Prefabricated Balconies Elevate Sustainability at Vienna House

The first week of June 2025 marked a significant milestone for the Vienna House project with the installation of phase one of its prefabricated balcony systems, the final prefabricated component yet to be installed, on the building’s south side. The next phase of balcony installations is targeted for mid to late summer. This installation positions Vienna House as the first project in Western Canada to incorporate this modular balcony system. Supplied by Sapphire Balconies, a UK-based company introducing its innovative prefabricated balcony concept to the Canadian market, these units exemplify Vienna House’s commitment to advancing sustainable construction methods.

With a mandate to build a high-performance, low-emission, and affordable multi-family housing, the Vienna House team developed a procurement and logistics strategy that prioritized prefabrication components. Each building element was carefully evaluated for its potential to be designed and sourced through prefabrication. This assessment ultimately led to the selection of Sapphire’s modular balcony system, a decision that aligned with the project’s overarching goal of integrating forward-thinking materials and building processes.

Balconies Built for Performance, Designed to Meet Project Sustainability and Design Goals

Sapphire’s balcony system delivers long-term value for the client through its advanced click-and-release mechanism, which allows balconies to be removed and replaced without intrusive or destructive work to the building envelope. This minimizes the need for repairs or complex renovations, helping to preserve the integrity and performance of the building’s thermal and moisture barriers over time. By minimizing penetrations into the structure, supporting the project’s Passive House goals, the system also lowers the risk of thermal bridging and water ingress — both of which can compromise energy efficiency and lead to maintenance issues.

The prefabricated balconies played a key role in addressing the high-performance requirements of Vienna House. “If these balconies were constructed traditionally, they would have had a large surface passing through the facade, making it difficult to meet Passive House standards,” explained Luke Haughton, President and Managing Director at Sapphire Balconies. “With the approach we took, using tie rods, the penetrations were both minimal and thermally broken.”

Photography courtesy of Sapphire Balconies

Supporting long-term sustainability, the ability to easily replace or upgrade balconies without demolition extends the usable life of both the balconies and the building itself. Additionally, because the system arrives on-site as a fully finished product, requiring only the attachment of brackets and placement of balcony units, it minimizes construction waste, reduces installation time, and prevents prolonged site activity. This streamlined process not only supports a cleaner, safer job site, but also contributes to a more sustainable building lifecycle by significantly simplifying the construction schedule. The work is broken into three distinct phases: design approval, fabrication and lead time, and on-site installation. This approach eliminated the need for coordinating multiple trades across different stages of the build.

Photography courtesy of Sapphire Balconies

As the first installation of its kind in Western Canada, this project required an exceptionally close partnership between Kindred Construction and Sapphire Balconies. Success hinged on meticulous coordination, detailed planning, and proactive project management to seamlessly integrate the prefabricated balcony system.

Through consistent communication between Sapphire Balconies and Kindred Construction, the balcony designs were refined and optimized to meet both architectural and performance objectives. “By all parties being clear about the project aspirations and openly discussing the unique challenges, such as tight site boundaries, mass timber construction, and the need for substantial balcony protection, a clear vision was established,” said Nick Houghton. This collaborative approach allowed the balconies to be streamlined for buildability and long-term performance, resulting in reduced embodied carbon, Passive House compliant balcony connections, improved thermal efficiency, and rapid installation.

Creating a Community, Not Just Homes

Vienna House is envisioned not just as a residence, but as a purpose-built community, thoughtfully designed with features that enhance the livability throughout the building. The prefabricated balconies help to fulfill this in several ways:

1. Seamless indoor-outdoor living: The balconies create a smooth, level threshold that removes the need for a step, promoting accessibility and enabling barrier-free access for disabled users.
2. Abundant natural light with privacy: The use of privacy glass allows residents to feel comfortable within their homes while still benefiting from generous daylight.
3. Generous balcony projections: These spacious balconies provide room for practical, full-sized outdoor furniture, encouraging residents to use the space as an extension of their home. The projections also improve resident comfort by providing effective shading, a requisite in Passive House design to reduce solar heat gain and reduce the demand on mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems.

The project represents a divergence in sustainable and affordable housing development. From a sustainability standpoint, the modular design and lightweight construction of the prefabricated balcony units fit smoothly with the development’s timber frame and permit just a fraction of heat to escape the building. From an affordability perspective, their prefabricated nature shortens construction timelines and reduces labor costs, helping deliver affordable housing more efficiently than traditional methods.

As cities pursue scalable, cost-effective solutions to address growing housing demands, prefabrication is emerging as a key driver of innovation. Vienna House reflects a shift in mindset, from relying solely on traditional on-site methods to exploring what more can be prefabricated off-site to enhance efficiency and elevate housing delivery. It represents a step towards building smarter, faster, and more sustainably, and Kindred Construction is proud to be part of this visionary experience leveraging innovation to meet evolving urban demands and help shape Vancouver’s residential landscape.