Low Carbon Condominium (Finalist.)
Options for Homes is already well known in the GTA as a developer of cost effective ownership housing. We developed the first three condominiums in the Distillery. Our most recent development is the 643 suite Heintzman Place in the Junction.
We are now planning to develop a new condominium with the lowest carbon footprint in North America.
Our more recent buildings already have features incorporated into them that contribute to energy efficiency and a low carbon footrint. Heintzman Place has solar hot water panels that provide for about one third of the hot water needs of the residents. It also has a heat recovery system, high efficiency boilers and chillers and our own car share - Options for Cars - that further contribute to a lower footprint.
But we're planning to go further than this on one of our upcoming projects. We will build into this condominium all the energy saving features of Heintzman Place and, in addition, we'll get rid of parking for privately owned cars altogether. The building will have parking spaces for up to ten Options for Cars vehicles as well as space for bicycle parking. All purchasers of a condo suite will automatically have a membership in the car share.
This would be Toronto's second car free condo - the first is on University Ave. But the combination of solar hot water heating, green building features and no private car parking will make this project arguably the lowest carbon footprint condominium in North America.
The low carbon condominium will show that this kind of building not only makes sense from an environmental perspective but that is also has market appeal and can therefore be successfully replicated.
Emissions reduction potential comes from three main areas: from solar hot water panels, from not building an underground parking garage and from residents not having a private vehicle.
Taking a 250 suite condominium project this would mean the following emissions reduction potential:
About twenty two per cent of household energy use goes towards heating water. According to the EPA per capita household co2 emissions are four tonnes per year (this might be a bit less in Canada but not much). A one third reduction in hot water heating needs from gas or electricity translates into an co2 emissions reduction of about 7.3% of total household emissions (22% / 3 = 7.3). So the saving per person per year would be about 7.3% of 4,000 kg or 292 kg. Historically, Options condominium population density is 1.6 people per suite. So, for a 250 suite building the population would be about 400 people. Therefore, the annual emissions reduction for a 250 suite building with a hot water solar collector that provided 1/3 of the hot water needs would save 400 x 292 kg or 116.8 tonnes of co2.
Savings = 116.8 tonnes co2 per year.
Normally, a condominium will have parking spaces for 60% of its suites. So if a condo has 250 suites, about 150 parking spaces will be built. According to EPA figures, each tonne of concrete produced creates about one tonne of co2 emissions. Given that it takes approximately 10 tonnes of concrete to build a parking space, a 150 spot parking garage would require 1,500 tonnes of concrete and would cause a corresponding 1,500 tonnes of co2 emissions.
Savings = 1,500 tonnes co2.
Given that each passenger car emits on average 5.5 tonnes of co2 per year (EPA) the potential savings per year would amount to 140 cars (150 less 10 Options for Cars vehicles) times 5.5 for a total of 770 tonnes.
Savings = 770 tonnes co2 per year.
So total emissions reductions for a single 250 suite low carbon condominium would be 1,500 tonnes initially plus about 885 tonnes per year thereafter. This represents a per capita reduction of some 3.75 tonnes during the construction year (1500 / 400 = 3.75) and 2.2 tonnes (885 / 400 = 2.2) each year thereafter.
Given that Canadian per capita co2 emissions are about 20 tonnes of co2 per year, living in a low carbon condominium would reduce the overall average carbon foot print of each resident by 17% in the construction year and 10% each year thereafter.
Michel Labbe: Mike will be the principle developer representative and project lead. Mike has created an innovative housing development and financing model that has made home ownership available to lower and middle income families. He has helped develop communities that emphasize low carrying cost, energy efficiency, low car ownership and high owner occupancy (and therefore strong community). An innovative developer, Mike has revived areas previously considered unattractive or in decline. A prime example of this is the Distillery District where Options was the first developer to build in what was, at the time, considered marginal land.
Deltera Construction: Deltera Construction is a subsidiary of Tridel, winner of the Green Builder of the Year (2007 to 2010). Deltera has worked with Options for the past 10 years on its condominium developments, including the recently completed Heintzman Place.
Options for Homes Staff: Options for Homes has a talented staff of 10 full time and 10 part time employees with expertise in sales, marketing and administration.
As suites are privately owned, all of Options condominiums are self-supporting.
Comments
Thanks for your comments.
Thanks for your comments.
Options has in the past made special efforts to accommodate the disabled and their caregivers by allowing configuration of suites to meet special needs. The additional help with the down payment that is available on almost all of our projects provides a significant boost - and is something many disabled people have taken advantage of. One consideration should be kept in mind - since there is no private parking, purchasers with disabilities would have to be prepared to rely on Wheel-Trans, taxis, public transportation andthe car share for their transportation needs.
Reducing carbon footprint
I think this is a great idea, and I'm just wondering -- I know you are primarily focused on new developments, but have you done any digging into ways that existing buildings/condominiums can be "re-developed" to reduce their carbon footprints as well?
Options focuses on building
Options focuses on building new developments but I believe TAF has a program called Towerwise that assists with doing what you describe.
Great proposal
Strengths- well established company and model
Weakness- I want to know where this building will be... close to ttc I hope?
Tell us general location of building
Can't say the location just
Can't say the location just yet but the building will be close to TTC. It really wouldn't work otherwise.
No Parking
All I think you are doing by not having parking is selling to car free people. No one is going to say hey let's buy this condo and get rid of the car.
Maybe a better plan would be to build a small parking lot to accommodate auto sharing.
Thanks for your comments. We
Thanks for your comments. We will have car sharing! In fact we have our own car share co-operative. It's called Options for Cars (www.optionsforcars.ca) and is already operating 8 vehicles in 3 (soon to be 4) locations including 5 cars at our Heintzman Place development in the Junction. We plan to place as many as 10 cars at the Low Carbon Condominium.
No Parking
I agree with "hart" -- people are going car-free, not simply through lack of parking, but based on their proximity to employment/amenities/public transport. Can the applicant speak to those questions?
I only see the strengths of
I only see the strengths of this project.
Can't see any weaknesses.
love its practicality, but don't penalize those have car needs!
a REAL, practical solution for condo owners. With outrageous house prices & busy work life, owning a house could not be my option. no everyone wants to be fixing the house every weekend after working a week of 50 hours! Condo fees & cost of utilities hurts a lot once you calculate the total cost a year. Options for Homes presents an option!
i think people need a car because of many reasons. for example, if one lives in downtown due to proximity to work, but one's ethnic community & its wonderful food/york region is way north of downtown toronto (e.g. York region). then, the person really needs a car for a good 6-9 hours on the weekend! another example is due to the fact that the transit system in toronto does not allow people to have multiple destination that are all over the place (Montreal's transit allows efficient multiple destination commute). Low carbon emmision & low utilities cost are good, but the car share program needs to do a better assessment exploring why people need their own cars, without penalizing those who have car needs! i have to say that if the Mayor cuts down frequencies of buses, this could stop me from buing a condo with no/too mimited parking. would the absense of parking hurt the condo resale value?
Certainly, going car-free is
Certainly, going car-free is a lifestyle choice that wouldn't work for everyone. Our hunch however, is that there are enough people for whom it does work and that these people make up a significant portion of the market. We already build condominiums that don't have a parking space for every sutie - so in a sense we are just extending that to be 100% of the suites not having parking. Part of it is also just getting used to a new idea - cities like New York for example have have low car ownership - and not owning a car there is seen as the norm. If the market is substantial enough and the location attractive, it won't affect the resale value.
Low carbon condominium
it's environmentally strong and affordable.
hope we can win the finalist.
hope we can win the finalist...
excellent for environment and
excellent for environment and community... great idea!
A great idea. . .
. . . a do-able plan that will have an immediate impact, and also offer a model that can be used elsewhere. One big strength: could help change the municipal parking requirements for new residential development. Current requirements are such money wasters!
Condo of the Future
I LOVE that this will be the 2nd condominium built in Toronto to be a parking-free condo, except when it comes to bicycles and ten Options for Cars spots! I think the on-site, car-share option is extremely progressive, particularly if this condo is built on top of, or beside, a mobility hub with all day GO service, like the one they are planning in Weston, not to mention the scenic Humber River bike trails. Add a farmers' market to the base of the condo project and you will have covered all the bases - good luck!
Add a farmers' market to the base of the condo project and you will have covered all the bases! Sustainable energy, transportation and a sustainable food supply!
Low Carbon Condo
The organization has a track record in construction of innovative alternative housing
Has alread tested out some alternative energy construction
Will include another of its social enterprises, Options for Cars to potentially further reduce carbon footprint
Discuss the financing for the condo
Options Financing model is to
Options Financing model is to assign the profit that would normally be made on building a condo suite as a second mortgage which the purchaser doesn't have to pay back until they sell their suite or rent it out. This accomplishes two main things: it allows purchasers to get into home ownership with a lower monthly payment than would otherwise be the case and it provides a fund to finance future developments.
Also disagree about car-free
It's a very good proposal, but the car-free part is in my view restrictive. Some people need cars. They may have hybrid vehicles now and electric or hydrogen based cars in the future, and they ar eunable to be otherwise enviromentally friendly.
Drop the car-free idea.
Our other condominiums (such
Our other condominiums (such as Heintzman Place) have hot water solar and other energy saving features - and they have parking for private cars. Sounds like this would be a better fit for your needs.
Great idea
Fantastic business model. This is a winner!
Great proposal!!!!!!
Great proposal!!!!!!
Carbon free
So many cars taking up so much space.
It is crazy how much space cars take up and the energy to heat the garages!
I was shocked to see the amount of savings.
Keep up the great work
Have you looked at assessing parking garages that stack cars on top of each other.
Thanks for your commetns.
Thanks for your commetns. Not sure though what you mean by garages that stack cars on top of each other. In any case, no matter how/where you park a car, over the long run, the big carbon savings are in not having a car.
carbon neutral - what about non-toxic?
I think this is a viable and wonderful idea. I'm not clear if you're including secured bicycle parking - if not - that would be a great addition. Maybe even something as silly as a bulletin board for ride sharing in the main lobby for those that have to drive places. I like the idea of adding a sustainable garden as well!!!!
It would be outstanding if you could take into account 'green' and/or healthy building practices in the constuction (i.e. using NAUF plywoods and sheet rock, non-toxic glues and sealants, no or low VOC paints, recycled jean insulation, FSC wood, etc. Treating building waste responsibly by sorting and recycling/disposing responsibly (i.e. what can go to Turtle Island, etc.). Will you have healthy air filters/systems so that the building envelope can "breathe" fresh air? Will you use sustainable and healthy flooring options (i.e. not synthetic carpets, etc.)? It would be great to know that your building is not only carbon neutral but also as minimally toxic and kind to the environment as possible.
Non toxic will be in the mix.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. We are planning to have secure bicycle parking. The ride sharing is a possibility - perhaps a google group or facebook would be the way to organize that - but that would be up to residetns to arrange.
Our most recent condo, Heintzman Place, has a carbon filtration system and we would do the same for this new building. We will also review the toxicity profile of the materials used but this will need to be balanced out with cost considerations. We aim to make this appeal to as broad a market as possible, if we focus narrowly on building materials to the exclusion of cost, we will have to price the suites so that they will only be affordable to a higher end client base - and we don't want to do that because we believe that mixed income communities are the most vibrant communities. We think we can strike a balance that pushes the materials envelope but maintains the cost effectiveness for which we have become known.
We are committed to treating the waste responsibly.
Green condos +&-
Excellent and courrageous green project.
No-car can limit the flexibility for the owner, so the resale value can be affected. That being said, the condos will sell easily.
Encouraging Sustainable Living
The Low Carbon Condo is an inspiring idea - and the major strength is the around the ideas of taking advantage of the collective governance a condo and the creation of sustainbable living on a large scale - Rather than looking at single dwelling homes. This proposal looks at how to create sustainable living for 250 families which is really the thinking of the future. Congratulations!
The opporutnity to source sustainable energy was not metnioned - which would proabably sterngthen this proposal. Please see GreenHeroes webisode which explains more about this approach to energy delivery here.
The idea of the car pool within the condo is also very good.
There could be more details on how this plan can be made accessible to public if they were interested in getting involved in supporting some future projects -
Sustainable Energy
Interesting! You may not know that Heintzman Place is located on the land that at one time was the site of the Heintzman piano factory - hence the name. It's very inspiring what Tom Heintzman has done with Bullfrog Power.
Bullfrog Power now has a program that allows condominium residents to sign up for their service. http://www.bullfrogpower.com/home/condo/condo.cfm
As part of our committment to renewable energy, we are also in the process of developing a solar park in Guelph (hallspondsolar.org).
Entering this competition is one way we hope to spread the word about what we're planning. As we do on all Options for Homes developments, once we begin marketing we will invite the public to information sessions to learn more about the building and make suite reservations.
Call to action and Green Action Hero
I see this project as an excellent resource or participant in our Call to Action campaign and also as a possible Green Action Hero. Glad to see you have mobilized your condo and like the idea that you are now thinking of extending it to the rentor community as well.
Involve a co-op like Arcadia Housing Co-oop. Their membership is already green-minded and looking for energy and dollar savings as well.
Established
I think what's awesome about this entry is that they've already built a couple of buildings already. I think that adds credibility and shows they really know how to make it work.
I guess the question I have now that we're looking at the potential finalists, is do you guys really need the prize money. I see some of the other entries as proposals that actually need the money, to get themselves started and going. You guys seem well established and are looking at a 3rd or 4th project. For you this contest seems more about awareness/networking. Agree/disagree?
Established Organization
Interesting point. Climatespark certainly does represent an opportunity to raise awareness and yes that is important. And while it is true that we are fairly well established - we are not as well established as we need to be to have a really significant impact. Our past projects can be seen as a plus in that they show we know how to use money effectively and efficiently for social benefit. Having access to this additional money will mean we can do this on a larger scale. It will also involve new partnerships that we expect will bear more fruit down the road.
Congratulations on your
Congratulations on your inspiring ideas and plans. You are leading the field in awareness for sustainable living ! Good luck !
Cannot wait for this project
Love their previous projects and their quality is definitely top notch.
I think that this low carbon
I think that this low carbon condiminium will eventually inspire other condos to do the same
There will be a market for this
I live at Heintzman Pl and there are more bikes then cars. So a car free condo near TTC and a local downtown (ie The Junction or Bloor West Village) will have appeal. It is important to have near shopping. While this Condo isn't for everyone. I'm sure it will find it's market.
Realistic Approach
Resume editing This project is a success not only for itself but also the whole development of Toronto.I hope it will revolutionize the whole architecture industry to understand and support ebusiness and care for our environment.
Spread the concept thorugh Media and NGO's
Well done
Good project.The idea of the car pool within the condo is also good too.
Drop the car-free idea.
low carbon footprints
carbon foot prints are incresing day by day in this existing world. the reason is increasing use of energy and emission of CO2 due to this usage. this proposal has given a way to decrease a lot of emmission of CO2. there are a few places in the world which has very less consumption of carbon and emission of CO2 and Toronto is one of them. so this single step towards saving the world and making it a better place to live in in the future is very good...i appreciate this step.
i dont think very big improvement is needed. but this the ares can be increased where this proposal is implemented. instead of GTA if this proposal is applies in all the major cities of Canada then it would be awesome than it is now.
Go condominium
conodos are a great investment these days as these are more technologicaly advanced as compared to the appartments or basements.I would suggest and myself go for condos in this era due to easy access to all the facilities
This could be improved by utilization of credits more on advertisements of the condominiums in rentals and other sources of communication with the citizens of gta
Move the industry towards greener options!
The success of these types of projects will help other developers see the light and can make a big difference to shifting the entire condominium development industry in the right direction. Energy efficiency should be regulated to a higher degree, nice to have developers choosing to see the opportunity!
People need to realize that a lower carbon lifestyle has many advantages for quality of life, it isn't a punishment not to have a car, it is an improvement not to need one! Having use of a shared vehicle for those times when public transit won't work is a great solution! Walking and biking to local amenities will be crucial for projects such as this one, a further plus that should be mentioned is that these developments build more vibrant local neighbourhoods.
Saving energy
It’s great to here that it’s a second free car parking condo and that too with the parking space of 150 cars, and as it is a low carbon condominium which will contribute to minimize the level of energy consumed and hope for the project to complete soon.
I expect that if the expenses of the building are less (as mentioned about the great savings in the proposal) so the rent of the condo should also be less and the second want to improve is that there is nothing mentioned about the greenery or the surrounding area of the building. I hope you take my suggestions in a positive manner.
Expenses
Thank you for your comments. It's hard to say what the condominium fees will be - though with no need to maintain a large parking garage I would expect they would be somewhat less than the average.
Attractive landscaping has been a feature of all past Options developments. Some have community gardens (the one on Mill Street has won prizes for this). This development would certainly be similar.
Great Concept
I think that the best part is that the owners of the condos will not be allowed to keep personal vehicles which will decrease the cost of construction of underground parking as well as the consumption of fuel will be less as public transports will be the mode of traveling. This will help in keeping the planet carbon free at some points that are possible.
The condo should include a life time membership of free travel all over GTA so that the owners of the condo get the benefit of following the idea.
Free Travel
Thanks for your comments. I'm not sure that would work so well. Toronto did have a rule that required new condos to provide a TTC pass for a year for each suite built. But it seems to me that what happens is that everyone then pays equally for a service that would be of unequal benefit (some people would use the car share more, cicyle more, walk more etc.). I think its fairer for people to pay for what they use. Not having a car is going to be a significant savings in any case for most people.
Great idea; there is little
Great idea; there is little reason all buildings can't incorporate similar ideas. I question the insistence on not having parking. While this lowers the footprint of the building, it limits the appeal of the building to existing members of the urban eco-choir. While this hard line approach is perhaps what enables the project to have such a dramatically low footprint, it dooms the building to a niche appeal, and this thus limits the potential of the building to inspire change in people with softer green tendencies. I further question the need to launch a new car-sharing service when city-wide carshare services already exist. I think it will be very difficult to compete financially with services in place that have hundreds of cars available in locations across the GTA.
No Parking
There are lots of other condominiums for those who want parking - and many are starting to incorporate sustainable features. Tridel, for example, is noted for their sustainable developments. Not having parking for private cars is a kind of watershed and makes a dramatic break from our reliance on the car that we have become so accustomed to. There are many people who won't want this or aren't ready for this - yet. But having it out there will make it a real choice and will get people thinking about a car-free option. And our hunch is that there will be enough of a market for this - and that it will grow over time.
Options for Cars is a non-profit co-operative. We started it because we like that model and feel that, over time, it can give better value to its members than the competition.
Location
the location of the building will be the problem.
Good point. This will only
Good point. This will only work if the location is well serviced by TTC and has shopping within walking distance.
Right way
This is the right step for every citizen to particaipate in step to conserve the environment. This is helping to save the environment.
This needs the government to impose the laws to conserve the government.
The strength are their past
The strength are their past experiences and i done see any weeknesses
Think this proposal is great.
Think this proposal is great.
KUDOS to Options!
Strengths:
- Close to TTC
- Low maintenance fees
- Low cost units since it would probably cost less to build
- Second mortgage financed by Options for Homes
- Deltera (Tridel) best builder of year (almost every year)
- Buiding exteriors and interiors very well designed (construction, decoration, garbage and recycling rooms, meeting/community room, etc)
Weaknesses:
- Have many bike racks for rent
- Sound proof units
Suggestions:
- Perhaps having an "Options for Bikes" program too?
- Close to the subway
- Will these units be sound proof?
- Will maintenance fees cost much less without a parking lot?
absolutely
Pros:
- Owner occupied suites.
- Walking distance to work and play
- No parking = low carbon footprint
- Options for Cars car share
- Solar powered hot water
Cons: location cannot be disclosed at this time
good effort towards removing carbon footprints
its good as carbon emmission is the main cause of global warming.
use stuff that is ecologocal in the production and use recylable stuff.
Not a bad start
There are several suggestions here that woudl be good to include.
Make it eaiser to sort recyling from garbage. Have two garbage shoots.
Garbage Chutes
This is an interesting point. Garbage chutes actually take up a lot of interior space. We're toying with the idea of not having one in this building in order to save costs. This would mean residents would need to take out the garbage (we'd provide ergonomical, sealed containers for this). Vancouver condominiums don't have garbage chutes - maybe we could do the same here. It's up for consideration - we may need to do a focus group on this one...
Facilities
Strengths:
Being close to transport is essential if car ownership is not possible and this includes getting to various shopping malls and returning with substantial purchases.
The cost of the build should hopefully keep the overall prices/rents/maintenance under control.
- The units need to be fairly well soundproofed, keeping the cost of the build down should not introduce economies in this area.
- The maintenance fees need to be kept down to a reasonable level
- Provision needs to be made for people with disabilities, including old age, for whom jumping on a bike and cycling to the nearest mall, is not a viable proposition
Old Folks
Thanks for your comments.
1. In new condominiums sound proofing has advanced to the point that there is virtually no sound transfer between suites. However, because windows can't be soundproofed, noise will still come in from the outside - but it will be muffled. This is the same as any house.
2. Fees will be reasonable and likely lower due to not having to pay for the upkeep of a garage.
3. There was an 85 year old woman in my neighbourhood several years ago who I swear could ride up the Jones Ave. hill faster than I can. But yes, she wasn't your average 85 year old. The building will be close to TTC. Transporation options for those with limited mobility would be TTC, the car share, taxicabs or wheeltrans.
Net-zero emissions!
Demonstrating what can be done in the booming condo market has significant benefits above and beyond the condo itself. All the design features mentioned have value, but it is the full package that needs to be put together and assessed in therms of emissions.
Check out some of the case studies which TAF has put together regarding multi-unit buildings in Toronto. There are real examples of condo buildings with less than half the energy of standard construction. Have you considered geothermal heating/cooling -- maybe can be leading-edge with super-efficient heat-exchangers. You've probably been in touch with TowerLabs @ MaRS and could perhaps be pilot site for some of the latest, efficient technologies and building approaches. Just don't get fixated with 'bells & whistles' and focus on the approaches which can seriously drive down energy use overall.
Efficient Technologies
Yes! We will look at all the latest ideas, Towerlabs and geothermal included. So long as they fit within our primary mandate of making homes affordable to a broad spectrum of purchasers, we will implement them.
Showing your conservation credentials outside and in
Strength
For anyone who wants to show their conservtion credentials to the outside world, this project is great a the setup phase, No parking, proximity to transit, solar hot water, heat exchanger high efficiency boilers and chillers.
Weakness
How can the owners of the building demonstrate conservation in the ongoing operations. When the residents move in and start living in the building they start personally consuming other resources such as electricity, water and natural gas.
Make the invisible visible/
Start with a display in the lobby of the current consumption of power. Ensure that all units and common areas are submetered for their use of electricity, water and natural gas..
For example, York Region Catholic District School Board has monitors in each school which display the consumption of electricity, for the entire school building, within 2 minutes of it being consumed (aka near-real time) The YCDSB set a target for kilowatt consumption when a school is occupied, an if the target is exceeded, the students & staff are warned of the overage, make adjustments, and monitor the impact of the changed behaviour.
The condo board could set similar consumption thresholds, one for common area for which all residents are responsible, and one for each unit, normalized by square footage and number of occupants to allow comparison of units with similar size and occupancy.
Give each unit owner a unique identifier, which allows them to know who they are, but not who anyone else is in the system.
As people enter or leave the building they can see on the entrance/exit monitor, which anonymous ID's are the top consumers of electricity per square foot or occupant in near-real time, and who the lowest ones are.
While in the unit behaviour which could be affected
- Unit baseload consumption when unoccuied (ie what is running when you are not in the unit), refridgeration, battery charging for multiple devices, phantom load for monitors and computers which are not quite off
- Incremental electrical draw when occupied (ie what do you turn on an run when you are in the unit) enjoying personal entertainment (Big screen tv, audio/hd entertainment) exercising (in-suite treadmills, spin machines), cooking (stove, oven, microwave) preparing food (blender, mixer, cuisinart), washing (dishwasher, clothes washing machine) drying (clothes dryer)
- Equip the hallways with motion sensors which allow the lights to be off when no one is in the hallways to reduce consumption in common areas, and to adjust heating and cooling when a unit is unoccuied for more than 1 hour.
- dispaly energy consumed for heating and cooling of the common areas and of the anonymous units. those who allow their unoccupied unit to heat up higher in the summer, and cool down further in the winter should see less consumption of electricity/natural gas when normalized to square footage, number of occupants, and the environment canada calculated heating and cooling degree days. In the constuction phase, equipping each unit we great insulation and windows of goor R factor, would prevent heat from radiating out in the winter, or heat radiating in during the summer.
- From a water heating perspective, only 1/3 of the water in the building is solar heated. How much hot water is being consumed. If less hot water is being used, could the solar heating of water actually support a higher percentage of the hot water needs.
Bottom line, if you know what you are consuming in near real time, you will change your behaviour. So not only can you show green bone-fides externally by using the shared bicycles, cars of the building.. you can actually show how the operation of your building is sustainable as well, first within the building and between anonymous neighbours, and then over time between different buildings which are similarly equipped and measured.
Next item to measure / monitor .. amount of waste exiting the building versus amount of recycling. But the metrics for that are not yet well defined.. Perhaps this can be discussed as well before November 15th 5PM.
Then move into the comfort zone.. What is the temperature of the uni
Ongoing Energy Conservation
Thanks for your feedback. Lots of great ideas. Motion sensors are ideal. Sub metering of electrical usage will also be in place. Sub metering of water usage is very expensive (about $1,000 extra per suite). Instead we aim to use grey-water recycling (reusing bath and shower water to flush toilets) which will save about 30% of water used. The heat from the shower water will also be recovered for re-use via a heat-exchanger. Suites will be sub-metered for heating/cooling usage. Monitoring of suite energy usage for display in lobby however, even annonymously, might be a disincentive to some people to purchase. Most people moving into this building will be predisposed to conservation in any case. There is also a collective incentive to use less energy to keep condominium fees low and energy usage/costs will certainly be a topic at condo board meetings and will reinforce the need to conserve.
Low Carbon Condominium (Finalist)
Strengths: With the funds available at the time of the building design, every possible means were incorporated to save every for the building and every resident at the Heintzman Place. Solar panels, individual metering, our own car-share, green space for all resdents to participate in growing and enjoy the fruit of our labour.
No dobut, with new technology, Options for Homes buildings to follow will b able to incorporate better energy saving technologes. But, for now, Heintzman Place is the best.
No dobut, with new technology, Options for Homes buildings to follow will b able to incorporate better energy saving technologes. But, for now, Heintzman Place is the best.
Green Condos
This propoal has triple bottom line and is a great example of an integrated design keeping the energy usage lower. I am very mcuh in favour of the Options geneal model as a socail enterprise and believe it is susatianable in the long run.
Some questions: Please advise me of the Board make up of the building post closing- will there a stromg outside advisor on the Board or attached to the Baird other than the property management company? Is there a monitoring and reporting system in place for energy, is the compnesation for the property management company tied in any way to the building's performance? Has that been considered?
Monitoring
As with other condos,a board will be elected by the owners of the suites. Haven't though about an advisor to the board, makes sense that there would be someone to go to for technical support. Usage reporting would come from the utiliteis - beyond that we could consider ways to deliver real-time usage reporting - again depending on the cost. Good thought also to tie compensation of the management company to efficiency. We will look into that.
Heat pumps ?
A great incentive for other condo and home builders. It CAN be done and here it is! Going car-free is bold and challenging. There are folks downtown already without cars and so there is a market amongst those who are already ahead of the curve.
Does the project incorporporate heat pumps in order to reduce the space heating carbon footprint?
Heat Pumps
Yes, we will very likely use heat pumps. We intend to look at all available energy saving technogologes and will include whatever works on a cost-effective basis.
Great concept and idea
Every step taken to lessen our carbon footprint is a win for the environment.
Excellent team behind it.
Excellent team behind it. Triple bottom line project. This could be an example to follow, i.e. the benefits of this project can be greatly widespread throughout the housing industry.
I feel as though this is a
I feel as though this is a major step in the right direction. There will always be those who are not satisfied with some aspect of it, however, if we all do our best to reduce our carbon foot print, hopefully we will see amazing changes. As a young professional this would be very appealing. The city needs to get back on board building more/safe bike lanes for those people who choose riding a bicycle rather than taking public transit where possible. However, that is a entirely new topic.
It would be interesting to see how other aspects of this project are changed. I really enjoyed the idea of hosting farmers markets and various stores/kiosks that might sell recycled and/or environmentally friendly products to further encourage treating our world better.
Good ideas
Hello Marc -
I apologize for my delay in commenting on your initiative. You have a very interesting model and I appreciate your efforts to implement car sharing and energy efficiency options. It's great to see that you have already seen success and are moving forward with your plans.
A few suggestions that you may wish to consider:
1. Without better information on who is ultimately purchasing, its difficult to accurately estimate GHG emissions reductions - in these cases, I think that it is important to consider where the resident would have otherwise been living. I therefore suggest that you (on a voluntary and transparent basis of course!) collect information regarding their previous residence and lifestyle (i.e. car ownership) from the people who purchase the condos. You can see what general changes occured in the residents' lifestyles. You could also use information from Options for Cars to determine how much, on average, each member is responsible for from the current fleet. Finally, it would be great to use information specific to the Canadian context in your calculations, which would help to analyze outcomes from a GHG perspective more accurately. In general, I think that with a bit of digging, you could gather some great information that could inform future projects and their performance.
2. The above being said, I think that there are real GHG benefits associated with your initiative; it drives innovation and moves the curve forward. I think that this project is innovative in the sense that too often green initiatives cost more (in part because they are cutting edge) - this initiative can counter that by building mid to low cost residences that are environmentally friendly (including energy efficient).
3. As others have mentioned, I think that it will be important to foster a sense of community (including the shared ownership intrinsic to a condominium) and build strong social networks. These social networks can be used to influence behaviour, leading to greater building efficiency (as well as the social benefits of a close community). So items like building displays could be effective even at a 'building-level' (i.e. showing electrical, water and fuel consumption versus historic performance, etc) - eliminating the need for unit-level privacy concerns. I would also encourage you to look at lower-cost metering options (if the cost you mentioned of $1000 per water meter is for a city-installed water meter) - you might be able to get far less expensive meters for each suite that might be less reliable/accurate, but would still give you a sense of how much each suite utilizes, and be able to communicate that to residents, taking into account privacy issues. I think that aspect of your project (including Options for Cars) is key to the community-connection.
4. Finally, and this may have been addressed above, but I was curious as to why you don't seem to apply standards such as LEED to your buildings. I do think that there are benefits to being recognized to a standard, as it provides some boundaries and understanding concerning what the building has achieved (and so can help in quantifying the resulting impacts). I think that it can also provide a level of recognition in the community, and so help to push that curve forward (i.e. 'normalizing' energy efficient buildings). I can definitely understand that the cost of becoming LEED-accredited may be high and so strain budgets - so I'd be curious if you've already used or considered standards and why you may or may not use them.
Congratulations on Heintzman Place, and good luck!
Thanks, Chris
LEED
Hello Chris ;
Thanks for your comments.
1. A brief survey would be a good idea.
2. The key to widespread adoption of green innovations is their cost. We hope to demonstrate that we can build aggressive energy efficiency into the building and still make ownership of a suite cost-effective.
3. Options condos are typically 90% owner occupied - which is unusual for Toronto. During the development process, we hold monthly meetings for purchasers to ask questions, hear the latest progress, and meet their future neighbours. This process helps foster a sense of community even before the building is completed.
Tracking the energy usage of the building as a whole is a possibility - we could show real time and historical usage on a web site.
4. Many of the LEED technologies will be used but the LEED certification process itself is too expensive. It adds a lot of engineering/monitoring costs. We want to maximize the bang we get for each dollar spent. LEED doesnt' do that.
Great step in an important
Great step in an important direction. We need more people in low energy condos to save energy and save what's left of farmland and nature. Weakness is that this should have been done YEARS ago!
A good start
I'd definitely like to see more condos with low carbon footprints.
Unless car owners are excluded from owning one of your condos, you can't guarantee that you are reducing car-related emissions simply because you won't have a parking garage. Lots of people pay for City of Toronto street parking permits. For example, hybrid owners would be probably love to live in your building and probably buy a street permit to get around the fact that they can't park there. Bottom line: you may be overestimating your CO2 savings.
Street Parking
Thanks for your comments. True - the carbon savings are an estimate. Some people may want to get a street parking permit -but the inconvenience in having to look for scarce street parking is a pretty strong disincentive.
The strengths of this
The strengths of this proposal are the high encouragement of car sharing and cost effectiveness. The weakness, if any, may be the sligh loss of private car option for individuals that do need it, for professional/business reasons.
The dream of ownership a reality
Finally, sustainable community growth and revitaliztion.
Seems too good to be true, but is not. Word of mouth is all that such excellent projects need to get started. Then they begin to mushroom. Perhaps should have Euro style electronics monitoring to keep energy consumption better controlled.
As with micro lending, is a Nobel Prize in the offing here for the founding team?
"Lowest carbon condo in N.Am" - what does this mean?
Well done, Options. I'm 100% with you, in principle. We as Canucks and Yankees are so far behind in the understanding of and response to carbon footprints.
It's fascinating how many people in their comments are opposed to the building being "car-free". Didn't read the proposal, I guess, and realize that there is place for a car scheme. Just not a private, single-owner car scheme...
I suppose the larger issue worth commenting on, is your claim above for "lowest carbon". How are you defining this? Again, N. Americ is way behind on defining "low carbon" in the building trades, never mind "zero-carbon" structures. But many jurisdictions (national, municipal, professional, civil society} are taking a crack at it, so whose carbon measurement system are you intending to measure against, to make your low carbon claim clear and verifiable? Making up your own standards, measurements and indicators isn't going to convince anyone else, of course, and would turn "lowest carbon" into "highest greenwash".
I'd advocate that you declare your project to be in compliance with a third-party carbon measurement system, and seek certification at the highest level of that system. The LEED system is questionable on the carbon side, of course, and may not survive N.America's wakeup to building standards that really address climate change (whever that definitively happens!). But perhaps one of the low/zero-carbon sets of building and operations standards in operation or development in the UK (http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/resourcefiles/1101177.pdf) Germany, Sweden, Denmark could be employed, to provide definition and teeth to your claim. These will deal with the full life-cycle range of:
- Materials manufacturing (e.g., concrete)
- Materials transport
- Demolition wastes transport
- Demolition wastes treatment
- Electricity and fuel consumption
- Consumption of fossil fuels on-site for the production of electricity, hot water, heat, etc.
- On-site waste water treatment
- On-site solid wastes treatment
- Industrial processes housed in the buildings
- etc...
Good luck! I look forward to this project developing.
Carbon Measurement
Great suggestions. We will put in place a process that will consider each of these areas and will certainly look at what's being done in other countries. The consideration with third party verification, such as LEED, is added cost. The trick is to strike a balance and find a process that's both cost effective and "carbon" effective. If an audit process is so expensive that it prices the homes out of range of all but the wealthy, then that process actually undermines the adoption of real solutions that can have a significant impact in the marketplace. In that case, the perfect becomes a barrier to the possible. Once the building is completed, energy and water usage, because they are metered and priced, are clear indicators of how efficient a building is. We would argue that those measures are the most important test of green vs greenwash.
Low Carbon condo
Strengths:
Excellent example of a social enterprise
Application of green building technologies
Self financed (no subsidies)
Another Co2 savings: auto sharing reduces members annual Co2 contributions because not owning a car is shown to lessen total miles driven as people make different choices for each trip vs always taking the car if you own it
Provide shuttle service to nearest subway to further entice people from using cars.
To me , energy savings with
To me , energy savings with reduced reliance on privately owned cars is a fundamental prerequisite to any design that approaches "sustainable". But the community-owned apect of the Option for Homes model is the key to reproducibility and scaleability, which is this proposal's real strength.
Building green
Like the idea of building green. Soon the others should follow in your footstep!
Hope that you're incorporating HRV, vermicomposting, triple pane tinted thermal windows, low VOC paint, sound reducing drywall and airtight soya insulation throughout?
The ClimateSpark Social Venture Challenge is a project of:
Our sponsors:
strengths-
strengths-
strong community ties
community revitalization
low impact and low cost housing
add more subsidies especially geared to diasabled and their caregivers