
Note: This is one of three homes and a laneway house with Sustainable Home Info Sessions and (free) registration is required. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. View schedule and registration.
This Step Code 3 laneway home (LWH) was built in 2020 and it is a zero carbon build.
Building to a higher step code in a smaller space was challenging and the primary lesson we learned was that finesse was required in specific building practices where historically it was less important. Higher levels of step code require a well sealed envelope with appropriate ventilation. An Energy Recovery Ventilation unit (ERV) and appropriate ventilation was incorporated, but sealing the building envelope was challenging. It is crucial that the vapour barrier installed after insulation does not have any holes, however the crew that did the install did not pay enough attention to the details and that required significant ‘re do’ time to make it right. We failed the first blower door test and needed a smoke test to identify leakage points before we passed the second blower door test that enabled us to meet Step Code 3 standards.
As every square inch is important in a laneway home, the indoor fan coil unit selected was a horizontal unit and it is installed on the ceiling of the laundry room. Also, to conserve space an electric hot water on demand system was used, which is also challenging and has some issues to be considered.
An induction cook top was selected and has proved to be impressive. A professional chef was a tenant and was very pleased with how fast it brought water to a boil and how precisely cooking ‘temperatures’ could be controlled.
Consideration to climate adaptation was incorporated into the build. This home is very close to the Caribou Heights Forest so fire resistant materials were used, such as a metal roof, hardy plank siding and rock wool outsulation. Other reasons we decided on a metal roof was the life span of 40 years, which is about the same as solar, so both can be replaced at the same time, and the metal is recyclable. Additionally, larger scale water collection was planned and a metal roof* was a good fit for that purpose (this project is currently in progress).
*Note: not all metal roofs are appropriate for water collection.
Air Sealing

Ebike

Electric Hot Water Heating

Energy Star Appliances

EV Charging

Heat Pump

Heat Recovery

High R Value Insulation

HP Windows or Doors

Induction Stove

Landscaping and Yard

LED Lighting

Natural Materials Insulation

Solar PV










