Our Green Story

Look, we're not gonna pretend we've got all the answers. But after 15 years of watching construction waste pile up and energy bills drain wallets, we decided enough's enough. Here's what we're actually doing about it.

127

Projects Completed with Green Certifications

62%

Average Energy Reduction vs Traditional Builds

4.2M

Tonnes of CO2 Offset Annually

89%

Construction Waste Diverted from Landfills

The Stuff We're Certified In

Honestly, these badges took years of learning, failing, and trying again. But they represent real knowledge that saves clients real money.

Green building certifications

LEED Accredited Professional

We've been doing LEED since it wasn't cool. Got our first Gold rating back in 2011 and haven't looked back. Now we're at 43 LEED-certified projects and counting.

Passive House Designer

This one's intense. We're talking buildings so efficient they barely need heating. First time we hit that 15 kWh/m² target, we literally celebrated with champagne. Now it's just what we do.

Living Building Challenge

Okay, this is the crazy one. Buildings that produce more energy than they use? Yeah, we've done three. It's not easy, won't lie, but watching those meters run backwards never gets old.

WELL Building Standard

Because what's the point of a green building if people feel lousy inside it? We design for air quality, natural light, and thermal comfort. Your employees will actually want to come to the office.

Real Talk: Our Carbon Impact

We started tracking this stuff in 2016 because, frankly, we wanted proof we weren't just talking the talk. Here's where we're at compared to standard construction practices in the Lower Mainland.

Embodied Carbon -48% vs Industry Average
Operational Energy -62% Reduction
Water Consumption -55% Less Usage
Carbon impact analysis

How We Actually Do It

Materials selection

Materials That Make Sense

We've got relationships with salvage yards, local mills, and material recyclers all over BC. That reclaimed Douglas fir? Probably came from a warehouse in New Westminster. Those bricks? From a demolished school in Burnaby.

  • 85% locally sourced within 800km
  • Recycled content averaging 35%
  • FSC-certified wood only, no exceptions
Energy systems

Energy Systems That Work

Vancouver's got this weird climate - not too hot, not too cold, but super grey. We've learned to work with it. Geothermal when soil conditions allow, air-source heat pumps when they don't, and solar everywhere it makes financial sense.

  • Heat recovery on every project over 5,000 sqft
  • Smart building systems as standard
  • Triple-pane windows minimum (yes, even here)
Water management

Water Management (Yeah, Even in Rainy Van)

People think we're nuts capturing rainwater when it won't stop raining anyway. But toilet flushing and irrigation use way more than you'd think. Plus, reducing stormwater runoff into the harbour? That matters.

  • Greywater recycling systems
  • Rainwater capture averaging 45,000L per project
  • Low-flow fixtures that don't feel low-flow
Waste reduction

Construction Waste (Or Lack Thereof)

First job I ever managed, we filled 12 dumpsters. Made me sick. Now we've got it down to a science - prefab what we can, reuse what we can't, recycle what's left. Last residential project? One dumpster. Total.

  • Digital modeling reduces cutting waste by 70%
  • Partnerships with 8 material reuse facilities
  • Deconstruction over demolition whenever possible

The Financial Part Nobody Wants to Talk About

Let's be real - sustainable building can cost more upfront. Usually 3-8% more depending on how far you wanna go. But here's what nobody tells you...

Get a Real Cost Analysis
3.2 Years

Average payback period on energy upgrades

$47K

Avg. annual savings per commercial building

18%

Higher property values for green buildings

94%

Client satisfaction rate (we measured)

Plus, There's Money on the Table

BC Hydro rebates, municipal grants, federal incentives - we know 'em all. We've secured over $2.8M in rebates for clients in the past 3 years alone. That's not nothing.

What Our Clients Actually Say

These are real quotes from real people. We asked permission to share them.

"Our energy bills went from $840/month to $210. In Vancouver. In winter. I didn't believe Kyrendra when she said that was possible, but here we are. The house is also just... nicer? Better air, better light. Worth every penny of the extra 6% we spent."

Marcus Chen
Residential Client, Kitsilano Passive House

"We needed LEED Gold for our corporate mandate, but honestly expected it to be a painful box-checking exercise. Instead, KLQ made it integral to the design. Our employees love the building, sick days are down 23%, and we're featured in every sustainability report now."

Sarah Mtombeni
Facilities Director, Richmond Office Complex

"I'm a contractor, been building for 30 years. First time working with KLQ, I thought the material specs were gonna be a nightmare. Turned out to be the smoothest job I've done. They know their suppliers, they know what works, and the waste management plan saved us money. I actively pitch their approach to new clients now."

Jim Kowalski
Kowalski Construction Ltd.

Let's Build Something That Lasts

Not gonna promise miracles, but if you're serious about building responsibly, we know how to make it happen without breaking the bank or your timeline.

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