The original three "R's" of the environmental movement -- Recycle, Reduce, Reuse -- were such successful catchwords that they've inspired countless more. Today's proponents of sustainable living encourage people to Rethink, Repair, Respect.
Among these is certainly not Renovate. Construction activity, after all, generates about one third of the trash in landfill sites across North America, and bigger houses generally use more materials, consume more energy and need more electricity. So when Kevin Hanvey and Helen Goodland decided to expand their three-bedroom North Vancouver home, they were determined that both the process and the product would be as earth-friendly as possible.
Both are architects who work in the field of sustainable design, and they treated their home as a test case of ideas, materials and techniques they have worked to promote in their professional lives. Their new home, they hoped, would prove that renovating with the three R's in mind doesn't necessarily mean a reduction in style.
"There's still a perception that green building is a little bit weird, that people build houses out of straw and cow dung," Mr. Hanvey says. "For me, the goal was that people would think it would belong in a high-end shelter magazine. It would break down that fear barrier that green building is somehow out there. It's not."
The house, which strikes a comfortable balance between its modern look and cottage-like feel, has succeeded in attracting attention for both philosophy and aesthetic. The $215,000 project, in which they added a bedroom, bathroom and reconfigured the kitchen and living area, was recently awarded a Georgie from the Canadian Home Builders' Association of B.C. for best residential renovation in its price category. It was also short listed in the environmental consideration category, and its builder, T.Q. Construction Ltd. was named residential renovator of the year.
When Mr. Hanvey and Ms. Goodland decided their family of four needed more space, the obvious answer was to trade up from their 30-year-old, 1,320-sq. ft. bungalow. But that made no financial sense. A two-storey house would be significantly more mortgage, along with more property taxes and utility bills. "What we would end up with is more or less a similar house in quality and age but very big," Ms. Goodland says. "So we have more crappy house."
They also considered knocking it down, an option which seems very popular in their Grand Boulevard neighbourhood where boxy Craftsman-style homes are springing up among older ranchers. But besides the huge expense, they preferred to think of the existing house as worth reworking. They wanted to spend their money on quality materials rather than sheer square feet.
The house sat at the back end of a long and narrow lot, so they had to build forward. This strategy added more room to the kitchen and living room. Facing north, this area had been chronically cool and dark: warmth escaped up the chimney and light was swallowed up in the cedar-panelled vaulted ceiling. The new great room, with an energy-saving skylight, pot lighting, double-glazed French doors facing the garden, and white paint, is much brighter. A new inset gas fireplace offers more efficient heat and fits the clean design of the space.
Their first priority was to make their home a healthy environment, with alternatives to off-gassing materials.
The insulation was formaldehyde-free, and paint had no or very low levels of volatile organic compounds. Ms. Goodland, who is executive director of the new Sustainable Building Centre on Granville Island, is brimming with new tips she has learned through the process. "Ask your trades people," she says, explaining that her German flooring contractor suggested linseed oil as a finish for hardwood rather than common chemical potions.
