Our Sustainability Approach | Jade Quintavorn Architecture

My Philosophy (Without the Fluff)

I got into this field because I couldn't stand seeing beautiful homes that were basically energy sieves. There's this weird disconnect where people spend hundreds of thousands on a house but then bleed money on heating bills because nobody thought about orientation or insulation properly.

Every building I design has to pass what I call the "grandmother test" - would I be comfortable having my grandmother live there knowing she's on a fixed income? If the utility bills would stress her out, I haven't done my job right.

Real Talk

Sustainable design doesn't mean you live in a dark box eating lentils (though I do love a good lentil curry). It means your home works smarter, costs less to run, and yeah - it's gentler on the planet. Win-win-win.

What We're Certified In

Certifications aren't everything, but they do show we're not just making stuff up. Here's what we've got hanging on the wall:

LEED Accredited Professional

Been LEED certified since 2015. We've completed 12 LEED Gold projects and 3 Platinum ones. The Platinum ones were intense but totally worth it.

Passive House Designer

This one's my favorite. Passive House standards are seriously strict - like, German-engineering-level strict. But when a client sees their first winter heating bill? Chef's kiss.

Built Green Canada

Regional certification that makes sense for BC projects. They get our climate and local materials, which matters more than people think.

Living Building Challenge

Only attempted this twice - it's basically the Olympics of green building. One project got certified, the other came close. No regrets either way.

The Numbers That Actually Matter

I'm not big on bragging, but numbers don't lie. Here's what our projects have achieved on average compared to standard builds in the Vancouver area:

68%

Energy Reduction

vs. baseline code builds

82%

Water Savings

through smart fixtures & rainwater

45%

Local Materials

sourced within 500km

92%

Construction Waste Diverted

from landfills

Carbon Impact

Here's something wild - residential buildings account for about 17% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. That's massive. So every house we design that cuts energy use by 60-70%? That's making a real dent.

Over the past 5 years, our completed projects have collectively avoided approximately 340 tonnes of CO2 emissions. That's like taking 73 cars off the road permanently. Not bad for a small studio in Vancouver.

How We Actually Build Sustainable

Site & Orientation

This is free energy, folks. I spend hours analyzing sun paths, prevailing winds, and topography before I even sketch a floor plan. A properly oriented home can cut your heating and cooling needs by 30% without spending an extra dime. Yet I see new builds all the time that completely ignore this. Drives me nuts.

Envelope Performance

Super-insulated walls, triple-pane windows, airtight construction. Sounds boring but it's literally the foundation of everything else. You can't solar-panel your way out of a leaky building envelope - trust me, people try.

Mechanical Systems

Heat pumps, HRVs, radiant floors - the tech's gotten so good in recent years. A well-designed heat pump system can be 300% efficient. That's not a typo. It's basically magic (thermodynamics, but close enough).

Material Selection

I've got relationships with local mills and suppliers who get it. FSC-certified wood, low-VOC everything, recycled content where it makes sense. Plus, BC has incredible timber - why would I spec something shipped from overseas?

Water Management

Rainwater collection, greywater systems, drought-tolerant landscaping. Vancouver gets tons of rain - we should be using it. I've got clients who barely touch municipal water from May through October.

What About the Cost?

Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. Yes, building sustainably usually costs more upfront. I won't lie to you about that. On average, we're talking about 8-15% more than conventional construction.

The Investment

Better insulation, high-performance windows, efficient systems - these cost more. No way around it. But here's what most people don't calculate...

The Payback

Most of our clients hit break-even around year 7-9 through energy savings alone. Then it's pure profit for the next 50+ years. Plus, resale values? These homes sell fast and high.

I had a client in West Van who was skeptical about the extra 45k for Passive House upgrades. Her first-year energy bills were $840. Her neighbor in a similar-sized conventional home? Over $3,200. She sent me a very nice bottle of wine.

Common Questions I Get

Only if you want it to! I've designed everything from ultra-modern to traditional craftsman style - all with top-tier sustainability features. Good design is good design. The solar panels might give it away, but otherwise, your neighbors won't know you're living in the future.

Absolutely, and I love these projects. Sometimes retrofits are even more satisfying than new builds because you're saving embodied energy. We can't always hit Passive House levels with retrofits, but we've gotten some older homes to 50-60% energy reduction. That's still huge.

Nope! I'm big on phased approaches when budget's tight. We design with the end goal in mind but implement in stages. Maybe you start with envelope and mechanical, add solar in year two, do the greywater system later. It's your home, your timeline.

Hey, I'll take it! Your motivation is your business. The cool thing is that the same strategies that reduce environmental impact also slash your operating costs. It's the rare situation where doing good and doing well for yourself are the exact same thing.

The Bottom Line

I've been doing this long enough to know that sustainability isn't a trend or a luxury add-on anymore - it's just smart building. Whether you care about climate change or just about not wasting money on utility bills, the answer's the same: build it right from the start.

I'm not perfect, and neither are my designs. But every project gets better than the last because I'm always learning, always pushing to do more with less. That's the gig.

If you're thinking about building or renovating and want to have an honest conversation about what's possible, realistic, and worth it - let's talk. No sales pitch, I promise.

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