Their latest masterpiece in the inner-city community of Elboya is as environmentally conscious as they come, and also completely dispels the myth that “green” homes must look modern or austere, says McKinley Masters’ Nicole Henson.

This 4,993-square-foot luxury custom home scores an impressive 92 in the EnerGuide Rating, which is something she says they are “very proud of.” Not only that, the custom home builder still managed to make the two-storey home with completely developed basement look like a knockout, with lots of “wow” moments and dramatic effect.

“We believe there is an ever-growing market for custom ‘green’ properties, but there is a steep learning curve for people building these homes. With such a wide range of products and processes available, most people want to do a lot of research before starting construction,” Henson says. But as their Elboya “green” home expertly shows, McKinley Masters is more than up to the task of whatever requests their clients throw at them.

This inner city infill is entirely built to meet sustainability targets set by the owners, which was a little challenging considering that it is comprised of a 1,736-square-foot main floor, 1,832-square-foot upper storey, and a 1,429-square-foot basement, plus a 572-square-foot detached garage.

From the outside, it is presented as a traditional architectural style two storey home with acrylic stucco, featuring some decidedly upscale aesthetic touches including “Calgary” sandstone, local brick and a custom solid maple front door.

But the “green” design of the home is its true soul, which — to name just a few — includes EFIS stucco system that adds an extra R7 to insulation, ‘Propink’ blow-in insulation in all exterior walls (Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified), a complete geothermal heating and cooling system, solar panels on the roof to heat the home’s water, and a Power Save Unit that reduces the amount of power drawn from the utility by storing electricity otherwise lost from the home’s mechanicals.

Especially cool is a wine room that is cooled by a closed-loop re-circulating system; heat is captured from the room and re-circulated into the main system. “No chiller unit required,” Henson points out.

Not to be overlooked is the fabulous aesthetics of the home itself. “This in-fill home was designed to look and feel like a traditional family home in an established neighbourhood, but incorporates advanced energy saving technology,” Henson adds.

“The layout maximizes all interior living space and carefully positioned large windows take advantage of abundant natural light and the open design suits the busy family’s lifestyle, incorporating luxury finishes in a comfortable casual style.”

Amenities such as an in-home gym/exercise room, family room with multimedia entertainment system and nanny suite reduce the homeowner’s need to commute for leisure and childcare. South facing windows in the great room with access to the south exposure backyard and patio areas make for an enjoyable living space year-round, skylights and oversized windows give the interior plenty of natural lighting to lessen the use of light bulbs.

But what really sets McKinley Masters apart is a dedication to personalized customer service. “Our fantastic in-house design team, our relationships with the best trades in Calgary (many have been with us since the beginning and only work on our homes; they are true artists and craftsmen who do not get enough credit for their work), our ability to create true custom homes (we never build the same house twice), innovation in processes (we will seek-out new technology and products to suit a customer’s need or request), and of course our commitment to our customers! All these makes us a true custom home builder,” Henson says.  NL

FAST FACTS:
BUILDER: McKinley Masters Custom Homes 
AREA: Elboya
STYLE: Two-storey luxury custom home
SIZE: 4,993 sq. ft.

For more information, visit http://www.mckinleymasters.com