The green home dream started with Jody Martens, a first year student in the Architectural and Engineering Technology Program. Her design won the Equilibrium™ House Design competition, earned her a handsome scholarship and was used as the blueprint to build the 2010 Training House at Sun Rivers Golf Resort Community.
Equilibrium Home is now open for tours at 1858 Ironwood Terrace in Sun Rivers.
Just over a year later, a 3,000-square-foot home stands at 1858 Ironwood Terrace in Sun Rivers and is so loaded with energy-efficient features that the estimated net cost for a year’s worth of electricity will be zero.
An extended list of other features, ranging from 2.5-centimetre-thick recycled rubber shingles to a living-room waterfall that balances interior humidity, make it one of the most technically complex and modern homes built anywhere in the country.
The house is the product of a collaboration among several organizations, including the Canadian Home Builders Association, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. and Thompson Rivers University, and is one of 15 CMHC supported ‘Equilibrium’ green home projects that are either complete or underway across Canada.
TRU’s construction trades programs provided the student labour to build it.
Lindsay Langill, dean of the school of trades and technology, noted that the university has partnered with Canadian Home Builders on housing construction projects for 19 years, and for 13 of those the home has been used as the main fundraiser for the Kamloops Y.
“There is no other home or project being done anywhere I know of, to this magnitude, where students learning the trade in the foundation program are getting exposure like this,” Langill said. Trades students — carpenters, electricians and plumbers – are all promptly hired because of their familiarity with the green materials and building practices.
The house at 1858 Ironwood Terrace in Sun Rivers is open for tours until November 25, 2010. Tickets to win the home can be purchased at: www.kamloopsy.org. Your winning ticket could be a green dream come true.
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