High performance isn’t always visible.

You can’t always see airtightness in a photo.
You don’t notice it in a floorplan.
It doesn’t sparkle like countertops or command attention like vaulted ceilings.

But it may be the single most important measure of how well a home is built.

The Nanaimo Hospice Dream Home, built by Momentum Design Build with community partners, has been recognized for exactly that, earning the prestigious Golden Blower Door Award, presented by Bernhardt Contracting at the CHBA Vancouver Island VIBE Awards.

This award celebrates the most airtight residential project on Vancouver Island — determined by the lowest measured Air Changes per Hour (ACH) under the EnerGuide Rating System.

And this home set the bar.

What Is the Golden Blower Door Award?

The Golden Blower Door Award is one of the most performance-driven honours at the VIBE Awards.

It recognizes:

• Superior building envelope performance
• Exceptional airtight construction
• Leadership in energy efficiency
• Compliance with stringent BC Energy Step Code standards

The winner is selected based on professional blower door testing — a diagnostic process that measures how much air leaks through a home’s envelope under pressure.

Lower ACH results mean:

• Less heat loss
• Greater comfort
• Improved indoor air quality control
• Reduced energy consumption
• Increased durability

In short: better building science.

Why Airtightness Matters

Modern high-performance homes rely on a simple principle:

Control the air. Control the energy.

Uncontrolled air leakage can account for significant heat loss, drafts, moisture issues, and energy waste. By minimizing leakage, builders create homes that are:

• More comfortable year-round
• More resilient to moisture damage
• More energy efficient
• Easier to ventilate properly
• Quieter and healthier

The Nanaimo Hospice Dream Home achieved Passive House-level airtightness at 0.6 ACH50, an extraordinary benchmark in residential construction.

That level of performance doesn’t happen by accident.

It is the result of planning, precision, and commitment to best practices.

How This Home Achieved It

Momentum Design Build implemented advanced envelope detailing and construction strategies, including:

• A complete self-adhered, vapour-permeable house wrap for continuous airtightness
• Backpan flashings and fully detailed window rough openings using acrylic peel-and-stick membranes
• Engineered floor systems designed to reduce structural movement and future performance issues
• Increased cavity thickness and thermal breaks in exterior walls
• ICF foundation walls to reduce heat transfer at the base of the structure

Every penetration, every seam, every junction was treated as a critical performance point.

The result? One of the tightest homes ever tested on Vancouver Island.

Raising the Industry Standard

The Golden Blower Door Award is more than a trophy.

It reinforces the importance of building envelope performance in modern construction.

As BC’s Energy Step Code continues to raise expectations, airtightness is no longer optional — it is foundational.

Past recognition has included high-performance leaders such as Pheasant Hill Homes’ “Eagles Nest Passive House,” and now the Nanaimo Hospice Dream Home joins that elite group.

It signals that Vancouver Island builders are not just meeting standards — they are exceeding them.

Performance With Purpose

What makes this win even more meaningful is the purpose behind the project.

This isn’t just a high-performance home.

It is the Nanaimo Hospice Dream Home Lottery House — built to raise funds for Nanaimo Community Hospice and the essential care they provide to families across the region.

So while the Golden Blower Door Award celebrates airtightness, it also celebrates something deeper:

• Craftsmanship
• Collaboration
• Community impact

This home proves that we can build at the highest performance levels while building for something bigger than ourselves.

Airtight Is the New Luxury

Luxury today isn’t just finishes and fixtures.

It’s comfort without drafts.
It’s consistent temperatures throughout the home.
It’s healthy indoor air.
It’s lower operating

The Nanaimo Hospice Dream Home delivers all of that, wrapped in stunning design and ocean views.

Winning the Golden Blower Door Award confirms what this project represents:

When craftsmanship meets building science, excellence follows.