Local architectural designer Kim Walton has been more than successful in her 30-year-long career.
ìOne of the things I've tried to do over the last 30 years is to design buildings that are very energy efficient,î said Walton, also a certified energy consultant.
She owns Bow Crow Design, where she enjoys working out of her home.
She has worked on projects all over the province, she said.
A house she designed in Calgary a couple of years ago has recently been selected by Fine Homebuilding Magazine to be part of a Readers Choice competition.
The house was chosen as one of 10 houses eligible to win.
More than 150 houses were submitted for the competition.
The winner of the competition will be published in the annual Houses edition of the magazine in May.
ìIt's exciting and as far as I'm concerned it's really an honour and great to get noticed,î she said.
ìThe house that's up for this competition is a house that I worked on that was built in Calgary and the house generates as much energy as it needs to operate in a year,î she said, noting that it's called ìnet zeroî.
The house generates more energy than it needs in the summer but generates less energy than it needs in the winter, which balances the equation, she explained.
ìThe house in Calgary is not only funky and cool but it's really well insulated and airtight,î she said. ìIt has many energy conserving features.î
These features include photovoltaics, which are panels on the building that generate electricity, she said.
There are also silver thermal panels, which generate energy for heating water.
The house collects rainwater, which is used for toilet flushing and watering the lawn.
ìThere's a cool room so you can take some of the condiments out of the fridge and put them in there,î she said.
She says her job is interesting and challenging and she enjoys meeting people.
ìIt's fun to look at projects once they're finished. It's great to be proud of the projects that I've worked on.î
