Most people associate "cutting edge" with technological advances. At Adera's Green development, the term also relates to building and living integrity.

"We began three to five years ago getting involved with environmental 'green' programs." says Norm Couttie, vice-president of Adera. With the Adera-developed building on University of B.C.'s lands, the company entered into a program called the Residential Environmental Assessment Program (REAP).

"It's a pioneering program. However, it's only at the university."

Around this time, a new program called Built Green was starting up in Alberta.

"It came to B.C. and we were one of the first to use the guidelines. We are leaders in this area," says Couttie. The program, run by the Canadian Home Builders' Association, is a market-driven, voluntary initiative that has developed nicely "because public awareness is there," he says.

"We knew that if we called the development Green, we had to take on the challenge, too. Green is the first four-storey stacked building built in this program."

What that means to buyers is that things look much the same as non-green homes, but energy savings and thoughtfulness are part of every material, appliance and design element.

The development is situated between 20-acre Taylor Park and the 100-acre Byrne Creek Ravine Park and $100 per home for each of the first 100 homes purchased goes to improving and sustaining the habitat in the park's watershed. At the same time, in the interests of conserving water, rainwater at Green will be collected to assist in landscape irrigation.

The development itself, following the incline of the land, is in four buildings stepping up the hill. The actual front of it opens onto a public walkway, says Couttie, "thus the entrance lobby on that side will be quite modest. However the entrance at the rear to the parkade is like a small street and is designed as such with street lamps and hanging baskets. The parkade entrance opens onto a much more luxurious lobby. It is also the access to the amenities complex of an entertainment room with large balconies for receptions, fitness studio, Pilates and yoga room, infra-red saunas, lounge and games room.

There are five floor plans, from one- bedroom and bath condos to three-bed, two-and-a-half bath townhouses.

Carpet is standard to all suites, and the green aspects start here.

"We use carpet made from recycled materials with low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions. This is our first time using it so we tested it on the stairs in a commercial building." It did just fine. Couttie says, "It's new and it's green."

Buyers can get an upgrade to a different carpet, tile, or hardwood. Laminate counters and cabinetry are standard in kitchen and bath, with upgrades to granite and other materials available.

In the kitchen, GE Energy Star appliances (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and range hood) are standard. An upgrade to stainless, larger appliances and a microwave is offered.

The exterior and interior, says Couttie, are West Coast contemporary. There are large balconies and some homes have very large roof decks (because of the way the building "steps" up the hill.)

"The whole theme is to bring the outdoors in and take the indoors out and this is reinforced by stone, planking, beams and similar building material." Each suite has a parking space; the larger suites have two. As well as in-suite storage, there's storage elsewhere in the building allocated to each unit.

Other "green" aspects include water-conserving plumbing fixtures, solar-powered domestic hot water pre-heat systems and low VOC-emitting wall paint.

Greenness extends to buying six new cars.

Adera has an arrangement with the Cooperative Auto Network (CAN) to buy six cars (two of them hybrid) for the building tenants to use. Each buyer is given a membership to CAN with access to its 200 vehicles, including the six parked at Green.

"It may mean that people do without cars completely, but it is more likely that belonging to CAN means they won't keep or buy the second vehicle."

Green's South Burnaby neighbourhood is vibrant and growing. It is very close to Edmonds SkyTrain Station, to new schools and daycare centres, and the partially completed retail complex at Byrne Road and Marine Way. The Riverway sports complex and golf course are also minutes away.

Source Canwest