KYO's Boreale model - starting at $167,000
KYO Home is launching a new range of highly energy-efficient country homes and cottages at the "Salon de la Maison de Campagne 2009" being held from 19 to 22 February 2009, at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. The Ste Julie-based builder of energy-efficient timber-frame homes has married state-of-the-
Long associated with high-end ski lodges and the lakefront mansions of railway barons, the timber-frame aesthetic offers soaring interior spaces, a tough and durable shell and the warmth of exposed natural wood posts and beams. Part of the timber-frame cachet has undoubtedly been due to the high cost of using skilled artisan labour to cut the mortices and tenons and assemble the complex geometry of this traditional craft.
By applying modern production techniques, KYO Home is able to deliver the same structural and aesthetic characteristics, but at a price reflecting industrial-scale manufacturing. The result is an authentic timber-frame home, but at a price that is close to that achieved by conventional house construction techniques. When the energy-saving characteristics of a KYO home are taken into consideration, the reduced running costs over the lifetime of these durable structures makes for a significantly lower overall cost of ownership.
The entry-level Boréale model (pictured) offers 1,100 square feet of living space, all of which is fully usable and accessible. It provides a soaring cathedral ceiling, with all the posts and beams fully exposed, and a mezzanine bedroom. It is built on a heated concrete pad, with passive solar heating, structurally insulated wall panels and generous window openings. Interior and exterior finish can be customised to meet any style.
The entry-level Boréale is priced at $167,000 including tax. Other models in the Boréale range offer living space in the 2,250-2,500 square foot range, with an all-in price (including tax) as low as $100 per square foot.
"You can't deliver $100 per square foot for a timberframe home by scrimping on quality", according to KYO's director of finance, Mehran Nakhjavani. The secret lies in optimising the use of interior space. Kyo's designs focus on using all of the space covered by the roof, on saving construction costs with simple exterior geometry and on maximising the design potential of the exposed interior beams. "We build smart, we don't build cheap" says Nakhjavani, who recommends customers to "allocate your construction dollar to energy-saving features such as radiant heating, passive solar and structurally-
Homes already built by KYO easily meet the highest Novoclimat norms, and recent test results show savings on heating costs that have exceeded 50% compared with houses using conventional timber-frame construction.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
