High-Performance Construction Services

At Blue Water Concepts, we’re passionate about building custom homes that are beautiful, functional, and energy-efficient. Whether you’re interested in building a brand new Certified Passive House or simply want to make sure that your dream home is built using environmentally sound and sustainable practices, our licensed team of design and construction experts will work collaboratively with you to bring your vision to life.

Between rising energy costs and the effects of climate change, we believe that energy-efficient construction is more than just a responsible practice: it’s a valuable step toward creating a better future for all of us. With this in mind, we specialize in Passive House, Net Zero and Net Zero Ready homes. These homes are designed and constructed to work harmoniously with the environment, making them incredibly energy efficient. The result is a home with a reduced ecological footprint and lower energy bills overall. These are also designed and built in a way that lets you know you are getting a top-quality product.

Our Energy-Efficient Construction Services

IN-HOUSE DESIGN

As a true design-and-build company, we’re proud to offer our clients professional design services as part of their home construction projects. Our professional designers will meet with you to learn more about your dream home before translating your vision into the floor plans and architectural drawings that our construction team will use to build your new home. By offering both design and construction services under one roof, we work to provide a seamless process for our clients every step of the way. We also love to work with outside design teams, so if you have an Architect or designer already, we can always play a supporting role when it comes to energy-efficient construction details and ensuring the design will match your budget.

PERMITTING

Our knowledgeable and professional team will take care of the permitting process for your construction project, saving you time and stress. We work with the required professionals and building departments to make sure every project meets local bylaws and B.C. Building Code specifications.

CERTIFIED PASSIVE HOUSE BUILDING

In order to meet this level of certification, the building must meet stringent standards for insulation and air tightness, as well as the use of a highly efficient heat recovery ventilator to reduce the energy needs of the building. Passive Houses are incredibly resilient, comfortable, and healthy and can reduce your energy bills by up to 90% compared to a conventional “code-built” home. With many Certified Passive House Tradespersons and a Certified Passive House Consultant on our team, Blue Water Concepts has the expertise to bring your Passive House project to life.

NET ZERO OR NET ZERO READY HOMES

A Net Zero home is a home designed and built to produce as much or more energy than it requires to operate. This is done by designing a home that is incredibly energy efficient, which results in very low operational costs. A “Net Zero Ready” home is a home designed and built to the same standard but without the “energy production” aspect included. A Net Zero home will have some form of energy production built into it. This is more often than not solar panels but can sometimes include wind harnessing or even hydro generation. Our team is Net Zero certified, so if you’re interested in this, our design and build team can guide you through it.

Areas We Offer Our Energy-Efficient Construction Services

Our professional and licensed team provides energy-efficient construction services in West Vancouver and throughout the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, including:

West Vancouver
Lions Bay
Furry Creek
Britannia Beach
Squamish
Whistler

Our Energy Efficient Construction Projects

CLARK ROAD PASSIVE HOUSE

Clark Rd Passive house was designed and built by our in-house design and construction team. This was Squamish’s first certified single-family Passive House project, something we are very proud of. We started this build in late 2019 and completed it at the end of 2020. Even with the challenges that came from navigating COVID, this project was delivered on time and on budget. The building is a beautiful mix of Coastal Alpine and Scandinavian style architecture and is built at the base of Mt. Lapworth, just off the Squamish River. The total heating and cooling bill for this building is $145/year. It really is an incredible single family home.

FABER ROAD PASSIVE HOUSE

Our Faber Rd Passive House was completed in the summer of 2023 (more details coming soon). This house was designed by our in-house design team and built by our team of certified tradespeople. The estimated cost for heating and cooling this house for a calendar year is $225. During the design process, we kept all five Passive House principles in mind to ensure it would meet the world’s most stringent building certification.

COTTON BAY, GAMBIER ISLAND
Net Zero Build

Our Cotton Bay Net Zero project, completed in late 2023, is a high-performance family cabin retreat located right on the ocean, facing Gibsons. Designed and built by our in-house team, the cabin produces as much energy as it consumes annually. Every element of the home was crafted for durability, ease of maintenance, and off-grid readiness, perfect for relaxed weekend escapes. The design meets BC Step Code 5 and reflects our client’s vision for a sustainable, comfortable, and beautiful coastal retreat for their young family.

Our Projects

Why Our Clients Trust Us

We are very happy with the process and end result of our Passive House build with Blue Water. From the initial design stages through to completion, the entire team was very professional. We feel our house was built with care and attention to detail, which gave us confidence during the daunting journey of building a house. Our project manager insulated us from much of the day-to-day stress of building, but always kept us in the loop and helped us make the best decisions for our budget and desires. The crew felt like family by the end, adding a positive energy to the finished home. Blue Water also has good processes in place (budget reviews, Gant charts, etc), so we always knew what was happening on site and any possible issues were flagged early. We share their passion for building energy-efficient homes for the future, and it was a great match.

Warwick Patterson

We worked with BWC to design a stunning ‘laneway home’ that showcased how unique one can be. This home was designed with the intention of being our forever home, which meant we could get creative with the design, but also build an energy efficient home. From the design phase, through to construction, and onto finishing, the BWC crew were an absolute joy to partner with. I have never seen such efficient project management and high attention to building and finishing detail.

It’s obvious that BWC has a great and healthy workplace culture; the crew always seemed to have so much fun on-site, which translated into care, attention, and a well-built home. I loved seeing how proud they were of the work completed.

Sarah Carriere

Energy Efficient Construction FAQs

What are common features of energy-efficient houses?

Energy-efficient houses contain features designed to minimize energy use and/or reduce energy waste. Some common features of energy-efficient buildings include:

Airtight construction
High-performance windows and doors (triple pane)
Super insulated walls, floors and ceilings
Thermal bridge free construction
Simple overall form/shape
Energy-efficient appliances and fixtures
Use of a heat recovery ventilator (HRV)

Is it expensive to build an energy-efficient house?

Typically speaking, the upfront costs of building an energy-efficient home tend to be higher than building a code minimum home, only because the level of planning and modeling is considerably more. When designing a high-performance or energy-efficient home, the level of detailing required to ensure the building will perform the way it is meant to and that the team building it will deliver it as designed is considerably higher. The materials used are not typically that different in cost, with the exception of extra insulation and a much better window and door package than what you would normally see. If you choose to work with an experienced team, they can help bring the overall “premium” down to a point where the investment will result in cost savings over the long run. You have to keep in mind the long-term financial benefits, like lower operation costs, lower energy bills, lower maintenance costs, tax breaks, and improved overall health of the occupants living in the home.

Why Choose Blue Water Concepts

At Blue Water Concepts, we’re not your typical construction company: we’ve built a full-service team of licensed and experienced professionals, making us an all-in-one solution for your home construction needs. By taking care of every step from design to construction, we’re able to ensure quality and consistency throughout every stage of your project. We’ll work closely with you to establish your vision and offer our expertise and innovative thinking to build a home that is beautiful, functional, and energy-efficient. Our team will put together realistic project costing right from the beginning, and our professional project managers will ensure your project is delivered on time and on budget with as little stress as possible. We have a robust in house team of skilled carpenters who self-perform much of our work, which allows us to control the quality and schedule much more than most companies can.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is high-performance construction?

High-performance construction focuses on improving energy efficiency, indoor comfort, durability, and long-term building performance through advanced construction methods and materials.

What features are commonly included in energy-efficient homes?

Common features include airtight construction, high-performance windows and doors, enhanced insulation, heat recovery ventilation systems (HRVs), and energy-efficient mechanical systems and appliances.

What is the difference between Passive House and Net Zero homes?

Passive House construction focuses on reducing energy demand through insulation, airtightness, and ventilation performance. Net Zero homes are designed to produce as much energy as they consume annually through energy-efficient construction and renewable energy systems.

Are energy-efficient homes more expensive to build?

High-performance homes can involve higher upfront planning and construction costs due to additional detailing, modeling, insulation, and upgraded systems. However, these homes are designed to reduce long-term operating and energy costs.

Can you work with outside architects or designers on high-performance projects?

Yes. We regularly collaborate with outside architects and design teams to help integrate energy-efficient construction details and ensure the project aligns with both performance goals and budget expectations.

What areas do you provide high-performance construction services in?

We provide high-performance and energy-efficient construction services throughout the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, including Whistler, Squamish, West Vancouver, Lions Bay, Britannia Beach, and surrounding communities.