The beautiful city of West Vancouver is home to many stunning single-family homes with amazing views which can literally take your breath away. As a Building Envelope Engineer, the view as I approach West Vancouver while driving over the Lions Gate Bridge from Vancouver gets me excited to see how amazing the home will be that I am about to inspect, and how awesome the lookout to the will be. Its difficult to describe, but if you ever get the chance to see it, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The North Shore is so amazing.
The City of West Vancouver, in British Columbia, requires that a Schedule B – Letter of Assurance for building envelope components – be submitted at the time of permit application and must be submitted prior to building permit issuance. (Click to open the Building Permit Document Checklist for Permit Application). The Schedule B assures that a design professional, such as a Building Envelope Engineer, will provide consultation on how to protect the home from the harsh elements of nature, particularly rainwater and snow. Moreso, with today’s intricate architectural finishing details, the Envelope Engineer will provide assistance to the builder and the trades as to construction methods and best practices, and an overall insight on the performance of the building envelope. The city of West Vancouver requires this process, however builders in all jurisdictions who find themselves working on million-dollar projects often find value in consultations from an Envelope Engineer to determine if engaging a full-time professional is the right fit for the new residential house.
Having recently finished envelope requirements set forth by the city of West Vancouver, five days prior to Christmas, it was my privilege to submit to the homeowner a Schedule C-B, ASSURANCE OF PROFESSIONAL FIELD REVIEW AND COMPLIANCE, confirming the building envelope was constructed and built as per the design requirements. At this point, a final inspection may be taken by the city and an occupancy permit can be awarded. Handing over the Schedule to the homeowner, whom I can now call a friend, instantly brought a large smile to his face, and he rewarded me with a great big bear hug and tiny tear ()flay. That moment, bringing this type of happiness, especially as a Building Envelope Engineer, was unexpected, and surely one that I hope to bring to may future homeowners.
If you are a builder, architect or future homeowner and are looking for a design professional, especially a Building Envelope Engineer, for new home construction, please see our website for further information on our services or contact us. In any case, may the homes you build last and may they bring joy to the families who live there.