In many areas of Revelstoke housing, sustainability is on people’s minds. From gardening to renovating, creating more eco-conscious living spaces is a popular topic. Paradigm Building Solutions is leaning into this interest and excitement for all things earthy with their residential neighbourhood, Stokedliving.
“The vision was to build an energy efficient community with our specialized home kits, which are all high energy efficiency, filled with a lot of natural products which goes with the whole feel around Revelstoke,” Paradigm CEO Philipp Gruner told the Mountaineer.
The project is a mix of single-family detached homes and multi-family dwellings that Gruner said fit into the community’s “social acceptance of building something that’s environmentally friendly and energy efficient.”
What does energy efficiency look like in terms of building? Well, Stokedliving is built to the highest energy standard available – step code five. This is an energy efficiency code, which Gruner explained is dictated by aspects like the type of insulation used, as well as building materials, such as what makes up the walls.
The home step code is a series of energy efficient regulations Gruner said have been mandated by the government of B.C. While different municipalities have adopted different step codes at various times, Gruner explained the province is shifting toward step code five and high energy efficiency home mandates.
“When we build our homes, we make sure that they’re airtight and there’s minimal leakage of any kind of air,” he explained, pointing to the benefits of using energy efficient materials. “I always say, when you walk into a Paradigm home, you get that Paradigm feel.”
Another energy-friendly solution Paradigm is exploring for Stokeliving is solar power. While still in the early stages of development, Gruner said the long term goal is to add a solar package as part of the house.
Along with reducing energy prices, solar power could be beneficial as wildfires increase in frequency and severity due to human-caused climate change.
“We have this other problem with forest fires ripping through and going through power poles and power lines, and wouldn’t it be nice if you had your own solar [power] system attached to a backup battery…that could power your home…until the power comes back on, as opposed to having a generator blasting emissions out the back door,” he said. “We just believe that solar is a natural fit with what the Paradigm and the Stokedliving story is: Sustainability.”
Until solar power is fully integrated into homes in the neighbourhood, residents can still find some comfort in the already built-in wildfire protections. The build up of the wall panels is fire resistant, Gruner explained.
The first level is a cement board, which Gruner describes as one of the most fire resistant products on the market. Next, the rigid exterior insulation is “wax-impregnated, hardwood fiberboard, which is also extremely fire resistant,” Gruner said. “It doesn’t burn, it chars when you hold a torch to it.”
The next layer of insulation is a treated cellulose dense pack, which Gruner said has “very little heat transfer.”
“If all of these layers start to fail, you always have the second and the third layer that will protect your home. A lot of our houses are built with FireSmart in mind.”
Outside of the home itself, the landscaping – which will become more robust with the completion of the neighbourhood – is also being designed to be resilient to wildfires, with few needle-trees being planted.
The neighbourhood also offers what Gruner called a “community within a community.” This can be seen in the unified building approach, with home designs and activities focused on that mountain living lifestyle.
“A lot of people in Revelstoke are outdoorsy, biking, hiking, golfing, you name it. We just believe that the product and the offering at Stokedliving is that lifestyle that people in Revelstoke are looking for.”
The neighbourhood is being built in phases, with a next round of townhouses up for release next.
“As we build out the different phases of the project, there will be a combination of for sale units, and then a for rent component as well,” Gruner said.
For those interested in chatting about a new build, Gruner said the process is easy for would-be homebuyers.
“We have lots of different housing plans ready to go,” he said. “If there’s something that people liked, they can pick it and then we’ll build it… the installation is extremely fast.”
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