A family relaxing in the open living space of a modern high-performance home overlooking the city

Custom Home Builder · Toronto, Vaughan & Greater Toronto Area

Better Homes Begin With Better Building Science.

Custom homes designed around comfort, durability, energy performance, and the principles of Passive House — built for Ontario's climate.

Building Envelope Systems Passive House Principles Toronto · Vaughan · GTA
25+ Years of Experience
2016 Established in Canada
HCRA Licensed Vendor & Builder
Fully Insured & Licensed

Built for How a Home Should Feel

The Home as One Complete System

A high-performance home is not defined by one product or one layer of insulation. It is the result of hundreds of decisions working together.

01 — The System
Temperature Humidity Airtightness Windows Insulation Ventilation Moisture Management Structure Finishes

At Berm, we consider the home as one complete system so every part of the building supports comfort, performance, and long-term durability.

01

Comfort

More consistent indoor temperatures, warmer interior surfaces, and fewer uncomfortable drafts.

02

Healthy Air

Controlled ventilation helps bring fresh filtered air into the home while removing stale indoor air and excess moisture.

03

Efficiency

A carefully designed building envelope reduces unnecessary heat loss and lowers the energy required to keep the home comfortable.

04

Durability

Proper water management, airtightness, insulation, flashing, and moisture control help protect the building for decades.

Building Science First

Performance Begins Behind the Finishes.

Some of the most important parts of a home are the parts you eventually never see.

Before drywall. Before cabinetry. Before flooring.

Berm focuses closely on the assemblies behind the finished home — from foundation connections and wall systems to windows, roofs, air barriers, insulation, and flashing.

Our objective is simple: build the enclosure correctly before covering it.

Behind the Finishes Carpenter cutting timber on a Berm Inc. construction site

The Berm Envelope

One Continuous Protective Layer Around Your Home.

A high-performance building envelope separates the controlled indoor environment from Ontario's changing outdoor climate. At Berm, we pay particular attention to:

  • Continuous Insulation — less heat loss through walls, roofs, and foundations.
  • Airtight Construction — a continuous air-control layer around the building.
  • Thermal-Bridge Reduction — detailing where structure could conduct heat.
  • High-Performance Windows & Doors — installed as part of the envelope, not openings in the wall.
  • Water & Moisture Management — drainage planes, flashing, membranes, and transitions done right.

The full building envelope breakdown

The Berm Envelope Modern custom home facade — stone, wood and metal cladding transitions by Berm Inc.

Passive House Principles

Proven Principles. Applied Thoughtfully.

Berm integrates Passive House principles into the way we think about custom home construction.

02 — Principles
  • 01

    Continuous Insulation

    Stable interior temperatures throughout the seasons.

  • 03

    High-Performance Windows & Doors

    Comfort next to the glass.

  • 04

    Reduced Thermal Bridging

    Fewer heat leaks at connections.

High-performance home cutaway — continuous insulation, airtight layer and balanced ventilation with heat recovery
  • 02

    Airtight Construction

    Limits uncontrolled air leakage and improves comfort.

  • 05

    Balanced Ventilation

    Fresh air with heat recovery.

Insulation Layer Airtight Layer Airflow — Fresh Supply Airflow — Stale Exhaust High-performance home in section — insulation, airtightness and balanced ventilation with heat recovery, working as one complete system.

Passive House principles applied to better custom homes.

Explore the 5 Principles

The Connections Rebar reinforcement grid installation on a Berm Inc. construction site

Details Matter

Performance Is Won at the Connections.

A wall can contain excellent insulation and still underperform if the transitions are poorly detailed. That is why Berm pays close attention to locations such as:

  • Window-to-wall connections
  • Door thresholds
  • Foundation-to-wall transitions
  • Wall-to-roof connections
  • Balconies and structural penetrations
  • Cladding attachments
  • Air-barrier transitions
  • Flashing and drainage details

These small areas can have a major effect on airtightness, moisture control, thermal bridging, and long-term durability.

The details you cannot see are often the details that matter most.

Windows as Part of the Envelope

A High-Performance Window Is Only as Good as Its Installation.

Windows are among the most technically important components of the building envelope. Berm considers the complete connection between the window and wall, including:

Thermal Continuity Air-Barrier Continuity Water Management Structural Support Exterior Weather Sealing Interior Airtight Sealing

This approach helps reduce drafts, condensation risk, heat loss, and thermal bridging around the opening.

Window-to-Wall Modern architectural facade with cladding and large windows on a Berm Inc. project
Ontario Climate Modern home exterior at twilight — warm lit interior against a cool evening sky

Built for Ontario

Designed Around Our Climate.

Ontario homes experience cold winters, humid summers, rain, snow, freeze-thaw cycles, and large seasonal temperature changes. A durable home must respond to all of them.

Berm combines building-science principles with practical construction experience to design assemblies that manage:

Heat Air Water Vapour

The result is a home designed not only for the day it is completed — but for the decades that follow.

Craftsmanship With Purpose

Precision Is Part of Performance.

High-performance construction requires more than specifying premium materials. It requires careful execution.

Membranes must connect. Insulation must remain continuous. Windows must be properly supported and sealed. Flashing must direct water outward. Penetrations must be carefully detailed.

At Berm, craftsmanship is not only about what looks beautiful. It is about building every layer with purpose.

Crafted interior detail — wood-slat wall with integrated lighting on a Berm Inc. project

The Berm Approach

From Design Intent to Built Performance.

03 — Process
01

Understand

We begin with your goals, lifestyle, site, architecture, comfort expectations, and performance objectives.

02

Plan

Critical building-envelope assemblies and transitions are considered before construction begins.

03

Coordinate

Structure, insulation, windows, mechanical systems, membranes, and exterior finishes are reviewed as interconnected systems.

04

Build Carefully

Construction focuses on workmanship, sequencing, airtightness, water management, and thermal continuity.

05

Verify

Where appropriate, performance can be supported through inspections, airtightness testing, commissioning, and quality-control reviews.

See How We Build

More Than Energy Efficiency

A Better Home Is About How You Experience It.

The goal is not simply to reduce an energy bill.

  • It is waking up beside a window without feeling a cold draft.
  • It is having more consistent temperatures from room to room.
  • It is enjoying fresh air without opening a window in the middle of winter.
  • It is knowing that the walls surrounding your family have been carefully designed to manage heat, air, and moisture.

That is what high-performance construction should deliver.

Comfort, Every Season Comfortable, high-performance home built by Berm Inc.

Custom Homes. Built Differently.

No Compromise Between Architecture, Craftsmanship, Comfort, and Performance.

We believe homeowners should not have to choose between architecture, craftsmanship, comfort, and performance. Berm brings these priorities together.

01

Thoughtful Design

02

Building Science

03

Careful Craftsmanship

04

Lasting Performance

Start a Conversation

Tell Us About Your Project

Planning a modern custom home, a high-performance residence, or a home incorporating Passive House principles? Tell us where you're building and what you're planning — we'll set up a consultation.

Service Areas:
Toronto · York Region · Peel · Halton · Durham · Simcoe
Unit 355 - 7250 Keele Street
Vaughan, ON Canada L4K 1Z8

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