Ottawa Community Housing Success Story

Innovation that meets Passive House Standard

A sustainable, industry-leading community in one of Ottawa’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.

Highlights

Ottawa Community Housing collaborated with sustainable building experts from the Savings by Design program to optimize energy performance, build better than code and earn financial incentives.
The project was designed to Passive House Standard, which makes it highly energy efficient.

Project highlights

22.7%
Projected annual energy savings

28.1%
Projected annual natural gas savings

45,733 kg CO₂e
Projected annual GHG reduction

Mosaïq is a six-storey, 108-unit affordable housing building for families, seniors and couples at 811 Gladstone Avenue in the heart of downtown. The building is fully accessible and 15 percent of the units are for those with reduced mobility.

The largest Passive House residential building in Canada

While designing Mosaïq, Ottawa Community Housing collaborated with sustainable building experts from the Savings by Design program to optimize energy performance, build better than code and earn financial incentives.

The project was designed to Passive House Standard, which makes it highly energy efficient. Key priorities in developing the project included airtightness of the building envelope, triple-glazed windows and doors, and a ventilation system that recovers up to 85 percent of the heat from outgoing air to heat incoming air.

Sustainable communities for future generations

“Ottawa Community Housing is committed to sustainable design practices that reduce our carbon footprint and help us build communities that preserve the earth for future generations,” said Cliff Youdale, Chief Development Officer, Ottawa Community Housing. “To do that, we engage partners early in the process to ensure we leverage all available tools and resources.”

“Thanks to the Enbridge Gas Savings By Design program, we worked together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support our goals.”

Cliff Youdale, Chief Development Officer
Ottawa Community Housing

Discover what's possible with free sustainable design assistance

Savings by Design* offers free design expertise, energy modelling and financial incentives to help you design and build affordable housing that saves energy and costs less to operate.

To participate, your organization must have received financial assistance, past or present, from a government program aimed at increasing affordable housing.

How it works

No-cost integrated design process workshop

In this free full-day workshop, your team will strategize with sustainable design experts to maximize your project’s energy and environmental performance.

$7,500 technical assistance incentive

This financial incentive helps offset any consulting fees from your design team for time spent attending the workshop.

Up to $120,000 energy performance incentive

Based on the energy performance of the completed housing project, you could be eligible to receive financial incentives for each unit, up to $120,000 per project.

Learn more

Apply today to get the most out of your next affordable housing project

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Maximum potential incentive is $120,000 per affordable housing project, based on number of affordable units and as-designed and as-built energy performance (at least 20 percent above Ontario Building Code). Projects must be located in the Enbridge Gas service area. HST is not applicable and will not be added to incentive payments.