Executive SummaryThe vivo Case Study House and Project Team are small and modest.  Visioning options with enthusiasm and tenacity in spirit, they both pivot on the constraints of reality.

The vivo Case Study House is an existing, fully detached, single-family dwelling. It is a single-storey home of 1000 square feet with one bedroom and one bathroom. The house was built in 1908 in the city of Victoria, BC in the neighbourhood of Fernwood adjacent to downtown.

The proposed project is a major remodel/renovation (gut/rebuild and addition), involving,

a) Deconstruction and rebuilding of a portion of the existing home,

b) Retrocommissioning of the existing building,

c) Construction of a new 2 storey addition off the rear of the building, and

            d) Installation of a green/living roof on the existing, single-storey building

The vivo Case Study Home will provide a unique perspective into the mainstream applicability of the LEED for Homes rating system, its likelihood of adoption by homeowners/builders across the nation and, its ultimate impact on the CaGBC’s goal of sustainable living and “Shifting into the Mainstream” [1].  The vivo Case Study Home will test the scalability of striving for LEED certification by a regular, albeit enthusiastic, homeowner remodeling an existing home.

Introduction to vivo

vivo, the Definition.      Latin stem [to live, be alive; to live well, enjoy life; to dwell]

vivo, the Acronym.       Vancouver Island Visioning Options

vivo, the Company.      A young, growth company, vivo was founded in 2006 with the vision statement of providing “Choices for Sustainable Living”.  vivo is currently a distributor of green building materials and products ranging from prefabricated structural building systems to rainwater storage solutions and recycling/composting centres.  vivo’s director, Allison Ashcroft is a LEED Accredited Professional providing consulting and compliance services for LEED registered projects and other sustainability initiatives on Vancouver Island.

Project Objectives

The vivo project team has a clear, singular vision.  Our project performance goal is not about point-chasing or achieving a silver, gold or platinum LEED rating, it is about striving for achievement of “Sustainability for the Household”. 

“Sustainability for the Home” is best achieved through the employment of innovative, green building techniques, executed within an integrated design approach framework, thereby resulting in a high performance, high quality, durable home.

Achieving “Sustainability for the Household” signifies attainment of “Sustainability for the Home” balanced within certain constraints.  “Sustainability for the Household” has been achieved when an enthusiastic household of regular means has:

a)       Access to the necessary green resources (appropriate financing options, skilled labour and professionals, essential materials and technology, and information to navigate the regulatory hurdles),

b)       Affordable choices and solutions for greening their home; customized to suit their budget/income levels and designed to prioritize (and/or phase) the project in order to achieve the maximum impact on the home’s performance, quality and durability.

c)       Attributable Value for the incremental cost (if any) of achieving sustainability for the home identified by a rise in the inherent value to the household, and recognized by an increase in the real estate value to the market.

In short, the vivo project team seeks to participate in the LEED for Homes Case Study Program in order to test today’s potential for attaining balance in “Sustainability for the Household” by assessing and reporting upon the Accessibility, Affordability and Attributable Value of a substantial green remodel on an existing home within the LEED rating system framework (v 2.0).