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Measure Twice, Cut Once
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Measure Twice, Cut Once

Author: HAVAN

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Your biggest home building questions answered by the pros.
55 Episodes
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HP Home Reno Review

HP Home Reno Review

2024-03-2555:21

Discover the challenges and triumphs of renovating a 112-year-old home as we bring back the builder - TQ Construction, and the homeowner, Dr Janet Simons, to review the high-performance whole home renovation project. Including lessons learned, scope creep, and pesky woodpeckers, this episode is packed with information to help you on your next home renovation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Zane Erickson from ZED Studio believes every home has a soul, and dreaming of homes on a large luxury scale, Zane’s passion for design helps to navigate the realities of construction. ‘When clients walk into a building that has been designed and built with care and attention, and each person involved in it has put their best foot forward, it's just a feeling you have when you walk through the space’, says Erickson. “It's beautiful. You feel welcomed. You feel comfortable. You feel at home”. Listen in as co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee talk luxury home design. You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts. Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Graeme Huguet, Renovator of the Year from My House Design Build Team, is joined by the Chu family who chose to renovate their bungalow.  ‘This is the first home to be a certified Platinum Built Green Plus Net Zero renovated home in all of British Columbia and received a national award for Best Net Zero Renovated or New Home, and two HAVAN Awards; Best New or Renovated Space, and Best Character Home Renovation’, says Graeme Huguet. Listen in as co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee have the podcast guests recount their renovation journey during the pandemic. Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. LISTEN: Meet the Burden Family and follow their real time reno   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with Interior Designer of the Year Katerina Vastardis, joined by Paul Shepski of Geography Contracting. ‘When you are taking a house and turning it into two homes, space can become quite tight, but there are bylaws in Vancouver that allow more square footage in a Passive House or a Passive House duplex’, says Paul Shepski. Two siblings took their grandma’s home gifted to them and transformed it into a duplex for two growing families. ‘Turning this house into two 1,200 square foot duplexes, knowing that you have an X number of basic things that you need to store, these things don't really change whether you live in an apartment, duplex or single-family home’, explained Katerina Vastardis. Winning the 2023 HAVAN Award winner for Best Renovation: 1 million to 1.5 million, and 2023 HAVAN Award for Best Energy Labeled Home: Whole Home Renovation, the home is packed with solutions. Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. LISTEN: Meet the Burden Family and follow their real time renoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Restoring a 1911 heritage home in Kitsilano from three poorly renovated rental suites into the home ‘it always wanted to be when it grew up’, Quinton Construction and Madeleine Design Group share the steps to their award-winning 4-level single-family home with basement suite reno. ‘As a designer, it really boils down to having the personality of your client shine through’, says award-winning designer, and former carpenter, Madeleine Sloback. ‘I tell clients to interview their builders based on their personality, as opposed to what they see on paper, because it is a very personal relationship that you're creating over the course of many years’. On this episode, Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee share with listeners the history of the award-winning Kitsilano Heritage Home. ‘An older home is based on having huge drying potential. Almost all these houses at some point get wet, but they're able to dry’, explains John Quinton. ‘And you have to be cognizant of that when you're upgrading these homes. For our new construction, we are very aggressive with our air sealing and use entirely exterior insulated wall assemblies. But when you're working with an existing home, you have to be careful about how you apply some of those technologies’. You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts. Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen in as co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with award-winning duo Laura Grist Interior Design and Jedan Brothers Contracting sharing their secret recipe for award-winning kitchen renovations. ‘There was an opportunity to bring in some real lovely natural lighting. We decided to take out the windows. I know that sounds counter intuitive, but instead we moved the windows above the upper cabinets, and they brought in the light,’ says Laura Grist. ‘Right off the bat, I always recommend to clients to have a 10 percent contingency. But really at the very beginning of the project, I dive in quite deep and create a fairly detailed budget… but anytime we do structural work or just some things that are hidden behind the walls, I always estimate these based on experience and put a time and material allowance on it, says Dan Klassen. ‘So, in advance, the clients already know, okay, there's going to be something behind those walls.’ Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts. LISTEN: Meet the Burden Family and follow their real time reno   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts Challenged by homeowners to push the boundaries in this custom home design build, Architrix Studio and Kingdom Builders share their solutions to include out-of-the-box design ideas. including in-floor radiant heating plus a floating staircase designed on the exterior wall, typically not possible when building to a passive home level. ‘The solar panels weren't the driving factor in the design. We designed the roof line to fit the holistic architecture of the home, and some of the roofs were oriented nicely to capture or capitalize the solar gain’, says Khang Nguyen of Architrix. Innovations included in-floor radiant heating plus a floating staircase designed on the exterior wall, typically not possible when building to a passive home level.‘We spread the pipes out a lot wider so you're getting that radiant floor heat, but with much less of a BTU’, said Paul Lilley, of Kingdom Builders. ‘We were able to come up with the design by learning from the builder in Washington State and we successfully implemented it. I was really excited about because it's in a passive house, yet we were able to give all the features the homeowners wanted that you might think are not always possible.’ Join co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee. Thank you to podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. LISTEN: Meet the Burden Family and follow their real time reno See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Karly Kristina Design and Marcraft Homes share the design and cliff-dropping building engineering challenges as their clients with waterfront property including ultra-modern home plans - look to build their classic Hamptons dream home, without going back to the architect. ‘With a 40-foot grade from the street level to the ocean, when the excavator is digging and water is coming out, it's a very dangerous situation with challenging geotechnical conditions’, says Matt Jauck. ‘You dig down three, four feet, you hit rock. Now you're blasting and blasting could be like $10,000 a day, if not more for machinery.’ Listen in as co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee talk to the HAVAN Awarding winning duo for Best Interior Design – Custom. ‘I can design the exact same home and issue the exact same spec binder and hand it off to two different builders and the outcome can be so different. It all comes down to communication, and how you work together as a team and also the trades and suppliers that maybe they end up using’, says Karly McLeod. Thank you to podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. LISTEN: Meet the Burden Family and follow their real time reno See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In This Episode; Todd Best of Best Builders teams up with Ian McLean Architecture sharing the story of Triadic, an award-winning home recognized for its environmental initiatives, housing solutions, and excellence in energy efficiencies. ‘I think the most important thing you can do is get the architect, the interior designer, and a good contractor that understands what you want. They may not be the cheapest, but a contractor that you think is going to be able to work through problems with you and understand your goals, and a team that can follow the project through straight to the end is key’, says Todd Best of Best Builders. Working in tandem, this award-winning builder and architect duo worked closely with the homeowners to build a 3,300 sq ft triplex featuring a main home, mortgage helper suite, and one stratified suite for $1.2 million. Thanks to podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts. LISTEN: Meet the Burden Family and follow their real time reno See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Passive Home Passion

Passive Home Passion

2023-05-1654:47

Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with Shaun St-Amour who talks about the associated costs, the energy savings, consumer choice, and the importance of challenging the status quo as the industry looks to build resilient, healthy homes with a lighter footprint on the environment. ‘I really think that we should have an AirBNB passive house that we all could just go and experience because when you step into it and you close the door and it's quieter and there's even a difference in fresh air, you honestly see the difference as soon as you take that first step inside.’ says Shaun St-Amour, Clay Construction. St-Amour is passionate about building to Passive House standards for the health and comfort of everyone who's occupying the home. ‘I would rather use the Passive House principles to get to net zero. Not only are you going to enjoy the benefits of a passive house, the comfort, the energy efficiency, the healthy home but you'll also have an opportunity to use materials that can create a 200 plus year old home because you're doing an envelope-first approach.’ Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, Ethical Floors, Rami Films, and jPod productions You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Net Zero Solar Home

Net Zero Solar Home

2023-05-0933:18

Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with Chris Wimbles of Perspective Homes by Pacific and homeowner, Drew Bonnell, sharing their experiences building their first net zero home including solar power. ‘You hear it all the time, communication. Because this was a complex project and because we had so many moving parts with so many people involved, if there were challenges, it was through a lack of communication rather than too much communication. You know the old adage, there's just no stupid questions. Just get it out there, let's air it, talk about it, and then it'll save time and money later,’ says Drew Bonnell, homeowner. The goals of this project were to build a design forward, future-proof home with sustainable features using renewable energy as progressive as possible, within the available budget. As the plan progressed, it became obvious, net zero was within reach with lots of lessons learned along the way. ‘From a building standpoint, what we've really learned is the importance of having as many design decisions and as many final product decisions from the onset. Obviously, there's always going to be things that change, but really, if you are a homeowner and you want to build something, try to figure out what it is you want and invest in the pre-construction design process of the project... especially with all the supply chain issues that we're still having in the industry, it's critical that you work with a schedule and in a way that that can get it all achieved.’ Chris Wimble, Perspective Homes by Pacific. Offering a first-hand perspective to building a high-performance home for the first time, you will hear tips on how to build more resilient homes with a lighter impact on the environment. Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, Ethical Floors, Rami Films, and jPod productions LISTEN: Meet the Burden Family and follow their real time reno     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with special Guest Bryan Baeumler of HGTV fame, along with Graeme Huguet of My House Design Build Team to talk about the value of working with the pros. ‘I often tell a story of a basement I walked into, and the homeowner said, what can you do down here? And the answer is, I'll put a train station, indoor pool and a Starbucks in if you'd like. And they laugh and say, no, seriously, what can you do? And I say, what's your budget? And the answer used to always be, well, I'm not telling you, you'll spend it all. But you need to present how much money do you have in your pocket or available to you. I would say take 35% of that as a contingency...and work on 65% of your total available cash or credit or whatever you want to spend on the job. And let the professional come up with the plan to tell you what is possible within those plans, considering the cosmetics that you would like to include and go from there,’ says Baeumler. Recognizing a TV show cannot share the full process of building or renovating a home in just 22 minutes, Baeumler openly discusses his approach to working with the professionals, with Huguet bringing a BC perspective to the conversation. ‘We have to start looking at our own homes, not from the cosmetic Instagram photo side, but we have to start looking at how do we build a safe, comfortable nest that's affordable and sustainable, that also adds real value and provides a passive income in the form of savings long-term. And we have to start prioritizing.’ Bryan Baeumler, Baeumler Approved, HGTV. Thanks to podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Net Zero Ready Townhomes

Net Zero Ready Townhomes

2023-04-1801:02:50

Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with with Streetside Developments about their townhome project, Cascadia, located in Langley, due for completion later this year. Challenged by senior management to build to a net zero ready high-performance level, Jonathan Meads shares the challenges faced by the building community. Scaling up from a single-family home to a multi-family project is exponentially more challenging, as the industry, government regulations, technology, supply chain, professionals and trades are all on a steep learning curve.  ‘The net zero homes offset the energy used. The only difference between a net zero home and a net zero ready home is you haven't put on the home the ability to capture energy, but it's been designed so that in the future it can be added. So, it may not have photovoltaics on the roof now, but it has been designed to add it at a later date,’ says Meads. Packed with information and ideas on the future of townhomes and the benefits of net zero ready living, this episode discovers how building to higher standards in multi-family homes can benefit your family and community, while looking at the challenges and wins faced by Streetside Developments as they adopt a smaller footprint philosophy building net zero ready townhomes. ‘The one thing I think that is coming, that could be a big game changer, that avoids the battery pack, per se, is the next generation of electric vehicles actually have the ability to power homes. And if they are plugged in at the right time, you can send power back and forth. So now you could be charging your vehicle during the day. These cars are so intelligent,’ says Meads. Thank you to podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts. Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with Joe Geluch looking at infill housing solutions featuring a Passivhaus+ duplex project with two lock-off suites, built on a single-family lot as a solution to addressing Vancouver’s Missing Middle housing. ‘We had the opportunity to present this project at the International Passive House Conference in Germany last year. People were interested in it as a new housing typology addressing the missing middle problem in Vancouver. Currently there is an incentive with the City of Vancouver until 2025 for the FSR exemption if you're going for a certified passive house. This project got 18% extra floor area for doing a certified passive house duplex, which meant an additional 600 square feet total, essentially one extra bedroom per home.’ Allison Holden-Pope of One Seed Architecture and Interiors. Packed with information and ideas on infill housing solutions to address the missing middle, this episode explores how building to higher standards on a single-family lot can benefit your family and community. ‘Passive homes used to be all about energy efficiency, and now there is a focus on embodied carbon because you've already set this base of a high-performance home. Let's do it using as sustainable materials. I think that that's how things are evolving. It's ultimately everybody's dream, that passive house doesn't even get mentioned anymore because it's code. That's just how we build. That's what we want to have happen.’ Joe Geluch, Naikoon Contracting. Podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts. Jake Fry talks with co-hosts Jennifer-Lee and Mike about the concept of attainable housing for the missing middle and building thriving modern-day communities. ‘Our experience reflects that of the 370+ small homes we've built, easily over 85% have been for multi-generational living, and I think that's the big drive,’ says Fry. Land valuations, environmental impacts of today’s building materials and systems, and our end goals all add up to a riveting conversation with Fry recommending we keep an open mind to solutions and focus on sophisticated conversations, versus complicated ones. ‘I would argue there’s going to be lots of opportunities to reuse a building, renovate a building, and the greenest building is the building that's standing right now. Period. And when we look to recycle, reuse, reduce, reusing those buildings where we can and trying to keep them as intact as possible, there'll be opportunities for a house to have three suites in it and a coach house in the back, those are the things we have to be very vigorous about in our analysis of what is good.’ Jake Fry, Smallworks. Podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee chat with Chris Hill about the Building Offsite Sustainable System (BOSS) an open-source factory-built wall system designed to build higher Energy Step Code level homes, including passive homes. Developed by BCollective, the concept is simple; by creating BOSS as an open-source system, knowledge will transfer quicker to help advance the learning curve to lower building costs, improve building efficiencies, and increase quality of output. Faced with a housing crisis, rising building costs, labour shortages, and the need to reduce the footprint of how we build our homes. ‘There's nothing proprietary about it and that's intentional so that you can have it built by others’, says Chris Hill as he shares his thoughts on building trends and the BOSS system. ‘We're using the word climate crisis. We each have to account for our own balance. There's no reason why we should be restricting how we're living, so then we're going to have to look to ways to reduce. And that's what you’re getting with BOSS - carbon reduction, thicker walls. BOSS dramatically reduces the ongoing operating energy that you put input into your house. It's a really, an exercise on reduction.’ Chris Hill, BCollective. Podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is an iceberg home? Unassuming at first glance, iceberg homes are designed and built with the majority of living space underground. Father and son duo, John and Jeff Gunson, share their experiences and process of building homes with multiple underground floors. ‘The concept was created in London. The houses are too small for the value of what these people have paid for them, and you can't change the facade of a building and you can't raise the height. So, because of heritage restrictions they dug down into the ground and increased the size of the square footage of the house. In the City of Vancouver there is no reference in the bylaws to how many square feet you can add below grade.’ John Gunson, Euro Canadian Contracting Co-hosts Mike and Jennifer-Lee find out that faced with limited land and soaring real estate prices, homeowners are digging deeper for solutions. ‘For the lower half of the house, that's underground, there is better thermal insulation and a more regulated temperature. It doesn't see high temperature differentials from hot to cold as the above grade would. Being underground though, heat from equipment generally creates an issue, therefore, you have to implement air conditioning to make the space more livable.’ Jeff Gunson, Euro Canadian Contracting Thank you to podcast partners: FortisBC, Vicostone Canada, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and Google podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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