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YOUR HOME YOUR WAY n THE BRANDON SUN n SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
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tance of amenities, or being able to bike or bus where necessary, will reduce your environmental footprint. As such, Choy mentions the homes in this new neighbourhood are entirely modular, so they can be picked up and moved if a homeowner needs to relocate or expand their living space. “You’re buying the home, not the property, which means you’re not respon- sible for the taxes,” Choy says. She adds that all homes in the com- munity are built within Manitoba, avoid- ing the shipping — and environmental — implications of transporting these homes from elsewhere. “It helps us feed the local economy,” Choy says, “in turn, reducing our envi- ronmental impact.” Making green choices, wherever you can make them, can help you make the most of your home for as long as you live in it. While there may not be a one-size- fits-all solution, there are certainly solu- tions out there to fit you and your budget.
at $153,000. This housing concept merg- es green features with small-home living, offering enhanced insulation, triple-pane windows, high-performance heating, cooling and ventilation, and LED light- ing to its buyers. Cindy Choy, a director for Glendale Homes and the chair of Sustainable Building Manitoba, says the idea for a pocket neighbourhood originated on the West Coast, though the COVID-19 pandemic proved how beneficial these tight-knit communities could be. “We’re all human and we need that connection,” Choy says, explaining that it can be hard to get that neighbourly feel in some communities. Pocket neighbourhoods are designed so you share common spaces, and there- fore interact more with your neighbours, while also enjoying the privacy and func- tionality of your own space. “A rule of thumb with green building is to only take up as much space as you need,” says Choy. Another, she says, is to ensure active transportation is an option, if it fits your own abilities. Living within walking dis-
It’s key to look at what an addition would mean for the heating and cooling of your home, too. Location can make all the difference, particularly when it comes to using — or avoiding — natural sun- light. “When you put a sunroom on a house, it does help keep the sun off that house area, which will keep that part cooler in the summer,” says Bourgeois, adding that the vertical-stacking windows his com- pany uses can help to increase airflow. “Obviously, when it’s 30 above outside, it’s going to be 30 above in the sunroom, too. But in the winter, depending on where you’re positioned, it could be mi- nus five or 10 outside and 20 above in the sunroom because of the solar effect.” If you’re looking to buy new, ener- gy-efficient features are typically built into today’s new homes — and they’re not necessarily going to cost you more, either. Brandon’s very first pocket neighbour- hood, built by Glendale Homes, is under- way, with energy efficient homes starting
Glendale Homes park owner Cindy Choy sits on the steps of a newly constructed single-bedroom home on Brandon’s North Hill.
(Photos by Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
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