Recently we collaborated with Coast Realty Courtenay on a special gingerbread house project. This is part of the annual Odlum Brown Christmas Village hosted by Crown Isle Resort. The houses are sold by silent auction to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the Comox Valley. As I cast about for inspiration, I came across a much-loved local historical site: “Baybrook”, the Comox home of legendary naturalist and conservationist Mack Laing. [Read more…]
A Tale of Two Houses
Last week I was in my hometown of Vernon BC, and had an opportunity to visit the house I grew up in. Designed in 1965 by my architect father, Terry Gower, it embodied many of the ideals of the highest form of residential construction: the “architect-designed house”. [Read more…]
Coach Houses: Coming Soon to a Backyard Near You
Lately we’ve expanded our design portfolio with some new ideas for coach houses (also known as laneway houses or garden suites). We applaud the recent decision by the Comox town council, who recognize that the time is right for this very accessible and versatile housing option. [Read more…]
Passive House Institute 2013 – Vancouver
Last Sunday I returned from the two-day Passive House North conference, where the theme was Affordable Energy Efficiency for Cold Climates.
As the first such gathering of Passive House pioneers, engineers, architects & designers, builders, suppliers and interested folks to be held in North America, it delivered a wealth of information about this exciting way of building. A few of the main takeaways… [Read more…]
Future-friendly design in Prince George, BC
This summer our clients moved into their new 2500 SF home on an acreage outside of town. From the outset they were passionately committed to energy efficiency and the use of renewables. [Read more…]
The Resilient Home
There is a saying that goes:“When the shelter is secure, the storm is good”. I was thinking of this as we sat in the dark the morning of March 12th.
The windstorm that tore through the South Coast on that morning was in many ways a metaphor for a whole range of forces outside our control – like energy price fluctuations and economic uncertainty – that have the potential to impact our lives. These are increasingly part of the daily news cycle, leading to growing anxiety throughout society. [Read more…]
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