WORDS BY CHRIS TIESSEN; PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN, SCOTT MARTIN, JASON HARTOG & STUARTVISUALS
When I heard that Guelph-based Frontiers Design + Build had merged with Eric Small and his team at SL Builders Group under the Frontiers name earlier this year, I knew something special was taking shape. After all, Frontiers and SL Builders have long been go-to names in the world of high-performance construction across the region. Think stylish, ultra-efficient builds and renovations featuring heavily insulated walls, airtight envelopes, triple-pane windows, thermal bridge-free design, and top-tier heat recovery ventilation. For quieter homes. Healthier homes. And more comfortable homes. Bolstered with the talent and experience of Eric and his team, Frontiers continues to be a leading design-build team that delivers quality without compromise.
This fresh and robust iteration of Frontiers makes perfect sense. Since 2008, when newly-minted University of Guelph grad Doug Taylor launched Frontiers as a landscape architecture firm, he’s been laser-focused on building a dream team — professionals with the talent, vision, and experience to deliver innovative, thoughtful design solutions. In 2011 Doug’s brother Adam joined the business full-time and in 2014 became a partner. That same year, when Doug wanted to expand his growing company’s scope to include home renovations and small additions, he brought his friend James Savoie — a fellow University of Guelph grad who shared his vision of quality and craftsmanship — on board as a third partner. Before long, these three designed a business model that was executing landscape architecture, home building and renovation projects. (See TOQUE 21 for a feature on the team’s complete restoration and deep energy retrofit of James’ Arkell family home.) And now, with Eric (and his team) joining Frontiers as its fourth partner, the sky’s the limit for this Royal City-based operation.
‘If there’s one thing we want prospective clients to understand,’ says Doug, chatting with me from the groundbreaking site beside three soon-to-be Frontiers builds on Dawn Avenue in south Guelph, ‘it’s that homes can — and should — be built better.’ But what exactly does this mean? ‘At Frontiers, better means high-performance and Passive House-certified homes,’ Doug explains. If you’ve dabbled in design trends, green tech, or German engineering, you’ve likely heard of Passive House — a building standard that dramatically reduces energy use through what Doug calls an ‘envelope-first’ strategy: seamless insulation, triple-pane windows, airtight construction, and a heat-recovery ventilation (HRV) system that makes the most of every bit of energy consumed.
And the benefits of a high-performance or Passive House-certified home go far beyond efficiency. These airtight builds maintain consistent temperatures, eliminate cold spots, resist wear from condensation and seasonal shifts, and keep noise out. The result? An oasis that’s quieter, healthier, and built to last. These homes feel every bit as good as they perform, with comfort that is immediate and tangible. Consistent temperatures. Filtered air. Near-silence inside the build (no more pesky traffic noise). And usability in every room.
At Frontiers the building process starts with a robust pre-construction phase. ‘Passive House design relies on an integrated design process from a collaborative team,’ Doug remarks, ‘which includes detailed design and energy modelling and careful pre-construction planning.’
A crucial element of this modelling and planning: 3D constructability models of every build. ‘3D models turn complex Passive House goals into clear, buildable designs,’ Doug tells me. ‘Every detail — window placement, insulation, thermal bridging — is visualized and refined before construction. These renderings,’ he continues, ‘integrate with energy modeling tools and have the effect of ensuring project viability and designing out oversights. When plans shift, the models update instantly to maintain certification standards.’ To ensure rigorous compliance, Frontiers partners with Mizu Passive House Consulting and employs a third-party PHI-accredited building certifier who reviews each stage of a build — from 3D modeling to final commissioning.
While the overall cost of a Frontiers build — or really any high-performance or Passive House build — is about ten per cent higher than a comparable conventional build (for a more thorough design process, additional insulation, better windows and doors, and more), the post-build savings are real. And tangible. As Doug notes: ‘Our clients see a drastic reduction in their home’s energy use — up to ninety percent for heating and cooling and between sixty to eighty percent overall.’ Homeowners enjoy cost savings on rising energy costs while contributing to a more sustainable future. And Frontiers builds promise to be pretty, too — with all the amenities that new home buyers have come to expect from high-end builds.
Just take a peek at the building plans for the company’s three imminent custom homes on Dawn Avenue — the first slated Passive House projects in Guelph and among just fifty certified Passive House builds in Canada. While these homes remain in the pre-construction phase (and are indeed available for purchase), they promise to be packed with wonderfully- luxurious features. The ‘Blackwell House’, for instance (the first of the three to be built) is tucked into Guelph’s south end on a spacious (and rare) 64’ by 115’ lot. With 3,226 square feet of modern farmhouse design, it’s a fusion of bold architecture and world-class building science.
Inside, the ten-foot-ceilinged main floor is designed for living and entertaining — with dual kitchen islands, integrated European appliances, white oak cabinetry, and porcelain countertops. Thoughtful touches — a walk-in pantry, mudroom, and second-floor flex space — will make everyday life easier. And outside, wood siding, black window frames, and stone masonry will give the home serious curb appeal. And underneath it all: an ultra-airtight envelope, an ICF foundation, and premium ventilation and filtration. In short, a home that’s built to impress and endure.
And Frontiers doesn’t limit itself to new home builds. In fact, a good chunk of its business includes landscape projects, home additions and renovations. And now, with Eric and his crew on board, Frontiers has taken on commercial builds too. Like the new Wyndham House project in Guelph — a renovation and expansion initiative that promises to expand the Guelph-based not-for-profit’s current eight-room lodging house for youth experiencing homelessness into a state-of-the-art three-storey, ten-bedroom residential building providing three semi-autonomous, fully-managed dwelling units. ‘Frontiers has been retained as the project’s construction manager,’ Doug tells me, ‘and will also provide full construction services for the work.’ He continues: ‘With our building science approach, we are targeting to dramatically improve the current building’s energy performance while also providing Wyndham House and its clients with a healthy, comfortable place to work and stay.’ A win-win, then.
With a passionate team, a clear vision, and a growing portfolio of projects that blend beauty with performance, Frontiers isn’t just building homes — they’re shaping the future of how we live.
FRONTIERS DESIGN+BUILD
GUELPH, ON
frontiersdesignbuild.com
