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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: Adventures In Sustainability, Part Two

March 24, 2016 By Danica 1 Comment

At our small office, the quest for carbon neutrality continues, and what a complex task it’s proving to be! We’d agreed that the first and most obvious step would be to calculate our current footprint. This would give us a baseline against which to measure our progress over the remainder of the year. Hiring a consulting firm to come in and do the job seemed costly, so we decided to do as much research as we could to come up with a baseline ourselves. This is proving to be easier said than done. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Energy Efficiency, Future-Proofing, Miscellany, Sustainable Lifestyles

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: The Road to Carbon Freedom, Part 1

January 21, 2016 By Danica 1 Comment

Recently, in the wake of the COP21 meetings and the publication of the Paris Agreement on climate change, we posted a few ideas about reducing carbon impacts in this “post-Paris” era. At the top of that list was the suggestion to read “How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything” by Mike Berners-Lee. The book contains lots of excellent advice on how to contribute to the health of the planet. Freshly inspired by its message, my coworkers and I agreed to set out on a new adventure in sustainability: we would try to become a carbon-neutral workplace in 2016. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Energy Efficiency, Future-Proofing, Miscellany, Sustainable Lifestyles

Canada’s EnerGuide: the energy cost of your home

January 7, 2016 By Danica Leave a Comment

What is the true energy cost of your home? How do you go about calculating it? If you’re trying to cut your carbon footprint in planning a building project, where do you find reliable information?

Whether you’re a prospective home buyer, planning a renovation, or work in the construction or realty sectors, here’s something you definitely should know about. Canada’s new EnerGuide system is a wide-reaching initiative by the federal government. It will provide the world’s most accurate system for determining the energy efficiency of a home. A report by a trained third-party inspector can now provide the total annual consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of any house. It’s high time that such considerations become integrated in a meaningful way to the construction and real estate industries. More info at:

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/en…/efficiency/housing/new-homes/5035

Filed Under: Blog, Energy Efficiency, Future-Proofing, home building, Miscellany, resilient home, Sustainable Design

MOVING BEYOND PARIS: When less is more

December 28, 2015 By John Gower 3 Comments

Now that COP21 is over and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change has been written, what’s next? John Kerry suggests that there’s potential for economic growth in the development of new technologies to mitigate climate change. I prefer to see the potential for moral growth by all of us – individuals, corporations, and nations alike – if we abandon this model of growth as a value to be pursued. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Energy Efficiency, Future-Proofing, Miscellany, Sustainable Lifestyles

In Their Own Words: A Builder Speaks

December 2, 2015 By Danica Leave a Comment

For our second installment on the topic of the Client/Designer/Builder relationship, we asked our frequent collaborator Tavis Griffith of Griffith Homes to weigh in on the subject. Here’s a summary of the comments of Tavis and his administrator, Kim Rodriguez: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, home building, Miscellany

A Matter of Trust: the dangers of DIY

November 13, 2015 By John Gower 2 Comments

In our culture, a lot of value is placed on the DIY ethic, in which it seems we’ve empowered everyone to do just about anything. The result is that people aren’t always prepared to value expert opinion, but instead engage with experts as minimally as they can. This is due partly to the widespread idea that all opinions have equal validity – especially when it comes to the world of design. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, home building, Miscellany

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Our Clients Say…

Every time someone asks me about the design for our house, I tell them how great you were to work with and how you took my attempts to change things and made them happen on paper. Thanks so much!
Constance and Lee
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Everything is the way it should be.  You designed us an amazing, perfect house which nestles into the landscape and gives us endless opportunities to enjoy this special piece of the world. Thank you!!!!
Mark S. & Laura M.Duncan, BC
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We looked at many house plans over the past few years looking for the one that would fit the property, fit ourselves and had creative style as well. To be frank, your whole line of plans was appealing and our second choice for a house plan was also one in your catalog. Thank you very much for your care, your time and your input.
Mike and Beckie T.Washington
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John designed our lovely home in 2002. We opted for the full package (highly recommended), including interior design and ongoing support throughout the construction process. We can’t say enough about how pleased we are with our home. Every square foot serves a purpose with a harmonious integration into the landscape. John spent much time with us discussing how we spend our time in our home, taking the concept of custom home to a much higher level. We have referred two of our friends to John–ther… Read more
Crosbie & Helen W. Maple Bay, BC
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John has a unique ability to combine intricate elements of aesthetics, functional layout, resilience, and purpose into a progressive design package with minimal environmental impact both in construction and ongoing habitation. His designs are both mindful of the future and accommodating to his customers’ desires and lifestyle requirements. Such a complicated balance of considerations is not easy to achieve and John seems to do it time and time again. We have worked with John on several projects … Read more
Island Timber Frame (Builders)Cumberland, BC
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We are so appreciative of John Gower’s expertise, creativity and communication skills. The process of designing our new home was very collaborative and enjoyable. His communication skills were especially valuable because we lived out-of-province and much of the planning was done with creative use of email, the internet and an interactive architectural program. He took the time to help us develop an inspired vision for what this home could be for our family. He then designed a great plan for… Read more
Linda F.Calgary, AB
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We made our final decision to go with your plans based primarily on what we perceived as your ready accessibility and ability to understand our needs. We were not disappointed.
Jim B.New York State
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Rod and I are happily settled into our beautiful home… Every day we look around and say, WOW! We might possibly forfeit a trip south this winter just because we love it here so very much!
Rod and Ingrid H.Nelson, BC
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Thank you for the final drawings. I must tell you they look really nice. We are very happy with the outcome. I will certainly recommend your services with other people.
Alex G.Puebla, Mexico
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Bud and I wanted to thank you for the plans for our wonderful new home. It was a pleasure to work with you. I was concerned that we might have a difficult time working together with your being so far away. I must admit you made the process very easy. You seem to have a knack for taking what I saw in my mind and making it happen, even better than I could see it.
Bud and Sandy H.Idaho
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212 - 2459 Cousins Avenue | Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada | V9N 3N6

Tel: 250.871.8765 | Toll-free: 1.877.366.2502

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