to where a little trimming and relocation of space might be in order.

One should think of spaces in their home not as rooms surrounded by four walls but rather as places that house activity. As one moves through their home they move through a series of these places, some by necessity independent and private and others interconnected at varying levels openness. Spaces within a well designed home will be flexible and adaptable and, above all, will be used every day.

Meet need for personal space

The well designed home responds to the changing social demands of its occupants by providing spaces that allow a gradation in privacy from communal to private.

We as human beings are keenly aware of our personal space and our relationship with others. We feel comfortable in environments that recognize our varying needs for personal and private space and allow us to express ourselves equally as active members of the family and as individuals.

Older homes provided distinct spaces for distinct functions with communal areas such as the kitchen, living room or dining room being individual spaces that had little or no spatial interconnectivity with the other communal areas. A person working in the kitchen, for example, would need to leave the room in order to participate in a conversation in the living room, a complete disassociation from one space for the enjoyment of another. These homes are the product of a bygone era when construction methods, mechanical considerations and general lifestyle were far different than they are today.

Photograph by: Mike Wakefield, NSN photo

Modern homes typically try to dissolve this strict delineation of spaces in favour of a more open free-form layout that allows both a visual and acoustical connection between communal spaces. The open plan concept is a good answer to many of the old drawbacks but the concept can be taken too far with large open spaces ideal for parties and family functions giving no respite to a family member who needs to escape the hustle-bustle of household life. Semi-private areas that would allow a degree of isolation, without being disconnected from the family, are absent and the weary occupant is forced to retreat to a bedroom or an equally private zone.

The ideal layout lies somewhere in between. There's no doubt that the modern lifestyle is well suited to the "open plan" concept and with the introduction of so-called "semi-private" zones to this type of layout will meet our varying needs for personal space.

An alcove off the main gathering area is an excellent example of a semi-private area. It allows one to remove themselves from the focal activity zone of say the kitchen or living room without having to move into another room. A visual and auditory connection can be maintained but the alcove still provides a psychological disconnect.

A dedicated room that maintains a visual connection to the main activity hub takes the concept of the semi-private space a little further. Glazed french doors or pocket doors work well in such a space as both doors can remain open to make a strong connection to the communal area or can be closed off if the situation dictates. An office or reading room works in such a semi-private zone, maintaining a connection with the heart of the home while allowing a degree of disassociation.

As much as we require time together we also require time apart. A well designed home will reflect this ever changing need by providing its occupants the opportunity to express themselves communally, privately and every way between.

Hub helps organize home

There's never a good time to receive a bill but picking one up at the end of a day, tired after a long days work, would likely rank as one of the worst times.

The bills and assorted mail that we pick up from the mailbox and bring through our front door are, for many of us, unwanted items that are unloaded as quickly as possible on the most convenient surface at hand. More pressing matters like preparing dinner, managing the kids or winding down are on our mind and the stack of mail can wait.

Unfortunately this scenario, common for so many of us, can lead to mail waiting a very long time indeed as the unwanted pile begins its forced migration throughout the house as its once convenient home eventually becomes less so and the pile moves along to a less intrusive locale until it finds permanent residence -- speaking for myself here -- in that mound that's home to all those other things that will get dealt with eventually.

The way to deal with this organizational conundrum is to create a space that's dedicated exclusively to the processing of mail and other miscellaneous items that enter the house. I tend to refer to this area as the hub and try to design it exactly as one -- a centralized place within the home where mail is sorted and dealt with, where essentials like keys and phones are stored and where disparate functions like leaving a note or finding an address are carried out.

I'll typically locate the hub close to the kitchen -- the preferred dumping ground for all things unwanted -- and design it so that homeowner can use it without interfering with other functions in the home. I'll provide mail slots for incoming and outgoing mail and a recycling bin to get rid of unwanted paper and junk mail. I'll allocate space for essential reference items like the yellow pages and address books and create little cubbies for keys, wallets and the like. I'll typically incorporate a bulletin board or erasable writing surface into the design and make the hub the go-to point for all reminders and messages. For households with school age children I'll dedicate space exclusively for the piles of school related material that invariably makes its way home.

Since virtually everything is done online these days providing space for a computer is a must for any successful hub design. The hub must have an electrical outlet and should be hard-wired for both computer and telephone.

For the more technologically inclined I'll incorporate a touch pad console into the hub, allowing the homeowner to adjust everything from the heating to the music all from this one centralized location.

In the end one cannot overstate the importance of creating a space that manages the piles of mail and other disparate items that invade our homes. This seemingly small element can go a long way to easing the frustrations that come with clutter and disorganization.

The House of Tomorrow

What will the house of tomorrow look like?

Environmental concerns, changing lifestyle patterns and a shifting demographic are just a few among a list of forces that are shaping our house. Here's my top 10 home design trends you can expect to see in the future.

- Go green or don't go home: The green movement is here to stay. More environmentally sensitive means, methods and materials will be the standard for the construction industry. As environmental consciousness grows, greater demand for greener alternatives will be the norm in the residential design world. Construction methods will become far less wasteful. We will see a forgoing of plastics, laminates and off-gasing materials in favour of natural, more healthy alternatives for construction materials and finishes within the home. Also, the general layout and design of a home will become more sensitive to the climatic and environmental characteristics of a given locale.

- Smaller is better: The over-sized monster home will become a thing of the past with a trend toward more efficient, better-designed homes. Architects like Sarah Susanka have been professing the concept of quality over quantity for years and the concept seems to be taking hold. More efficient space-planning and more flexible layouts will allow for dual-function spaces that can adapt to changing needs.

- Prefabricated homes: Prefabricated homes are garnering much greater attention in the market today. Make no mistake, though; these are not the trailer park variety but rather cutting-edge architecturally designed modular homes that are factory-made and come in a range of bold, contemporary styles. Modern housing publications such as Dwell have taken great interest in this trend and dedicate lots of editorial ink to its development.

- The outdoor room: Moving our living to the outside is becoming increasingly popular these days. The line between inside and out is less defined with the trend for more glass and larger openings. The patio and garden are becoming essential components of an integrated house plan.

- The home office: Advances in technology are allowing many of us to work effectively from home and, as a result, there's a growing trend to incorporate well-designed office space into our households.

- Accessible living: The age wave is upon us. People are living longer and more and more elderly people are still living independently at home. We will see a trend of more accessible design in our homes. Main floor master bedrooms, wider corridors for wheelchairs, mini-residential elevators and single level house designs will become increasingly popular in coming years. In 1900 the life expectancy in the United States was 47 years. Today it's 78. We're living longer and our homes will need to adapt.

- Storage, storage, storage: With smaller, more efficient homes comes the necessity for storage. Designers and architects are listening to the mantra "there's never enough" and are providing more storage space in ever more creative ways.

- The flexible floor plan: The open floor plan arrangement that forgoes separate rooms for dining, living and kitchen areas in favour of a single multi-functional living space (often referred to as a great room) has been a popular planning concept for years now and will remain so. As homes become smaller and more efficient, flexibility in a layout will become increasingly more important. For centuries, the Japanese have been the masters of flexible living through the use of screens, sliding doors and folding partitions. Expect to see new homes incorporating these concepts as well.

- Energy efficiency: Homes will become increasing energy efficient as we move into the future. The industry-endorsed R2000 Standard -- a performance standard for energy efficiency and air tightness within a home -- is the Canadian benchmark for residential energy performance. Currently the R2000 Standard is a voluntary regulation but expect this to change in the near future. The promotion of cost-effective, energy-efficient building practises and technologies will invariably become entrenched in our national building codes.

- Mitigating risk: As environmental risk assessment becomes more and more sophisticated so to will our ways to mitigate those risks. Earthquakes, landslides, floods and storms are always on the minds of planners and building code authorities. Recent disasters in Haiti and Louisiana demonstrate what happens when risk is not adequately addressed. Homes of the future will adhere to ever-stricter national building codes and regional zoning provisions to ensure the health and safety of the occupants.