Living Building Challenge Garden Suite Pilot Project
Just in case you were wondering just what I did during my CED class, here is my final assignment from last year… This one goes out to all the folks out there working on the front lines of affordable sustainable housing in BC.. xo Dawn
Simon Fraser University
Certificate Program for Community
Economic Development Professionals
Living Building Challenge Garden Suite Pilot Project
Post-course assignment
submitted by
Dawn Smith
Background
There is a need for a regulatory pilot project to test drive an ecologically sound and sustainable standard for new construction. Southern Vancouver Island is well position to become a leader in Canada in sustainable building, but critical barriers need to be addressed. These barriers will be best addressed by a small low risk pilot project that would draw together the key players and create an example for others to follow.
Proposal
This proposal outlines building a garden suite in Victoria to the highest possible standard in sustainability as a tool to address and remedy key regulatory and financing barriers. I am choosing to focus a regulatory pilot project as a garden suites because of a mitigated risk factor, owing to the smaller size and therefor lower cost of the project. Garden suites in Victoria must be less then 500 square feet (inside floor space), which means the cost would be somewhere between 50’000 and 70’000 dollars- as opposed to a new home which would be somewhere around 250’000 to 350’000 dollars. However this proposal is less about building one specific building, but rather about smoothing out the regulatory processes that are preventing sustainable buildings from being built at capacity.
Defining “sustainable building”
What passes as “green building” is usually far from actually building within our natural capital budget.
Often “green building” encompasses some of the essential elements of a sustainable building practice , but leaves other essential elements out. For example, many green buildings still rely on grid energy (often coal produced) to power massive mechanical cooling and heating systems, when effective well designed passive systems could replace them.
The definition of what is a sustainable building is a controversial and complex question outside the scope of this assignment. For the purposes of this assignment, I will use the Living Building Challenge as the standard for “sustainable design”. In brief, the Living Building Challenge 2.0 (LBC) outlines a building which meets 7 “Petal” requirements
- Site
- Water
- Energy
- Health
- Materials
- Equity
- Beauty
These 7 petals are in turn broken into 20 Imperatives
- Limits to growth
- urban agriculture
- habitat exchange
- car free living
- net zero water
- ecological water flow
- net zero energy
- civilized environment
- health air
- biophilia
- red list
- embodied carbon footprint
- responsible industry
- appropriate sourcing
- conservation + reuse
- human scale + human places
- democracy + social justice
- rights to nature
- beauty and spring
- inspiration and education
LBC is itself a very flexible program which comprises many types of buildings on various scales, but in general one would expect such a building to produce its own electricity, be built on a brownfield site, to not contain any toxic “red list” materials, and be beautifully designed and constructed with local materials. It is not a contest, but is rather a certification process, which is not complete until the building has been audited and operational for 12 months. The building most similar to this pilot project is Eco-Sense, a residential duplex in the highlands near Victoria, and they have recently been awarded a partial certification for the LBC, having achieved 5 of the 7 petals.
Limitations
It will probably not be possible to achieve full LBC certification because of the net zero standards, which would require building a garden suite with no combustion present. I expect to achieve 6 out of 7 seven Petal requirements, with the probable exception of Energy.
Context and local resources
South Vancouver Island already has many of the resources needed to become leaders in sustainable building in Canada. We have established professionals- trades people, builders, engineers, and designers who have a background and interest in sustainable construction, and many of the most progressive buildings built in the last decade have been built here, or nearby in Vancouver. There has been a long tradition of unconventional and resourceful building throughout the gulf islands for several decades. Our mild climate, combined with fairly abundant local resources (natural, people, and economic) leaves us well suited to becoming leaders in sustainable building.
Hurtles
There are two main challenges preventing the growth of this field. The first is financing. Conventional mortgage lenders have been reluctant to give mortgages out for homes built outside the conventional building standards. Secondly, builders building to a sustainable standard are currently unable to gain converge under the Home Warranty Protection Program, or rather the insurance companies that offer coverage under the Home Building Office (HBO). A pilot project would be an opportunity to form relationships with funding agencies and the HBO, and begin the process of alleviating these regulatory hurtles.
Potential outcomes
Alleviating the hurtles of financing and HBO coverage would considerably change the potential for sustainable building on Vancouver Island. Coverage under the HBO would make it possible for contractors to build homes from earthen materials like Cob or hybrid European techniques like Light Straw Clay. It would lower the cost of such buildings, and make spec housing and general contracting possible. This in turn could potentially result in an ever growing housing stock that is durable, healthy to build and to live in, and a smaller impact on the natural environment.
Key partners
There are two key partners in this proposal. ASRi (Alternative Solutions Resource initiative), is a non profit society based in Victoria, who advocates for regulatory change to support the use of natural materials in our built environment. ASRi includes a team of engineers and other professionals committed to documenting and researching the information necessary to prove that sustainable building techniques are safe and durable. ASRi is interested in placing sensors into the walls of the garden suite to monitor moisture and temperature levels for use in future research, as well as supplying the research and documentation necessary to get such a building approved by code officials. Island Village Builders is a small construction company based in Victoria with a background in natural building. They have committed their interested in being a general contractor on such a project, provided that they are able to be covered under the Home Building Warranty program as builders.
There is also a vibrant wider building community which is equipped with the skills information and materials that make it possible to build buildings with a much lower embodied energy and carbon foot print- for example, Light Straw Clay from Germany, or Cob from England. Our smaller more remote gulf islands have been harbouring talented builders who are building with recycled and local materials (an excellent example is Pat Hennebery, CobWorks, Mayne Island).
Impact on Home Owners
Home owners would also benefit from this pilot project and the eventual adaptation of more holistically and sustainable technologies. Currently people who want to build a home to a high sustainable standard (eg. composting toilets, straw bale walls) are not able to get a conventional mortgage. Hence home owners are often building on a very limited budget, and are unable to hire project managers that would insure a project completes on time and on budget.
What is a Garden Suite?
Garden suites (also called “lane way housing” or “carriage suites”) are small, detached dwelling units that are located in the rear yard of a single family home. The City of Victoria has created guidelines for the construction of these suites, including zone requirements, height and setbacks, site coverage, access and parking. These are modest homes, suitable for elders or single adults and are becoming increasingly popular as a tool for urban densification.
Affordability
The City of Victoria currently has a granting program in place for secondary suites that help secure rental suites as affordable housing, and it may be possible to extend this program to include garden suites as well. The CMHC has a national program for garden suites, in which CMHC contributes funds to the building of the project (maximum $24,000) and in return the home owner commits to renting the unit at a below market rate during the term of the agreement.
Garden Suite Assessment
| 8
Pillars
Approach |
Reduce energy
emissions |
Reduce and Recycle liquid waste products | Reduce recycle solid waste | Improve individual and community health | Preserve and display cultural heritage | Increase individual and community economic stability and opportunity | Meet the needs of the identified need groups |
| A
compact,
complete
community |
Garden suites (GS) are built on brownfield sites, and are net zero energy. | Net zero water required under LBC. | Stringent minimal diverted waste material. required under LBC . | No “red list” materials used in construction of building, strict local sourcing of materials. | Required under the “Beauty” petal for the LBC. Garden suite zoning requires maintaining the character of the area. | Provide local employment during construction (and long term employment). affordable housing for the community. | Provide Low toxicity, comfortable and affordable housing to Sr’s or single adults. |
| Low
impact
transportation |
Bike racks, limited parking encourages the use of alternative transport. | N/A | Recycling and waste collections systems built into the home. (required for LBC) | Encourage non combustion transportation options | N/a | Access to bike trails. | Accessibility to public transit/ walkibility required under LBC |
| Green buildings | High insulation walls, net zero design and operation. | Required under LBC standards net zero water. Rain water catchment, recycling of water, composting toilets. | Required under LBC standards
“Materials” petal |
Required under LBC standards “Health” Petal | Required under LBC standards for “Beauty” | Creating long term urban jobs in sustainable building and sub trades . | Lowering the cost of sustainable construction through opening regulatory bottlenecks. Creating affordable housing through garden suites. |
| Multi‐dimensional
landscape |
Using landscaping to decrease heating/ cooling loads in homes (eg living roof) | Using grey water to feed on site native plants. Water permeable hard surfaces. Appropriate “water scaping” of land. | N/A | Edible landscapes and access to community resources on foot. | Design that reflects the human- nature connection (required under LBC) | Support permaculture designs and landscaping by local practitioners. | Densifying our urban environment, improving citizens access to resources. |
| Innovative
housing
infrastructure |
(near) net zero systems designed into garden suites | On site grey water treatment of waste water, the elimination of black water | Minimal waste creation during construction process | No toxic materials into the building. Designed to be accessible to all people. | A building designed with a sense of place and beauty | Supporting the creation of local jobs in sustainable building | Smaller and better designed places for community members. A source of secondary income to land owners. More diversity in housing stock for the community. |
| Healthy,
Local
food
systems |
Close access to shopping and grocery stores. | Edible landscapes fed with on site grey water | Composting on site | mandatory agricultural allowances | Encourage the planting of native plants | Possible cottage industry in food production on site, since LBC mandates an agricultural allowance nearby. | Garden near the garden suite! |
| Facilities,
programs,
process for social health |
Ongoing educational tours and demonstrations of the site (required under LBC) | Provide ongoing education around net zero water policy and demonstration | Ongoing education around recycling and composting. | Educate and advocate for removing red list material from the built environment. Demonstrate non toxic building. | Work with the local community around concerns connected to densification and debunking myths about sustainable building. | Network amongst sub-trades interested in working in sustainable building. | Educate the renters and owners about the care and maintenance of the building. Provide ongoing education to the community around sustainable and the built environment. (required for LBC) |
| Sustainable
economic systems |
Employing local net zero technology providers (eg. Mike Geldreich) | Highlight local landscapers and permaculturists working with low water technologies. | Coordinate compost pickup with local business Pedal to Pedal. | Use local builders, support the future of local sustainable builders. | N/A | Support the development of local builders, and sub trades that want to work in sustainable building. | Through this pilot project, remove barriers and support the growth of sustainable building on Vancouver Island. Also create more affordable housing. |
Strategic Steps : from planning to implementation
- Solicit a local land owner who is interested in owning suite a garden suite. It will be important that the owner be committed to the vision of the project and perceives the LBC certification is an extension of their personal values.. The owner should also be comfortable with a fairly high level of visibility with the media, and patient team player. A reasonable time line projections for this project is 12-16 months, since rezoning alone can take 9 to 12 months. Considering the number of players necessary to make this project possible, the time line could be even longer.
- Signing of documents to secure the housing as low income with land owner.
- Make contact with the Home Building Office, secure pilot permission for Builders Warranty Coverage for general contractor. This is a potential deal breaker for the process, so it will be imperative to complete this step before large resource commitments are made.
- Begin rezoning application.
- Insure financing is in place. Most likely this will come through a pilot financing project at Vancity. Contacts: Detlef Beck (social finance) Mark Fulmer (Victoria office business finance) and Jeremy Meckler (Langford branch)
- Register with the LBC. Maintain contact with LBC through design and construction.
- Complete integrated design process, maintaining close contact with LBC.
- begin construction
- once construction has begun, coordinate a media campaign, begin site tours and ongoing site education
- maintain record keeping for LBC (eg. Building team must divert more then 95% of waste metal from the landfill, and 100% of soil/ biomass)
- complete construction
- complete the 1 year evaluation and audit for LBC
- leverage the information and research gathered, along with the relationships built during the pilot stage to support future developments in sustainable building on Vancouver Island.
For further information:
Gower Design Group, a design firm in Victoria specializing in garden suites,
http://www.bcmountainhomes.com/gardensuites.php
CMHC Garden suite information
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/renoho/refash/refash_026.cfm
“A “Living” Built Environment “ by Jason McLennan, article in YES magazine. Nov 16, 2009
http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/a-living-built-environment
“Code, Regulatory, and Systemic Barriers Affecting Living Building Projects” David Eisenberg, Sonja Persram
July 2009
http://cascadiagbc.org/resources/research
Alternative Solutions Resource Initiative
International Living Building Institute
(although, um, feel free to be impressed ladies…) I have a vision sitting in my brain of a world where natural building is accessible to a wider market then the owner builder and workshops. Also, Ive started to make friends with engineers and folks in municipal governments, and I like ‘em. They ask good questions and would like to be involved. I need to write about the difference between prescriptive and performance based codes, what a building code is and building code is not.. Its all pretty jumbled up in there, but one day it will get massaged out, possibly into a presentation… or maybe a blog post…
