“You say you want a revolution; we all want to change the world. You say you got a real solution; we’d all love to see the plan. You ask me for a contribution; we’re all doing what we can.”

The revolutionary dream to provide shelter – a fundamental need for life – in a way that respects our natural world, has slowly moved to reality as consumers and innovative builders push the market to greener building practices. And pushing hard are graduate architect Joni Carroll, and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Michael Ireton, partners at Folio Homes. Their manifesto is to create high-quality, architecturally-designed, sustainable, inner-city projects.

On offer is one of their first projects in Calgary, located at 1615 Altadore Avenue SW, sharing a lot with another exquisitely appointed home on a site which formerly held only one older home. ‘Building green’ includes a broad context of issues, such as land use and building waste, so Folio had the previous house transported for use elsewhere and thereby doubled the site’s density in this inner city community with amenities, transportation options and infrastructure already in place.

This is one of the few houses on the market that was designed by someone with a degree in architecture, and Carroll, who received her degree from the Universtity of Toronto in 1991,  has meticulously mapped out a home that captures sunlight, provides consistent temperatures, and maximizes living space, while working with Ireton to maintain its environmental integrity. “In the green building community there is this ‘My house is greener than your house’ competitiveness,” says Ireton. “We didn’t use a lot of the fancy technologies, but a sustainable lifestyle means being close to schools, close to parks; the bike paths, Marda Loop is right there, the bus runs right up 16th Street – so the whole package makes much more sense.”

While your house may be the biggest financial investment you’ll make, (this home comes in at a cool $1,299,000) Ireton adds that your house is the biggest green investment you’ll ever make and it’s an area where you can cut the most. “Compared to a ‘code-built’ house, this house will generate 5.7 tonnes fewer green house gas emissions every year” according to independent testing by EnerGuide which have given them an 84 rating and Built Green Platinum certification – a first for Calgary.

“Comfort, convenience, and control” is how Carroll describes the finished product, starting with the comprehensive building envelope. They’ve used six-and-one-quarter-inch concrete, Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction, with a two-and-three-quarter-inch layer of recyclable extruded polystyrene inside and outside the house, R-50 open-cell foam in the attic, and triple glazed, double Low-E coated Loewen Heat Smart Plus 3 windows. which are Energy Star certified for Arctic climates. From the developed basement to the second floor – totaling over 3,500 square-feet on three levels, four-inch poured concrete floors hold radiant heat systems controlled with 11 keypads throughout. Not just good for staying cozy in the winter, the envelope prevents excess heat from sneaking in, and the cross ventilation from the windows on each side of the house, plus the smooth concrete and temperature controls, eliminate the need for air conditioning or portable fans.

The spacious living area on the main floor boasts nine -foot ceilings in the open office, kitchen and dining room, leading to a sunken living room with an 11-foot ceiling. The children’s rooms, directly above, are eight feet, while the master is separated by a step down at nine feet. Leading upstairs is a wide, open riser staircase with slit windows on either side to increase the pleasing light all year round. Carroll has cleverly installed horizontal windows along the east and west sides at six feet to allow light flow without violating privacy codes.

The selling point for many homes is the kitchen, and Folio serves up the pièce de résistance here. Premium granite counters share the space with solid bamboo cabinets locally manufactured from Denca. Ireton was able to work with Denca and PJ White to customize the cabinets, inside and out, formaldehyde-free. In fact, all the materials used in the home were chosen to reduce off gassing and the TFP with HEPA filter further removes 99.97 per cent of air particles.

So you might just say Folio Homes are joining the revolution. They do want to change the world, they do have a plan, and they are making a contribution by doing what they can.