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De Waal Developments’ innovation in energy efficiency has not gone
unnoticed or unrewarded. In 2017, the company’s inaugural Windsor
Park Net-Zero Home won three industry accolades: the Green Home
Award at the CHBA – Alberta Awards of Excellence in Housing; a
Technical Award from the Canada Green Building Council; and an
Award of Merit at the Builders Choice & Custom Home Design Awards.
“I think that recognition is pretty important,” Koen says. “We work
really hard, and being recognized for the extra mile that we go makes
it all the more worth it. And it makes it easier to get business in the
future.”
The award-winning project was Koen’s own home for him and his
family – the one that started him on his building journey in Canada.
His objective was to design and build a home for a young family
that would be “fun, comfortable to live in, aesthetically pleasing, and
produce all its own energy.” Early on in the process, he also integrated
a secondary suite into the design of the home, which would create
living space for renters. His conditions were that all energy efficiency
upgrades had to be simple, locally available, and installed by local
tradespeople.
BUSINESS WORLD MAGAZINE
Changing the game