When Hasler Homes Ltd. won the Best Custom or Renovated Net Zero Home award in the 2026 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence, the recognition was very personal for Founder and CEO Greg Hasler.

The winning project, “Net Zero Lifestyle,” is his own family home.

Winning Net Zero Home by Hasler Homes Ltd. in the 2026 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence Best Custom or Renovated Net Zero Home category

Also known as “Haven,” the North Vancouver home was designed for family life, comfort, beauty, and energy efficiency. Qualified under CHBA’s Net Zero Home Labelling Program, it features low-carbon concrete, a high-performance building envelope, an advanced air-exchange system, and rooftop solar panels.

For Hasler, the home was a chance to take 15 years of high-performance building experience and apply it to a project that was both deeply personal and technically ambitious.

“I always preach the benefits of living in a Net Zero Home to people,” says Hasler. “So, I decided it was finally time to walk the talk.”

The result is a home that reflects much of what Hasler Homes Ltd. has become known for: thoughtful design, careful planning, strong building science, and a practical approach to energy performance.

It also marks another major Net Zero achievement for the company. In 2021, Hasler Homes won CHBA’s Net Zero Home Award for “Linda Vista,” another Net Zero custom home that brought together accessibility, natural light, design, and energy performance.

At the time, Hasler described the move into Net Zero as a natural progression for a company that was already building homes to a higher standard. With “Net Zero Lifestyle,” the company has continued to build on that experience.

Building around the homeowner

Greg Hasler, Founder and CEO of Hasler Homes Ltd., standing inside his award-winning CHBA Qualified Net Zero Home

Hasler Homes Ltd. has been building custom homes and doing large-scale renovations in Vancouver since 2011. Today, the company works across Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Burnaby, and has started delivering projects in surrounding areas, including Whistler and Squamish.

The company specializes in high-performance renovations, energy retrofits, custom homes, and Net Zero construction.

For Hasler, every project starts with the people who will live in the home.

 “I really let the client and the architect bring their vision,” he says. “My goal as a builder is to bring your vision to life.”

That mindset is especially important with Net Zero Home construction. Hasler does not approach it as something to push on homeowners. He sees it as a conversation about goals, budget, comfort, performance, and how the home will be used.

“It really comes down to what their goals are, and how can we help them achieve them,” he says.

That means bringing the right people to the table early, including the Qualified Net Zero Energy Advisor, designer, and mechanical team. It also means making the building science understandable.

For example, to help homeowners visualize how Net Zero Homes deliver exceptional home comfort, Hasler often explains why the building envelope and added insulation is important in simple terms.

“When you’re cold outside, what do you do? You put a coat on or a sweater,” he says. “We achieve the same effect by putting insulation on the exterior home.”

It’s a practical way to explain a technical decision. For homeowners, that kind of clarity matters.

Details that made the home stand out

Mechanical room of “Net Zero Lifestyle” by Hasler Homes Ltd.

“Net Zero Lifestyle” was built through a series of careful choices. The home includes lower-carbon concrete, exterior insulation, two air barriers, insulated piping, high-performance mechanical systems, renewable energy generation, and close coordination with an energy advisor.

Hasler also paid close attention to areas that are easy to overlook, including how pipes entered and left the building. Pipes were insulated for the first few feet to help reduce energy loss.

Hasler says that level of detail helped set the project apart.

“We built a very beautiful house and really took into account all the detail-level things,” he says.

The electrical system also required careful planning. Hasler chose a 320-amp system rather than oversizing to a 400-amp service, giving the home the capacity it needed without overbuilding the system, which saves costs for the homeowner.

Solar planning brought another layer of complexity. Due to the home’s A-frame design, solar exposure changes throughout the day. Some panels receive sun at certain times, while others receive it later, so the team had to think carefully about placement and production.

That is part of what Hasler enjoys about high-performance construction. Every home, site, roofline, and family is different. The best solution depends on the project.

Realities behind the build

Greg Hasler stands behind the custom bar in his team’s award-winning “Net Zero Lifestyle” project

The technical side of Net Zero was only one part of the story. Like many custom homes, the project also had to move through permitting, site preparation, coordination, and municipal requirements.

According to Hasler, the project took roughly two years from start to finish, including purchasing the property, demolition, permitting, site preparation, and construction. The build itself took about 12 months.

Stormwater management was another major consideration. In British Columbia, managing how water moves from a property into the municipal system can affect permitting and site design. For this home, drainage was carefully planned so the property could manage water effectively, even during heavy rainfall.

These are the details homeowners may not think about when they first start planning a custom home, but they can have a major impact on timelines, budgets, and the overall building process.

A more informed homeowner

Hasler is seeing a noticeable change in what homeowners care about.

“More clients are asking about energy efficiency,” he says. “More are bringing designers into the process early. More are asking about grants. More are researching insulation, windows, mechanical systems, solar, and performance before meeting with us.”

That changes the conversation in a positive way. It also makes professional experience more important.

Hasler says homeowners interested in Net Zero Homes should look for a builder or renovator who has been through the process. The more experience a builder has with high-performance homes, the better they become at managing cost, avoiding unnecessary complexity, and helping clients understand where their money will make the biggest difference.

Budget is still one of the biggest parts of the conversation. Hasler says many people want energy efficient features, but the question is how far they can go within their budget.

That is why he focuses on helping clients understand what is required, what is optional, and what can be planned for later.

Growing interest in Canadian products

Another shift Hasler is seeing is a growing interest in Canadian-made products. Homeowners are increasingly asking where products come from, particularly for items such as windows, heat pumps, and insulation.

Finding those products can take more research, and in most cases they cost more. Hasler says some Canadian options can be 5 to 15 per cent higher in price, but many clients are willing to consider that premium when it aligns with their values and the goals of the home.

For builders and renovators, that adds another layer to product selection. Performance, cost, availability, origin, serviceability, and long-term value all become part of the decision.

A team win

Group photo of the Hasler Homes Ltd. team behind the “Net Zero Lifestyle” project

Although “Net Zero Lifestyle” is Hasler’s own home, he sees the award as a team achievement.

Hasler was not able to make the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence awards gala in Quebec City when the winners were announced. Understandably, Greg was at one of his kids’ baseball tournaments, getting ready for the game as an assistant coach while the results were coming in live.

“I kept looking on my phone as awards results were coming out,” he says.

At one point, while throwing batting practice, he checked again and saw the news. Hasler Homes had won!

“You should have seen your face when you won,” a friend told him afterwards. Hasler remembers the feeling clearly: “I was like a little kid. I had just won an Oscar!”

Soon after, messages started coming in from his team.

“They’re texting me going, ‘We won, we won,’” he says.

It was a fitting way to experience the moment: at the ball field with his family, while sharing the win with the team that helped make the home possible.

“I get the jobs, I go through the process, but our team builds the homes,” he says. “There is no Hasler Homes without our team.”

The award reflects the people who planned the work, built the home, solved problems, and carried out the details that Net Zero Home construction requires.

That same, team-first mindset is shaping what comes next for Hasler Homes. Over the next five years, Hasler hopes to move further into multi-generational homes and small-scale multi-unit housing, including homes with suites, laneway homes, fourplexes, and six-plexes.

The goal is to apply high-performance building knowledge to housing that can support more families, and contribute to affordability on a broader scale.

Built for superior energy performance, comfort, and daily life

For Hasler Homes, the award is a proud milestone reflecting years of experience, hard work, a dedicated team, and a builder committed to learning with every project.

“Net Zero Lifestyle” was designed for performance, but it was also built for family, comfort, and everyday living.

Greg Hasler and his wife Natalie Hasler in the living room of their award-winning Net Zero Home

On a personal level, one of the most enjoyable features of his home is the solar system and being able to see the energy production in real time, says Hasler.

The award means the world to the company, but the more tangible satisfaction for Hasler comes from seeing the home work out well for his family.

The home was designed around everyday life, comfort, and a strong connection to the outdoors. It also reflects years of experience, lessons learned from past Net Zero projects, and a team that understands the details behind high-performance building.

The project shows how performance, design, and livability can work together when the right planning happens from the beginning.

For homeowners, that means asking better questions early: Who should be involved? What does a home need to achieve Net Zero? Which upgrades will make the biggest difference? Can a fully Net Zero Home be delivered now, or can the project start as a Net Zero Ready Home with plan to install the renewable energy source later?

For builders and renovators, it is a reminder that high-performance construction is becoming a bigger part of the conversation with clients. Experience, education, and collaboration will continue to matter.

Are you considering a Net Zero Home? Find a Qualified Net Zero Builder or Renovator near you.

If you’re a builder or renovator who is interested delivering Net Zero Homes, learn more about how to become qualified under the Net Zero Home Labeling Program here.

For more information about the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence, visit chba.ca/housingawards.