aim to achieve Passive House standards by combining “timehonoured building methods” with “innovative, high efficiency technologies.” The benefits of that are many: residents pay less for bills, air quality is heightened, maintenance costs are lowered, and market value is ensured (as sustainable living appeals to an ever-growing market segments). As far as the ‘active life’ part of the slogan, Driftwood Gibsons also includes spaces meant to invite people together and get them outside – there are communal green spaces, private outdoor decks, a fitness studio, a co-working centre, and retail spaces at street level. The development is also located in a vibrant community – and the energy and vibrancy is only increasing with the addition of a project like Driftwood. Driftwood Gibsons is being developed by ‘Driftwood Developments,’ an entity formed by Rafael and his wife Megan in 2017. The inspiration for the project started with Rafael’s late mother-in-law. “My wife and I, we have our hearts out in Gibsons,” Rafael says. “We got married out there. My wife’s mother used to live out there, and she was a person that believed in better types of buildings. She worked in the UK as someone who would retrofit social housing to reduce energy consumption. Even out here in Gibsons, she did quite a bit of work on her own to continue that.” “The land was less expensive than Vancouver. Megan found a fantastic site that was just absolutely ripe for development.” Because of their equity, Rafael RAFAEL SANTA ANA ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP
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