Emerald Drive
Name: Emerald Drive
Completed: 2020
Architectural Design: Brigitte Loranger
Photography: Joern Rohde
Exterior
- With a traditional vaulted roof, the home design fits both the form and character of the mature Whistler neighborhood
- Fire-smart board & batten fiber-cement siding was selected to reduce the risk of fire from the dense forest in the rear yard and blends with feel of neighborhood
- A timber exoskeleton facilitated the modular design and construction and offers architectural appeal
- The side-facing concealed garage focuses view on the homes architecture and not the garage door
Interior
- The home was designed as live and work space with his and hers offices on separate floors
- The kitchen is designed as the focal point for family-living, entertaining and out-door living with both front and rear facing decks
- The timber roof structure is featured as a key design element with a vertically oriented clear Douglas-Fir T&G ceiling throughout
- The timber stairs with bolted glass railings show-off the stairwell and bring light from the 3 skylights to the lower floor entry and mudroom
Functionality
- A covered entry and rear yard BBQ deck offer protection from rain and snow
- The central open stairwell with large windows and skylights lights all 3 levels
- The master bedroom and ensuite are on the top-floor for views and natural light with a French balcony to the rear-yard
- A rental suite is incorporated on the lower floor with a separate covered entrance protecting residents from snow shed from the roof above
Net zero Construction
- The goal was to build a modular net zero ready custom mountain home that was indistinguishable from the neighborhood design style
- Our intent was to reduce construction time on site with less impact on the neighborhood. On site construction was reduced from typical 14 months to under 8 including site works and foundations, despite significant delays with a modular manufacturer bankruptcy requiring additional finishing on site and extending construction time by over 3 months
- The home consists of 5 individual modules with the lower 2 modules set into the full-heigh foundation
- Using a factory process, we could:
- Limit the delays from lack of local skilled trades
- Reduce impact on our labour resources
- Reduce waste
- Improve quality
- Reduce trade travel time to site further reducing GHGI’s
- Demonstrate that modular construction could meet the standard for a custom luxury mountain home and meet the net zero ready criteria to qualify for the CHBA Net Zero Ready Label
- The vaulted timber ceilings on main and upper floors were designed for prefabrication
- The home was designed from the outset to meet a net zero ready standard able to produce as much energy as it used.
- All construction waste was recycled where possible. Currently RDC diverts 75% of its waste from construction from landfill
- All the windows and doors are triple glazed Euroline 4700 Series units that meet the Passive House standard
- We achieved an airtightness of 1.49ach with Aerobarrier air sealing installed by Airtight Solutions
- Exterior walls have an R26 effective insulation rating
- The roof has an R60 effective insulation rating
- The crawlspace is sealed and insulated with R26 effective Nudura ICF walls
- The south facing main roof orientation ensures optimal energy production for photo voltaic modules
- A cold climate Heat-Pump was selected for heating and cooling in combination with the Dettson HVAC with their smart duct system and a 73% efficient HRV
- An induction stove and Energy Star appliances were installed
- LED lighting installed throughout
- A Radon mitigation system supplied by Radon Environmental was installed during construction and the home was tested after completion – No significant radon levels was measured when tested.