andMeganwere able to doublemortgage their home and secure the land. With the help of some family, they engaged consultants and started putting Driftwood Gibsons together. The concept and design they handled in-house. Their vision was “higher-end design, but without the cost.” “That’s what the project is all about,” Rafael says. The project is also about demonstrating what’s possible – and in fact, what’s needed – terms of environmental sustainability. “As architects, from the first day we step into school, we’re taught about the world heating up and we’re made aware that the construction industry is one of the worst offenders when it comes to emissions,” Rafael says. “We wanted to do our part to curb that.” “With this project, we want to use technology and ingenuity to show that you can create a high-end product that lives in alignment with nature – and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune,” he adds. Currently, the goal is to break ground on Driftwood Gibsons this summer. There’s still some work to do to put the building permit together, but Rafael says that process is progressing smoothly, and “the municipality has been fantastic.” “That’s one of the advantages of working in a small community. They’re very aware of the need for development, they’re very in tune with housing needs, and they’re very responsive compared to a bigger city,” Rafael says. “We’re confident we can move pretty speedily through the process.” Landscape Design by Heather Davidson Design THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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