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“Everything is in the core,” Farley says. “It’s an efficient way to organize space and functions.

Remo and Emi started with a feeling—calm, cozy, and simple—and went from there, outfitting the space with white limewash paint, maple plywood built-ins, and green textiles and tile.

The finishes truly enhance the house’s original architecture… almost as if it was always like this.

“We knew we wanted to keep the original floor plan, arched openings, open staircase, fireplaces, a lot of natural light and large outdoor areas,” says Kate.

“We would plan out and sketch each project and have our kids contribute their ideas. It’s been a really fun, creative, collaborative thing we have done as a family and a lot of hard work,” says Kate.

Though Kate and Chad hired contractors for larger projects like tiling the main floor or building cabinetry, the couple did much of the construction and project management themselves… and even pulled the boys into the process, too.

The main sustainability feature of the home is is its small size, which has a fraction of the embodied energy and utilises far less energy for heating and cooling than the average home. "When it comes to sustainability, size is often overlooked in favour of increased insulation, efficient appliances or solar panels,

Ten minutes from British Columbia’s prized Whistler and Blackcomb ski areas, this house is located on a small lot atop a hill. Embracing a vertical layout, the upper level is where the open living area, complete with sectional, wood-burning stove, marble island, and spacious dining table, is found. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the forest views are especially heady.

This innovative residential addition by Best Practice Architecture was built to give an aging family member a safe, well-designed, and private dwelling. In addition to meeting the immediate needs of the family, the space also needed to accommodate future use as a rental unit, studio, or office. Converting an existing garage was the perfect solution. Carefully placed windows and skylights provide lots of daylight, while exposed rafters create a loft-like atmosphere. A short walk through the entryway reveals the bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room. A lofted space above the bathroom can be used as storage, an office, or sleeping quarters. It also opens to a private back deck. All of these details come together to create an inviting, open-concept accommodation, making the relatively small footprint of this granny pad feel much larger than it really is.