Property: SFU West House, 2009 Stainsbury Ave. If the residents of West House forget to turn the heat down when they leave in the morning, it isn't a big deal. They can turn it off using their smartphones or laptops, one of the perks that comes with living in a high-tech abode that doubles as a research lab.
The 610 square-foot building was unveiled at the Yaletown LiveCity site during the 2010 Olympics and has since been moved to its current location overlooking a community garden at the corner of Victoria Drive and Stainsbury Avenue. If the Jetsons owned a cottage in Kensington-Cedar Cottage, it might look a bit like this.
"The West House is a project looking at what we think is a sustainable home of the future," explains Lyn Bartram, an SFU professor who helped design the building with the City of Vancouver. "One of the things we believe really strongly is that a sustainable home is more than a green building, it's actually a living experience that helps people use fewer resources more effectively."
The idea is to provide easy-to-build laneyway homes that combine innovative design, renewable energy systems and interactive technology to support sustainable living. Constructed by Smallworks Studios and Laneway Housing using prefabricated modular panels, a West House can be up and ready in eight weeks. The prototype features a joint living, dining and kitchen area, bathroom, bedroom loft, balcony and a 226-sq.-ft. garage with electric carcharging outlet. Solar PV panels on the roof produce energy from the sun that an inverter located inside a closet converts into electricity. A computer interface allows residents to control energy and water use via embedded touch panels and adjustments can be made online at any time.
Photo Rebecca Blissett / West House was designed to use the least amount of resources as possible.;
