Basic Viability
Does it have "good bones?"
When deciding between recommending a major renovation or building new, one of the first things we will assess is the structural integrity of the existing building. Those "good bones" people talk about are the supporting elements, like the foundation, floor framing, wall framing, posts, beams, and roof structure.
If everything is solid and there is little to no evidence of the building shifting and moving then keeping the existing structure is often what we will recommend. On the other hand if there are signs that some of the structural elements are starting to fail the answer gets more complicated. One of the good things about wood structures is how repairable they are. It is not uncommon for us to reinforce and repair wood structural elements in our projects. The foundation can be harder and more expensive to repair but it is still usually possible and we have often repaired cracks and supported sinking foundations.
It is rare for us to come across a home where the structural integrity has been compromised severely enough that necessitates demolition, but at a certain point the volume of structural repairs can get to a point where we start leaning towards recommending building new.
Cost, Efficiency, Sustainability
Embodied Carbon: Factoring in the past
One of the reasons that we tend to prefer renovating over building new is the environmental impact of putting a whole house in the dump and replacing it with all newly produced materials. The Embodied Energy/Carbon of a house, the energy that it took to extract, process, manufacture, transport, assemble, and maintain the various building materials in the house, can be divided by the number of years it has been in service to get a sense of the environmental impact of the structure as a whole. In other words the longer a building is in service, the lower its overall environmental impact will become. When building new and doing major renovations you are using a lot of energy and carbon both in the building process and from the creation of all the materials you are using. The more of the existing structure that we can save the lower our energy/carbon footprint will be. Now the other side of this is how long will the structure last. A new build might use more energy/carbon in the short term but if the building will stand longer than a renovated building it can make up for that high initial input.
Future Performance: a long-term analysis
In addition to embodied energy we also look at a building’s energy usage. On our projects we do what we can to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings but on renovations it can be challenging to address air sealing and insulation details that are hidden behind the existing structure. On new builds we are able to control more of the variables and will end up with less compromises when it comes to the performance of the house. We get amazing results with our whole home deep energy retrofits but our new builds edge them out slightly.
Considering affordability against energy efficiency
What the decision often comes down to in the end is cost. A new build is often more expensive than renovating an existing space. New foundations necessitate new water and sewer lines. There can be increased administrative costs with new builds: dealing with zoning, permits, bylaws and variances can add time and cost to projects. What is exceedingly clear is that whether you are building new or renovating, the goal is to result in as much energy efficiency as possible. When you look at the big picture and consider both the initial construction cost and the ownership costs (heating, cooling, maintenance etc), owning one of our high performance homes vs a code minimum house always favours the more energy efficient build both in terms of carbon footprint and long-term financial savings.
The right decision depends on your circumstance
Whether building new or renovating an existing building when the dust has settled and you are living in your new space we know that you will love it. Our renovations will make your space feel new again. We work hard to design and build spaces that work with how people actually live and whether it is a renovation or new build we would love to talk to you about your dream project.