Students from the University of British Columbia School of Architecture designed "Home 2000" to showcase the latest housing trends and home technologies. Following their design, a demonstration model home was constructed at the BC Home & Garden Show in a joint effort by the federal housing agency Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association and The Canadian Home Builders’ Association. The two-and-a-half storey home was open to more than 60,000 attendees during the 5-day show which ended Sunday.

Home 2000 combined FlexHousing and Healthy Home concepts. Flex designs allow a 4-bedroom single family home to be transformed into two separate family dwellings with only minor adjustments. Healthy Homes keep indoor air emissions to a minimum and use other techniques to improve interior air quality. (See our archives for an earlier article by PJ on Healthy Homes.)

FlexHomes are ideal for homeowners who know they will outgrow the need for all the space in the house and would like to supplement their income should the need arise. Since more than 85% of people over age 65 want to age in place or stay in their homes as they age, FlexHousing is the design for the future. Instead of having to move when your family leaves and your home is too big, now you just close off a staircase. The other two bedroom unit may be rented out. The house can be converted back to a single family dwelling at any time.

Home 2000 also demonstrated earth quake safety features to encourage homeowners to get ready for the "big one" – the earthquake that has been forecast for years.

"At least 25 per cent of single family homes [in the Vancouver area] will be destroyed in an earthquake," said Vivian Taylor of CMHC. "A lot of homes are not bolted to their foundation. There are things homeowners should be doing but are not."

Now that the BC Home & Garden Show is over, Home 2000 will be relocated to the British Columbia Institute of Technology where it will be open to the public.

BARGAIN ALERT!

This Home Show season. You can get thousands of dollars worth of expert advice for less that the cost of a movie ticket. Visit the home shows in your area and kick start your spring renovations. Bring along pictures of the rooms you want to redecorate and swatches of any hard to match fabric so that you can get expert advice from interior designers and home renovators. If you are in the market for a screened in conservatory, home spa or other home feature, you may be able to save yourself a lot of money. Bring all the necessary measurements with you so you can take advantage of show specials and those who sell off demonstration models. Just wear comfortable shoes!

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Published: February 29, 2000

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Futurist and Strategist PJ Wade is "The Catalyst" -- intent on "Challenging The Best Become Even Better." PJ earned this title by translating the dynamic impact of Boomers and their multi-generation families into relevant insights that start people thinking and taking action—in business and in life. Author of 7 books and more than 1600 published articles, PJ encourages individuals to become their own futurist. PJ writes and speaks about the insight, knowledge and solid decision-making skills that professionals and their clients need to live and work in this vortex of change. For instance, since PJ knows that home is headquarters for the new decades-long "unretirement," she wrote the popular book "Reverse Mortgages: Best Friend, Worst Enemy... Your Choice! (CatapultPublishing.com), which is filled with suggestions and insight on protecting and using home equity. Her new business book, "What's Your Point?," which identifies 7 common mistakes professionals unknowingly repeat to their detriment, will be published in 2009. As The Catalyst, PJ provides strategic communication, client appreciation and advanced education services to the financial, tourism, lifestyle and service sectors -- and the clients they serve. A frequently-quoted financial and business commentator, PJ is a thought-provoking strategic speaker who offers practical, real-life suggestions on leaving "the box" behind and embracing Forward Thinking -- a talent she regularly demonstrates in this column. For more on blogs, books and topics, visit TheCatalyst.com.