Part Two: Sustainable Design Dream Home

Ben Benschneider, ArchDaily

This East Asian inspired, 3,300 square foot house was built by Prentiss Architects in 2009 (ArchDaily, 2011). The building envelope consists of a long-lasting, forest fire resistance exterior cladding system (ArchDaily, 2011).

This home was originally built in Bow, Washington but will be relocated to North Vancouver, British Columbia. While we wish to be close to the natural world and activities such as hiking trails we also wish to be on gird and relatively close to a large urban area for amenities as well as decreased transportation. This is why we chose North Vancouver. North Vancouver has a mild, humid climate with an abundance of rain, therefore the rainwater collection system already in place is very suitable (Living in Canada, n.d.).

Other existing sustainable features of the home include photovoltaic panels, a rainwater collection system (including a well and an underground basin to store and treat rainwater), overhangs to provide shade and plenty of smart windows to provide daylighting (ArchDaily, 2011). The design of this house allows the beautiful scenery of Vancouver to be visible from every room. The spacious layout with large outdoor living areas would provide plenty of space to entertain family and friends. (196)

Ben Benschneider, Arch Daily

Dream Home Features

Heating: The excessive burning of fossil fuels has had detrimental effects on our planet. One way that we burn fossil fuels is by heating our homes. We live in a country that has extreme winters therefore, we must have a heat source to stay warm. We will use a direct gain system in addition to a hi-tech solution to decrease our carbon footprint. A direct gain system would be effective as there is already an abundance of windows on the house. In the main living areas, we would add environmentally friendly concrete floors (carbon concrete, made from an oil refinery by-product (Green Living Ideas, n.d.)). Concrete has a high thermal mass and would store the heat from the sunlight and radiate it through Grezu, Stained Polishing Concrete Floors

the night (Chris Reardon, 2013). Vancouver has mainly overcast days therefore a passive heating may not always be optimal. Hence, we could install a geothermal heating system from Borealis Geopower Inc (2007). Geothermal is sustainable, provides heating and cooling, increases indoor air quality and always provides a comfortable indoor air temperature (National Geographic, 2013). Geothermal HVAC requires a small amount of electricity to power the unit’s fan and pump, therefore we would use bullfrog power. Bullfrog is a Canadian company which provides only green electricity from renewable sources (bullfrog, n.d.). The prices of geothermal heating can be quite high, however prices are seen to be declining (BC Hydro, 2011). The Government of British Columbia also offers rebates of up to $2500 from for geothermal heat (home performance, n.d.). (250)

Halodro, 2015

Furniture and Interiors: In developed, capitalist countries, humans tend to over consume finite resources. This type of mindset creates a divide between humans and nature, making it so humanity finds it acceptable not to internalize externalities. Therefore, we will only use recycled or previously owned furniture to reduce wastes and limit consumption. Reclaimed wood furniture can be expensive and still involves incorporating new materials. So, instead we plan to source from local vintage stores like Antiques Direct, a Vancouver based company. The furniture will then be “upcycled” to suit our tastes. Upcycling is the practice of modifying previously loved goods into new, different and improved furniture (Hip Cycle, n.d.).In addition, it promotes a connection between you and the items you own. If you take part in creating your furniture, you may be less likely to throw it out. Buying already upcycled furniture from Reloving Furniture (n.d.) is an option for those who are less artistically inclined.

As well, we will try to use recycled or reclaimed products for the interior structure of the home. While the main living space would have concrete for thermal mass, the bedrooms which do not receive as much sunlight would have recycled cork flooring from Duro Design. We will also use recycled glass countertops for the kitchen and bathrooms from Vetrazzo (n.d.), a company that specializes in converting recycled bottles into countertops. In order to have a more healthy and livable house, we will only use Benjamin Moore Natura which is a zero VOC and emission free paint (Benjamin Moore, n.d.). (248)

Upcycling, Before and After - Pintrest

Dream Home Features Continued

Water Conservation:As, “the average Canadian generates over 300 liters of waste water each day” (Pavey n.d.), it is important for us to limit our water usage. Our home already exhibits some water conservational methods, like a tin roof collection system, however, we want to incorporate a greywater system. Greywater is water that is produced from bathroom sinks, laundry machines, showers and bathtubs. It is the water that goes down the drain, but does not include fecal matter, grease or food particles (Danko 2012). A greywater system can be implemented in the home by connecting piping to water appliances to collect the drain water and filter it through a pump (“About Greywater Reuse” n.d.). The easiest reuse of the treated water is to direct it outside for irrigation. Another vital use of greywater is using it to flush toilets. The average person flushes the toilet approximately five times per day (2 gallons of water per flush), this means that individuals use approximately 3,650 gallons of water per year (Hamm 2010). Ontario company, Canplas Industries (n.d.), is one corporation that can install this sustainable system. In addition to a cost reduction as a benefit of the added system, there are some rebate programs for greywater. For instance, the city of Guelph offers an incentive for greywater system users of up to $1000 (“Greywater Rebate Program” n.d.). We think that incorporating a greywater system into our house would be a lovely addition to our already water conscious home because it is both practical and affordable. (251)

Landscape Design:Connecting with nature is very important to us, so it is essential that we have a yard that is conducive to our lifestyle. A green space is multifunctional, it has social, ecological, and health benefits (Project EverGreen n.d.). Not only is green space aesthetically pleasing, it provides cooling during summer, creates a habitat for many species, is a place for social interaction and a place to relax and enjoy nature (Bodine Street Community Garden n.d.). We would want to use native plants like oceanspray, sword fern, wooly sunflowers and rocky mountain junipers (HAT n.d) because they are a food source for local ecology, are suitable for the environment and are great for xeriscaping. Our home already has a harvested rainwater system that helps prevent storm run-off (Majore & Bott n.d.) but we would also like to have Canadian landscaping company, Quiet Nature (n.d.) add a pond in addition to the further landscaping they would do. This would provide an environment for birds and other small species, moreover, making our space aesthetically pleasing. Likewise, we would incorporate a bat house, and a bird feeder to encourage diversity and support life. Recycled materials will be used in the living space, such as an old concrete pipe for seating (Contemporist, n.d.) and a reclaimed wood table from Antiques Direct (n.d). Throughout the green space we would have educational posts about the different kinds of native species, the diversity of wildlife, and how to detect invasive species. (243)

Mother Earth News, Grey Water

Contemporist, Concrete Pipe Garden Design

ReferencesGreen Earth Logo:http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/keep-earth-green/images/10959445/title/green-earth-fanart

Sustainable Design Dream Home: "Chuckanut Ridge Residence / Prentiss Architects" 04 Apr 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 15 Mar 2016. <http://www.archdaily.com/124123/chuckanut-ridge-residence-prentiss-architects/>“The Climate and Weather of Vancouver, British Columbia” Living in Canada Accessed 21 Mar 2016. http://www.livingin-canada.com/climate-vancouver.htmlImages: Photographer Ben Benschneider of Arch Daily http://www.archdaily.com/124123/chuckanut-ridge-residence-prentiss-architects

Heating:“Who is Borealis Geopower?” 2007. Borealis Geopower. Accessed 20 Mar 2016 http://www.borealisgeopower.com“Can Concrete Be Eco-Friendly?” Green Living Ideas. Accessed 19 Mar 2016 http://greenlivingideas.com/2008/12/21/can-concrete-be-eco-friendly/Bullfrog Powerhttps://www.bullfrogpower.com/green-energy/Reardon, C. 2013. Thermal Mass. Your Home. Accessed 20 Mar 2016http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/thermal-mass Egg, Jay. “Ten Mtyhs about Geothermal Heating and Cooling” National Geogrpahic. 2013. Accessed 20 Mar 2016http://energyblog.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/17/10-myths-about-geothermal-heating-and-cooling/“As Costs decrease, geothermal is on the rise” BC Hydro. 2011. Accessed 21 Mar 2016 https://www.bchydro.com/news/conservation/2011/geothermal.htmlBC Rebates. Home Performance. Accessed 19 Mar 2016 http://www.homeperformance.com/bc-rebate-grants-bc-government-home-energy-renovation-rebatesImages: Halodro, 2015. http://www.halodrol.info/all-about-geothermal-hvac-systems/Grezu, Stained Polished Concrete Floors. http://grezu.com/top-ideas-for-polished-concrete-flooring/stained-polishing-concrete-floors/

Furniture and Interiors: Gordon, Jacob. 2014. “How to choose green furniture” Tree Hugger Accessed 19 Mar 2016 http://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-furniture.htmlReloving Furniture Accessed 19 Mar 2016 http://reloving.ca/Cork Flooring. Duro Design Accessed 19 Mar 2016 http://www.duro-design.com/index.cfm/cork-flooring/Vetrazzo Accessed 20 Mar 2016 http://vetrazzo.com/engAntiques Direct Accessed 21 Mar 2016 http://www.antiquesdirect.ca/index.htmBenjamin Moore Natura Accessed 19 Mar 2016 http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/paint-products/natura-waterborne-interior-paint“What is Upcycling, Anyway?” Hip Cycle. N.d. Accessed 18 Mar 2016

Water Conservation:Canplas Industries “Grey Water Systems”. Web. 19 Mar. 2016 Pavey, Natalie. "Recycling Residential Grey Water." Ecohome. n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Danko, Jenn. "To Grey or Not to Grey: An Introduction to Greywater Systems." To Grey or Not to Grey: An Introduction to Greywater Systems. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. "Greywater Rebate Program." Greywater Rebate Program. n.d. City of Guelph. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Greywater Action. "About Greywater Reuse." n.d. Grey Water Action. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.

References Continued

Hamm, Trent. "Do You Really Save Money By Not Always Flushing?" The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 2010. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Image: Mother Earth News, Grey Water http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/home-design/greywater-zm0z11zphe.aspx?SlideShow=5

Landscape Design:Project EverGreen. "Environmental Benefits of Green Space." Project EverGreen. n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Bodine Street Community Garden. "Why Protect Urban Green Space?" The Bodine Street Community Garden. n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Habitat Acquisition Trust. "Gardening with Native Plants." Care for Nature at Home. HAT, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. ELA. "Advocating for Responsible Stewardship of Land and Natural Resources in Landscaping and Horticultural Practices." Ecological Landscape Alliance. n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Majore, Jessica K., & Nicholas L. Bott. "Designing Sustainable Landscapes." Canadian Wildlife Federation:. Canadian Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016Quiet Nature. “Sustainable Landscapes in Southern Ontario”. n.d. Web. Mar. 2016.

Image: Contemporist, Concrete Pipe Garden Design http://www.contemporist.com/2015/12/08/this-award-winning-garden-design-uses-concrete-pipes-to-create-seating-a-water-feature-and-a-fire-pit/