Nicol Design: Beginnings
Haig-Brown House, Campbell River Road, Campbell River, BC. 2003. Restored.
It all begins with an idea.
Haig-Brown House, a BC provincial government Heritage Site, was dedicated to the preservation of the property, the house, and the legacy of Anne and Roderick Haig-Brown. Anne was a community activist, teacher and librarian. Roderick a writer and conservationist, as well as a very good fly fisher. They both had an enormous impact on their community and on the country. Some of Roderick’s work on conservation would not be out of place if it was written today. He has been called “the 20th century’s best essayist,” by the Canadian literary critic George Woodcock.
The house needed to be restored. Originally built in 1923, the Haig-Browns had lived there since 1934. The climate of Campbell River, on the east coast of Vancouver Island, is humid, damp and windy. A perfect climate for the rainforest that still dominates, and a perfect climate for the rotting of wood.
thINK principal Kevin Brown arrived at Haig-Brown House in June of 1995, taking on the restoration of a property that was originally not earmarked for preservation, but a building that was also treasured by the local community, as well as those who knew Anne and Roderick and appreciated - loved - their work.
It was known that the house was in bad shape. When starting the work on the south-west facing corner of the building it was found to be only held up by the coat of paint, and the bookshelves that were located along the west side’s interior, in the Roderick’s study.
The demolition tool of choice was a snow shovel: the frame was soil.
Soil holding up this corner…
With two conservationists as the inspiration for the site, the project had to balance ecological upgrades with heritage restoration guidelines. The decision was made during consultation with Heritage Conservationist Jennifer Iredale, the Curator of the BC Heritage Branch’s properties, to restore the house in a way that honoured the original, but which could take some licence with repairs to the majority of the building to both fix problems that led to damage and rot over time, while respecting and restoring the interior of Haig-Brown’s study, the heritage core of the building.
The property did not have a budget that was approved for the whole building - the Heritage Branch provided funding as they could, with funds available as time progressed. An initial grant of $25,000 was earmarked for beginning the restoration.
First was the east side of the study, at Roderick’s desk and the chimney for the fireplace beside. Including re-pointing and rebuilding of the chimney and replacement of the rotten window. This initial work allowed techniques and materials to be researched, decided upon, sourced and implemented. A plan was then prepared for the balance of the building.
It took 8-1/2 years, but the building was finally restored. It became one of North America’s first “Green Heritage” projects, although it is not well known for having achieved the level of upgrades that it did, while adhering to The Standards and Guidelines for the Preservation and Restoration of Canada’s Heritage Places and Buildings, the national guide for heritage preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse.
Some of the measures taken:
As many materials as possible were sourced locally. Douglas fir was milled and planed by local saw and planing mills, timber sourced from recycled bridge timbers removed from decommissioned logging roads. Shakes and shingles were produced by a local mill (Campbell River Shake and Shingle, still operating) with salvage logs. The Dougls fir was amazing: you could not see the difference between summer and winter growth, the grain was so tight.
Installation of double pane sealed window glass where possible - high tech for Vancouver Island in the mid'-90’s!
Reconstruction of rotted windows, or replacement with new window sash and frames, reproducing the originals. The reclaimed Douglas fir was great for this.
Installation of insulation in un-insulated walls. Removal of Beaver Board, c. 1930’s wood fibre wall board and re-installation after insulation install.
Reproduction of Roderick’s home-done style of woodwork for finish work in interior spaces. He completed renovation of the upper floor to provide more bedrooms in the 1930’s, and did most of the finish woodwork himself.
Upgrades to building services:
Replacement of original oil heating tank with new double-lined tank.
New high efficiency furnace.
Replacement of original household appliances with modern, far higher efficiency models.
New window sash being built in the basement workshop.
Amazing wood.
The project was fully complete in 2003 - and it was very satisfying to have it done.
There is lots I would do differently now. This was far before learning anything about Passive House.
There wasn’t an energy model completed to guide the work. We did enlist the help and advice of high performance Architect Richard Kadulski to advise on insulation and envelope upgrades, which were very simple.
Despite this relative lack of planning, as opposed to current practice, the results were positive. The use of heating oil definitely went down during the winter, and there were no longer breezes blowing into the house through leaky, rotted windows. Electricity use dropped like a stone, with the upgrade in appliances and lighting (to compact fluorescent - LEDs still being future). Ensuring insulation upgrades and improved airtightness in the exterior envelope definitely dropped the need for heating in the study, which was supplied with electric baseboard heat as a dehumidification strategy, in a leaky building on the humid west coast.
Hydrograph readings of temperature and humidity in the study, from going up and down like a yo-yo for years, a struggle to manage, flatlined. The conditions became so steady that the monitoring consultant hired, book binder and conservationist, orthinologist and hermit priest Charles Brandt, resigned. “You have no more use for me here. Now, here’s the two books I restored,” as he traded them for two more to work on.
The garter snake living under the couch was gently relocated - the hole in the wall he was able to get in through was patched up.
Haig-Brown House was restored 30 years ago this spring - and is very likely in need of more work. Luckily, enough cedar shingles were milled to provide for further repairs when they are needed. Such is life on the west coast. This time around, however, there’s going to be questions concerning the use of like materials - the cedar shingles, which require tight-grained, old growth cedar for source timber - as such materials become more precious left standing in the woods than turned into materials to restore a conservationist’s home.
All who are keen on learning more about Haig-Brown House can visit any time of year, and can stay in the B&B operated in the house in the spring, summer and fall. Contact: haig-brown@crmuseum.ca, tel. 1-250-286-6646.
Roderick Haig-Brown’s books are still in print, off and on. Measure of the Year (1950) is a wonderful collection of essays about living at Haig-Brown House, with contemplations on life in Campbell River. It includes Haig-Brown’s treatise on conservation, “Let Them Eat Sawdust,” on the present and future of British Columbia’s forests - much of what he warned has come to pass.
My time at Haig-Brown House continues to influence my work.
Kevin.