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Winner of BC Canadian Home Builders’ Association CARE Awards Has Personal Values Embedded Firmly Into Rammed Earth Home
October 14, 2009
Building a custom home offers homeowners endless opportunities for creativity through design, materials, colours, landscaping and so much more. Some builders work with tried and tested blue prints that fit into specific sites and archetypal lifestyles. Following trends, they may experiment with green design or a token feature-du-jour from the homebuilding industry. What can be missing from an integrated design process are the homeowner’s personal values and how this can shape and become the foundation for a dream home.
Meror Krayenhoff has been building homes based on environmental and personal values for over three decades. As the inventor, developer, and patent creator of SIREWALL and President of Terra Firma Builders, Meror has won numerous awards with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. Most recently, his team was awarded one Gold and five Silver CARE Awards recognizing a SIREWALL lakeside home designed and built on Salt Spring Island.
Since 1992, Meror has consciously chosen to build only with Stabilized, Insulated Rammed Earth, SIREWALL, even though he had used many other green building approaches over many years. Stabilized insulated rammed earth, homes and buildings have durable, healthy, energy efficient walls with timeless beauty and appeal. SIREWALL is typically 18″ to 24″ thick, stabilized with rebar and has 4″ of rigid insulation hidden in the centre of the wall.
SIREWALL licensed builders work with each home owner early in the design process to carefully assess their personal values prior to breaking ground. The Griersons, homeowners who are both foodies and music lovers, were able to seamlessly integrate their personal passions with the many environmental benefits of SIREWALL in their lakeside home design.
Krayenhoff explains: “Prioritizing their personal hierarchy of values resulted in the unique design of the Grand Room which encompasses an open-concept designer kitchen, textured rammed earth walls and high ceilings. This inviting living space allows for easy entertaining and beautiful musical acoustics for their grand piano.”
Some of the award-winning home’s other noteworthy features:
Designed for a steep narrow site, the home’s sawtooth shape responded to the space available, optimizing south lake views and creating a (north) light-filled garden. The lakeside rammed earth wall gathers afternoon’s heat energy and radiates heat into the home after sunset. Locally-sourced earth and reusable forms reduce construction footprint and waste. The metal roof ensures no toxic run off into their water source or surrounding landscape. Large windows, bedroom balcony and ground-level terraces open up lake views and let natural light pour in. Recycled Vancouver Island timbers frame high ceilings and create a lofty, open common area that includes the kitchen, entertaining and living space. Musical acoustics from the grand piano are optimized through textured rammed earth with a 600-micron finish. In the ensuite, relaxing is a must in the steam bath. Rammed earth walls keep these private areas quiet. Enhancing the Chef’s kitchen are lake views, clear sight lines of the entrance, living areas and garden (where she sources fresh herbs and veggies). The radiant floor heating is combined with over 100 tons of thermal mass from insulated (R33) rammed earth. This creates a very large ‘hot water bottle effect’ or a blanket of coziness throughout the home. Controlling humidity within a few percentage points is achieved through the humidity flywheel effect of rammed earth. Finishing with soy oil wood treatments, double low E-Argon windows & doors are intentional environmental choices.
Until recently, Meror thought he would retire building SIREWALL homes on Salt Spring Island. With awareness on environmental issues and demand for building alternatives on the rise, Meror foresees that SIREWALL has potential to become a global standard for healthy, efficient homes and buildings. He is working with architects around the world and expanding with Licensees who share his vision and values-based approach to design. With its ecological and health benefits, combined with beauty and durability, SIREWALLS are ideal for commercial buildings and residential homes that will create a lasting legacy.
Terra Firma Builders would like to thank several Salt Spring Island companies and trades who contributed to this project including: Greg Slakov; Engineer, Salt Spring Home Design Centre, Gulf Island Glass, Windsor Plywood, Slegg Construction Materials, Big Bear Services, Rick Andrews Excavation, Diggin ‘it Excavating, Dawes Excavating, Smitty’s Excavating, Gulf Coast Materials, FXR Systems, Chris Coates Electrical, Outer Limits Sheet Metal, Stream Line Plumbing, Salt Spring Interiors Druwall, Gulf Islands Aluminum, Dar’s Digging, Ian Marcotte, Charle White, The Rental Stop and The Final Touch.
For photos and additional information, please contact:
Diana Mulvey, Tel: 604-340-1847 www.sirewall.com