The 3,385-square-foot home was opened for public viewing on May 29 and sold just six weeks later for $1.84 million. “It says a lot about the house when it sells this quickly in a down economy when listings normally sit for six months,” says New Casa’s Peter Mauro, who designed and built the house. “It was the energy efficient design that made the difference — its’ ‘green-ness’ if you will.”

The first single family home designed by the SAM Award winning builder blends timeless classic heritage features with cutting edge modern styling and technology. Its’ dramatic architecture blends seamlessly in with this neighbourhood of heritage homes and mature trees. A covered veranda, peaked dormers and a Romeo and Juliet balcony give it an air of romance.

It’s a model of curb appeal and interior character with its stone-and-stucco exterior adding a twist to its Arts and Crafts style, while the home’s interior is a stunning showcase of traditional and modern elements hand-picked by Mauro and designer Sally Healy. But it is its energy-saving features that make it really stand out.

The heating system uses cutting-edge geothermal technology, which sees energy drawn from underground to heat and cool the home. Not only does this cut emissions by one-and-a-half to two tonnes a year over other methods, but a geothermal heat pump also has four times the cooling or heating capacity of a high-efficiency furnace.

Under-cabinet lighting in seven colours, plus pot lights in the basement, front verandah, rear deck, front closet and exterior house number are a few hot spots designed to help cut electricity costs and waste by using LED bulbs. One LED lasts 15 years and consumes just one to seven watts versus an incandescent’s 50 watts, and is much cooler to the touch.

Like New Casa’s previous projects — the Quattro Porte fourplex, and the 12-unit Villagio, both also in the Kensington area ­— this home uses the Advantage ICF System. These walls sandwich a core of reinforced, cast-in-place concrete between two panels of Palsti-Fab EPS insulation which provide a concrete mass with superior soundproofing and insulating qualities compared to a typical wood-frame exterior wall.

The building retains more heat in winter and cool air in summer than its wood-framed counterparts, bringing 42 per cent more insulation (R-value) to the home, and results in tremendous savings on heating bills, Mauro says, adding that heating his ICF-clad building of 9,500 square-feet costs approximately $600 a month.

He is in plans to develop a fourth property in Kensington, using the same European-inspired design and energy efficient systems and technology. He plans to call this one “paradise,” or at least the Italian equivalent.

Il Paradiso will be a two-storey building with two 1,919-square-foot apartment style units (one on top of the other) that will be built on a triangle lot on the corner of Gladstone and 11A St. also in the Kensington area. Projected completion is 2011.

“Il Paradiso will also have the ICF concrete block walls, solar panel heating system as well as a tankless water heating system, and more energy efficient LED lighting,” he says. Like all his previous projects, Il Paradiso will also have the finest finish, most of which will be built on site, he adds.

“I am Italian and I get all my design ideas from Europe. North America is 10 to 15 years behind Europe in terms of design, sometimes longer, since Europeans need to be more inventive in their use of space. They’ve had the tankless water heater now for decades and it’s just now being incorporated in designs here,” he says.

This hot-water-on-demand system is also a prominent feature of his buildings. “It’s a very efficient system that doesn’t waste a lot of energy and is wall-hung and can fit into small spaces.”

“These buildings, because of their ‘green’ added value are good for resale, they tend to hold their worth,” he points out.

He does believe that a ‘green’ house isn’t just having dual-flush toilets or Low-E windows, it has to be the whole package. “We have to educate people that there are systems out in the market that can provide a really high level of energy efficiency and sustainable lifestyle, it may cost a little bit more at first but it’s guaranteed to pay for itself in the long run.” NL

FAST FACTS:
Builder: New Casa Company
Project: 323 11 Street N.W.
Size: 3,385 square-feet
Price: $1.84 million