Finalist for Innovation Award Recognized for Pushing Boundaries
Alberta’s Jayman BUILT honoured as finalist in national Maverick Awards
With the launch of Built Green Canada’s inaugural awards program, designed to reward and profile leadership in sustainable building, entries for their three exclusive awards categories came from British Columbia to Ontario. One of the finalists for the Innovation Award is a long-time innovator in the homebuilding industry, who spearheaded the development of Built Green Canada 21 years ago and was the founding builder member. Jayman BUILT is recognized for taking yet another step forward, introducing an impressive new standard across their builds, alongside optional packages that go up to net zero—which they refer to as their four-step solution: their Path to Net Zero.
The Innovation Awards’ purpose is to recognize creative ways sustainable building is happening and progressing industry: those with a new approach that challenges status quo, which Jayman has done every step of the way.
Jayman’s Chairman and CEO, Jay Westman, is relentless in his ongoing pursuit of new and improved advancements and technologies. And so, Jayman’s mandate has always been to lead the industry in innovation and sustainability, while providing a high-quality home that homeowners can afford. Their vision for the Path to Net Zero was driven by the need to meet future building code requirements today, but with an attainable offering that still provides liveability, desirable floorplans, on-trend designs and at a price point that’s realistic. Energy savings are a key piece of this, as Jayman recognizes energy costs are expected to continue to rise.
As the first Alberta builder to standardize solar panels, Jayman’s first of four packages that homeowners can choose from is impressive. To start, all Jayman homes are BUILT GREEN® certified and include a set of energy-efficient inclusions designed to save homeowners money on their utility costs and protect the environment. The first spec, called “Core Performance”, saves each homeowner up to $1,300 on their annual energy costs. This is about 33 per cent more efficient than building code and provides up to 50 per cent reduction on their electricity bills with their 10-panel solar system. It also includes a 96 per cent high-efficiency two-stage furnace, tankless hot water heater, triple-pane windows, active heat recovery ventilator and dimpled membrane foundation wrap, while the Smart Home technology package aids homeowners in further reducing their energy costs by adjusting their heating and cooling to their living habits.
Their holistic approach improves more than energy. For instance, their Merv13 furnace filter has ultra-violet light air purification system, which kills 99 per cent of airborne germs, pathogens, and surface mould—coupled with the HRV, which refreshes the air every three hours, these features improve the home’s indoor air quality. Meanwhile, locally sourced products, water conservation and waste management are other critical areas of focus. They integrate low-flow fixtures, saving 84 million litres of water, and their building practices and materials have contributed to 40,000 metric tonnes of waste material being recycled instead of going to a landfill—even their carpets are made from recycled water bottles.
Meanwhile, each of the three optional packages, over and above Core Performance, does include additional cost, alongside additional features and increased utility savings. Option two saves homeowners up to $1,500 annually, prevents 4.2 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and is 60 per cent more energy efficient than 2023 Alberta Building Code. Option three (net zero ready) saves up to $1,500 annually, prevents 5.5 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and is 50 per cent better than code. And option four, which they refer to as Quantum Performance Ultra E-Home, saves up to $2,850 in energy costs annually, prevents 10.37 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and is 100 per cent more energy efficient than code. It includes 30-plus solar panels and their proprietary wall system with net-zero building envelope.
In arriving at these offerings, Jayman works with Certified B Corporation solar contractor, SkyFire Energy, and an NRCan licensed Energy Advisor, 4 Elements Integrated Design, to complete their energy modelling and determine the right mix of products to achieve maximum energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions, at the most attainable cost for Albertans. They’ve also worked with municipal energy providers to encourage 200 AMP servicing in all new Edmonton communities and to help prepare for future building codes, requiring net-zero building considerations.
Jayman is proud to meet future building codes, today. In their work to adhere to 2050 proposed building code, their positive environmental impact includes reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2019, they have installed over 7.9 megawatts of solar power in Alberta, on over 3,400 homes, saving over 8,300 metric tonnes of carbon emissions when combined with the Core Performance model. This is equivalent to 40 acres of solar panels.
Their customers are looking for smart technologies, convenience and environmental consciousness. Therefore, by providing these solutions on homes—one of the largest investments people will make in their lifetime—Jayman feels they are investing in the longevity of their company, while providing better homes with a lower environmental impact.
Having completed over 30 net zero homes, they’ve learned a lot and continue to improve their offerings. And while they’re proud to be market leaders, they hope to see all builders and suppliers work towards more affordable solutions to help reduce energy use, alongside holistic sustainability considerations. Jayman BUILT remains in firm support of Built Green’s programs, and to date, have 13,271 third-party certified BUILT GREEN® homes, including both their Single Family and High Density projects. This is more than any other builder that has participated in Built Green Canada’s programs—and Jayman has many more slated for certification, including upcoming projects in their Magna community in Calgary’s University District.
Innovation has always been integral to the Jayman BUILT brand. Back in 2003, as part of Jayman’s involvement with BILD Calgary Region, they spearheaded the development of Built Green Canada, with the hope that it would enable leading builders to showcase their sustainable building practices and build upon them—through a builder-friendly framework that could guide industry forward. Built Green Canada’s guiding principles would become that its programs would be voluntary; they would offer choices, flexibility, and be straight forward; builder training is essential; affordability is key; and third-party certification would offer verification to builds—helping builders show that they weren’t greenwashing, and were, in fact, delivering a better product.
For over 40 years, Jayman BUILT has been leading the industry in new home construction, sustainable building practices and energy-efficient design. Operating out of Edmonton and Calgary, Jayman builds between 700 to 800 homes per year. Regardless of barriers that challenge the industry, their goal is to continue to find new ways to improve energy efficiency, while keeping the purchase price of their homes attainable for Albertan homebuyers. They innovate to save customers money, protect their health and reduce their shared environmental footprint. Sustainability is at the heart of their business, and this inaugural Innovation Award finalist is proud to be making a significant contribution to greening up Alberta’s electrical grid and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Maverick Awards are another step forward in Built Green Canada's mission to progress sustainability practices and recognize leadership; three winners have been announced in conjunction with title sponsor, BC Housing. The Innovation Award, sponsored by Heidelberg Materials, went to Kanas Corporation for the Innovation Award for their Calgary-based project, Orion at Lumino Park, which is the tallest ICF building in Western Canada, with a state-of-the-art cogeneration system providing 534 KW of electricity. The Maverick’s awarded the Ambassador Award to Kelly Williams for championing company-wide BUILT GREEN® adoption, while rallying trades and suppliers for full activation, driving Sterling Homes Edmonton to become the next generation of sustainable production builders. While the Transformational Award went to Major Homes in Greater Vancouver, who transformed from a traditional builder into a leading energy and sustainability focused builder, and catalyst to the custom home building sector.