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Designing for Performance: How Smart Planning Lowers Costs and Raises Standards

A Change Builders Conversation with Mark Bernhardt

In this episode of Change Builders, we sat down with Mark Bernhardt of Bernhardt Contracting to talk about energy performance, affordability, and why the biggest cost savings in construction happen long before anyone steps onto a job site.

As Bernhardt Contracting approaches its 20th year in business, Mark’s journey reflects the evolution of high-performance construction in British Columbia.

From Impact Assessments to High-Performance Homes

Bernhardt Contracting didn’t begin as a typical residential construction company. Mark and much of his team came from science-based backgrounds, including environmental impact assessment work in the oil and gas sector. That analytical mindset shaped how they approached buildings.

“We realized we could apply the same methodology we used for pipeline impact assessments to buildings,” Mark explains. “When you do that, you fundamentally change how you look at them.”

The company transitioned from commercial renovations into residential construction, focusing on high-performance, net-zero, and Passive House-style homes. But over time, Mark found himself more interested in building science than finish selections.

“I’ll talk about insulation all day long,” he jokes. “But I do not want to talk about paint colors.”

About seven years ago, the company shifted fully into Part 9 energy and carbon consulting. Today, Bernhardt Contracting operates offices in Qualicum, Kamloops, Penticton, Nelson, and Rossland, serving communities throughout southern BC. Their goal is to be a one-stop shop for Part 9 projects — covering energy modeling, mechanical design, and now lateral load (seismic) design — while keeping projects as cost-effective as possible.

Affordability and Sustainability: Finding the Sweet Spot

One of the recurring themes on Change Builders is the balance between affordability and sustainability. Mark’s perspective challenges the common assumption that better performance always means higher cost.

The key, he says, is early involvement.

When working with homeowners during early design phases, discussions focus on window placement, building shape, and orientation — decisions that significantly impact both energy performance and budget.

“Do we really need all those windows that just look up at the sky?” Mark asks. “Can we optimize where they face so we get the view without killing the energy budget or the dollar budget?”

With builders, the conversations shift toward products, airtightness details, and implementation. But regardless of the audience, the principle is the same: start early.

Avoiding the “Dream Crusher” Role

Mark admits that early in his career as an energy advisor, he sometimes felt like a “dream crusher.”

Too often, energy consultants are brought in after clients have fallen in love with a design that may not be feasible within budget or performance targets. At that point, difficult conversations are inevitable.

“If a client has imagined themselves in that house already, it’s very hard to change,” he explains. “But if we start early, before they’re in love with it, subtle adjustments can preserve the dream and improve performance.”

One of the biggest performance drivers? Building shape.

More corners mean more surface area. More surface area means more heat loss — and more cost.

A simpler form reduces both energy demand and construction complexity. It’s a rare win-win: better performance and lower cost.

Coordinated Design (Without the Fancy Price Tag)

Mark prefers the term “coordinated design” over “integrated design process,” which can sound expensive and intimidating.

At its core, it’s simply about getting the right people in the room early.

Designer. Builder. Key trades. Energy advisor.

Sometimes it’s a formal meeting. Sometimes it’s at Tim Hortons. Sometimes it’s online.

The goal is clarity:

• What are we trying to achieve?
• Does anyone see challenges?
• Can we resolve them on paper instead of on site?

Fixing a plumbing conflict during framing can cost thousands. Fixing it during a kickoff meeting costs virtually nothing.

On one Passive House commercial project in Langford, a quick on-site conversation between Mark and a plumber resolved a late-stage change in about ten minutes. A simple sketch, a thumbs-up emoji from the architect, and the issue was solved — saving an estimated $10,000–$20,000 in paperwork and change orders alone.

Bernhardt’s own developments have recently achieved zero change orders — a rarity in today’s market — simply by finalizing decisions upfront.

“When you get to the site and you’re in the mud, you just push play,” Mark says. “The project unfolds because everybody knows what’s going on.”

Where Are the Gaps in the Industry?

After delivering Step Code and high-performance training across BC since 2017, Mark believes most builders have adapted well.

“I feel pretty good about where most builders are,” he says. Colleges now incorporate building science into apprenticeship programs, and knowledge has improved significantly.

Where he sees room for improvement is in early-stage design awareness.

Designers and architects don’t always fully understand the cost and performance implications of complex forms. Builders who can recognize those implications early — and communicate them clearly — can prevent budget shocks later.

“If a builder looks at a design and knows right away it’s going to be expensive, they need to say that early.”

Lateral Loads: A Major Opportunity for Cost Savings

One of the most exciting developments Mark is working on is Part 9 lateral load (seismic) design.

Few areas of the building code offer true cost reduction opportunities — but lateral load design is one of them.

By designing within Part 9 instead of defaulting to engineered solutions under a different code framework, projects can:

• Eliminate unnecessary structural strapping and hold-downs
• Reduce shear wall requirements
• Remove the need for a structural engineer on qualifying projects

For a typical duplex, savings can reach $50,000. On larger small-scale developments, savings of $100,000 or more are possible.

And the same principles apply: simple forms perform better — for both energy and seismic requirements.

Bernhardt’s team helped build the Energy Step Code template and is now working with the Province on a lateral load permit template. Broader municipal acceptance will help unlock these savings for more builders.

Municipal Adoption: Progress and Friction

Larger municipalities like Victoria and Nanaimo have embraced Part 9 lateral load provisions.

Smaller municipalities, often constrained by staffing and resources, sometimes default to requiring structural engineers, even when not required under the code.

This adds both time and cost.

“A lateral load design from us might cost $500 and take a week,” Mark explains. “An engineered solution is significantly more — plus inspections and added construction costs.”

Time, as every builder knows, is money.

The Biggest Myth: High Performance Costs More

Mark is direct about this.

If you take a conventional design and try to “add Step Code” to it, yes — it will cost more.

But if you design with performance in mind from the start, the equation changes entirely.

• Simplified building shapes
• Optimized window placement
• Reduced unnecessary surface area
• Thoughtful detailing

These choices lower costs before insulation levels or mechanical systems even enter the conversation.

“It’s not secret space-age technology,” Mark says. “It’s optimization.”

Some of the most cost-effective high-performance homes his team has worked on were built by crews with no prior Step Code experience, because the design was straightforward and buildable.

“If your first-year apprentice on Friday afternoon can build it from the plans, you’ve got a good design,” he says. “If it requires your best carpenter every minute, it’s destined to be expensive.”

Designing with Intent

Ultimately, it comes down to clarity of purpose.

If performance is the intent, and that intent guides the design from day one, affordability and sustainability can align.

“We design for the intent of the house,” Mark says. “And we get what we design for.”

To learn more about Bernhardt Contracting and their work in energy and Part 9 consulting, visit BernhardtContracting.com.