Ready For Anything

BY NESSA PULLMAN | PHOTOS BY JODY BECK

At this country house, every detail is thoughtfully designed with safety and resilience in mind.

When Aven and Reed Poynter moved from the mainland to Vancouver Island, they were looking forward to being closer to their children. At the same time, they worried about some of the geographical risks that could come with living on an island — earthquakes, tsunamis, power outages, even possible food shortages — especially as Reed would also be navigating a visual impairment.

They wanted to build a home that would be disaster proof, but also sustainable and beautiful, a place where they could gather with family and immerse themselves in the peaceful nature of the Island.

Nature Inspired Home Design — Carrying the exterior gabion rock wall into the cladding of the interior creates a seamless transition between the two elements. In the dining room, a feature window framed in rock and oak looks out over a Japanese-inspired garden designed by Biophilia Design Collective.

They found the perfect lot in Saanich: an old farm nestled quietly in a Garry oak meadow and surrounded by wild pastures and rigid rock formations. Then they approached local firm Waymark Architecture to create a reliable home on this rugged piece of land.

What they ended up with was a self-sustaining, energy-efficient, accessible home with a post-disaster structural system and even a cold room for the canning the Poynters like to do each year. What they ended up with is a home that’s ready for anything.

Passive House Vancouver Island — The L-shaped floor plan was designed to make the layout easier for a visually impaired person to navigate. The kitchen is at the centre of the home, with the bedrooms off to one side, the living areas to the other and a large sunny deck in the crook of the L.

Nature At Home

“Looking at the top of the lot, there is this exquisitely tall oak tree that nestles next to a grouping of exposed rock,” says Will King, co-founder of Waymark Architecture. “This naturally became the crux which we designed the whole house around.”

Around that large oak tree, King and his team wrapped an L-shaped, Passive House-certified structure that includes a triple-paned window system facing south and west. “In the summer, the tree shades the house,” says King. “And in the winter it opens up and allows sunlight deep into the living spaces.”

As supporting the connection between indoors and outdoors was a huge focus for the homeowners, Waymark designed their home by using the framework of the Living Building Challenge, an international sustainable building certification program managed by the non-profit Living Future Institute. “Living Building aims to restore the relationship between people and nature by creating sustainable homes with a focus on natural materials,” says King.

Disaster Proof Homes Saanich — The Saanich home was designed to decrease reliance on mechanical systems. The solar panels on the roof allow for a surplus of energy production annually while the rainwater collection system ensures that the homeowners only use what they can generate themselves, which is a large part of the Living Building Challenge ethos.

Adding Accessibility

As the interior also had to accommodate the homeowners’ needs, especially Reed’s visual impairment, Waymark brought in local designer Carly Sanderson, of Carly Sanderson Interiors. She worked closely with the Poynters to create a space that was functional while still reflecting the surrounding natural elements.

Curved Kitchen Design — The kitchen was thoughtfully designed to accommodate the homeowners’ needs. The slatted wood panelling was inspired by a photo of a 1950s oak kitchen, its rounded corners making it easier for a visually impaired person to navigate. The appliances, too, were chosen to accommodate a visual impairment, while stools hidden in the toe-kick can be popped out to enable the homeowners to reach the higher shelves more easily.

She quickly learned that Reed relies heavily on touch to get around. “The home was very angular, very sharp,” says Sanderson. “I wanted to make it soft for Reed to run his hands along while he finds his way around.”

Home Accessibility — The vaulted ceiling was designed to prevent flutter echoes and other unpleasant acoustic effects common in new homes. With 25-inch thick walls and no traditional heating systems, a natural byproduct of Passive Homes is quieter interior spaces and improved acoustical performance, which supports both homeowner Reed’s heightened hearing and his love of music.

Using a slatted oak panel, Sanderson designed the millwork in the kitchen with curved corners, then built a foot-controlled on/off switch under the sink to create easier access to the tap. “Every single item in the home was placed with intention,” says Sanderson. “Reed knew his routine; we just needed to build a space that would support it.”

As Reed’s hearing is exceptionally heightened, eliminating loud noises was also a priority, so King designed a cathedral-type vaulted ceiling in the living room to help dissipate reflected sound. And, because the Poynters plan to age in place, the entire one-level home was made with accessible features including a walk-in shower and step-free access to the outdoor areas.

That thoughtfulness was built in from the beginning: During their initial design, King and his team built a small-scale clay model of the home so that Reed could use his hands to understand the design plans .“We placed the kitchen at the centre of the home, with the living areas off to one side and the bedrooms the opposite so Reed always knew where to go,” says King.

Disaster Proof

Above all, this house is designed to withstand anything nature or circumstance throws at it.

Utilizing a net-positive power system typical of Passive Homes, Waymark installed photovoltaic solar panels on the roof; they produce enough energy to give back to the grid annually. That, along with a backup Tesla PowerWall battery in the garage, means this home could run independently for several days in the case of a power outage or geographical emergency.

Self-Sustaining Homes — In the surrounding gardens, a greenhouse and raised beds help the homeowners grow some of their own food supply. Native species were planted to repopulate the natural Garry oak meadow, while pollinator plants and shrubs provide space for birds and bees to gather. In addition to the anchor bolt hold-downs drilled into the bedrock below, metal straps were put on the roof to hold the entire structure tightly together in the case of an earthquake.

The Poynters also opted for a rainwater collection system rather than a traditional municipal water connection, so they can irrigate their home naturally.

And just in case the big one ever does hit, Waymark designed a unique post-structural disaster system with more than 1,000 anchor bolt hold-downs securing the home to the bedrock below.

“Though 100-per-cent earthquake proof is not achievable, this home is about 10 times more secure than an average building,” says King. “We often joke with the homeowners that they have built the zombie-apocalypse house.”