Nadely Crescent, Nanaimo, Spring/Summer 2014
The City of Nanaimo allows for the building of “Carriage Homes” or “Laneway Cottages” if the property is zoned for it or meets the requirements laid out by the City bylaws. In this instance the homeowner’s son and family had purchased a house in town with a parcel of property large enough to allow for the building of a carriage house in the back yard.
The building of this carriage home presented us with numerous unique challenges throughout the entire process. From access to the back yard, which was surrounded on all sides by other homes, to inherent drainage issues already present in the property, to height restrictions for the house our team was made to “think outside the box” to overcome all of these and many more.
This 960 square foot home is about as efficient as they come, with a passive solar design and placement on the lot by Greenplan Design; a high efficiency gas boiler to supply the in-floor heating system and domestic hot water; a solar-ready roof and mechanical room for the addition of photovoltaic solar panels at a later stage; and staggered stud wall framing allowing for higher performing insulation in the walls.
Small spaces need a bit more thought and planning to utilize the space; with a vaulted ceiling in the living room, a large kitchen and dining area, a central bathroom, two bedrooms, and a mechanical/storage room in the loft space of the attic, this house feels a lot bigger than its footprint suggests. Custom interior and exterior finishing top off the quality of the overall design and build.
“This project was our first time having a house built for us so there was a steep learning curve which Sean helped us through. We really feel we were in good hands with Sean. He took the plans we had worked out with our designer and, making a few practical suggestions, produced a quality house which we are proud to call our home. It is a “Carriage House” and fits in well on our son’s large residential lot. There were lots of challenges in the site’s location but Sean handled each with professionalism - always taking time to explain and never making us feel our questions or input were not important. A more easy-going and pleasant young fellow you are not likely to find. We are very happy in our new home.”
