Sustainable Building Awards 2017

8 BUILD / Sustainable Building Awards 2017 , Best Passive Home Builder 2017 – Idaho & Excellence Award in Custom Home Builds 2017 – Idaho. Edwards Smith Construction LLC is a CustomHome Build and Remodel company based in Idaho. We profiled the firm to find out more about what makes them successful. that trust between the builder and client is paramount. This is an easier hurdle to overcome if client goals are value driven and they have built a home before. Being open and transparent in its interactions with the client, they educate the client as much as the client desires, turning what was often a negative building experience in the past into a positive one. The company embraces and takes ownership of each of its unique projects. It is excited to offer solutions that allow clients to make the best decisions for themselves. In addition to residential building and remodelling, the firm’s services also include site development, defect discovery, expert construction consulting and custom commercial projects, for those looking to bring a higher level of quality to the commercial arena. As a company, employees are always educating themselves on advanced construction techniques and evolving technologies so they can provide as many options as possible to clients. One example of this is the firm’s designation as a PHIUS (Passive House Institute US) Certified Builder SM – the first and currently only builder in North Idaho designated as such. As well as being tremendously energy efficient, passive buildings offer a number of long- term benefits. They are extremely resilient, able to handle the extremes of nature better than traditional construction and offer superb air quality. They are also ideal for clients who want their home to be built using products that are more sustainable and leave a lighter footprint on the earth. The company’s first passive home was completed in January 2017. As with any new undertaking, the team expected different but exciting challenges. One such challenge was ensuring the crew, subcontractors and local regulatory personnel understood Having been in the building industry for over 60 years combined, Jim Edwards and Andy Smith formed a partnership in 2008 to create Edwards Smith Construction. At the company, staff understand the trust placed in them to make their clients’ dreams a reality. Clients come from many parts of the world and, in their travels, have found something special in the gorgeous communities of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and the surrounding area. Some build a place to vacation, while others choose to retire in the area, commemorating years of hard work with the realization of their dream home. There are many reasons why the firm stands out in the industry, notably its customer service and different approach to serving clients. It does not consider your home or commercial property a product as many others do. The company believes true custom building is a service, guiding its clients through the entire process, counselling, educating and providing good, better, best options and the pros, cons and cost of each. Using their experience and knowledge, the team help clients filter through the thousands of options available to them, creating a structure that meets their goals and, ultimately, is as unique as they are. In order for a project to be successful, the firm believes SU170002 the importance of keeping air barriers intact. For many, this was their first exposure to passive house construction so the firm had to educate them. Passive construction requires completely separating the interior of a structure from the exterior environment. This means insulating below the home in addition to the sides and from above. This is not the norm for traditional construction. Wins for the consumer, a positive by-product of the sustainable building market, include better