(This story is sponsored by VictorEric.)

Awareness of more sustainable lifestyle practices may be growing, but drastic action has to be taken if we are to even begin to tackle the monumental threat of climate change. That’s because everything, from the food we eat to the buildings in which we live and work, can be doing long-term damage to the environment.

Fortunately, there are lots of ways we can make a positive impact, one of which is by starting from the ground up. One business that is raising the bar in terms of what we can expect from our houses and the way they are built is VictorEric. The Vancouver-based company designs and builds custom luxury homes that meet the highest standards of sustainability.

VictorEric was recently recognized by international publication Build Review in its 2019 Sustainable Building Awards. The prestigious awards aim to acknowledge the businesses that work to ensure the global community decreases its collective carbon footprint. VictorEric won best high-performance home design/build company for its commitment to building houses that are healthy, comfortable, and energy efficient.

VictorEric’s certified Passive House design-build team has spent the past 15 years creating amazing cutting-edge spaces for its clients. The performance standard of the Passive House is two to three times as strict as conventional code-built houses due to a better performing building envelope, an airtight barrier, a high efficiency heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) system, and high-performing windows and doors. All building components of a home built to the Passive House standard requires testing by the Passive House Institute in Germany before it can be deemed as certified.

The B.C. Energy Step Code, which the government enacted in April 2017, is a voluntary provincial standard outlining an incremental and consistent approach to achieving energy-efficient buildings that go beyond the requirements of the base B.C. Building Code. At present, builders can choose whether to adopt the code’s series of measurable, performance-based requirements for construction, but bylaw changes will make this mandatory by 2030—with the goal of making all buildings net-zero energy-emitting by 2032.

That means that anyone who is buying a home, working in real-estate development, or concerned with saving the planet should be thinking about future-proofing their properties so they don’t fall out of compliance. The heating and cooling cost savings alone make high-performance homes more cost-effective, not to mention the improved resale value.

Homes certified as Passive House can be complemented with solar roof panels that result in free electrical (EV) charging, making it very easy to achieve net zero performance. They can also come with fully automated climate control using natural light flow, as well as the ability to return energy to the grid and create potential to earn money on your home.

As the recent award demonstrates, VictorEric’s purpose is to revolutionize the industry by creating amazing spaces that are both sustainable and beautiful. Those who are interested in learning more about the core principles of attractive Passive House design and energy-efficiency regulation    in Vancouver are invited to VictorEric’s public-service seminar entitled “Future home—don’t let upcoming bylaw changes strip your home of its value”.

The event—taking place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Vancity Room at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (2305 West 7th Avenue) on October 26—is free to attend and important for anyone interested in being the change they want to see in the world.  Anyone concerned with the combined impact of noise pollution, jet fuel and other environmental issues related to the airport expansion should contact us to be included in our invitation-only special event for Richmond and other city officials and other conservation groups – Finding Peace in The Flight Path coming up in November.

To learn more about the Passive House standards, energy efficiency, or how you can own a high-performance home, visit VictorEric’s website at victoreric.com/high-performance/. Or contact VictorEric at 604-677-0021 to reserve a seat at the future-home seminar.