When the town of Valleyview, Alberta approached Scott Builders with their vision for a new municipal building, they set their sights on more than extra space—they aimed to make a statement about sustainability, leadership, and community pride. Moving from cramped offices to a purpose-built facility was just the beginning.
Their real ambition? Achieving Passive House Plus certification for their 6,479 sq. ft. town hall.
From the outset, we saw this as more than a typical municipal build—it was a chance to help shape the future of sustainable construction in our region. While it was our first Passive House Plus certified commercial project, the challenge aligned naturally with our drive for innovation and our commitment to raising the bar in high-performance building.
The result: An exceptionally energy-efficient town hall that achieved Passive House Plus certification, becoming one of Alberta's first certified commercial passive house buildings and setting new standards for sustainable municipal construction.
Taking on our first Passive House Plus commercial project meant confronting several high-performance building challenges—each requiring creative problem-solving, training, and precision. Here's how we approached them:
Training for Precision: To meet the rigorous demands of Passive House construction, we invested in training our subcontractors on air-sealing and envelope techniques—many of which were entirely new to the Canadian commercial landscape.
Smart Sourcing Meets Local Expertise: Specialized materials such as GUTEX ecological wood fiber sheathing—manufactured in Germany since 1932—were sourced from Europe to meet Passive House air-sealing standards. Made from natural wood fiber, GUTEX products offer superior thermal and moisture management, helping create a comfortable and energy-efficient indoor climate.
Mastering Airtightness: Achieving airtightness at Passive House Plus levels—while still meeting all commercial accessibility and emergency egress requirements—called for meticulous detailing and collaboration across trades.
Strategic Solar Optimization: Using GPS coordinates to position the building for maximum solar gain resulted in an orientation that initially appeared unconventional to local residents—a testament to our commitment to performance over appearances.
Oversizing Optimized: The original design exceeded Valleyview’s operational needs, which introduced unintended energy load challenges. We addressed this through solar optimization and strategic mechanical adjustments.
Our approach centered on turning each challenge into an opportunity for innovation:
Comprehensive Team Development: We invested significant time training our subcontractors in passive house construction techniques, ensuring every team member understood the precision required for success.
Engineering Excellence: We constructed an ultra-high-performance building envelope featuring R-70 walls and R-100 roofs with three feet of insulation, creating thermal performance that dramatically exceeds conventional construction standards.
Intelligent Design Integration: By orienting the majority of windows toward the south and incorporating louvers, we transformed the building into an efficient solar collection system that maximizes passive heating while maintaining comfort control.
Precision Air Sealing: Our meticulous attention to detail in air sealing achieved results that impressed even the certification inspectors—passing the blower door test in just 15 minutes, compared to the hours typically required for such testing.
Energy Recovery Systems: We integrated sophisticated heat recovery ventilation systems that maintain optimal indoor air quality without compromising energy efficiency.
Net-Positive Energy Solution: We addressed the oversizing challenge by installing a strategically designed solar array that doesn't just offset energy consumption—it produces surplus power, making the building a net-positive energy contributor.
As our Site Superintendent Rob Ashley reflected: "Once you've seen the finished product and how it worked—if I was to build something new, I would consider a passive house design. It's that much more efficient."
Results at a Glance:
Project Delivery:
Certification:
Airtightness:
Community Impact: The completed building reflects Valleyview’s commitment to sustainability and has inspired interest in high-performance design among other municipalities.
As one of the first certified commercial Passive House buildings in Alberta, it has become a regional benchmark for what’s possible in municipal construction.
The success of the Valleyview Town Hall is more than a list of metrics—it’s a model for what future-ready public buildings can achieve.
This project represents more than technical achievement—it demonstrates how sustainable construction can deliver exceptional long-term value. The combination of minimal operational costs, superior indoor comfort, and environmental responsibility creates a model that other municipalities are actively studying and implementing.
The Valleyview Town Hall has generated significant interest in our region, with other municipalities inquiring about achieving similar results for their own projects.
For Valleyview, this building represents more than improved municipal services—it's a facility that serves their community efficiently while demonstrating what's possible with high-performance building design.
For over 50 years, Scott Builders has specialized in transforming ambitious visions into exceptional realities. The Valleyview Town Hall exemplifies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sustainable construction.
Whether you're a municipality seeking to lead by example in environmental responsibility, or any organization ready to embrace high-performance building standards, we bring the expertise and innovation necessary to exceed your expectations.
Our experience with passive house construction, combined with our collaborative approach and commitment to excellence, positions us as the ideal partner for your next groundbreaking project.
Inspired by what’s possible? Let’s build something extraordinary together. Connect with Scott Builders to explore Passive House or other high-performance construction solutions tailored to your community or organization.