SAIT Partnership builds New Zero Carbon cottage at CottageClub
Developer and SAIT’s Green Building Technologies team provide energy-efficiency consultations
CALGARY and GHOST LAKE – July 21, 2020 – A new Zero Carbon Cottage is now under construction in CottageClub at Ghost Lake. When completed, the cottage will be used for educational tours on building green as part of an innovative partnership with cottage owners, the Jenkins family, SAIT’s Green Building Technologies team and Lamont Land Development Inc., the developers of CottageClub at Ghost Lake.
The SAIT / Developers Partnership seeks to explore and improve energy efficiencies in new homes built in the CottageClub community. To encourage sustainable building, the Developer pays for up to 10 hours of planning time with the SAIT team as part of every developer lot sale. SAIT is providing CottageClub owners with affordable ways to achieve net zero energy construction and reduce utility bills as well as innovative options for high performance building envelopes, mechanical systems, advanced energy monitoring and renewable energy.
The SAIT Green Building Technologies research group was formed 11 years ago, providing energy and emissions reductions advisory, education and applied support for building products, services, design and construction. SAIT provides technical input in the development and application of green building systems. A full range of services is offered to owners beyond the initial planning, including analyzing cottage energy requirements; cottage orientation to maximize passive solar and solar PV options; identifying requirements for geothermal heating/cooling systems; identifying eco-friendly material selections and operating options to reduce carbon footprints.
CottageClub home owner, Margaret Jenkins, cites the reasons why she decided to build a new Zero Carbon Cottage, “There are three main reasons why I had this net zero carbon free demonstration home at CottageClub built and they are my grandchildren, Callum, Sawyer and Nia. I truly believe that the building of this home, which will be used for hands-on teaching, learning, and sharing of information, will influence and inspire others to build homes which are environmentally friendly. It’s a huge step towards caring for and saving our world for our future generations.”
This build is a collaboration between the homeowner, Lamont Land Development Inc, SAIT, and Plaid Shirt Projects, with funding from Alberta Innovates., The project is aiming to develop a carbon emissions-free home through low energy and water use to zero-carbon materials, such as building a wood basement in place of concrete. The home is also being built at a price point similar to a typical stick-frame constructed cottage. Managing the build is Plaid Shirt Projects, a new partnership formed to provide hands-on project and construction management for residential and commercial builds and renovations, in particular those connecting the demand for quality and creativity to the values of sustainability and healthy environments.
“The start of construction of the Zero Carbon Cottage is a milestone for CottageClub and another step forward in our vision of building an enviro-conscious community. Having the SAIT Green Building Technologies team involved, with its many years of experience in net zero energy construction adds innovation, design and validity to the project,” says Don Stengler of Lamont Land Development. “The contribution by Margaret Jenkins to allow her home to be a learning center is outstanding and a very important part of the project.”
CottageClub has a solid track record in green initiatives and the focus has been on incorporating sustainable building options at every opportunity in the community. Preserving native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers, and considerably reducing landscaping expenses were considered at every stage of development.
Some other conservation initiatives:
- In conjunction with SAIT, the Bow River Basin Council, Source2Source Engineering and the Federal Government, research and development of a Greywater Biofilter Initiative is in the planning stages. The goal is to develop an individual cottage system to safely use greywater (from showers, bathtubs and laundry water) within the cottage lot. The concept is based around building a contained bioswale filled with native vegetation that will accept grey water year-round.
- CottageClub’s location is an area teeming with wildlife with a unique fence running around the perimeter of the community ensures safe passage for our furry friends. The wildlife friendly fencing is five feet high and designed to prevent injury to wildlife and to reduce the cost of any repairs caused by wildlife.
- A ten-acre gravel pit within CottageClub was reclaimed with 144,000 cubic meters of pit run material from the cliff areas, with enough gravel crushed on site in the process to build the roads within CottageClub, as well as connector roads to Highway 1A.
CottageClub Ghost Lake is a recreational community with a long list of year-round amenities. It features exclusive beach, boat launch, sports areas, community gardens, extensive trail system, parks, playgrounds, and a Private Recreation Centre. It offers cottage site options for almost every lifestyle and budget with no building commitment and strong architectural controls. CottageClub recently launched its fifth and final phase of development, featuring fully serviced cottage sites.
Phase Five is being released for the very first time including a limited selection of walkout lots. The new and final phase offers mountain views, lake views or private retreat cottage sites. In addition, there are even a few lakefront homesites available. CottageClub is located between Banff & Calgary on Highway 1A along the shoreline of Ghost Lake, a 1,866-acre freshwater lake with views across the Lake looking west framed by the Rocky Mountains. It is minutes from world class amenities such as Banff National Park, Kananaskis Park, Nakiska Ski Resort, Lake Louise Ski Resort & Sunshine Ski Resorts, Canmore, and championship golf courses. For more information on CottageClub Ghost Lake click here.
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