Kim Davis
Sun
What does it really mean to live in a sustainable home? Where does a person begin when there is so much, and often conflicting, information? If you are torn between wanting to go green and feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, you are not alone.
Participants in sustainable-homes gathering at the B.C. Institute of Technology campus with these and other issues this week, under the direction of moderators Helen Goodland of the Sustainable Building Centre and David Kelly of the B.C. chapter of the Canadian Homes Builders’ Association.
They were all there — there being the ”Sustainability Cafe” — to take part in a ”30 Days of Sustainability” event organized by the regional district. They were a cross section of people, homeowners, grad students, consultants, suppliers, regulators.
While the definition of the sustainable home varied among participants, two dominated the discussion — a sustainable home is an energy-efficient home and a sustainable home is everything else, ranging from good indoor-air quality to ”green” building materials.
Several people shared the difficulties they had encountered in trying to “go green.”
One couple talked about how discouraging it had been trying to find a receptive contractor, and the more fundamental challenge of knowing what questions to even ask.
Several participants noted how difficult it is to find green products and services for residential projects and lamented the absence of a green consumer guide like the GVRD’s BuildSmart Directory aimed at businesses and industry.
One individual described a personal crusade to get bigger retailers to carry green products like dual and low-flush toilets.
At the end of the seemingly brief two-hour discussion, however, there was a clear consensus that widespread education across disciplines and a one-stop information resource for consumers and builders were two critical missing links in Vancouver’s shift to sustainable housing.
”Industry does a terrible job serving the public,” Thomas Osdoba of Vancouver city hall’s Office of Sustainability commented. ”We need a portal to create a better market place.”
Goodland echoed these sentiments saying “there is no common voice in the building community to speak on behalf of consumers. There is tons of information out there, but never the right information.”
While the past several years has seen an increasing number of programs and support for professionals and businesses, such as the LEED rating system and, more recently, Built Green BC, the general public has, for the most part, been left to fend for itself.
Fortunately help will soon be phone call away, for people looking to green their living spaces. On March 25, right in the heart of Granville Island, the Sustainable Building Centre will open its doors.
Described as “a destination for inspiration, advice and practical problem-solving for builders and the public,” the centre represents the first one-stop resource available to the residential market – homeowners, renters, builders, etc.
“The Sustainable Building Centre will be BC’s hub for everything to do with sustainable building design, construction and operation”, says Goodland. “An information and education centre, exhibition space and forum for sharing ideas that will shape the future of development. At last, there will be a ‘face’ to sustainable building for Greater Vancouver”.
Among the projects the SBC will manage is Save Energy Now, a $1.9 million provincial government pilot program.
A Community Action on Energy Efficiency (CAEE) pilot program, Save Energy Now will deliver a range of energy efficiency education, outreach and incentives to selected communities through to March 2007.
Aimed at existing residential, small industrial, commercial and institutional buildings including low-income housing, the program is part of the B.C. government’s strategy to significantly improve energy efficiency in new and existing buildings.
The SBC will deliver this program in partnership with City Green and Homeworks.
As part of SBC’s opening, the centre will also have its inaugural exhibition: Ideas that Last. The show will feature a selection of BC’s sustainable design and building projects ranging from furniture design and home renovations to major building projects and planned communities. Targeting LEED-CI Gold certification (LEED for Commercial Interiors), the SBC itself exemplifies green and sustainable design, showcasing a variety of green and efficient products.
Whether you want to know the best paint to use, or what programs are available to help offset an energy upgrade, no question is too small for the professional green building consultants at SBC. Located at 1575 Johnston Street on Granville Island, the Centre will open its doors on March 25 from noon – 5pm.
For more information about the centre, and related programs, check out the following links:
sustainablebuildingcentre.com
ideasthatlast.com
bchydro.bc.ca/powersmartsaveenergynow.ca
chbabc.org
30daysofsustainability.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
