The first Net Zero Ready Renovation in Ottawa by Lagois.

They’re among the best of the best in the industry. Lagois Design·Build·Renovate is proud of its team of superb and talented experts.

But you don’t get to be the best by sitting on your laurels. Recently six members of the Lagois team further enhanced their skills through the Canadian Home Builders’ Association training for Net Zero builders and renovators. The training was led by Homesol Building Solutions, a Net Zero-qualified service organization. 

The new Advanced Building Science and Net Zero certifications for the team are especially timely because Lagois has just achieved the first Net Zero ready renovation in Ottawa and is now a certified CHBA Net Zero renovator. 

“What the training means,” explains Sophie Villeneuve, Lagois Project Development Manager, “is that we are all up to speed on requirements to achieve Net Zero goals.” 

With this upgrading, all team members involved in a Lagois Net Zero project know how to speak to energy advisors about the plans and what needs to be implemented. 

For example, Sophie, as Project Development Manager, needs to know what to expect from trade partners, the specifications for pricing and contract writing for such things as mechanical systems and window requirements. And then she needs to explain it all to homeowners in plain language.

“Taking this training and knowing the terminology helps us work as a team to pursue a common goal at every level,” Sophie says. 

Lagois Site Supervisor, Tom Felts, agrees. “Net Zero training, in combination with all the practical lessons we learned from our first Net Zero Ready renovation project,” he says, “help us, moving forward, to keep on improving our renovation practices so we can build more energy efficient, environmentally sustainable and comfortable homes for our clients.”

A Net Zero project, like every Lagois project, is created with the Lagois process: 

  • Phase 1 – Design, with Ruby Rose (Architectural Technologist) and Jeff Hurdis (Lead Designer), who design it 
  • Phase 2 – Details, with Sophie Villeneuve and Greg Fabris (Project Development Coordinator), who implement it 
  • Phase 3 – Production, with Tom Felts or Gordon Shaw (Site Supervisors), Jason Simons (Lead Craftsman) and Darren Vander Meer (Production Manager), who execute it. 

It is a precise and interdependent system that needs everyone’s particular skills at the right stage of development.

The team’s Advanced Building Science training focuses on terminology and building methods for Net Zero. “This dives deeper into concepts,” says Sophie, “and goes over all the steps required to label a build as Net Zero or Net Zero ready.”

Their Net Zero renovator training teaches the intricacies of building to Net Zero – and some of the exceptions to requirements for a renovation, because some items cannot be achieved with an existing structure. It also shows renovators the conditions that make a house a better candidate for a Net Zero renovation over others.

Ruby Rose praised her knowledgeable instructor and enjoyed learning all the many Building Science details that go into a high-quality build. “We learned how to detail air barriers, insulation and ventilation systems,” she said, “all of which are essential components of a Net Zero ready home.” 

According to Homesol, there are more than 14 million homes in Canada, all of which need to achieve Net Zero ready performance by 2050. With support from Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association is working with select Canadian municipalities to guide homeowners on how they can upgrade their homes to Net Zero or Net Zero ready.