THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA That goal paid off. In December, before the drywall went up, they held an open house to show people what was happening inside the walls. The response was immediate. “People would walk in and were genuinely surprised by how comfortable it felt,” Dennis recalls. “No drafts, a consistent temperature throughout the house. Really nice and quiet.” The home is now in the finishing stages – painters in, cabinets and flooring being installed – with Dennis expecting to move in this spring. Once complete, it will carry both Passive House and Net Zero certification. Earning both has required navigating some overlap between the two programs. Net Zero introduces additional requirements around indoor air quality, appliances, and ventilation systems that Passive House doesn’t address – and finding ventilation products certified by both bodies has proven challenging. But Dennis sees the dual designation as worthwhile, particularly because “net zero” is a term most people already understand, whereas “passive” is a term still gaining traction in Canada. Moving forward, Dennis’ goal is to do more unique and sustainable projects like that one, ideally for clients who are willing to take a longer-term outlook. He has no interest in cookie-cutter builds delivered for the lowest possible price. What draws him is the idea of a “legacy build” – a home constructed not for decades but for centuries. “Ideally, the future for Borren Builders is taking on more builds where clients are looking for something that will last,” he says. “I want to work
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