How this Vancouver heritage home is setting a benchmark for sustainable construction

Business in Vancouver | October 2024
Terry Bergen, CTech, CCCA, LEED® AP, FCSC | Managing Principal

Existing building retrofits are necessary to meet broader net-zero goals, experts say

Walking through Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, one can see many character homes built before 1940 with heritage elements like hipped roofs, dormer windows and classical columns.

One of these homes, built in 1908, is particularly special. It’s being reconstructed to net-zero standards, and will become Canada’s first 115-year-old home to receive such extensive treatment that will enable it to produce as much energy as it consumes.

Owners Branden and Sylvie Kotyk decided to revitalize their house to provide a “national case study” that illuminates sustainable construction, based on Branden’s 18-year background in construction materials and his passion for sustainability.

The couple’s reconstruction project, dubbed “1908 to Net-Zero,” is being delivered by their company, Deep Green Developments, which aims to assist other homeowners with similar undertakings. They have also partnered with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association to produce a 10-part video series around the project for YouTube, with the first episode scheduled for Oct. 28.

Whether it’s adding solar panels, installing high-performance windows or selecting low-carbon concrete for a new foundation, the project aims to use best practices and educate other homeowners and industry participants.

“This project,” Branden Kotyk said, “was an opportunity to ‘put my money where my mouth is’ and develop a case study and technical education series sharing our lessons learned.”

Built environment has large carbon footprint

Most homeowners aren’t in a financial position to perform wholesale renovations like the Kotyks, but this doesn’t preclude more modest retrofits that can be implemented with help from an energy consultant or sustainability advisor and various public incentive programs. 

The built environment in Canada has a significant carbon output. Buildings account for 18 per cent of Canada’s emissions when including electricity-related emissions, and are the third-largest emissions contributor in the country after the oil and gas sector and the transportation sector, according to the federal government. 

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