The Government of Canada announced the official launch of the demonstration phase for the Green Dream Home, an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly home in Kamloops, British Columbia.
The Green Dream Home is the first of two Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) EQuilibrium™ Housing Initiative demonstration homes to be completed and opened for public tours in British Columbia, and the eighth to open across Canada.
The home was built by Canadian Home Builders’ Association Central Interior (CHBA CI) and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) as part of CMHC’s EQuilibrium™ Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative, which encourages builders and developers to build the next generation of sustainable housing in Canada.
Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo, attending on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for CMHC, was joined by Darryl Caunt, President, CHBA CI, and Hank Bangma, Residential Construction Instructor, School of Trades & Technology ,TRU, along with sponsors and supporters to celebrate the launch.
“The Government of Canada is proud to work with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association Central Interior and Thompson Rivers University on their collaborative effort to design and build the Green Dream Home,” said Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo. “This forward-looking project demonstrates how we can build homes that conserve energy and resources, and reduce pollutant emissions.”
EQuilibrium™ demonstration homes are designed to be healthy to live in, highly energy and resource efficient, produce as much energy as they consume on an annual basis, and have very low environmental impact. To achieve this, the Green Dream Home combines state-of-the-art energy-efficient design and construction techniques with renewable energy production.
“We have been partnering with Thompson Rivers University for 19 years, building a training home to give students hands-on real-life experience,” said Darryl Caunt, President, CHBA CI.
“The EQuilibrium™ Initiative was an opportunity to take the training house build to the next level, and it has been a great adventure.”
“This is our ’platinum project’ in the construction area and each year students plead to be in the class of trainees chosen to be a part of this build,” said Lindsay Langill, Dean of the School of Trades and Technology, TRU. “Parents often tell me that having their son or daughter be a part of such a project has given them direction and positively changed their lives.”
The Green Dream Home Project team is one of many builder/developer teams across Canada to have turned design concepts into real homes as part of CMHC’s national EQuilibrium™ Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. All CMHC EQuilibrium™ Housing projects are open for public and professional audiences for demonstration, and then monitored for performance for one year, once occupied.
CMHC’s EQuilibrium™ Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative offers a new approach to housing in Canada. It strives to balance our housing needs with those of the environment. It brings together — under one roof — the principles of occupant health and comfort, energy efficiency, renewable energy production, resource and water conservation, reduced environmental impact and affordability.
CMHC has worked closely with many stakeholders to develop and establish EQuilibrium™ Housing. In particular, CMHC has collaborated closely with Natural Resources Canada, which has contributed substantial research and development expertise and resources to advancing the initiative.
As Canada’s national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes — homes that will continue to create vibrant, healthy communities and cities across the country.