Dr. John North might have one of Vancouver's most spectacular views, but he's just as proud of the fact that his new kitchen cabinets are made of medium density fibreboard.
He's also proud that he runs his yacht on a mere 70 litres of diesel fuel a year, relying largely on wind power. And that he and his wife Lois consume less than a litre of diesel driving to and from work - between their Kitsilano home and Burnaby - in their tiny Smart car, the only one they own. "So we both commute to Burnaby for $2 a day," Dr. North says, beaming in triumph.
The Norths also try to buy local, and are ardent recyclers.
"I don't think we're any different from a lot of people," Ms. North says, modestly. "You choose what you like and what you want, but in the long run, you do pay attention to what's better for the environment, what uses less power and what's most efficient."
But the couple are among a new breed of "green" consumer - proof that just because you can afford to live large, doesn't mean you need to.
This approach to living is dramatically demonstrated in the massive, recently completed renovation of their 1,200-square-foot townhouse. To undertake the job, they hired TQ Construction Ltd., a Burnaby-based company that was green long before anyone had heard of a compact fluorescent light bulb. The project is nominated for an award by the Canadian Home Builders' Association of British Columbia.
The award category is kitchen and great room renovation. Winners will be announced next Friday. In its projects, the company aims to make the most of a home's available space, recycle materials, buy local where possible, reduce landfill waste and create energy-efficient designs.
"We're really not a company that likes to go in and completely tear a house down to the shell and rebuild everything new," project manager Kevin Beck says. "Where we can, we like to take something existing and make it better.
"For example, it almost never happens that kitchen cabinets go to a landfill."
In the case of the Norths, the old cabinets didn't go far: They're being installed in the garage for further use. In the meantime, Dr. North proudly shows off his new medium-density fibreboard (MDF) kitchen cabinets, which are covered in maple veneer. MDF is today's high-tech version of particleboard, and it's less prone to warping like solid wood.
"People are being very careful," Dr. North says. "I didn't want to buy cupboards that were using exotic woods. You go to the store and look at dozens and dozens of things, and go, 'I'll take that one.' Then you realize later that that's harvested in Africa or somewhere. So for us, maple is a Canadian product, and I was so pleased to find something that I really liked which was also MDF."
Adds Mr. Beck: "As far as getting recycled content, it doesn't get better than that."
Dr. North, chief executive of a biotech company, and Ms. North, a technician for Kodak, were married in 2006. For the six years prior to that, he had lived in the Kitsilano townhouse while she kept a townhouse in Burnaby. After their wedding, they planned initially to move elsewhere. They wanted a home big enough to also accommodate Ms. North's grown daughter, and a location fairly near their workplaces.
"We started looking and there was nothing even close to this in terms of view and location, so we decided we would try to fit into this space," Ms. North explains.
While TQ Construction did the six-month renovation of Dr. North's home, the couple lived at her townhouse.
Space wasn't expanded by enclosing the deck or adding a dormer; instead, the floor plan was redesigned. There are space-saving features, such as the built-in dining nook and a custom-built curved counter with stools. The new appliances are energy-efficient and all materials are high quality and built to last.
Additional windows and a design that is now focused north takes better advantage of the view, and adds natural light. To make way for another window, the old wood-burning fireplace was moved to an interior wall and replaced with an electric one.
"Sometimes very careful design will automatically create a greener space," TQ president Ralph Belisle explains.
He started the company in 1985, with his wife, Helene, as vice-president. In 1998, the company won a Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) award for reducing landfill waste on a job site.
The company has won several other awards for major renovations on homes that would have otherwise been demolished - boxy suburban split-levels, squat 1970s townhouses, and fading Shaughnessy mansions.
"A great part of the appeal of working in renovation is the ethical aspect of recycling whole houses," Mr. Belisle said in an e-mail. (He's currently working on a volunteer building project in Sri Lanka.)
Construction waste accounted for more than 25 per cent of the GVRD's landfill in 2004, the last year for which figures are available. In 2006, the company showed the potential for recycling in a voluntary zero-waste project involving the renovation of a Shaughnessy mansion. It recycled 2,000 square feet of hardwood flooring, 5,000 square feet of concrete, and 70 linear feet of kitchen counter. It also managed to recycle 100 sheets of drywall and the house's wood trim.
Mr. Belisle says that in the intensely competitive construction market, a builder must respond to the growing green demands of consumers who place responsible construction ahead of cost.
"We have to be ahead of our time - if we weren't, the competition would catch up," said Mr. Belisle. "More and more, clients respond enthusiastically to green renos. People are learning that 'how much more will it cost?' is a red herring question."
