House In Ski Country Is Built Of Clt And Is Almost Plastic Free

Great use of recycled and repurposed materials, too.

We love cross-laminated timber (CLT) because building with wood stores carbon. But there is more to it than that – there is an elegance and simplicity to the way CLT panels go together. That’s one of the reasons to love this new house in Fernie, BC, built by Jake Christiansen.

© Jake Christiansen/ view from loftFernie is ski country, and ski chalets have often been lined with wood; it just feels warm and cozy. I have sometimes questioned whether CLT is the most appropriate way to build with wood on houses and low-rise buildings; it uses a lot more lumber. But it uses a lot less of other stuff, particularly drywall. It is both a structure and a finished wall. And a bonus is the biophilia effect:

But there is more than just biophilia going on here; there is also a serious attempt to get away from plastics. On the outside of the CLT the house is wrapped with Rockwool comfort board insulation, with the various cladding materials framed over that. And much of that cladding is recycled, old boards and even old rusty siding. I wonder what the neighbours thought when that went up.

Charles Jencks and Nathan Silver once wrote about adhocism:

There is a lot of that happening here; the best example is the fridge door in the bathroom. It is all clever and imaginative reuse of old objects and materials. There is a simplicity to it all; Jake writes in an email:

I do worry a bit about the old lead paint falling off those doors, but I love the look.

There is a lot going on in the plan, too; there is a ground floor suite that can be rented out, with a three bed/ two (elaborate) bath unit above. The house is being rented out on AirBnB right now, so the big luxe bathroom layout makes sense.

At one point, Jake gets defensive: “I understand many may say it is not passive, CLT is not ‘green’, etc, etc, etc…. but every step outside of traditional building norms helps.”

I don’t think he has anything to worry about. The CLT is perfectly green, especially when it is left exposed and eliminates the need for drywall and plastic. Rockwool is better than foam, and recycled is better than new. Care is taken in the detailing to eliminate thermal bridging, windows are triple glazed. Who’s complaining?

I am also re-thinking my issues about building with CLT when a stud wall uses far less wood. A stud wall has to be covered in drywall, losing all the charm and warmth that you see here and in Susan Jones’ house. This house will look, smell and feel good for a very long time. There is nothing like wood.