REMINDER:

don't forget the CHILLIWACK HOME, LEISURE & OUTDOOR LIVING SHOW, this friday, saturday and sunday (Jan. 27, 28 & 29th), at Chilliwack's Heritage Park.

PlanTech will be there, so come and say Hello at our booth.  We would be more than pleased to show you some of our past and present projects, and discuss any of your future renovation, addition, or new home planning needs.  

Now is a great time to get your planning started and have your dream project all ready to start in the spring.

Interesting article to share with you:

I took one of my personal development courses just the other day, and found out one very interesting bit of information on GREEN ROOF'S.  I always thought (and I believe most building owners think the same) that to incorporate a Green Roof into a new building is very costly, so how am I going to convince a developer to incorporate a Green Roof.  Well, I found out that the cost does not have to be excessive.  A green roof can actually be a very good cost saving component of your new building.  It can save you on your air conditioning and heating costs by adding an additional insulatiive value to the roof , and can also save installing a huge water retention system (this is mainly for multi-family, commercial or industrial projects).  How??  As the Green Roof can retain a large amount of water, which it also uses to irrigate the vegetation, this rain water, that would typically go into your Municipal Storm Drain system, is now retained in the growing medium, or used up by the vegetation, thus eliminating the requirement for a large water retention system (which can be a very cumbersome and expensive portion of a new development).  A Green Roof is also very good for the environment, very aesthetically pleasing, and can be a great amenity space for the building user.  

Hope to see you at the Home Show.

Hello everyone, have you been thinking about starting a new renovation or addition project but are nervous to start because you have a hard time visualizing what the final product will look like? It can be difficult to picture what is on your mind when you look at 2 dimensional drawings.   We can help.

PlanTech can supply you with realistic 3 dimensional renderings to help you visualize your new project better.  Taking on a new project like a house addition or new home can be stressful, time consuming and expensive, so it is understandable that you would want to make sure your ideas are put on paper in the right way before you start digging. 

Don't wait for spring, give us a call today and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss your future plans. 

  "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every oportunity;

     An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty"

                                             - Winston Churchill.

 PlanTech not only provides design services for your home, but for the past 23 years we have also been providing design services for:

• COMMERCIAL
• INDUSTRIAL
• MULTI-FAMILY
• AGRICULTURAL

Take a look at our website and check out some of the great projects we have completed in the past.

PlanTech Design & Drafting, over 37 years of experience.

Well everyone, the current economy has slowed down the building industry greatly, so now is the time to start planning that new dream home, renovation, professional building or new development. With construction being slower, you have the opportunity to grab the better construction and material rates, to make your project much more affordable. 

Have you ever heard the phrase “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”??   This rings very true in my mind as the planning process can help in a number of beneficial ways:
     ‒    give a direction and clarity
     ‒    you can manage your time and money better
     ‒    makes for easier decision making
     ‒    aligns the process and procedures
     ‒    identifies results you want to achieve
     ‒    identifies the work and resources needed to achieve those results you want
     ‒    a plan is a means to an end

Plantech can help you with all of this.  Give us a call anytime and we would be happy to meet with you, without obligation, to discuss any planning of up coming projects you want to become successful,


Jim Hipwell, bd.aibc, c.tech
Owner of Plantech Design & Drafting

Rob Kingma, Kingcraft Construction Ltd.:

“Jim Hipwell and Plantech Design have brought ease and professionalism to many of our projects. We have worked together with Plantech on several homes ranging from entry level homes to luxury custom homes as well as a multi-family development project. Jim has also assisted in the development and rezoning stages of our multi-family project as well as representing us to city council. Kingcraft and our customers have enjoyed working with Jim and appreciate the knowledge and guidance that Plantech has provided time and again.”

NEW PROJECT:

We have a new and exciting project under construction.  The Squiala First Nation Band in Chilliwack are nearing completion of their new longhouse.  This state of the art longhouse replaces their old building that was sadly destroyed by fire over 20 years ago.  The design of this new structure incorporates sustainable materials, a very interesting log frame & roof structure, made up of parallel chord roof trusses made of B.C. logs, running the entire length of the new longhouse, with a conventional rafter system spanning between these log trusses.  There is also a large washroom and commercial kitchen wing (not common in traditional longhouses). 

Pre-Planning Tip:

Planning on building a new home or office space??  This should be a very exciting and rewarding time in your life, but sometimes ends up being time consuming, stressful, and very frustrating.  In order to save this frustration (and possible cost over runs), do some pre planning and research.  Prepare a list of materials including the make and model numbers for your flooring, plumbing fixtures, electrical fixtures, lighting, etc..., and try and do this for every room.   "HOW THE HECK DO I DO THIS??" you may ask.   It may sound difficult and a lot of work, but it can be a lot of fun and exciting (if you allow time prior to pricing and construction of your project).  Pick a weekend or a day off, grab a coffee, and go visit your local building supply store, plumbing or electrical show room, and start noting down the type, style and model numbers of the different fixtures or materials you want to use in each room.  If possible, do this over a few weekends or days off, as you will find there is a lot to look at and make decisions on.  Once you have compiled your list, give this to your general contractor and have them incorporate these items into their pricing for your new home (or office).  A good general contractor will typically get better pricing from their own wholesaler, and will let you know whether you are within their budgeted amount.  If you are getting competitive pricing from a few contractor's, this list will ensure they are all pricing on the same materials (apples for apples).  Without this list, your contractor will provide an "allowance" for your plumbing, electrical, and other finishes, but what does this really mean? what are you really getting?   Trying to pick out materials and finishes during construction and under tight time frames and under pressure, is way more stressful than doing this little bit of pre planning, and you may end up making a quick decision that you regret later on.  Hopefully this little tip will help you out,  and be a very fun and rewarding part of your new home. 

Good luck,

Plantech Design & Drafting

"Jim and his team were able to walk us through the process of building a custom home.  His weekly meetings gave us the oppoortunity to digest his recommendations from the previous week.  His  experience with designing custom homes, gave us the insight to see what impact changes might have.   He patiently allowed us time to discuss and review the changes as they happened.  Jim was a pleasure    to work with, and I wiould recommend him to anyone looking to deisgn their own home...."

Welcome visitors, browsers and just plain curious people.

scr PlanTech Inc. is very excited to bring you our new website. We've sliced a lot of information off as compared to our previous site but what was said in words is now said through pictures.

Take a look around and see the latest projects we've been working on. We hope it will inspire you to give us a call and find out more information. If email is more your preference visit our contact page, or use or arrange a consultation form.

We look forward to hearing from you!