Western Living Magazine
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This family home offers comfort while providing energy savings.
With help from BC Hydro, Naikoon Contracting built North Vancouver’s Winton House to be one of the first new homes in B.C. to qualify for the ENERGY STAR® for New Homes Standard.
Joe Geluch, president of Naikoon Contracting, knew that their 2015-built Winton House was a winner, but even he found himself caught off guard by the number of Georgies and Ovation awards rolling in.The North Vancouver residence was built in 2015 for Travis and Beth Cadieu, who were looking for an energy-efficient home that was both modern and traditional in style. “We wanted the indoor space to be open and simple, and we were inspired to design the exterior of the house to remind us of a modern chalet one might see in Whistler,” said Travis Cadieu. “With this in mind, we wanted to create a home that kept energy costs to a minimum, as we have a family of three kids that use lots of household energy on a daily basis.”The home achieves that aim through a number of factors including LED lighting and triple glazed Argon windows. Geluch and his team focused on the air-tight building envelope, which creates a comfortable environment by minimizing drafts and leaks. A fresh air system that controls and balances incoming cool fresh air with the outgoing warm stale air ensures a healthier home environment while also saving energy.The early plan was to add renewables, including solar panels, at a later time. But that changed.“The addition of renewable energy is not something everyone can do right away – this is a classic case where we built the envelope in a premium format and then planned for the renewables,” he said. However, as the project concluded, the Cadieus made the call to add solar PV panels at the build stage.When asked about the family’s favourite aspect of their new home, Travis can’t seem to choose just one.“We have a rainwater storage tank that is buried under the driveway,” he said. “It came in handy last year during the dry summer. We love all the concrete finishings in the house, from the powder room sink to the fireplace and kitchen counter tops. Also, we totally love the green roof we created above the garage.”Geluch says it’s that variety that makes the house such a winner. “What sets this home apart is that it’s kind of got it all,” he says. “It’sgot curb appeal, beautiful design, and amazing interior features,” he added.“The energy efficiency and the green part is the cherry on top, really.”
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The editorial team at Western Living loves nothing more than a perfectly designed space, place or thing: and we’re here to tell you about it. Email us your pitches at [email protected].
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