Is there a place for a CABN on your property?

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New homes only use 20 per cent of energy consumed by a conventionally built home

The CMHC projects that Canada will need an additional 3.5 million homes by 2030 on top of what’s already being constructed.

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And whether you’re a builder or someone who has bought into a new development, our other reality is that new subdivisions take years to come to fruition.

And yet, time is of the essence.

Apart from our shortage of homes, other factors are coming into play affecting home ownership trends, including: cost of ownership – especially for first time buyers; the desire on the part of a growing number of Baby Boomers to downsize – with limited options to choose from; and the reality that prospective new home owners and an aging demographic looking for smaller homes could end up competing for the same property.

So a housing shortage, cost of ownership and market trends are collectively conspiring to make home ownership more challenging and difficult, giving rise to the need for more creative solutions.

One such solution, to borrow from the words of urbanist Brent Toderian, is “density done well,” which includes building more homes in existing neighbourhoods instead of continuing our costly obsession with urban sprawl.

Vancouver started down this path or perhaps more appropriately lane, a few years back when the city changed its bylaws to allow laneway housing to be built on the rear portion of a property that abuts a laneway. And in recent years, cities – including Toronto – have jumped on board with that trend as well.

That isn’t to say though you have to be on a laneway to consider building a second home. A growing number of cities and towns are now encouraging homeowners to build a second home on their existing property, or allow them to subdivide their property so that others can build on the same footprint.

One company ideally positioned to address this rising demand for homes in existing neighbourhoods is Ontario-based CABN, which showcased one of their models at the Azure Human Nature conference in Toronto.

CABN’s one to four-bedroom prefab models can be constructed in a fraction of the time of stick frame homes, which translates into much less disruption for neighbours and a faster move in date.

And while the company’s “model of modularity” isn’t in itself unique, the fact they’re highly energy efficient – built to net zero standards sets them apart.

Company founder Jackson Wyatt describes these differentiators as “the golden ratio of energy efficiency, cost per square foot and rapid construction.”

Borrowing from both passive house and LEED building standards, apart from using solar and heat pumps as an energy source, windows are selectively positioned in tandem with roof overhangs to significantly reduce heat from the sun during the summer months.

Additional features include high performance insulation and windows and airtight construction that significantly reduces outside draft, dust and noise.

Because these homes only use about 20 per cent of the energy of a conventionally built home, Wyatt says the company is even attracting interest from one northern First Nation community that produces five megawatts of its own energy. “Our models are so energy efficient, it means they can build five times as many homes on the same power grid,” he observes.

Cost of ownership is yet another factor as previously mentioned by Wyatt, with prices starting at $229,000 for a one-bedroom home. That of course doesn’t include the cost of land, servicing or taxes, but for instance, if you choose to build a unit in your backyard, the cost of land wouldn’t factor in and you could connect to existing servicing.

Currently about half of the company’s business is coming from a mix of Ontario builders and consumers and they are in the midst of kickstarting projects in Vancouver, Cape Breton, Maine and Vermont.

When asked why the demand is so far reaching, Wyatt says it often comes down to the fact that in the case of builders “they want to open up (business) in a region and showcase a new way of building.”

In California the state has enacted more stringent building codes for new construction, including mandatory solar and making these homes net zero ready. As well, they must be completed within a 12 month period. All factors that play into the hands of a company like CABN, whose models can be erected in a matter of days and completed in three to five weeks.

Whether in California or here in Canada, a big part of the solution to our housing crisis is to find a way to build quality homes quickly – homes that require less labour – especially in light of our longstanding labour shortage; homes that are energy efficient recognizing we all need to do our part to reduce our respective carbon footprints; and homes we can move into sooner, perhaps even in our own backyards.

Mark Wessel lives in Ridgeway, Ont. and is a passionate advocate for living more sustainably at home and in the greater community. Visit www.markdouglaswessel.com