If You Build It, They Will Come! Tour a Green Home at the Home Show Cover Story by Marissa Reaume
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APRIL 2009_final 3/29/09 12:19 PM Page 18 If You Build It, They Will Come! Tour a green home at the home show Cover Story By Marissa Reaume The men and women responsible for building the Green Home at the home show are pictured after a planning meeting. Front row from left: Rose Gneo, Marquis Fireplaces; Kyle Gregoire, LapicoGreen; Elise Clark, Meloche Windows; Bernie Gneo, Marquis Tile; Timothy O'Neill, O'Neill, Harrington Interiors and Vern Myslichuk, BetterMade Cabinets. Back row from left; Dave Cartier, APW Electronics; Michael Matte, Granite Design Works; Allan LaMarre, Bay-View Glass & Mirror Limited; Paul St. Pierre, Landscape Effects Group; Rod Mahler, Meloche Windows & Doors; Stuart Galloway, Galloway Show Productions and Kriston Gene, Tsunami Glassworks. Missing from photo: Eva Milinkovic, Tsunami Glassworks; Stephanie Harrington-O'Neill; Kathy Weidl, Details and Kurt Sutts of Veteran Plumbing. Carhartt overalls supplied by Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Tecumseh Mall. Photo by Rod Denis. On April 22, many countries around the space but also reduces damage to the “As an organization, Windsor Family world take part in environmentally friendly earth. While this innovative concept may Credit Union (wfcu.ca) is committed to activities in celebration of Earth Day. seem unreachable in the industrialized investigating and implementing ‘Green’ Although we can all make a difference by world, Windsorites need look no further initiatives,” explains Martin J. Komsa, turning off taps and dimming the lights to than the 27th Annual Windsor Home WFCU President & Chief Executive conserve the earth’s resources, did you know and Leisure Show (WHLS) for a chance Officer. “Features like the ‘Green Home’ that we can also use natural elements to our to tour a Green Home. The show at the Windsor Home and Leisure Show advantage while simultaneously contribut- operates from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, are the resources needed to assist in ing to a healthier planet starting with the April 24; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, demonstrating how businesses and homes in which we live? April 25 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday individuals can do their part.” Imagine an energy efficient home that April 26 at the Windsor Expo Centre. By making it possible for this home to not only promotes a comfortable living (Admission is $5 for those 16 years and appear at the show, WFCU is not only above, children are free to attend, more helping the environment, but also making details at windsorhomeshow.com). the world aware of Windsor’s drive to Produced by Galloway Show better the earth. Productions Inc. (GSP, “Never before, outside of a Toronto www.exposition.com) and sponsored by show, has there ever been a home built RE/MAX Preferred Realty for the third within a show,” explains Stuart Galloway straight year, the WHLS includes almost of Galloway Show Productions, the 200 companies to source out a plethora WHLS Producer and Manager. “This says of home related needs, from inside to a lot about the character of this area as outside, from products to services. many local company owners worked Making its official debut at the show is together to build this home, in what a Green Home presented by Windsor seemed like an impossible task at its Family Credit Union (WFCU). inception.” 20 BIZ X MAGAZINE • APRIL 2009 APRIL 2009_final 3/29/09 12:19 PM Page 19 e! The project is a Galloway reveals that w collaborative effort by in its finished form, the local businesses which three-storey Green takes four weeks to Home presented by build. The structure WFCU, will be 80% and exterior have been more energy efficient engineered by Lapico than a house built to Homes (a division of minimum code and LapicoGreen) and the 70% more efficient than interior designed by a home built to Energy O’Neill-Harrington. Star standards. The home will be “The Green Home finished inside and will be 30' high, 42' out by Meloche Martin J. Komsa, WFCU frontage with 20' side Windows & Doors, President & Chief Executive walls and 1,000 sq. ft. of BetterMade Officer is proud to sponsor the the home will be Cabinets, Marquis Green Home built in only completed finished,” says Tile, Marquis four weeks. Galloway. “The house will Fireplaces, Veteran more than likely be stored Plumbing, within the building after Landscape Effects Group, Bay-View Glass the show.” & Mirror, APW Electronics, Tsunami While the home’s interior and exterior Glassworks, Granite Design Works and will be amazing sights for visitors to see, Details. the Green Home has another outstanding “These reputable contractors are attention getter: Mike Holmes, putting the very best in energy efficient “Canada's Most Trusted Contractor” and products and design into the final Host of HGTV's “Holmes on Homes”, product,” explains Galloway. in person, chatting in the backyard. (See accompany- ing sidebar on page 28 for information on Holmes and what he discusses in two performances at the WHLS). “Such exciting star power from the renovation industry is a first for Windsor,” Galloway says. The Green Home Team The Green Home team was created when Elise Clark, President and Owner of Meloche Windows & Doors proposed her idea to create an energy efficient home at the WHLS to other Windsor companies. “We all agreed to come together and explore this idea further,” says Clark. As a result of her innovative idea, 13 Windsor companies, Mike Holmes, the Host/Creator of “Holmes On plus Galloway Show Homes” attends this year’s Windsor Home and Productions, joined in Leisure Show. The back of the Green Home is the collaboration to form stage for his seminars. Windsor’s Green Home Team. » BIZ X MAGAZINE • APRIL 2009 21 APRIL 2009_final 3/29/09 12:19 PM Page 20 APRIL 2009_final 3/29/09 12:19 PM Page 21 The Earth Friendly the timing to showcase Foundation our integrated design LapicoGreen (www.lapicogreen.com), philosophy in the home a division of Lapico Custom Homes and introduce Passive (LCH, www.lapicohomes.com) 2865 House technology to Normandy Street in LaSalle, gives the Essex County couldn’t Green Home its structure. have been better.” LCH, founded in 1969, builds Although the resource-responsible homes, focusing on environment can the entire building system to maximize benefit from Green energy and materials conservation choices, Lapico reveals without sacrificing lifestyle or design. that education is Local contractors are putting the very best in According to Kyle Gregoire, necessary for us to energy efficient products and design into the final LapicoGreen’s Engineer and Designer, the decide which choices three-storey Green Home. company is contributing to the Green are right for us. Home project by “building the house’s “Choosing to build responsibly, Gregoire feels that the Green Home façade, as well as demonstrating a integrating conservation technology, and project is a large step for Windsor in revolutionary construction technology, minimizing our need for fossil fuels is a learning to make Green choices. Passive House technology, that is 80 to necessity for modern home building, but “The Green Home Project is this area’s 90% more energy efficient than current it can also be intimidating for first opportunity to see what choices are construction. Additionally, we will customers,” admits Gregoire. “There are available locally and a great demonstration highlight some of the complementary a lot of Green washing and mixed of how we can merge science and esthetics systems we can incorporate into a Green messages in the market place. In fact, seamlessly,” he says. “I think people want Home, such as grey water recycling, some choices can even contradict one to make the best choices for our planet micro-wind generation, and solar thermal another on the surface, so having an and for our children’s world – and we at water heating.” educated builder that can help sort LapicoGreen want to be able to help them Just as the Green Home is a new and through all of the choices and then put make those decisions and make sure they innovative idea, LapicoGreen is as well. the puzzle pieces together into a make sense for their budget and for their Gregoire explains that “with the launch of beautiful, well-built home, is a big conscience.” LapicoGreen as a new division of LCH, advantage.” To learn even more about Green Homes » BIZ X MAGAZINE • APRIL 2009 23 APRIL 2009_final 3/29/09 12:19 PM Page 22 in general and the construction of Windows, OHI’s client of over 15 years, them, be sure to attend a presenta- invited them to participate. tion on Saturday April 25 at WHLS OHI is a perfect candidate for the when Gregoire discusses building a Green Home Team because it has been a Green Home and some of the humble proponent for L.E.E.D. products and systems available to (Leadership in Energy and Environmental incorporate. Gregoire will also use Design) for sometime now. the back of the Green Home as a “Energy savings for one’s home is not stage for his presentation. only good for the pocket book, it's good for the community and thus the planet,” The Green Interior reveals Stephanie and Timothy. “We O’Neill-Harrington Interiors believe in high design and low impact. (OHI, oneillharrington.com), Everyone involved in this task wanted to 12545 Riverside Dr. East in show their best at being ‘Green Friendly’.” Windsor, is in charge of the Green Details, 1475 Tecumseh Road East in Home’s interior design. In Windsor, adds the finishing touches to the business for 24 years, OHI is interior of Green Home.