Nestled at the entrance of Lost Lake is a curious looking building with an interesting story. Canada’s first certified PassivHaus, which uses 90 percent less energy than a traditional home, was built in Whistler for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and housed the Austrian Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
It was donated to the community by the Austrian Passive House Group and renamed the Lost Lake PassivHaus. It now serves the community as a seasonal day-lodge where you can rent bikes, cross-country skis, and snowshoes to enjoy the trails. It’s also a great place to pick up a coffee while you check out the heritage photos on the walls and temporary art shows that occasionally exhibit on the upper floor.
Did You Know:
A passive house (passivhaus in German) refers to the focus on ultra-low energy usage construction techniques, where an incredible amount of attention is paid to reducing “thermal bridges’, which is how heat escapes in the winter and gets trapped in the summer. A typical passive house uses up to 90 percent less energy than a traditionally built home because it doesn’t have an active heating or cooling system – it’s been specifically designed not to need it.
Our Tip:
Grab a coffee and huddle up inside if it’s cold, or people watch from one of the outdoor picnic tables in the sunshine. It’s a great place to relax, with the Fitzsimmons Creek flowing nearby, the old growth forest creating natural shade, and a nice buzz from the bikers and cross-country skiers busy doing their thing.
