Sustainable Beauty : Edelweiss House by Ecohome

The house is visually stunning. As you go down the tree canopied drive, the pure simple lines of Edelweiss House feel like it was always meant to be there. Nestled in a pristine woodland lot in Wakefield Québec, about half an hour from Ottawa, this home represents the cumulative research and building efforts of Emmanuel Cosgrove, Mike Reynolds and Yanni Milon as well as the expertise of Denis Boyer in the energy efficiency field. This passionate team set out to build the first LEED V4 house in Canada and to join the elusive Platinum Club Certification. Not only did they succeed in obtaining this prestigious award, but they are also on the books for being the second LEED v4 Platinum certified home in the world. The Canada Green Building Council lauds Edelweiss House as a phenomenal achievement. This comes to no surprise since Ecohome sets the benchmark for sustainable building practices while reducing the environmental impact which, in itself is no small feat. Not only has Ecohome proven its leadership in this area, it fervently backs up what it says by building the demo house giving a hands on experience for neophytes to professionals interested in building green.

Car charging station

We attended a one day workshop and tour at Edelweiss House given by Emmanuel Cosgrove who covered design and concept as well as construction. The concept is innovative itself. Edelweiss House is a demo house giving you a firsthand look at the ins and outs of building a hyper-performing house that won’t break your budget. Furthermore, when you start to crunch the numbers, you realize that this spacious open concept house will run on the cost of your morning coffee at Timmies. You can’t beat that. And if you drive an electric car to commute to Ottawa and back, it will cost you less than that morning coffee and bagel. So if you are worried about the initial cost of green building, the outcome is that it will pay for itself once you put the key into the door.


Hands on models and examplars

Ecohome is like a test drive. You can touch, see, experiment, ask questions and share concerns with the other participants. Edelweiss House not only looks great but I imagine it feels good to live there. An ecohome is not a force fit. One tipoff is the landscaping. If it is minimalistic and most of the building site has not disturbed the natural landscape, then that indicates that some consideration has been taken into account about minimizing the house’s footprint. That house becomes part of nature and not vice versa. Edelweiss House sits well in the densely treed lot with wild flowers and minimal landscaping to accommodate outdoor living.



Break time in the great room

Another tipoff is the new house smell. Edelweiss House is brand new and does not have a new house smell. It wouldn’t be green if it did. If your new home has a new house smell, that means that chemical particles are being released into the air you breathe such as COVs. This toxic smell comes from building material and could linger in your house for the next several years.   

When you walk into Edelweiss House and enter the great room, the extensive use of windows literally let the outdoors in. Ample natural light filters in through the canopied trees that are so close; you feel you could actually touch them. This has a soothing effect adding to the house’s serene aura. We could easily see ourselves living there. We are Baby Boomers and sometimes these abodes are not senior friendly especially for access if you wish to live as autonomously as possible. It is also a great dwelling for couples or families as a permanent residence or vacation home.

 In all, this 1,386 square foot house was built with an accessible budget for the average home buyer. It is by far a good investment in all respects and easy to maintain. Sometimes having a green home is a long term commitment. This house started performing from day one and it will keep on paying for itself for years to come.



Antique accents add charm

Then there is the Cosgrove Effect. Emmanuel likes to incorporate architectural salvage and reclaimed materials in his sustainable designs such as antique doors that complement the sleek design of this house. The contrast between the roughhewn doors and the minimalistic lines of the house interiors incorporate a beautiful message about keeping elements from the past towards future builds. The quartz kitchen counter is made of recycled glass and mirrors. Participants that day were impressed by its feel and the look of the counter’s finish. Of special interest also was the reclaimed lumber from the bottom of the Ottawa River used to make the vaulted ceiling from Logs End. The wood has been preserved under water for decades and is part of the area’s cultural heritage since it was felled generations ago. The grain work in this wood is unparalleled.  The great room ceiling and some millwork were custom made with the reclaimed lumber. There is also extensive use of slate in the bathrooms giving a rich dark texture to the walls and floors.  

Emmanuel Cosgrove leading the tour

The outdoor design is sleek with its horizontal lines. The charcoal gray Riopel siding accentuated with black trim and the burgundy door give the house a rich look.  But what will surely get your attention is the green roof which is not only energy saving and improves air quality and biodiversity, but also retains storm water and acts as acoustic insulation. Green roofs are not new. They have been doing it for over seven hundred years in Europe and we are in awe when we see one in our own neighbourhood. When you think of it, it only makes sense to start greening our roofs. Environment Canada states that if there were more green roofs, for example in Toronto that the temperature in the summer would come down by 2 degrees because of the cooling effect of green roofs.

Prep work for the green roof

Overall, our day at Edelweiss House was thought provoking. We went back home and poured over our own house plans to rethink some of the major components before having them run through energy modelling simulations. Edelweiss House gives you the best of both worlds: hands on knowledge and expert advice backed up with real experience. This is not theory, it’s hard work that has paid off. Ecohome is not only leadership through reliable demonstration, it is also trend setting that can be measured, assessed and evaluated because it is there with all the data to back it up. You can’t ask for anything better. The only question remains is, where will Ecohome take us next?

All this to say, that genuine sustainable ecobuilding is a conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation and if it is beautifully designed, then it looks like Edelweiss House. To find out more about Edelweiss House and Ecohome, a visit to their website is well worth the effort at www.ecohome.net. 

ANNABEL'S SMILE

Pierre working on our plans

Pierre is an expert at working with details. Nothing escapes him. As for me, it’s the big picture. Details are not my forte since I have always analyzed systems pertaining to an institution’s vision and mandate. Someone else had to look after the details that made the whole. Furthermore, I have always avoided Cartesian linearity. I prefer to make quantum leaps in order to analyze complex systems without making them complicated. My analytical mind is my favorite tool. Why go from A to B in a straight line when you can explore and go elsewhere? I am convinced that there is always more than one solution and that the correct answer is the one that works. This is my modus operandi. Pierre and I have a different focus and it is a beautiful partnership. Apparently, my husband thinks I drive my Subaru the same way that I ponder and that rarely in a straight line. In my defense: I learned to drive in the countryside and the rural landscape turns me on more than the white line on an endless tarmac.

Back on topic. When Pierre and I talk about building plans, we are essentially saying the same thing, because we share the same vision; however, our language is different. For example, we love technology, but we see it differently. Pierre is how-to. Not me. I want to see what other applications can be done for the same widget. So when we discuss construction plans, our interlocutor has to act as a filter and work intuitively with our subconscious. Then the said interlocutor reflects the fabric of our thought in a vernacular language. Are you following me? This is not an easy task. So, what to do with the silent language of architecture? It takes Annabel’s smile.





Bruno Verge leading the discussion the design of our house

We met Annabel Arsenault, architect, during our second meeting with Bruno Verge at Tergos. The first thing one notices about Annabel is her serenity. Her frank look is authentic and her smile is framed by two generous dimples. She is very patient and her ability to listen is impressive. Our second meeting with the architects was the signing of the contract and our first site visit to Saint-Irénée where the land surveyor, Dave Tremblay, was waiting with his team. On the way to Charlevoix, I briefly outlined our ideas for the house plans while noticing that Annabel and Bruno were taking notes. They did not waste their time or ours. I was impressed.

Arriving at our estate lot, Pierre gathered the whole team for the preliminary meeting to exchange information and strategize. With data from the land surveyor, one could better visualize the location of the house, the flow of surface water, the location of the artesian well and septic tank. The vision of the house was becoming more concrete as we walked the land. Dave Tremblay’s team would provide us with 3D topography to make it easier for the architects to anchor the house as though it had always belonged there while protecting its environment.

Annabel Arseneault and Bruno Verge, Architects

When Bruno spoke, he expounded on volume and the quality of the materials. He explained how the large windows of the house would sculpt the light over the seasons. I could see the house rise before me with a clean modern farmhouse revival style, fused to the environment and challenging our senses. It was a far cry from the magazine look and the big house syndrome overloaded with vinyl gables and faux stone siding. The vision he described was timeless and had a clarity ensuring an efficient sustainable green residence and respectful of our well-being. While Bruno shared his vision, Annabel took pictures and noted. Her silence was eloquent. She already envisioned our daily lives and the potential for this construction. Then we went down the beach on the St-Lawrence River, just at the bottom of our property. This wide blue expanse continues to impress people who come to visit us. It's almost an obligatory truce to go to the waterfront and look towards this infinite beauty. People are mesmerized. We are just amazed that we will live there soon.

Finally, driving back to Québec, I had the chance to quickly point out the home of my ancestors in Château-Richer. Located on the Route Royale, we see the back of the house while driving on Route 138. Built between the years 1790 and 1818 by François Rhéaume, it was erected on land granted in 1650. It is while doing my genealogy that I found it. I explained to Annabel and Bruno the strong emotions that I felt when I saw it for the first time. After taking photos of my ancestors’ house, I had put my hand on one of its walls and I whispered that after all those centuries, our family is still here.

Maison Rhéaume, Château-Richer, near Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

Architecture, beyond all the canons of beauty, takes its importance because it is the staging of everyday life and our culture. As the humble abode of my ancestors, my greatest desire is that our home in Saint-Irénée tells our little piece of history. Having said this, I saw Annabel smile and I knew she had understood everything.

A BEAUTIFUL EQUATION

 

A Benedictine monk doing a math problem.

Have you ever worked with the painstaking patience of a Benedictine monk to solve a math problem to the point you actually became nauseated? At the precise moment when you thought your brain was not getting enough oxygen, you hear the teacher approach your desk and from the top of your peripheral vision, a huge index finger slowly descends to land on the page before you. The whole universe is frozen in time. Holding your breath, you expect the Big Bang is about to rearrange the cosmos. Because the teacher is a professional with all titles and nobility, he explains how to find the answer without giving it. Finally, after an epiphany and some illuminations you find the solution which you transcribe with great relief on the awaiting page. As you lean back in your seat, the solution reveals its elegance and you realize that it is the most beautiful equation you have ever solved.

I often had this nightmare when I felt helpless in a situation my subconscious was trying to elucidate. It was déjà vu when it came time to find an architect to build our ecohome. If you have never worked with an architect to design your house, I offer the following visualization. You sit in front of a huge white page filled with symbols. Sweat beading your brow, you breathe shallowly not to betray your anxiety. On the great expanse of white paper, this is not the house of your dreams. These are the ideas of the architect and what he or she could do with your money. Financially, you are maxed out because the price per square foot has doubled, plus tax. Suddenly, the almighty architect index descends on the page to guide you through the dream home that you can barely recognize. My preconceived perception was that working with these prima donnas was a real torment. In addition, they all look and dress like Andy Warhol. You could buy plans from a catalog or even a prefabricated house, but no, you wanted a house that looked like you and told your story. The architect obviously has guessed all of this and  besides, you submitted your own sketches. You feel numb, almost non-existent. You have a sour taste in your mouth because of the nervous reflux. You would have preferred going to the dentist. It's too late. You sheepishly leave the architect’s office with the plans under your left arm because you left your right arm on the table with your check. Then you fade into non-existence. End of visualization.

This is what I had visualized in a flash when my husband told me one evening, after drawing the umpteenth version of our home, that we needed an architect. I refused to believe that we had to add this expense to our construction budget even less, lose the equivalent of a bedroom for us to pay for his services. I did not capitulate. I was adamant, but wanting my house, I went looking for an architect. During the interviewing process, I was so suspicious; I was looking for clues to see if they were actually listening to us. Before our meetings, Pierre would email the plans he had worked on for months as well as a comprehensive document with all relevant information for the meeting. In one instance in particular, the architect we interviewed completely ignored everything we had prepared and showed us already made plans for houses built for another project. It was the ready-to-wear syndrome, exactly what we did not want. If it was not the lack of knowledge in green building from the architect’s part, it was the glaring lack of participatory listening. We were talking in a vacuum. Disappointed, we left the architect's office even more confused. It was at that moment that one could feel the emotional significance of creating a synergy in order to get anywhere. We had to find an architect that we could trust with our last residence, the one where we would live our old age peacefully and in full autonomy. That's why we decided to start all over again by communicating with another architectural technologist. The latter listened to our story and politely refused our proposal. However, he knew of a highly recommended architectural firm in Québec City which had garnered every honor in the field of ecological housing and construction. That said, we checked their website and made an appointment. In two weeks we would meet Bruno Verge, senior architect at Tergos.

By consulting their internet site, we were intrigued by Tergos’s philosophical approach. Their’s is more than a mission and vision statement. It is a commitment that goes beyond the typical branding used in the marketing business. Tergos focuses on quality of life and a greener world by stating that it all begins at home. They even say that to change the world, we must first transform ourselves. Finally, this vision is connected to green sustainable architecture. I confess, reading their assertions, was like looking in a mirror. It was reassuring.

Historical Saint-Roch in Québec CIty

The morning of our meeting, we headed to their office located in the old Wilfrid J. Lachance fur warehouse in the Boho chic district of Saint-Roch in Québec City. First clue that karma was positive: everyone was smiling in that office. Second clue that the planets were aligned in our favor: our first impression of Bruno Verge.

Sitting in a cozy conference room bathed in natural daylight, I felt relaxed. Pierre began his usual presentation and I watched Bruno Verge. Despite a well-rehearsed speech, we expressed our desires and needs, sometimes wandering all over the map. With great tact, Bruno Verge kept bringing us back on track which indicated to us that he really listening. What was the tipping point for us is when Pierre mentioned that he was concerned about the lighting without specifying why. Bruno brought the discussion back to that point to inquire about his concerns. It was at that moment that I changed my attitude. Working with an architect is not an excessive expense. This is a solid investment that ensures that we will reach our target. We had found the hidden gem. Moreover, Bruno would come to see our estate lot in Saint-Irénée to see how the land would influence the design of our residence. Sharing the same concerned with green architecture, we spoke the same language and did not have to defend our point of view. Looking at the shelf in their conference room, we could see all the awards in sustainable architecture and green building certifying the highest distinction in these fields. Karma had smiled upon us. We were in the right place with the right person.

Tergos Offices

After searching for months for a professional who would take the time to listen and study the plans that Pierre had painstakingly drawn, we had finally found our architect. When we left the Tergos offices, Pierre had a peaceful smile and I was relieved. We had found our beautiful equation.

Planet Architect Revisited

 When I was a little girl, I played with a construction set made of interlocking red bricks. I thought that Legos, or anything that came from Europe for that matter, was meant for well to do children  and I was content with my red plastic bricks. These bricks were thin as a pencil, and came with white plastic windows, doors and green cardboard roofs. Build as I did, I was in a slump. My houses were all alike. There was no way to change or even improve on the design. The task became even more thankless when, for some reason that escapes me, I began to chew  the bricks that quickly became deformed and unusable. During winter months, my favorite construction season, my houses were becoming smaller and smaller because I was chewing my supply of bricks. Finally, when there were only a few left that I had not chewed, my mother would simply make them disappear. I would diligently wait for the next Sears Christmas catalog and cercle the play bricks construction sets with a red pen in the hope that my mother would tell Santa. that her daughter had a taste for red plastic bricks. I would have preferred an all metal Meccano set, but I was told that it was for boys. In addition, metal is harder to chew.
Later on, I began to build houses using my Mom's shoes boxes by cutting windows draped with facial tissues for curtains. When my ambitions reached their apogee, I took large cardboard boxes in which we had our groceries delivered and I designed houses for my dolls. I even designed furniture with cereal boxes. During my innocent foray in housing construction, I could see how a simple modification changed volume and light. I was never going back to the little red plastic bricks. Now I could be creative and follow my bliss. My houses had a Mid-century modern look, a style quite familiar to Baby Boomers. This architecture employed was more organic and less formal forms than the pre-World War II dwellings in our neighborhoods. Many of these homes still exist today and luckily, there are some that have not been cannibalized. When I was visiting my son in San Francisco, I saw entire neighborhoods of houses built by Architect Joseph Eichler with their avant-garde look and sleek style. That's the look I was going for. Something edgy that made you look twice because of its curb appeal and airy interiors. 

Joseph Eichler's vision of the mid-century modern house

Architecture is of special interest to my spouse and myself. When time came to design our home in St. Irénée, Charlevoix, Pierre had put hundreds of hours on the myriad of technical details. For my part, I looked at the big picture and the green innovative potential. It is a perfect synergy, a beautiful partnership. Our Ying and Yang in sustainable construction.

In the previous post, I mentioned that we had consulted plans sold in catalogs and on websites. This option was not viable for us with all the changes we wanted to make to the predesigned plans. So we looked at another option in the ready-to-wear area of ​​residential building: the manufactured home. Sales of such homes are on the rise. Even Ikea sells houses ready to be assembled in Europe. Toyota does the same in Japan. I share with you the same visual of a young upwardly mobile couple reading the Ikea house plans lying on the ground and a huge Allen key at the ready. Manufactured housing has had a bad reputation in Canada. Even today, despite the rise in the market, this is not the first choice. Nevertheless, we decided to explore that venue.

Prefab houses by Ikea

At first glance, what we liked about the concept of the prefabricated house is that you can visit actual models at franchisees or at the main plant. It was concrete. You could walk through it and see first hand if it would suit your lifestyle and personal needs. We even visited factories where we could witness the development of a house, the conditions under which it was made, the choice of materials and the design center. I must admit that some models did pull at our heart strings..We also talked with friends who were in the process of building with a prefab house. The concept seemed simple. A manufactured home is a house made in whole or in part in a factory. It is  then transported to your lot where you have to assemble it and finish the interior.

During our visits to the factories, we found they had different procedures in construction and assembly. This had an impact on the actual shipping of the house. Because the houses are transported, the structure is reinforced with thicker panels so the houses are more solid. In addition, the manufactured home is not a bargain. It can cost the same as a house built on your lot. The quality is comparable to conventional houses while having certain advantages and disadvantages. The following list is far from being exhaustive. Moreover, several elements could be added according to the personal experience of the owners of these houses.

Advantages :·

• Machined in a controlled environment with specific templates·
• Very wide selection of models and different installation modes such as self construction or turnkey.
• If the manufacturer includes some work, he becomes responsible for the work of providers of these services
• New ecological options
• Can be certified Novoclimat 2.0
• In some building plants, there is a recycling facility

Disadvantages:

• You can save money by doing some of the building steps yourself but are you really equiped for it?
• Move-in time into a manufactured house resembles that of a traditional house so no time was gained by the fact that the house had been built elsewhere. 
• There is a risk of unpleasant surprises if you did the work yourself·
• The assembly of the house is the greatest hurdle.
• We have to plan soil analysis, pouring of foundations, drilling of wells, septic tanks, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and plasterers among others in addition to the permit.
• More complex architectural concepts are a challenge to achieve and increase costs.·
• Difficult to do delivery in some places.
•  In self-construction, the house is not covered by Québec's New Home Warrantee unless you have a general contractor to coordinate the work, especially the foundation, framing and roofing.
• It is necessary to check the exclusions and especially installation surcharges.
• Some manufacturers have a clause in their contract that releases them from the responsibility for delays
• After-sales service is a must especially when the manufacturer uses subcontractors

After visiting factories and models, we realized that in our case, with the changes, it was not for us. Moreover, a prefabricated house is a shell and someone has to do the rest. It was also more difficult for us to have a green building because we could not control the phases of construction that took place in the factory. Consequently, we quietly retreated from the showrooms and plants and tidied our collection of catalogs. The ready-to-wear in housing was not for us.
 

When imagination mingles with dreams and when you can touch that dream with your own hands, it becomes a reality. Planet Architect was a huge unknown  for us. Our previous experience had become a new consciousness and a new beginning. The only constant was the change that was brought to Pierre's plans because now we had accumulated a wealth of experience and training with professionals. We wanted our new home to be certified according to international benchmarks for design, construction and sustainability. The bar was now higher. Better to set your aim high than the opposite by aiming too low and reach it. Now all we he had to do was choose the architect, but that is another story.

Looking for the plan: ready-to-wear or designer?

From the start, like many other couples looking to build their home by getting up to par on the building industry, we consulted professional trade magazines and online catalogs. Snowy sleepy Sunday afternoons and long winter evenings seemed the appropriate time to go through house plans as we devoured online catalogs. After several weeks of tête-à-tête consultation, we had unearthed the plans of a house from a company that seemed to meet our needs albeit with some modifications. The formula seemed simple. We call upon the architectural technologist who is a franchisee of the company's plans, we submit the plan number and we make changes to custom fit the design to our specific needs. In principle, it should work. We surmised that by talking with the technologist, one would arrive at a stunning design of our house. Again, I say in principle.

 
At the first appointment with the technologist, the meeting was cheerful; however, it was like pulling teeth when specific requests were addressed. The technologist responded to questions but did not elaborate or provide additional information. Our conversation was punctuated by silences that were louder than the question marks hovering over our perplexed looks. Nevertheless, full of good will, we submitted our wish list for the necessary changes with the understanding that at the next meeting in a few weeks, we would have custom plans to the extent of our needs. Leaving the office, I was excited, because after an hour, the technologist had finally managed to offer some innovative design ideas. This is what we wanted. We did not want the ready-to-wear, copied and pasted genre. As a consumer, if you purchase their already made plans without any modifications, you are ahead of the game. These companies make their money by customizing the plans. We did not want to spend a fortune on ours thinking that the money we would save by getting plans on the cheap would give us extra budget to play with when building the house. We were not out of the woods yet. The learning curve was just beginning.

While waiting for the technologist to call back, I continued to make virtual models and Pierre researched products we had seen at the numerous home shows. It was while doing all this leg work that we realized that we wanted a greener home. Not only did we want it to be energy efficient but it also had to be environmentally friendly. These two components added to the complexity of our plans because of the rigor that green building requires. We transmitted this vital data to the technologist who seemed to be in the know on green building and interested in our discussion. The company's website had mentioned components in this area as well. It was reassuring.

The famous meeting finally came. We had set the bar high; however, our expectations were realistic. Arriving at the office, the technologist welcomed us with his good humor and sketches spread out before us. Our eyes followed faithfully his index finger as it roamed from one room to another while we visited the house on the plans. No 3D stuff here. Very low tech. Just fingers and paper. At first sight, there were great ideas on the river-side to maximize the view. He had shifted the three main rooms facing the river each giving them 90 degree corner windows. It was the same for the open plan and great room. Sometimes his index finger stopped in some parts to indicate how the space had been maximized, other times how the volume added to the drama or the wow factor when we entered the house. Despite all the details that had escaped us initially, we realized that there were major problems in the proposed design. Our impression of that meeting was that we had just attended a sales pitch. He was trying to sell us ready to wear plans and force fit us into a design that was not even near what we had requested. This was someone else's house. Needless to say, we were disappointed. We thanked him, paid his fees, walked out and never went back.

This was our first lesson. No need to be bitter about it, but you learn quickly when the chaching meter is running. We set the plans on the dining room table and in a puzzled silence, revisited the house. We were in a state that wavered between shock and a light coma. The question marks of a few hours earlier brought us back to reality. What we had before us was first a house that had evolved without meeting our needs. It was obvious when we returned to consult other plans of the company on the site; this house had been mixed from one plan to another in the plan bank and according to the vision of the architectural technologist. It was essentially a copy-pasted tight fit. Some of our wishes were respected, but the rest did not fit our requirements or our imagination. There were some strong points, but the rest was a huge disappointment. We had tediously explained our need to reduce the area because we did not want to have big houses like we had in the past. The house he had designed had almost 4,000 square feet. I will spare you the litany of shortcomings, it goes without saying that our next foray for house plans would be better or so we thought.

They say you do not make mistakes, you are simply acquiring experience. The lessons drawn helped us take the next steps. It was obvious that the biggest obstacle was communication and how it is interpreted on both sides of the drawing board. The ability to read the designer's mind to see if he or she has read yours correctly is definitely an asset. The budget is not rocket science. It's a simple formula that seems to be ignored. We must emphasize the actual limits of the budget and our patience; otherwise you are just talking to yourself and wasting everyone's time. So we tidied up our collection of plan catalogs and went back to square one: Pierre's initial plans drawn on graph paper with pencil.

Preconceived plans work for many people. We have friends who have built their homes in Les Domaines du Ruisseau-Jureux and it is beautiful. It is also the ideal solution for a self-builder who can make the changes on the fly and cope with the list of materials prepared by the technologist. What we liked least was the fact that every change we wanted to make to the plan is tariffed. This is reasonable since the company would be at the mercy of customers who keep changing their minds. In our case, there were so many changes to the plans that it was not worth the trouble to pay for each individual change until the plans resembled our house. In addition, we become more and more green and what this company offered was very limited in that scope.

The moral of the story: Sometimes we want to cut spending on an important phase believing in huge savings, but if you want to get value for your money, do not skimp on the most important phase, the design of the house. After all, this home will tell your story to the world as it becomes a part of our daily happiness.