Homes and building systems for harsh winters

Built to Protect. Built to Last.

Even insulation around the whole building, ultra-insulated windows and doors, and factory-built kits — engineered for Passive House, Net Zero, and extreme northern climates.

Explore the System See Building Solutions Partner With Us
Polar Maxima building shell — outside insulation, structure, and high-performance windows
~90%
Less energy vs typical homes
R30–R60
Wall insulation range
85/15
Materials / labour at scale
60°N+
Yukon R&D · Arctic-ready
High-performance homes for the North — built to scale and stay affordable.

Who we serve

Built for the North

Communities

−40°C performance · less diesel

Developers

Faster builds · fewer trades

Governments

Standardized housing programs

Tech partners

Integrated ecosystem

Evolution

Final version today, rooted in Yukon R&D

Polar Maxima started with hands-on northern prototyping. The system you see on the right is that early R&D work — the panel on the left is our upgraded, factory-built model available now.

Final version

Current production model

Factory-refined walls, windows, and kit assembly — the upgraded system we deliver today.

Current model image — coming soon
Explore current building solutions →
R&D origins

First Yukon prototype

Where our research began — early ATA Pop Homes field work that proved the concept in real northern conditions.

Archive footage — first Yukon field build (not the current model)

The challenge

Conventional vs Polar Maxima

Conventional build

  • Many trades onsite
  • Cold spots · drafty windows
  • Weather delays · 50/50 cost split

Polar Maxima

  • Factory-built system
  • Outside insulation · R10–R17 windows
  • 4 on-site steps · catalog models

See the full system →

Integrated by design

One connected building system

Polar Max 360

Outside insulation wrap · roof to foundation · factory exterior finish

Polar Eclypse windows

R9–R17 windows · factory fitted · cold-climate certified

Factory-built kits

Engineered wood structure · shipped flat · four on-site steps

Technology partners

Solar · fresh-air ventilation · water systems · northern housing programs

Understand the difference

How Polar Maxima outperforms conventional construction

R-value (insulation rating) measures how well a wall and building component keep heat in —
the higher the number, the warmer and more efficient your home.

Code minimum (NBC — National Building Code)

Typical stick-built wall in a cold region

National Building Code 2×6 wall cross-section showing drywall, furring, poly vapour barrier, 2×6 studs with R-20 batt insulation, OSB, EPS, wind barrier, strapping, and exterior siding.

Total wall insulation: R-24

  • 2×6 wood or light gauge steel (LGS) studs + batt insulation
  • 1″ EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) in colder climate zones
  • Interior strapping + polyethylene vapour barrier (optional)
  • Attic ~R-50

Polar Maxima technology

Wood or light gauge steel (LGS) stud wall structure — continuous outside insulation wrap. Tier R-values are for the full wall assembly.

Polar wrapR-20closed-cell polyurethane spray foam
OSBOriented Strand Board
2×6 battR-20
Strappingoptional · poly
Drywall

Total wall insulation: R-40

66% more insulation than code minimum

Whole-home insulation comparison

Walls and attic — select construction type and Polar level

Insulation types · R-value per inch

Higher R per inch = more warmth in less wall · = relative installed cost, cheapest → most expensive

  • Fibreglass batt R-3.5 / in $
  • Cellulose (blown) R-3.7 / in $
  • EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) R-4 / in $$
  • Mineral wool batt R-4.2 / in $$
  • XPS (Extruded Polystyrene) R-5 / in $$$
  • Polyiso board R-6 / in $$$$$
  • Polar system Closed-cell spray foam (polyurethane) R-6.5 / in $$$$$$

Insulation types explained

R per inch tells you how much heat resistance you get for each inch of material. $–$$$$$$ compares typical installed material cost — not labour or whole-wall price.

Fibreglass batt R-3.5 / in · $
Spun glass in pre-cut batts — the most common cavity fill in stud walls. Low cost, but performance drops if batts are compressed or leave gaps.
Cellulose (blown) R-3.7 / in · $
Recycled paper fibre, blown into attics or enclosed cavities. Fills irregular spaces well; needs vapour control to manage moisture.
EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) R-4 / in · $$
White rigid foam board — often used as exterior sheathing in cold climates (as in code-minimum walls). Economical board insulation; protect from water.
Mineral wool batt R-4.2 / in · $$
Rock or slag fibre batts. Fire-resistant and good for sound; denser than fibreglass with slightly higher R per inch.
XPS (Extruded Polystyrene) R-5 / in · $$$
Closed-cell rigid foam (often blue or pink). Moisture-resistant — common below grade and on exterior foundations.
Polyiso board R-6 / in · $$$$$
Foil-faced rigid board with high R per inch among sheet goods. Note: R-value can fall in extreme cold unless specified for your climate.
Closed-cell spray foam (polyurethane) R-6.5 / in · $$$$$$ Polar system
Sprayed in place; expands to air-seal gaps while insulating. Highest material cost; requires professional installation. Polar exterior wrap uses this technology for continuous outside insulation.

Building terms explained

NBC
National Building Code — minimum construction standards in Canada
LGS
Light Gauge Steel — metal stud framing
CLT
Cross-Laminated Timber — solid engineered wood panels
OSB
Oriented Strand Board — structural wood sheathing
EPS
Expanded Polystyrene — rigid foam board insulation
R-value
Insulation rating — higher means better heat retention
U-value
Thermal transmittance — lower means less heat loss (used for windows)
Low-E
Low emissivity — microscopic coating that reflects heat
Poly
Polyethylene vapour barrier — blocks moisture from inside the wall

Scale economics & savings → Explore insulation levels → See window options →

Components

Integrated products

High-R triple-pane window for cold climates

Windows

Up to R17 · ARCTIC certified
Insulated cold-climate entry door

Doors

Cold-climate sealing
Polar Max 360 exterior insulation panels

Polar Max 360

Outside insulation + finish
Modular kit home assembly on site

Kits & modular

Mini Me · scale builds

All products →

Scale economics

Built to scale

Factory volume shifts the balance toward materials and cuts onsite labour — with lower build cost per square foot and far less energy to heat over the life of the home. See how Polar walls compare to code minimum →

Traditional build

Conventional

Factory at scale

Polar Maxima

Building envelope comparison →

Build timeline

Calculate your construction time savings

A conventional stick-build often takes 6–9 months on site. A Polar Maxima kit home can be weather-tight in as little as ~3 weeks — saving carrying costs and letting you start rental income sooner.

Typical stick-built shell — trades, weather delays, and inspections.

On-site assembly after foundation is ready — varies by model and crew size.

/ mo · site & loan

Construction loan interest, site insurance, supervision, and temporary services while the shell is going up.

/ mo · gross rent

Income you could collect once the unit is rented — every month saved on the build timeline is a month of rent sooner.

On-site build timeline

Conventional
7 months · 100%
7 months
Kit home
3 weeks · 11%
3 weeks
Time saved
~6 months sooner
Time saved ~6 months sooner Faster weather-tight shell
Carrying costs avoided $26,000 Less time paying site & loan costs
Earlier rental income $16,250 Rent collected sooner
Total faster-build value $42,250 Carrying savings + rental income

Illustrative model — actual timelines depend on foundation readiness, crew size, inspections, and finish-out scope. Carrying costs and rent vary by market. Not financial advice.

Your numbers

Calculate your lifetime heating & cooling savings

Adjust the options below to compare monthly and lifetime heating & cooling costs for your build.

Your Polar Maxima build View wall layers →

Wood or light gauge steel (LGS) stud wall structure — continuous outside insulation wrap. Tier R-values are for the full wall assembly.

Selected: Polar Bear · Stick built / LGS · R-50 — estimated ~10% of monthly heating & cooling (~90% savings).

/ mo · heat & cool

Use what you spend to heat and cool your home — not your full utility bill. Cooking, hot water, and plug-in appliances are largely the same no matter how well the building is insulated, and they vary with how you live. If you only see one total on your statement, estimate the heating & cooling share (compare winter vs. summer months, or the fuel/electric line tied to your furnace and AC). Example: $300/mo for heating & cooling in a typical northern home.

Monthly comparison (heating & cooling)

Conventional
$300/mo · 100%
$300/mo
Polar Bear
$30/mo · 10%
$30/mo
Conventional total $54,000 Heating & cooling over the period
Polar Bear total $5,400 ~90% less on heating & cooling
Direct savings $48,600 Cash kept in your pocket
Invested at 7% / year $0 Yearly savings compounded annually

Cumulative spend over your timeline

Conventional
$54,000
Polar Bear
$5,400
You keep
$48,600

Illustrative model — heating & cooling share varies by construction type and insulation tier (see build selector above). Cooking, hot water, and other loads are excluded. Compounding assumes annual investment of savings at 7% — not financial advice.

  • 300–1,000+Units/year sweet spot
  • Year-roundFactory production
  • 9Kit home models

Vision

Self-sufficient northern housing

Near-zero energy

Solar · storage · minimal loads

Water loops

From-air · treatment · recovery

Solar thermal

Stored heat · super-insulated shell

Open platform

Partner technologies →

Core technologies →

Products · Kit homes

Curated home models

Full catalog

Ecosystem

Technology partners welcome

  • Windows & building shell
  • Ventilation & air
  • Solar & storage
  • Water systems
  • Waste-to-energy
  • Smart controls

Submit your technology