Perhaps we can distill motivation into two emotions: love and fear. For John and Laurie Bullard, both are true. Love of their grandchildren, and fear of what kind of world they will inherit, turned the couple into pioneers.

 

The Bullards are lovely people: articulate, interesting, and generous with their time. John’s career in ocean research and municipal politics in New Bedford, Mass., led him to Lunenburg a few years ago to help brainstorm on a revitalized waterfront. Of course, they fell in love with the area.

 

Like countless others, they had expected to retire to Florida. But their understanding of climate change (John is an Al Gore presenter) led them to look north. “We don’t have to go south,” says John. “That’s the wrong direction. South will be here.”

 

Now the Bullards have built the first LEED Platinum house in Atlantic Canada. LEED (Leading Energy and Environmental Design) is a building rating system. It verifies that homes are designed and built to be energy and water efficient and environmentally sound. When a house is certified LEED, it is a healthier place to live.

 

“We wanted to see how ‘green’ we could build,” says John. “Solterre Design’s Jennifer Corson and her team guided us through the process. We have a home that, from a design standpoint, fits us perfectly. We love every minute here. We hope the first LEED Platinum-certified home can be an example for others who want to reduce carbon emissions while enjoying a first rate living environment.”

 

This house isn’t what you might expect. It isn’t a yurt; it isn’t built of straw bales. It is beautifully appointed, full of light, warm, and cozy. The orientation on the wooded lot makes you feel as though you are in a tree house surrounded by leaves, yet the house has a traditional look and feel.

 

The five-bedroom passive solar-designproject features low-e argon windows, high-efficiency lighting fixtures and appliances, LED bulbs, and Icynene insulation. Other energy-efficiency upgrades include a geothermal heat pump, a heat-recovery ventilator, and a revamped plumbing design. Photovoltaic panels on the roof of an outbuilding supply 20% of all needed electricity. Rainwater collected and stored in a cistern and high-efficiency plumbing fixtures account for a 33% reduction in water use.

 

"John and Laurie had such conviction on building green from our very first meeting,” says Corson, the architect and co-owner of Solterre Design in Halifax. “We agreed that LEED for Homes was the program to use, and that Platinum would be the goal. They both also had great vision in choosing their house site—a solar setting in the woods, with views of the water. John and Laurie, their conviction, and their site made the design process truly enjoyable.”

 

Salvaged oak timbers, doors, and hardware were used in the structure. Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint and Forest Stewardship Council-certified sustainably harvested framing and finish wood products are used throughout the house. Most of the framing and roofing materials were sourced within 800 kilometres of the home. And diligence during construction led to nearly 75% less waste going to the landfill.

 

“Most debris from traditional building sites ends up in landfills,” says John. “We need to understand that there is no ‘away.’ Our grandchildren will judge us by what we leave behind.”

 

The project was a learning experience for the entire team. Norman Whynot of Kinburn Property Company was the general contractor. Rosmarie Bradley and Greg Lohnes of Helping Nature Heal Inc. were the landscape architects. According to John, they did what their firm’s name implies: They helped nature heal the wounds of a construction site by putting in more than 1,000 local plants.

 

Corson believes society is entering a period of opportunity. “Some would think the green building industry would be affected like other industries in these tougher economic times,” she says. “If anything, Solterre is busier than we’ve been in 17 years of business. Clients are keen to be energy efficient and more independent of fossil fuels; they  understand that buying local is important and search out recycled and recyclable products. They also see how living in smaller spaces is more desirable than oversized homes in subdivisions. Half of our projects are renovations rather than new construction. It’s an exciting time to be in the green building field.”

 

As the green trend gains momentum, and consumers and businesses are motivated to change, there is opportunity to grow this industry. More people will follow the Bullards’ lead. The expertise of architects, contractors, product manufacturers, and landscapers will be in demand.

 

LEED for Homes is administered in this country through the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). The Atlantic chapter of the CaGBC is represented by a board consisting of architects, designers, corporations, builders, material suppliers, contractors, and research organizations. More information is available at www.cagbc.org.