Showcasing a Sustainability Overhaul: 1908 to Net-Zero

Reconstructing a 117-year-old heritage character house into three net-zero dwellings

Long-time BUILT GREEN® builder Best Builders has teamed up with Deep Green Developments to create and showcase an alternative to demolition, as we collectively try to catch up with today’s energy targets and look to tomorrow’s. The project, dubbed 1908 to Net-Zero, takes a 117-year-old heritage character home in Vancouver’s old Mount Pleasant community and does a complete overhaul to create three carbon-neutral Net Zero Energy+ homes—documenting and sharing learnings throughout.

1908 to Net-Zero achieves gentle densification by preserving the original home’s façade, expanding the main character home and garden suite, and adding a new net-zero laneway home. This renovation will be certified through Built Green Canada and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association.

Homes labelled BUILT GREEN® Net Zero Energy+ must meet net zero energy performance and achieve BUILT GREEN® Gold or Platinum certification, which also includes seven other key sustainability areas to address the preservation of natural resources, reduction of pollution and GHGs, ventilation and air quality, home durability and more.

The project’s low-embodied carbon strategy combines deconstruction, material retention and the use of low-carbon and circular construction materials. While new elements like carbon-storing insulation, ICF foundations and low-carbon concrete play their part, the team also recycles existing materials back into the home, saving on new material costs, reducing virgin materials use, and minimizing landfill impact.

“As a red seal carpenter and tradesman, it’s always been difficult for me to see so many beautiful materials wasted—particularly old-growth materials,” says Best Builders’ President and Owner, Todd Best. “This was something the homeowners and I saw eye to eye on right away. It’s important to work with like-minded folks, which includes our larger design and build team.”

Collaborating with homeowners and Deep Green Developments, Best Builders worked alongside Capture Energy, Smithcraft Architecture, Form Collective and more.

Industry collaboration and education are central goals. The project serves as part of a national case study and pilot project within the CHBA’s embodied carbon reduction program. The team has also shared insights with the City of Vancouver’s Sustainability Department and demonstrated to inspectors how the project meets new code requirements. Engagement has extended to UBC, BCIT, the City of Richmond, the Zero Emissions Innovations Centre, as well as open houses with the Homebuilders Association Vancouver to show contractors how to approach retrofits like this.

In parallel, the team is producing a nine-part educational video series in partnership with CHBA to showcase the responsible materials and innovative techniques used, clarifying what sustainable, low-carbon construction can look like for homeowners and industry professionals.

This work addresses the larger reality that the built environment is a high carbon contributor: responsible for 18 per cent of Canada’s emissions, behind oil and gas and the transportation sector, according to the federal government. With that said, most of the existing stock is dated and not nearly as efficient as homes built today, while energy costs continue to rise.

This project is in an area with a lot of heritage homes, being a community established back in 1888. This project demonstrates that old homes don't need to be demolished to meet or even exceed modern building codes. The build combines retention, deconstruction and reintegration of existing materials, while achieving gentle densification, reduced embodied carbon and net-zero performance. This appears to be the first retrofit of its kind in Canada, but hopefully it’s far from the last.

Construction runs from 2024 to 2026. The character house has been lifted, deconstructed and is now being (re)framed alongside the installation of a new infill foundation. The team has completed an integrated design process, multi-phase deconstruction and a full house lift with a new efficient low-carbon foundation now installed. Red Seal carpenters have been integrating new structural beams and reclaimed materials to existing 117-year-old framing.

This award-winning renovation, recipient of the Carbon Leadership Forum’s BC Embodied Carbon Award for Small Buildings Award, sets a national example for low-carbon urban living and responsible modernization of older homes. There is much to learn from its focus on sustainability, preservation and gentle densification. Watch 1908 to Net-Zero’s channel for more to come on this project.