The much-anticipated on Arrow Road has neared the completion of the framing stage.

Designed by Number Ten Architecture to Built Green standards, the three-storey, 84-unit building is a first for local builders Citt脿 Construction. Citt脿 has built hundreds of single-family residential homes to Built Green standards but nothing to this size, said vice-president Mike Dalton.

B次元官网网址淭he economy of scale makes Built Green for this size of project even better,B次元官网网址� Dalton said. B次元官网网址淭here are a few more boxes you can tick, and a few more options, but mostly itB次元官网网址檚 just doing the same things on a bigger scale.B次元官网网址�

Rezoning for the $10 million was approved in early 2017.

When Dalton explains what makes the building a Built Green building, itB次元官网网址檚 all about high B次元官网网址淩B次元官网网址� values. The higher the R value, the better the product insulates and minimizes heat transfer.

The double-pane windows have composite material spacers that are slow to change temperature. Walls are well sealed with higher R value insulation. ItB次元官网网址檚 about using durable products with minimal toxins, such as water-based paint, lacquers and floor adhesives, low-energy LED lighting, low-flow taps, showers and toilets, all of which cost more up front, but set up a cost recapture later.

B次元官网网址淗eating and hot water are going to translate into higher costs, recovering heat and hot water over the long term just makes sense,B次元官网网址� Dalton said.

Progress is audited by a certified inspector that visits throughout the construction period and then again for a series of tests at the end. TheyB次元官网网址檒l check the work and check receipts to ensure proper grade materials are used.

B次元官网网址淸At completion the auditor] does a blower door test to calculate the air leakage, measure how well sealed the building is, and they can do a rating of air change per hour,B次元官网网址� Dalton said.

Bill Patterson founded Citt脿 Construction in 1985 and itB次元官网网址檚 been focused on sustainable building since the 1990s, starting with a specific pair of projects. One was a straw bale, solar-assisted house. The other reused timber rescued from a hangar that blew down in a storm.

B次元官网网址淭hese projects really kick-started our thinking,B次元官网网址� Dalton said. B次元官网网址淔rom there, we got the bug B次元官网网址� we wanted to challenge the status quo. [Patterson] gave us the time we needed to consider our material usage, to learn about new methodologies, to better understand the impacts our builds have on natural resources, to augment current processes and procedures into our operation, and to nurture and cultivate a culture that integrates and rewards sustainable approaches across the company.B次元官网网址�

Citt脿 has been recognized numerous times by the Hallmark Society for its heritage work and design in Old Town Victoria and

- This story has been amended from its original version.