Tom Grimmer built his first passive house in Comox about seven years ago. It was among a small handful of passive homes on the Island at the time. Now, he’s building another one in Courtenay. This time, it’s a mass timber passive house, possibly the first on the Island. Mass timber is described as “a family of engineered wood products known for their strength, durability, versatility and sustainability,” according to naturallywood.com. …The house is built air-tight to the highest standard in the world, resulting in high efficiency. …The house will cost about $400 per square foot to build because much of it is prefabricated overseas and then shipped to Vancouver Island. But Grimmer says he hopes to see local demand increase and maybe someday see local facilities built to make the pieces.