News

NDB Founders Cassandra Nordell-MacLean & Patrick MacLean were honoured with the 2011 Outstanding Business Achievement Award for Entrepreneur of the year age 18-35.

"We would like to thank the Sarnia Lambton Chamber for honouring us with this award. We are very proud to be a part of the Sarnia Lambton business community.

A special thank you to all of our customers and our incredible team. Without both we would not be able to continue to provide environmentally responsible and healthy spaces for the community.

Thank you to our family and friends for your continued support."

Cassandra & Patrick

 

 

2011 Outstanding Business Achievement Awards

Nordell Design/Build is pleased to announce that we have been nominated for an Outstanding Business Achievement award!

House is designed to catch some rays - Sarnia Custom Solar Model Home

December 4, 2010

It's not enough anymore for Nordell Design Build to buy a lot for one of their custom-built homes based on the neighbourhood and proximity to schools, shops and all the other traditional selling points.

These days, lead designer Cassandra Nordell-MacLean and her husband, construction manager Patrick MacLean, are also looking for property that provides maximum sun exposure. "These five lots are ideally located for catching the sun," says MacLean, making a sweeping motion at the corner of Creekside and Fleming Road near Camlachie.

Nordell Design Build is building a new model home there.

It will be an upscale 2,100-square-foot bungalow with more environmentally- friendly features than any other in the company's history.

It will be the first in Sarnia-Lambton with half its roof covered in solar photovoltaic panels, positioned to capture the sun's energy.

Not only is the roof of the new house strategically positioned toward the sun, its pitch is optimal for catching the rays, and it is reinforced to handle the weight of the panels.

Putting a new home on the market with so much solar capacity will increase the asking price by $30,000 to $35,000 but Nordell Design Build believes the Sarnia market is ready for sustainable living.

Since Nordell Design Build was founded in 2006, they have specialized in eco-friendly features that are good for the planet and good for the people living in their homes, says Nordell-MacLean.

From the get-go, being environmentally responsible was important to them, whether they were working on a new build or a renovation.

"We started recycling on the job site when other contractors said that was too expensive," she said. Instead of throwing scrap lumber and cardboard into a dumpster and paying the price to send it off to a landfill, unused lumber was sent to places like the shop class at a local high school. Cardboard was bundled and taken to a recycler. It proved to be less expensive because much less had to be hauled to the landfill.

Nordell Design Build homes have always offered features such as lumber from managed forests where every tree that comes down is replaced. Paints and finishes are environmentally certified and contain fewer of the chemicals that can linger in homes for years when traditional products are used.

The company has a policy to purchase materials within a 500-mile radius, cutting down on the environmental footprint. That generally means Canadian products.

"By using certified eco materials and finishes that will not off -gas formaldehyde and other chemicals into the indoor air, we go above and beyond to ensure the health and safety of the people who live in our homes," said Nordell-MacLean.

The company has a "Green Balance" approach that ensures the impact of green features doesn't create unreasonable costs, MacLean said.

"Everyone is becoming more educated about the environment," he said. " We've steadily added environmentally-friendly features and now have our first solar model home.

"We've been pleasantly surprised by the number of people looking for a mixture of quality construction and green balance.

Construction of the new house at 6825 Creekside Dr. will be complete by the end of January and viewing will be possible by appointment only. Open houses are planned in the spring.

For more information, Nordell Design Build can be contacted at 519-337-6194. See details at www.nordelldesignbuild.com.

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