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.