Jim Zsiros at J. Zsiros Contracting in Courtenay, B.C. honoured in national awards
Working to reward and profile leadership in sustainable building, Built Green Canada launched its second annual Maverick Awards with four exclusive category winners. Out of entries from British Columbia to Ontario, Jim Zsiros of J. Zsiros Contracting, took home this year’s most popular category award—for Ambassadorship—the purpose of which is to recognize those on the ground, promoting and encouraging sustainable building: those ambassadors driving real change towards the progression of industry.
Jim has worked in the construction industry since the early 1990s and is the founder and owner of J. Zsiros Contracting Ltd—a custom home builder and renovator in Comox Valley specializing in green building practices. As an early adopter of the BUILT GREEN® program in British Columbia, going back to 2008, Jim demonstrates leadership and a hands-on approach to advocacy. He actively participates in industry committees and regularly promotes green building practices, creating a ripple effect that has elevated green building standards—particularly Built Green—across the region.
Committed to education and acting on the importance of word-of-mouth, he shares his expertise with employees, subcontractors, trades, manufacturers, builders, students, and government, emphasizing the benefits of sustainable construction. Jim maintains a firm belief that proactive promotion of- and use of- Built Green methods will benefit the building industry and consumers, while concurrently lowering the environmental impacts of building homes. Though a seasoned builder, Jim recognizes that approaches to sustainable building are continually evolving, which is another area Built Green’s programs help him stay ahead of the curve.
Global warming, climate change and unsustainable material consumption concerns originally motivated Jim to join Built Green Canada. He was interested in the organization’s advocacy for using environmentally friendly products, as well as reducing energy consumption. It has been 17 years that he’s been building Built Green high-performing homes (certified at BUILT GREEN® Platinum / Net Zero Energy+), and while much has changed in the industry since he began, Jim recognizes that there remains a somewhat myopic focus on energy alone. His foresight back then—in recognizing sustainable building practices must go beyond energy—is admirable.
Jim’s key messages relating to the benefits of high-performance homes include: the improvement of indoor air quality; lower energy costs / consumption over time, the use of environmentally-friendly products, materials and energy sources; creating a smaller carbon footprint than a typical home build; increasing home durability; consumption of fewer resources at construction and throughout the life of the house; and rebate eligibility through third-party certification.
But before the build has even happened, Jim has had to work hard to educate and push trades, suppliers, and manufacturers to do better. Being a maverick can be hard, given limited training available for the trades and encouraging manufacturers to stock more environmentally friendly product. This has taken time and effort, and this work isn’t finished yet.
Jim says the Built Green programs underpin his message, both from a marketing perspective, as well as an educational perspective, as the program’s checklist outlines various pathways to achieve certification. He is a small, but mighty builder, passionate about improving things in the built environment who has touched many lives through his commitment to better building practices and the value of third-party certification.
“Underlying all of this is my desire to make things better—for my sons and the generations to come: to lead by example,” says Jim Zsiros. "I’ve seen the ripple effect of walking my talk, and watched how simple conversations have created far-reaching positive outcomes with various audience segments.”
Jim recognizes there is a perception that sustainable building is complicated, so he shows the homebuyer select green features and what their benefits are. In this way, he’s able to illustrate in person—he’s speaking with and educating them, rather than talking at them. Jim enthusiastically takes on the role of educator on the sustainable building methods he follows. He loves to help others learn, and by the time the build is complete, the homeowner has a greater understanding of sustainable building and the bragging rights that go with it.
This approach underpins what and how he communicates with staff, one-on-one with other builders, and through the committees and boards on which he sits (including as President of CHBA Vancouver Island and on CHBA BC’s Board of Directors), trades and manufacturers, as well as municipal and provincial government. Beyond these audiences, Jim has also reached students through his work with Habitat for Humanity, which has led to the opportunity to work with and educate students from North Island College onsite with green building methods, materials and low-impact practices in the built environment.
After attending the Net Zero Conference Summit in 2019, he was saddened to learn that new home construction was the number one contributor to global warming. This reinforced his quest to build the most sustainable homes possible. It further strengthened his commitment to building and certifying with Built Green, which he felt could help reduce these effects and help him educate other builders and his clients.
“We are so impressed with Jim’s dedication to embracing and educating on sustainability practices,” says Jenifer Christenson, chief executive officer at Built Green Canada. “This is an individual with a strong vision of better building, who uses his voice to advance not only his own work, but the industry as a whole—he is one of our trailblazers, embodying our mission to progress industry toward more holistic sustainable building practices.”
Zsiros Contracting is an award-winning custom home builder and renovator on Vancouver Island. They combine old-fashioned craftsmanship and dedication to detail with the latest energy-saving technologies, working to stay a step ahead with advanced knowledge and experience in green energy building, and in the latest developments and innovations in the construction industry.
The Maverick Awards are another step forward in Built Green Canada's mission to progress sustainability practices and recognize leadership; this year, four winners have been announced in conjunction with title co-sponsors, Jayman BUILT and SkyFire Energy. Besides the Ambassador Award, sponsored by Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the Mavericks awarded s2e Technologies the Innovation Award for their London-based project, EVE Park, which is aiming for a net zero residential development rethinking suburban living: addressing high performance buildings and smart parking. Meanwhile, the judges were deadlocked on the Transformational Award, so there were two winners this year: Best Builders for their Phoenix House in Delta, is a remarkable rebuild setting a new benchmark for low-carbon renovations while addressing resilience and holistic sustainability; and Spring Creek Mountain Village in Canmore, which has transformed from a mobile home park into an impressive multi-phase community largely fueled by geo-exchange, which embraces social, environmental and economic sustainability.