Get More House for the Same Price
If you're considering building a new house or overhauling your existing one, you may not realize that you're wasting money on what you...
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- Dec 15, 2022
- 3 min
How to Build or Renovate a House that Lasts Longer, for Less Money
These are the THREE most important items to replace in a reno or new house that will stretch your dollar and help your house last longer.
- Oct 26, 2022
- 3 min
What Is An Ultra High-Performance House?
An ultra high-performance building performs excellently in a number of unseen ways and goes beyond just saving money on heating.
- Oct 21, 2022
- 2 min
10 Tips to Maximize Your Home Renovation Investment
Homeowners considering a renovation can increase its value by maximizing the performance of every dollar spent. by following these ten tips.
- Oct 1, 2022
- 1 min
Should You Build or Renovate with High Interest Rates?
You bet. The Bank of Canada raised the prime interest rate again this past week, so plenty of people and companies are reluctant to build....
- Sep 11, 2022
- 4 min
How Will Ultra High-Performance Protect Your House From a Wildfire?
Any house built near a forest risks being destroyed by wildfire, but you can protect your home for a relatively low cost.
- Aug 3, 2022
- 6 min
Your Architect Needs To Do These FOUR Things Before Drawing ANYTHING
There are 4 main things that an architect should do for your project to avoid wasted time, wasted money, and expensive, aggravating delays.
- Jul 30, 2022
- 5 min
How To Design Or Renovate Your House For Comfort During Heatwaves
Installing central air-conditioning to handle heatwaves is expensive and isn't a long-term solution. Here's a less expensive strategy to fi
- Jul 24, 2022
- 4 min
Grab The Keys To An Ultra High-Performance Home
Like a super high-performance car, a “Legend Home” is a modern, ultra-performance home. You get superior comfort, precise climate control.
- Jul 6, 2022
- 1 min
Get Two Houses for the Price of One
Renovating or building a house to last 80-100 years can be less expensive than one house that must be replaced or repaired multiple times ov
- Jun 27, 2022
- 1 min
UltraHome™: Post-disaster Luxury House
Disaster-proof and climate resilient houses can be luxurious if designed correctly.
- Jun 24, 2022
- 3 min
Don't Install Air Conditioning In Your House - You're Wasting Your Money
Is an AC system a waste of money? Find out why getting a central air-conditioning system now might be a costly mistake.
- Jun 8, 2022
- 4 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: The Flood Proof House, Part 4
Severe flooding may breach your last defense, and only proper planning and careful thought can design your house to survive.
- Jun 7, 2022
- 2 min
Better than Passive House
The big 'green building' systems out there right now are LEED, Passive House, Living Building Challenge, and WELL certification. Each...
- Jun 7, 2022
- 4 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: The Flood Proof House, Part 3
The setup of your property and your landscaping is your first physical line of defense against water traveling over land.
- Jun 6, 2022
- 4 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: The Flood Proof House, Part 2
Flooding presents a range of risks most of which can be lethal. The flood risk impacts entire communities.
- Jun 6, 2022
- 3 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: The Flood Proof House, Part 1
We can design a flood proof house to withstand the next British Columbia flood event. That's important because while not everyone lives in
- Apr 7, 2022
- 8 min
HEALTHY HOME DESIGN: Top 10 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Building a House
You Can Build a High-Performance House for Less Money Than a Typical House - Learn design strategies that will both reduce the cost of build
- Feb 21, 2022
- 6 min
HEALTHY HOME DESIGN: Daylighting Design for a Happier Space
The right daylighting strategy can greatly improve the quality of your family’s life at home for little or no extra expense.
- Jan 19, 2022
- 4 min
HEALTHY HOME DESIGN: Better Indoor Air Quality Using Better Air Barriers
A typical house has countless tiny holes that lead to mold, but better airtightness can make your house healthier and more comfortable.
- Jan 14, 2022
- 4 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: Roofs for Cold Weather
Our homes are not adapted to the colder winters of the coming century, and the beautiful white snow is slowly destroying your house's roof.
- Nov 14, 2021
- 9 min
HEALTHY HOME DESIGN: A Multigenerational Home Could Be Your Best Retirement Plan
The trend of families living in multigenerational homes is not new but is increasing and evolving. The idea of a multigenerational home...
- Nov 1, 2021
- 18 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: Architecture for Extreme Weather
Design for climate change is architecture that performs well during extreme weather and is critical as climate change accelerates.
- Oct 16, 2021
- 10 min
HEALTHY HOME DESIGN: How To Improve Your Home's Indoor Air Quality To Improve Your Health
Improving the air quality in your home is one way of improving your physical health.
- Sep 4, 2021
- 22 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: How to Design a Fire Resistant House to Protect Your Home from Wildfire
Unless you live in the middle of a large city, there is a growing risk of your home being destroyed by a wildfire in the next few decades....
- Aug 12, 2021
- 10 min
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: How Passive Cooling Keeps Your House Cool During Heatwaves
Most air-conditioning systems are ill-equipped to handle the new heatwaves, but passive cooling strategies may solve this problem.
- Dec 20, 2020
- 10 min
UPGRADE YOUR HOUSE Part 2: The Solution To Your Sick Home
HEAT YOUR HOUSE WITH A HAIRDRYER. YES, A HAIRDRYER. OR A TOASTER. NO, NOT EVEN JOKING. This is a follow-up to my article "Is Your Home...
- Dec 20, 2020
- 16 min
UPGRADE YOUR HOUSE Part 1: Is Your Home Slowly Killing You?
As much of the white-collar world - me included - gradually turns to working from home either part-time or completely, we are forced to...
- Nov 17, 2019
- 5 min
Responsible Design
What's my greatest skill? Design genius? World's most responsible designer? Maybe some day, but my greatest skill today is something...
- May 21, 2019
- 9 min
YOU DON'T NEED TO HIRE AN ARCHITECT. OR DO YOU?
Most people have misconceptions and don't realize the advantages that an architect gives to a house construction project.
- May 21, 2019
- 5 min
Guide to People in the Construction Process
Here is a guide to the professionals whom you will encounter over the course of a construction project.
- Feb 2, 2019
- 4 min
PERMITS, Part 5: Moving In
Before a building can be occupied, the project must pass the inspectors' final review and receive an Occupancy Permit from the AHJ. This...
- Jan 26, 2019
- 9 min
PERMITS, Part 4: Building Codes
In my previous article PERMITS: Part 3, we looked at the Building Permit process. In this article, I delve into the maze of literature...
- Jan 19, 2019
- 7 min
PERMITS, Part 3: Building Permit
The Building department reviews the technical construction aspects of a proposed project to help ensure that it provides fire and life...
- Jan 12, 2019
- 9 min
PERMITS, Part 2: Planning and Development
The Planning Department reviews the proposed use, size, and exterior aesthetic of a proposed project for compliance with the zoning...
- Jan 5, 2019
- 5 min
PERMITS, Part 1: The Players
In the realm of construction, what's a 'permit'? Basically, someone -- usually City Hall -- who has the authority to dictate what can...
- Dec 29, 2018
- 2 min
EVA AND JOHANN: MEET OUR HEROES
The world of architecture and construction is a complex, ever-changing game and can be confusing, frustrating, or sometimes overwhelming...
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