North Bound Design and Build Ltd.

North Bound Design and Build Ltd. North Bound Design and Build is a residential and commercial general contracting company serving Whitehorse and the surrounding communities.

One of our current projects involves a substantial building envelope upgrade and exterior renovation that we’re extremel...
06/15/2026

One of our current projects involves a substantial building envelope upgrade and exterior renovation that we’re extremely excited to see come together.

One of the things we enjoy most about these types of projects is that they allow us to dramatically improve both the performance and appearance of an existing home at the same time.

For this project, we’ve installed a continuous layer of exterior mineral wool insulation to reduce thermal bridging, improve overall energy efficiency, and create a more durable building envelope. Once complete, this home will not only look dramatically different, but it will also perform far better during our long Yukon winters.

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that some of the largest heat losses in a home occur through the wall assembly itself. By adding continuous exterior insulation, we’re effectively wrapping the home in a thermal blanket that helps keep the structure warmer, drier, and more energy efficient.

What has us especially excited about this project, however, is the finish package our clients have selected. They have an incredible eye for design and have put together a combination of materials and colours that we think is going to completely transform the appearance of this home.

We’re still in the early stages, but the finished product is going to be something special.

Stay tuned as the siding installation begins. We are excited to share the transformation as this project progresses.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

Another small project completed for our good friends at Macpherson Rentals where we removed a failed skylight that was c...
06/13/2026

Another small project completed for our good friends at Macpherson Rentals where we removed a failed skylight that was causing a minor water feature where nobody wanted one!

Over the years, we've relied extensively on MacPherson Rentals for everything from equipment purchases to equipment rentals, and even some major odd ball requests like delivering materials and a rental excavator to us in Elsa, Yukon, which they did when we were in a big timeline crush last summer on the Hecla/ERDC water treatment facility that we completed.

Regardless of what we've thrown at this team, they have consistently exceeded our expectations in every way. In an industry where reliability matters, having partners you can count on makes all the difference.

Their level of service, technical knowledge, and commitment to their customers is truly second to none. Whether we're looking for the right piece of equipment for a project, troubleshooting an issue with equipment, or arranging maintenance on our fleet, their team always goes above and beyond to ensure we're taken care of.

As a general contractor, we know how important it is to work with companies that stand behind their products and services, and that's exactly why we continue to trust MacPherson Rentals with our equipment and maintenance needs.

If you're looking for equipment rentals, equipment sales, service, or maintenance support, we highly recommend reaching out to the team at MacPherson Rentals. Their professionalism, expertise, and customer service have earned our trust time and time again.

Thank you to the entire MacPherson Rentals team. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to working together for many years to come.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

MOST YUKON HOMES ARE HEATED INCORRECTLY.That’s a bold statement, but hear us out.When homeowners complain about high uti...
06/12/2026

MOST YUKON HOMES ARE HEATED INCORRECTLY.

That’s a bold statement, but hear us out.

When homeowners complain about high utility bills, cold floors, drafts, condensation, and uncomfortable living spaces, the typical solution is:

Bigger furnace.

Bigger boiler.

More baseboards.

Larger heat pump.

But that’s like walking around in a t-shirt during a Yukon winter while carrying a bigger and bigger portable heater to keep you comfy.

The heater works harder.

Your utility bills increase.

Equipment wears out faster.

Maintenance costs rise.

Meanwhile, you’re still standing outside in a t-shirt.

In our view, the real problem often isn’t the heating system.

It’s the building envelope.

Thermal bridging.

Air leakage.

Poor vapour barrier detailing.

Insufficient insulation.

We’re often trying to solve a building envelope problem with a mechanical system.

On a recently completed 3,400 sq. ft. Yukon home, we focused on reducing heat loss first.

The result?

• 0.45 ACH blower door result

• R74 wall assemblies

• R212 attic assembly

• Approximately $386 to heat during the December 2025 billing period using only electricity based heat sources

The home became so efficient that many conventional furnaces were actually too large for the application.

The future of northern construction isn’t about bigger heating systems.

It’s about needing less heat in the first place.

Take a look through our recent “Building Beyond Code” series to learn more about how we achieved it.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 5 OF 5THE COMFORT, THE PAYBACK, AND WHY THIS MATTERSThroughout this series we’ve discussed b...
06/12/2026

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 5 OF 5

THE COMFORT, THE PAYBACK, AND WHY THIS MATTERS

Throughout this series we’ve discussed blower door testing, insulation, thermal bridging, airtightness, and heating systems.

But at the end of the day, most homeowners care about three things:

Comfort.

Utility bills.

Value.

This home’s heating costs came in at approximately $386 during December despite being a 3,400 sq. ft. home heated entirely with electricity.

By comparison, it is not uncommon for larger conventionally built all-electric homes to see winter utility bills ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 during extended cold periods.

As electrical rates continue to rise, the value of reducing energy consumption becomes even more compelling.

In addition to lower operating costs, homes that substantially exceed code requirements may also qualify for grant programs and incentives that help offset the upfront investment.

In many cases, the additional cost of a high-performance building envelope can be recovered in as little as 6-8 years.

After that, the savings continue for the life of the building.

But what surprises homeowners most isn’t the utility bill.

It’s the comfort.

No cold floors.

No cold walls.

No drafts.

Warm, dry window casings.

Even temperatures throughout the home.

It’s simply a different living experience.

At North Bound Design and Build, we apply these same building science principles to both high-performance custom homes and residential and commercial energy retrofits.

If you’re considering a new build, major renovation, or energy retrofit project, we’d be happy to discuss what opportunities may exist for your property.

Feel free to reach out for a free initial consultation.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 4 OF 5THE HOME NEEDED SO LITTLE HEAT THAT A NORMAL FURNACE WOULDN’T WORKOne of the most inte...
06/11/2026

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 4 OF 5

THE HOME NEEDED SO LITTLE HEAT THAT A NORMAL FURNACE WOULDN’T WORK

One of the most interesting outcomes of this project was that many conventional heating systems were simply too large.

Because the building envelope was performing so efficiently, North Bound Design and Build retained a mechanical engineer to complete a detailed heat loss analysis.

The results surprised everyone.

Despite being a 3,400 sq. ft. home located in rural Yukon, the entire home’s design heat load was calculated at approximately 12,000 watts.

For comparison, many conventionally built homes of similar size require several times that amount of heating capacity.

This created an unusual and unanticipated challenge.

Many furnaces available on the market were oversized for the application and would have short-cycled, reducing efficiency and increasing wear on the equipment.

Instead, the entire upper floor of this home is heated by ten small 500-watt electric baseboard heaters located beneath each of the large quad pane windows.

Combined, these baseboards provide just 5,000 watts of heating capacity for the entire upper level despite the home featuring numerous oversized 7-foot-high by 5-foot-wide quad-pane windows.

The lower level is heated by an in-floor hydronic heating system that offers heated concrete throughout the lower level, which is supplied by a 10,000-watt electric boiler.

Most people assume heating a large Yukon home with electric resistance heat would be expensive.

The reality is that when the building envelope performs at this level of efficiency, the heating demand itself becomes remarkably small.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss the part homeowners care about most: comfort, utility bills, and return on investment.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 3 OF 5THE HIDDEN SECRET: AIRTIGHTNESSYesterday, we talked about how continuous exterior insu...
06/10/2026

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 3 OF 5

THE HIDDEN SECRET: AIRTIGHTNESS

Yesterday, we talked about how continuous exterior insulation acts like a winter jacket for your home.

Today, let’s talk about something that is arguably even more important: airtightness.

Many people assume insulation is what makes a home energy efficient.

The reality is that insulation alone doesn’t stop heat loss if warm air is constantly leaking out of the building.

For this project, we achieved a blower door result of just 0.45 ACH, approximately 70% tighter than the City of Whitehorse requirement.

One of the biggest contributors to that result was our decision to create a dedicated service cavity inside the air and vapour barrier.

By building a full interior curtain wall, we were able to run plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas, data, and low-voltage wiring without repeatedly puncturing the building vapour barrier.

Fewer penetrations mean fewer opportunities for warm moist air leakage into the cold wall cavities where it condenses and leads to moisture issue, mould growth, and eventually, structural damage.

The result of a tight vapour barrier is a home that is easier to heat, more comfortable to live in, and far less susceptible to moisture-related issues over the long term.

Airtightness isn’t achieved with a single product.

It’s achieved through hundreds of small details executed correctly throughout the construction process.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss one of the most surprising outcomes of this project: the home became so energy efficient that many conventional furnaces were simply too large to operate properly.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

06/09/2026

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 2 OF 5

WHY WE WRAP HOMES LIKE WE DRESS FOR WINTER

One of the easiest ways to understand high-performance construction is to compare it to how we dress ourselves during a Yukon winter.

When it’s -40°C outside, we don’t try to stay warm by stuffing insulation between our ribs.

We put on a thick winter jacket that wraps continuously around our body and prevents the cold from reaching us in the first place.

Unfortunately, conventional construction often does the opposite.

Most homes rely on insulation placed between framing members while leaving the structure itself exposed to exterior temperatures. Those framing members create thousands of thermal bridges that allow heat to escape and cold temperatures to pe*****te deeper into the wall assembly.

For this project, we installed 3” of ROCKWOOL Comfortboard 110 continuously on the exterior of the home.

Think of it as wrapping the entire building in a warm blanket.

This continuous layer of fire-resistant, mould-resistant mineral wool dramatically reduces thermal bridging while helping keep the structural wall warmer and drier throughout the winter.

Combined with a 2x8 structural wall, 2” of HALO Interra, a service cavity, and an interior curtain wall, the final wall assembly achieved a nominal insulation value of R74.

For comparison, homes outside Whitehorse are often built to only R20 wall requirements.

If your home is your shelter from the cold, continuous exterior insulation is the winter jacket that protects it.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about the hidden secret behind this home’s performance: airtightness.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 1 OF A 5 POST SERIES:HOW WE BUILT A 3,400 SQ. FT. YUKON HOME THAT COSTS LESS THAN $400 PER M...
06/08/2026

BUILDING BEYOND CODE – PART 1 OF A 5 POST SERIES:

HOW WE BUILT A 3,400 SQ. FT. YUKON HOME THAT COSTS LESS THAN $400 PER MONTH TO HEAT IN WINTER USING ONLY ELECTRICITY

When we tell people that one of our recently completed 3,400-square-foot custom homes cost only $386 to heat during the 2025 December billing period, most assume there must be a heat pump involved.

There isn’t.

Others assume there must be some kind of oil or propane heating system.

There isn’t.

This home is heated entirely with electricity.

At North Bound Design and Build, we designed this home with one primary goal: dramatically reducing heat loss before ever thinking about the heating system.

The result was a blower door score of just 0.45 ACH (Air Changes Per Hour), dramatically outperforming the City of Whitehorse requirement of 1.5 ACH.

For those unfamiliar with blower door testing, a calibrated fan is installed in an exterior doorway and the home is pressurized or depressurized to 50 Pascals. This roughly simulates a 20 mph wind hitting all sides of the building simultaneously.

The test measures how much air leaks through the building envelope.

This home achieved a result approximately 70% tighter than the current Whitehorse requirement.

Why does that matter?

Because every bit of warm air that leaks out of a home must be replaced and reheated.

The tighter the home, the less energy it takes to keep it comfortable.

This project became a perfect example of what can happen when advanced building science, careful detailing, and quality craftsmanship work together.

Tomorrow we’ll explain why one of the most important parts of this home’s performance can be understood by thinking about how we dress ourselves during a Yukon winter.

North Bound Design and Build

Building for comfort, durability, efficiency, and the future.

Ready to Unlock the Full Potential of Your Rural Yukon Property? This past weekend we completed a big clearing, burning,...
06/02/2026

Ready to Unlock the Full Potential of Your Rural Yukon Property?

This past weekend we completed a big clearing, burning, and rough grading project for a client in Grizzly Valley and it’s a perfect example of how we can help rural landowners overcome one of the biggest barriers to improving their properties: the high cost of importing fill for grading.

Many property owners in rural Yukon hesitate to clear treed areas on their land because hauling away organics and bringing in hundreds of yards of fill gets expensive fast. In this project, we cleared approximately one full acre around the home and new shop that is under construction. This created a massive volume of grubbing material (topsoil and organics) that isn’t suitable for structural fill or grading.

Instead of paying to haul it away, we used our 35,000 lb Doosan excavator to dig three large holes, pulled out excellent glacial till and gravel materials that are perfect for rough grading (but not for building foundation prep), and buried the grubbing materials in the holes before compacting everything to minimize settlement.

The result? We gained 150 to 160 yards of usable fill material right on site which led to our clients saving a small fortune in both backhauling grubbing materials and paying for new fill to be delivered. While this material won’t offer the same level of finish as 3/4" crush, it allowed our clients to start fully utilizing their property for far less than the alternative scenario.

The value this adds to a rural property is huge: a wide, accessible driveway that allows trucks with trailers and boats to drive straight in and out, plenty of parking for toys and equipment, and much more usable space around the home and shop.

We also obtained a burn permit and safely supervised the burning of all trees, shrubs, and brush. With our portable water tanks, pumps, and fire hoses on site, we maintained full fire control at all times which is something we have extensive experience managing responsibly on rural Yukon job sites where winds can change in an instant.

If you’ve been thinking about clearing and grading your rural property but have been worried about the costs, we can help you achieve your goals for much less than you might expect, all while adding real long-term value to your land.

Interested? Reach out for a free consultation and cost estimate. Every property is different depending on the native substrate and your specific needs, but we’re confident we can create practical, usable space that makes rural Yukon living even better.

Drop us a message or give us a call at (867) 689-2907!

Nice productive day of clearing and burning!
05/30/2026

Nice productive day of clearing and burning!

Address

103 Main Street
Whitehorse, YT
Y1A2A7

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18676892907

Website

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