Building for the Future: A High-Performance, Custom-Panel Home That Marries Sustainability, Comfort, and Community

The Goals and Challenges

The original house was drafty, cramped, dark, inefficient, polluting, and just plain worn out - hardly suitable for a growing family.

Our clients came to us seeking solutions to create a new house on their narrow and snug lot. With a desire to have a home that is comfortable, super energy-efficient, gas-free, ultra-low upfront carbon, all-electric, solar energy producing, non-polluting, safe, natural, well-insulated, air-tight, cozy, open, airy, bright, modern, healthy, durable and resilient - built to last, ready for anything nature throws at us! - so that they can proudly stay in their beloved neighbourhood for years to come. 
The tight lot, with limited access for construction materials and equipment posed substantial challenges to deploy these sensible and future-oriented goals…

Our Proposal - Prefabricated Panels!

A key to achieving the quality of construction required is the use of factory-built, custom panels for the walls, floors, and roof - ensuring highest-quality construction and minimizing the disturbance of their beautiful community. The materials with which this house is constructed are chosen to be natural, durable, healthy, and upfront carbon-free. This house will be totally enclosed, on its original foundations, in just a few days - blink and you'd miss it! As the panels are carefully lifted over the tree by crane... the sugar-maple tree in the front yard will be lovingly protected throughout construction.

To fit with this family’s goals, every space has been thoughtfully designed to be comfortable, open, airy and bright, complete with durable and natural interior and exterior finishes from carefully selected sources.

Our sensitive rethink on their space now includes features such as a raised basement ceiling, including a deep and wide window well, and secondary walk-out access to expand into the basement as more enjoyable and useable space. The ground floor provides entry from a neighbourly porch, improved access to natural light, a generous and modern central kitchen, a custom-banquette dining space, and a spacious family room with access to an updated back deck. Additionally, you’ll now also find a full third story complete with a new principal suite with ensuite bathroom, ample storage, and a flexible space which can adapt to the family’s needs over time.  

To weather everything the future has to throw at it, this home moves toward resilience through operational decarbonization and a departure from fossil-fuel reliance. 
To accomplish this, the shell of the building has been designed with natural and low-carbon materials to achieve superior levels of air-tightness and insulation values and will be fitted with triple-glazed wood-frame windows, an all-electric heat pump heating and cooling system, induction stove, heat pump dryer, and rooftop solar panels.

Our Underlying Principles

At Sustainable, we prioritize thoughtful design that meets your unique needs while caring for the planet. We use only the healthiest materials and construction methods, chosen for minimal environmental impact and low ongoing carbon emissions. Every material, from exterior cladding to interior finishes, is selected for durability, low maintenance, and, above all, for its health and environmental benefits.

 Let's Talk About Your Goals!

Thinking about your future home?

Let’s chat about your dreams for your home and see how we can help you achieve them

Reach out at hello@sustainable.to for a consultation, and let’s create a space that’s as good for our planet as it is for you.