As energy prices rise and governments come to grips with their carbon reduction commitments, there is a renewed focus on the energy performance of housing, both new and existing.

Making informed choices about the use of pre-fabricated building systems; assessing the constructibility of building details; evaluating existing buildings to determine energy upgrade strategies – these are all ways in which the design team can benefit from our experience.

Contractors and construction managers unfamiliar with the principles, materials and systems that define low-energy housing perceive greater risk.  Understanding green building standards, finding open-minded trades, choosing the right technical options, supervising the work properly – all of these can be viewed as unwelcome extra challenges in an already complex process.

At Cold Climate Building Inc. we have a long history as a team player in delivering high-performance housing.  The design, production and installation of panelized houses in Nunavut and the design and prefabrication of enclosure panels for a multi-unit PassivHaus building in Ottawa are recent examples of this type of work.  We believe in the benefits of the integrated building delivery process and can work with the development team at all stages, from strategic planning through technical briefing, design and construction.