THE TORONTO HEALTHY HOUSES

DESIGNED BY BREATHE ARCHITECTS TORONTO Purpose and Goals: The clients (CMHC) needed an embodiment of ‘Healthy Housing’. Since the houses have been built their website enables visitors from the world over to explore our details of environmental design and specifications Innovative Technique: Self-sufficiency in Thermal energy, Electrical energy, Water and Sewage Treatment. Building code precedent: sewage restrictions lifted. Implementation: We took the clients ‘Healthy Housing’ Agenda and blended it with our notions on ecology and architecture. This combination has helped our practice to be seen as ‘cutting edge’ in the ecotectural context. Demonstration Results: Some 30K Canadians visited the houses. A model of the houses is on permanent display under ‘domestic innovation’ at the Museum of Science and Technology, Ottawa. The project was featured on a Canadian postal stamp commemorating innovative housing design. Cost/ Benefits: Dramatic reductions in annual thermal energy cost: $ 80 instead of $ 800. Dramatic reductions in annual water use: 120 litres instead of 1050 litres. A total operating cost of under $ 300 annually. (Note graph showing annual energy consumption)