Project status: Completed 2011
Location: Rossland, BC
The Salway McDowell Residence emerged out of a fruitful collaborative process between Studio 9, E3 Eco Group Sustainable Building Consultants, several green building technology specialists, and two savvy clients who wanted to build the Kootenay’s first LEED Platinum Home*. The platinum rating is the highest achievable rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Beyond building a highly energy efficient home, the architecture itself aims to make a statement about how the design interacts with all of the sophisticated technologies used throughout the project. Some of the design strategies employed to achieve this are:
- The house is embedded into the site using insulated concrete forms to reduce thermal loss
- All roofs are designed to collect 100% of rainwater and re-direct it to an underground cistern
- Water in the cistern is then used for irrigation and flushing toilets through a dedicated piping system
- Unique roof design is to accommodate sufficient insulation and roof ventilation for a superior insulated roof
- A green roof patio is used to mitigate rainwater runoff and heat island effect
- All landscaping is designed with native, drought tolerant species
- A geoexchange heat pump is used to heat and cool the building
- Many of the materials used in the project are sustainability harvested, regionally sourced, and/or have recycled content
*LEED status for this project is still pending although the house has been designed and built to LEED Platinum standards. LEED Homes Canada does not recognize projects without landscaping completed. Due to this delay, this project will reserve certification until landscaping is completed.
