Challenge
Nestled in the side of a mountain in beautiful Whistler, BC, Flag Haus is a spectacular high-end custom home designed by internationally renowned Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan and Evoke International Design in Vancouver.
The home’s sleek, iconic design perfectly complements its pristine natural surroundings. Yet, bringing the Flag Haus vision to life involved some of the most complex mechanical HVAC design challenges found in residential construction.
Some of these challenges included:
- An upper floor consisting of 5,000 square feet of living space entirely walled with glass and a flat roof
- An underground tunnel to subterranean parking
- A glass wine tasting room as the centerpiece of a large mechanical room surrounded by functioning equipment
- Multiple air and radiant zones with no visible grilles or registers
- Indoor pool and dehumidification
- 12,000 feet of snowmelt
- Geothermal as the primary energy source
- And integrated systems controls
Client:
Linden Construction
Location:
Whistler, BC
Building Type:
Large Custom Home
Building Size:
16,000 sq. ft. (3 floors)
Approach
Using home performance design principles, Ecolighten Energy Solutions applied 75 years of mechanical design, energy consulting and green home certification experience to ensure Flag Haus would be a highly energy-efficient home that provided the ultimate in heating and cooling comfort, without compromising its sophisticated design.
There are no playbooks for a project of this nature. To succeed, Ecolighten reached beyond standard practices into uncharted engineering with the help and support of highly skilled professionals and trades associated with this project. The end result was truly magnificent.
As an experienced builder in residential construction, I’ve seen the challenges that can arise in constructing new custom homes. It is great knowing there is a service like Home Performance Design from Ecolighten to support the coordination of HVAC sub-trades and proper integration of mechanical solutions into our residential projects.
Linden Construction
Results
- Room-by-room load calculations (CSA F280-12 code compliant)
- Extensive planning and consultation with all stakeholders
- Design for ground source geothermal, forced air, radiant, plumbing & gas, snowmelt, indoor pool, heat recovery and various specialty ventilation systems
- Detailed engineering drawings with all component specifications & schedules, scope of work and best practices language
- Quality assurance including visual inspections and performance testing