Nov 29th, 2019

NEWS RELEASE: 811 Gladstone Avenue – Affordable, Sustainable, Engaging

Friday, November 29^th, 2019 (OTTAWA, ON) – This morning, Councillor Catherine McKenney, Chair of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation’s Portfolio Management Committee, Councillor Mathieu Fleury, Chair of the OCHC Board, Cliff Youdale, OCHC Chief Development Officer, Gord Lorimer, Principal of Hobin Architecture, and Pierre Whitty, Project Manager for EllisDon, provided a technical briefing on the innovative features and the progress of the 811 Gladstone Avenue project.

811 Gladstone Avenue is an innovative project that features a total of 140 affordable homes, including Canada’s largest residential Passive House building, 36 homes for seniors, and engaging amenity spaces for tenants. This will be a mixed community, attracting tenants of diverse backgrounds and of all ages. This represents the future of housing in Ottawa – affordable, sustainable, and engaging.

This community will accommodate the unique needs of families, seniors, youth, singles, and couples in one community. The 140 homes in Phase 1 will offer a mix of affordability. More than 50% of the homes will have two or more bedrooms, meaning it will be a great option for families. In addition, the mid-rise apartment building will be fully accessible, and will also include 15% of the homes for people with specialized needs.

As part of this project, an apartment building with 108 homes will be built using the PHIUS+ Standard (Passive House Institute of the United States 2015 Passive Building Standard). It will be the largest residential Passive House ever built in Canada. It will be a wood frame construction, filled with thick insulation, and sealed with an airtight membrane. Energy recovery ventilators will be installed to meet the Passive House criteria. They will recover up to 85% of the heat from the air exiting the ventilation system in order to heat the incoming air. This means that electricity consumption will dramatically decrease, and that heating bills for each tenant will remain under $100 per year.

811 Gladstone Avenue will be an engaging community, where the design elements and amenity spaces will foster positive interactions between tenants of all ages and walks of life. The community will incorporate 5,000 square feet of amenities, which is double the amount required. Future tenants and neighbours can expect to see greenspace, scooter storage and recharging space, a fitness room, an indoor childrens’ recreation space, and much more.

The expected completion date for Phase I is March of 2021. Additional details are available in the 811 Gladstone Avenue Backgrounder.

QUOTES

“At 811 Gladstone, we are building a mixed community and we are looking to attract tenants of diverse backgrounds and of all ages. This represents the future of affordable housing in Ottawa – Affordable, sustainable, and engaging.”

Stéphane Giguère, CEO Ottawa Community Housing Corporation

“The corporation has worked diligently to make sure that the rehousing process for tenants was done with sensitivity and attention to individual needs. They have also been keen to engage with the surrounding community to receive feedback concerning the design and its integration within the neighbourhood.”

Councillor Catherine McKenney, Chair of the OCHC Portfolio Management Committee

Quick Facts:

• 811 Gladstone Avenue includes 140 affordable homes:
  • A mid-rise apartment building with 108 homes – 15 Bachelor, 59 One-bedroom, 38 Two-bedroom, 20 Three-bedroom, and 8 Four-bedroom
  • 32 townhomes: 16 Two-bedroom, 8 Three-bedroom, and 8 Four-bedroom
• Phase I will designate 36 homes for seniors.
• This project will include Canada’s largest residential Passive House construction, using the PHIUS+ (Passive House Institute of the United States) 2015 Passive Buidling Standard.
• The Passive House building will be 85% more energy efficient than conventional new builds.
• Planned amenity space of 5,000 square feet, which is double the required amount, including: greenspace, children’s play equipment, a fitness room, a children’s recreation space, and a tenant lounge with Wi-Fi access.

About 811 Gladstone Avenue: This is an innovative project that features a total of 140 affordable homes, including Canada’s largest residential Passive House building, 36 homes for seniors, and engaging amenity space for tenants. This will be a mixed community, attracting tenants of diverse backgrounds and of all ages. 811 Gladstone represents the future of housing in Ottawa – affordable, sustainable, and engaging.

Technical Briefing Handout (811 Gladstone) EN

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