Building Momentum Into Fall: Q3 Updates at Twin Lions
This blog features our latest quarterly newsletter, where we share project highlights, team updates, and community involvement. Want to see it first next time? Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter and stay connected to everything happening at Twin Lions.
A Note from Kevin
Summer is wrapping up, the days are getting shorter, school is back in session, the world is getting crazier, and yet Twin Lions continues to roll forward celebrating a great quarter behind us and exciting things to come.
This last quarter we hit some big milestones. We handed over the keys to our Burnaby Heights custom home that we completed for some amazing clients. Collaborating with Synthesis Design, this home is an absolutely stunning high-performance home that our clients will enjoy for years to come. We kicked off our Granada custom home/coach house project with GDP Architecture. A thoughtfully designed home that will be a beautiful addition to a fantastic neighbourhood. We also continue to progress on a myriad of different projects ranging from basements suites, secondary suite garage conversations, main floor/kitchen refreshes, laneway houses, and full home revitalizations. The variety and complexity of this work has been keeping our team engaged, and we can’t wait to showcase these projects as they progress. You can check out some of the cool stuff our team is creating below.
We’ve also had the chance to look back at NorthVanNetZero through two recently published case studies. NorthVanNetZero was the first full Net-Zero certified renovation on the North Shore, and it is a project that continues to be a great reminder of how much planning, collaboration, and problem-solving goes into high-performance construction, and how much there still to learn for all of us.
I am always loathed to talk politics in this space, but the municipal general election is coming up on October 17th. I think people seriously underestimate how impactful municipal politics are to their day to day lives. These are the neighbourhoods we live in, work in, and our kids go to school in. I urge everyone to get informed, get out and vote, and make your voice heard.
I am genuinely excited for the next quarter as we head into fall. We have some unique and impactful projects getting started, more milestones to celebrate, our legendary Movember campaign will be coming back once again to raise much needed funds for men’s health, our internal education and training program continues to grow with more great speakers lined up, and on a personal note, I am very excited to be inducted as the Chair of the HAVAN board this coming October.
This fall is going to be a fun one!
Cheers,
Kevin
Project Update: Burnaby Heights
Handing Over the Keys
There’s something particularly satisfying about seeing a project move from drawings and construction details to a home that is ready to be lived in.
This quarter, we handed the keys back to our clients at Burnaby Heights.
The finished home is built around clean lines, natural materials, and a calm, understated feel. White oak custom cabinetry carries through the interior, while the outdoor spaces include lush landscaping, a pool and hot tub, and a rooftop deck with sweeping views across Burnaby and toward the mountains.
What we like most about a project like this is how many individual details have to work together to create a finished home that feels simple. Millwork, interior finishes, outdoor living spaces, landscaping, and all the less-visible construction work behind them have to be carefully coordinated from the beginning.
It was a true collaboration from the first decisions through the final details, and we’re excited to see our clients settle in and make the space their own.
Project Update: Hyannis
Our Hyannis project is coming together quickly, and the exterior framing is starting to give us a real vision of how this home will look when it’s finished! This addition to the home will feature a new garage, an extended dining area, along with a beautiful covered outdoor living space designed for enjoying the outdoors year-round. Large sliding glass doors will connect the outdoor space to the interior, creating a seamless flow between the home and an amazing deck. Our team is enjoying seeing how this project is evolving and we can’t wait to see it finished!
Project Update: Granada
Our Granada project is officially underway, and things are taking shape on site! This project includes both a new home and a coach house. We’re currently in the forming stage, pouring the foundations and setting the stage to get rolling on framing. It’s exciting to see the project move from plans on paper to something we can see and walk through on site. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re looking forward to watching this one come to life!
The Lessons Behind a High-Performance Retrofit
NorthVanNetZero has been finished for some time, but the learning from this project is ongoing.
The home has been featured in detailed case studies from ZEBx and Retrofit Canada, offering a closer look at what it took to transform an existing North Vancouver home into a high-performance, net-zero residence.
For builders, designers, and anyone interested in high-performance construction, the case studies look beyond the finished project to explore topics like:
Integrated design and early collaboration
Deconstruction and material reuse
Airtightness and building-envelope upgrades
Electrification and solar
Low-carbon material choices
Permitting and regulatory challenges
Stormwater and wildfire resilience
For us, one of the biggest takeaways from NorthVanNetZero is that high-performance construction is rarely about one product or one decision. The best results come from getting the right people involved early, looking at the home as a complete system, and being willing to work through challenges that do not always have a standard answer.
Read ZEBx
Read Retrofit Canada
Team Celebrations
Recognition Awards
Congratulations to Reid and Noah, this quarter’s Recognition Award recipients!
Nominated and voted on by their peers, Reid and Noah were recognized for demonstrating two of Twin Lions’ core values: Team and Resourceful.
Both of them consistently bring a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and willingness to step up wherever they’re needed. Whether they’re supporting a teammate, solving a challenge on site, or helping keep a project moving, their contributions make a real difference.
Well deserved, Reid and Noah. Thanks for everything you bring to the Twin Lions team.
10 Years With Glen
Some people love the spotlight. Glen is not one of them.
So naturally, when he hit 10 years with Twin Lions, we made sure he got a little well-deserved attention at our quarterly staff meeting.
As a Site Manager, he has worked on countless different projects while watching the company change and evolve over the years into what it is today. Glen is known for his leadership style, which lets the team really think their way through things and take ownership of their own decisions. His experience, problem-solving skills and knowledge of construction have also helped shape a lot of our team members along the way.
Glen has recently played a big role in the launch of our education and training platform, and he continuously helps shape the way our team works together.
Ten years, a whole lot of projects, plenty of problem-solving and countless contributions to the Twin Lions team. Thanks, Glen, for everything you’ve brought to Twin Lions over the past 10 years!
You’re Invited: Twin Lions Trivia Night
November is coming, which means the TL Dusters are back and the questionable moustaches won’t be far behind! This year, we’re bringing back Twin Lions Trivia Night for round two on Thursday, November 19 at Miso Taco x Wildeye Brewing. It’s a chance to get together for a night of trivia, laughs, and community while supporting a cause that’s close to our hearts: men’s health. Tickets are $25 and include two rounds of trivia, an entry raffle ticket, and food and drink specials. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and trivia kicks off at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are limited, so gather your crew and email Kim at kim@twinlionscontracting.com to reserve yours today. We’d love to see you there!
RSVP Now
Training & Education
A big thank you to Elisabeth from CarbonWise for joining us as part of our monthly Education & Training seminars.
The session gave our team a closer look at the environmental impact of how we build and the role our industry can play in reducing carbon emissions. From early design decisions to evolving construction practices, we explored practical ways to reduce our footprint while still delivering high-quality homes.
For us, these sessions are about continuing to learn, asking better questions, and finding ways to improve how we build. Thanks again to Elisabeth for sharing her expertise and sparking some great conversations with the team.
From the Lion’s Den
Another great Twin Lions Family BBQ in the books! It’s always a highlight to bring our team and their families together outside of work for an evening of good food, laughs, and time to catch up.
Thinking about renovating or building your dream home? Get in touch with us for a free consultation to discuss your vision!
