Certified Fort St. John Passive House

With the municipal slogan “The Energetic City” we should not have been surprised when a young, ambitious sustainability & planning team approached us to design a Passive House for a inner City lot which should serve as a demonstration project for future developments planned in a new sustainable neighbourhood in Fort St. John, BC.

The City of Fort St. John is aiming to become an environmental leader in the Peace River region through the use of pervasive sustainable and environmental best practices. They own a 37-hectare site that is currently zoned for agricultural use. They have deemed that the future use of the site should be principally residential and has allocated it for implementation of a sustainable neighbourhood plan.

The City drafted a concept plan for a sustainable neighbourhood in 2009. In their view, the implications of the neighbourhood reach beyond the confines of the 37-hectare site. They are interested in developing an approach that can be tested and refined and eventually applied community-wide.

In essence the current neighbourhood plan is a learning demonstration.  It is a classroom where new approaches and new technologies can gradually be introduced to the Fort St. John area through developing local skills and supportive policies, and providing residents and decision-makers with familiarity and confidence.

This single family residence is:

- The FIRST BUILDING Certified to Passive House and  LEED Platinum Standards

- The NORTHERNMOST Passive House in North America

- The 1st DETACHED PASSIVE HOUSE RESIDENCE in British Columbia

- ENERGUIDE 91 rated