If you haven’t had your home tested for radon gas, the time to do it is now. According to Health Canada, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). The same report says that 6.9% of us live in homes where radon levels exceed Canadian guidelines (200 Bq/m3). Could your home be one of them? [Read more…]
Connecting The Dots: Green Building and governments
People who know of my long-standing interest in Green Building often ask me whether there’s much uptake on sustainable building strategies these days. My answer is, frankly, no; beyond a few courageous early adopters, there’s not much uptake. To explain why, allow me to briefly detour to a recent article in the Globe and Mail… [Read more…]
The Garage: here today, gone tomorrow?
Some columnists in popular media have been wondering whether the garage is on its way out. They cite recent census data (from the U.S.) that show a steady increase in the percentage of homes built without a garage or carport — a surprising 8% at the height of the housing boom in 2004, rising to 13% in 2011. It seems that homeowners are opting for neighbourly front porches instead of the 1990s-standard, oversized garage that took up most of the view from the curb. [Read more…]
Planning For Pets
Recently my family became the proud guardians of a lovely rescue dog from Mexico. Canela (Spanish for “cinnamon”) has undergone quite a transformation from feral to family, and in the process she has made our lives much bigger with her quiet and loving presence. As her photo suggests, she’s a big girl. Her mellow nature allowed her to integrate into our home almost effortlessly. [Read more…]
A Taste for Local History
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…]
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