Coastal Building - Challenges Worth Overcoming

Thinking about building remotely on the Sunshine Coast? Much like other areas of coastal BC, one of the unique challenges of building remotely is material delivery, which often means using boats, barges or helicopters. 

Helicopter vs barge: which is better? Of course, it depends on the site and materials, but in some cases, it's both! One of our current projects included both a barge and helicopter for material deliveries. The panels of this build were constructed in Pemberton, BC, trucked to Squamish, where they were loaded on a barge, then towed into Howe Sound. The barge acted as a staging area for a helicopter to pick up and then fly the panels to the peak of a remote island. Without the combination of the incredibly skilled pilot and the dedicated team at BC Passive House, we would not have been able to work this build utilizing prefab panels, likely the only reasonable way to realize this incredible design. 

Another quintessentially coastal build was slightly less dramatic to assemble, utilizing a barge, with a crane to deliver materials. We captured the transportation of cladding and roofing materials. This project is a visual feast for someone craving stunning sunsets and scenes of ocean mammals swimming across the front deck while birds of prey scan from above in hopes of an underwater meal. 

Coordinating material deliveries and installations takes a combination of availability, weather, material delivery schedules, and appropriate manpower. Sometimes everything goes perfectly, and the sailing is smooth; other times, Mother Nature throws a wrench in the plans, be it wind, rain, or fog. Not willing to risk our people or the building materials, we always defer to the safety of our team and partners. 

In spite of the unique building challenges of the Coast, we love it here, and suspect you will as well.