Griffith Homes Targets Passive House Canada Building Certification
COMOX VALLEY – Griffith Homes has made their mark on sustainable innovation with the completion of a passive house in Comox. The new construction 2217 sq. ft. home, which broke ground last August, is designed and built to passive house standards. This home is equipped with a blend of state-of-the-art features and complemented with a modern, west coast design.
The exterior of the home on a sunny day
Griffith Homes, which is based in the Comox Valley, has been in the community for over 28 years and has seen the demand for change in residential builds. Clients are becoming more knowledgeable and socially aware of their environmental footprint and have approached the company for more conscious ways to integrate sustainable options into their builds.
On this project, Griffith Homes worked with architectural design company, Fold Architecture Inc. and interior design firm, LH Interiors to provide their clients with everything on their wish list and more.
“Griffith Homes exceeded our expectations. It was important for us to have a contractor who understood good design and quality. There are a lot of wins with the quality of the space and the energy efficiency, and Griffith met the owners’ needs with very little compromise,” said Mark Ashby, architect for Fold Architecture Inc.
Griffith Homes combined their years of client-focused, custom home-building experience with cutting-edge passive house practices to construct their client’s dream home. They did this all while maintaining a focus on functional design and the long-term goals for this forever home.
The custom white oak floating staircase connects the open-concept downstairs area to the bedrooms upstairs
“Most homes are designed with curb appeal from the street view, however, homes like this are designed around the people who live in the home. First from a health and comfort perspective, followed by the features to support that comfort. The design then evolves to include aesthetically pleasing elements, making these homes not only sustainable, but very desirable.” said Tavis Griffith, owner of Griffith Homes.
Unique features of the home include triple-pane, inward-opening windows, thick and continuous insulation and air-tight construction, a custom white oak floating staircase built in collaboration with the owner himself and a Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilation System.
“The Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilation System (HRV) can be thought of as the lungs of the house,” explained Tavis. “The HRV cleans the air and removes pollutants, pollen and dust, making the air inside the home cleaner than the air outside. The HRV extracts moist air and keeps the house dry, a necessity on the west coast. It can even help alleviate a variety of respiratory symptoms.”
A passive house building standard is a scientifically supported building certification that designs buildings to provide optimal occupant comfort and health using minimal energy. This approach to design results in approximately an 80 per cent reduction in energy needed for heating.
“This process has shifted the way we look at building homes,” stated Tavis. “In the past, homes had a shelf life of 50 years. With the emergence of passive home standards, we are now able to build homes that stand the test of time with a lifespan of 200 to 300 years. We look forward to applying what we’ve learned to future builds.”
This passive home build was a first for the company, but one that is directly in alignment with their core values. Griffith Homes looks forward to achieving Passive House accreditation on this house by undergoing the Passive House Canada Building Certification for this project.
Photos courtesy of LSP Media