Brad’s Passion Haus

Summerhill president Brad harnessed his love for modern design and sustainable buildings to bring an ambitious family home to life—and to meet Passive House standards.

Already an expert builder of green homes, Brad wanted to push the limits of energy efficiency with his own project. The goal? Step-Code 5 or Net Zero Ready designation; a house that uses as much energy as it produces. To achieve it, the thermal envelope and mechanical load requirements were key. Serving as project architect himself, Brad and the Summerhill team got to work.

Crafted to be in tune with its surroundings, Brad’s family home maximizes energy efficiency by respecting the unique characteristics of its site. Situated in the heart of Gibsons’ aquifer, the property was initially very wet. To reframe a “water problem” as a valuable resource, a careful drainage plan was devised to redirect the water for reuse in toilets and irrigation for a rooftop garden.

To maximize the natural light in the space, Brad paid close attention to passive solar design. By building a strategic overhang and planting deciduous trees, the dwelling is naturally shaded in the summer but allows light to flow in during the winter. As for high-performance building practices, particularly thick walls, with 12 inches of insulation, were used to keep heat locked in.

Time honoured practices and materials have always been important to Brad, especially so with this project. “Much of the visible wood elements in the house were from recycled beams,” says Brad. “We sourced them from our friends at Inform when their Railway Street manufacturing warehouse was taken down to make way for their new building.” Other wood, including red cedar siding and Douglas fir flooring, were all sourced locally on the Sunshine Coast.

The abundance of natural wood and concrete serves two purposes: aesthetically it adds an earthy beauty to the space, and from a wellness perspective it reduces the use of toxic finishes. Concrete floors and wall elements also work double-duty to capture and store solar heat in the winter, while tempering heat spikes in the summer. The home was also built solar panel-ready—and ready for anything, it seems.