The Power Of Gathering

Story Amanda Moore  |  Photography Sandy MacKay

With its sprawling, scenic hills, access to recreational activities and proximity to the city, Mulmur checked all the right boxes for a Toronto couple searching for a more tranquil life in the country. 

The homeowners began their project with the hope of being great stewards of the environment – decreasing their carbon footprint and possibly utilizing geothermal and solar energy. With the guidance and building expertise of Garrison Creek Homes, their completed home goes well beyond their initial vision, as they’ve come close to erasing their carbon footprint entirely with this nearly 7,000 square foot off-grid living space. 

Two years after purchasing the property, the couple moved into their forever home with southwest-facing views over the scenic Mulmur hills. The concrete foundation was poured in January 2017, and construction took roughly one year. The owners opted for a prefabricated steel frame system which, along with triple-pane glass windows, created a tight envelope for the off-grid system to function optimally. Energy losses are kept to a minimum, which is extremely important when producing your own energy.

The decision to go off-grid was an easy one, after the homeowners learned the cost to bring utility services to the property would cost roughly $150,000. For $50,000 more, they could instead build their own energy system, which would pay for itself within a decade. The homeowner remembers, “We suddenly went from ‘Let’s be green’ to ‘Let’s be really green.’ ”

At the solar field, located out of sight of the home, 72 solar panels and 540 solar thermal tubes collect the sun’s energy to provide electrical and thermal energy to the home. During exceptional weather conditions, a system using propane and a generator provides backup energy.

The decision to build off-grid changed the dynamic of the design, as the homeowners now needed to consider blending new systems into the design of a beautiful, modern house without impacting their vision for the home.

“This was Garrison Creek’s first off-grid project, and it certainly presented unique challenges that we don’t encounter in more traditional builds,” says Christopher Hill, a Principal at Garrison Creek Homes. “Many custom homes are now incorporating sustainable elements, but true off-grid homes are still pretty rare, and generally associated with smaller builds. The circumstances of this project, such as location and the challenges of bringing utilities to the site allowed the team to work with the homeowners on off-grid solutions.”

Garrison Creek’s talented team typically tackles the majority of the construction. “In this case we brought a great team of professionals to support the design and construction,” says Christopher. “Planning is critical in complex projects and having contractors like GAB Electric to support the off-grid systems helped ensure the build went smoothly.” 

The pipes and tanks for the hydronic in-floor heating system are housed in a small mechanical room off the garage. A second mechanical room below the pool cabana houses a 4,200-litre water tank, where thermal energy is stored at high temperatures for domestic hot water and in-floor heating. The space also houses a bank of 48 lead-acid batteries to store electrical power, as well as the distribution and monitoring equipment that runs the home. 

After two years in the house, the homeowners have learned to balance their energy needs. “The home was designed with electrical loads that are a fraction of the average residence,” explains Christopher. “Tasks that are energy-intensive, like laundry, pool cleaning and charging the car, are done during daylight hours, leaving ample electrical energy for nights and cloudy days.”

Bright white walls throughout the home serve two purposes: to brighten the space, requiring less lighting, and to create a blank palette for the homeowners’ large art collection, which primarily consists of Canadian pieces.

In keeping with the clean sightlines of the modern build, they opted for no upper cabinets in the kitchen, with a large pantry and cupboards on both sides of the massive Caesarstone island (by Olympic Kitchens) providing storage space. The high-efficiency appliances in the kitchen and laundry room operate on a combination of electricity and propane.

Olympic designed the cabinetry in all five of the home’s bathrooms as well as some additional built-ins in the master bedroom, recreation room and cabana. 

The open floorplan of the main living space allows the homeowners to do what they love – entertain family and friends. Although the couple are now empty nesters, the home is rarely empty, especially around the holidays. 

The master suite on the main floor features a large walk-in closet and luxurious en suite. A freestanding tub is positioned with 180-degree views of the surrounding forest. To blend in with the natural landscape, the homeowners opted to keep all windows free of blinds and shades. “We really wanted to bring the outside in,” says the homeowner.

The 20-foot wall of windows in the great room allows the homeowners to witness the beauty of their country property from any point in the main living space. These views can also be appreciated from the mezzanine on the second floor, which features three guest rooms. Wood-grain tiling and wood beams work together with the all-white palette throughout the home to create a serene environment. 

“The homeowners presented a very clear vision for the home, which set the team on the right path from the start,” says Christopher, noting they went so far as to erect a platform for the client to represent the elevation of the home, allowing them to “essentially stand in the home and assess the view,” which led to alternate positioning of the home. 

The recreation room features an innovative hydronic wood-burning Walltherm fireplace, which directs 70 per cent of the heat to the thermal storage tank, located in the cabana, to provide thermal energy for the water and in-floor heating when required. The homeowners tasked Skot Lawrence of Desiron to design a custom rolling wood rack, which not only stores wood for the stove but hides the mechanics of this heating system.

Todd Pools built the pool, which features an infinity edge. Garrison Creek Homes set up the solar system to redirect excess thermal energy to heat the pool and spa. 

When the homeowners moved into their home in the winter of 2018, they weren’t sure how to refer to their new space. “It’s not a farm, it’s not a cabin,” the homeowner says. “It’s a place where the kids come back. It’s our nest. It’s our home, but it’s also a gathering place.”  OH