The owners of this small north Vancouver rancher needed increased space for their growing family, but did not want to add extensive square footage; top priority was placed on sustainable building practices and high quality green materials.
Location
Canyon Heights, North Vancouver
SCOPE
Kitchen, Great Room, Main Floor Renovation
SQFT
1,621
DESIGN STYLES
Scandinavian, Shaker, Minimalist, Mission, Organic, Rustic
To modernize and increase the home’s beauty, functionality and efficiency without significantly increasing its footprint. Priority was sustainable building practices and high quality materials.
The re-working of existing space in this modest house allowed for a large open feeling and functional space; needing only a modest (300sf) addition to allow for a second bathroom and family/guest room to create a home that functions for how the family lives and plays in it together. The priorities placed on sustainable building practices and use of green materials, ranked this home the first single-family renovation in BC to apply LEED principles, the mandate on this home took environmental responsibility to a whole new level.
Firm believers that bigger isn’t necessarily better, these owners wanted enhanced functionality without significantly increasing the footprint of their 1970s North Vancouver rancher.
The original kitchen was relocated and a 350 sqft addition allows for creation of an expansive greatroom filled with sunshine from skylights and banks of new double-glazed windows.
The renovated home is flooded with natural light, a drastic improvement from the original house that relied heavily on artificial lighting because of its layout and north facing orientation. Light coloured walls in the vaulted skylight filled ceiling have created a bright warm living space.
The flooring is hardwood reclaimed from a Vancouver Heritage building, nailed into place, both to minimize toxins and to ensure that the wood could be re-used again if needed in the future. Bricks from the existing fireplace were recycled into the back garden patio.
This project was the first in BC to be renovated with dedicated ecologically aware products. The re-use of existing structure and materials allowed 75% of construction ‘waste’ to be diverted from the landfill for recycling or incorporation to new design.
CHBA-BC Georgie Award 2006 WINNER – Best Residential Renovation $200 – 400k