SAH - Net-zero energy affordable housing at Ottawa’s Perley and Rideau Seniors and Veterans Health Centre

The Perley and Rideau Veteran’s Health Centre is planning a new building to provide an additional 142 units for seniors. The development will include a staged-care approach that allows residents to age with dignity. These stages are independent living, independent-supportive living, and assisted-living housing. The proposed plan will incorporate financial, energy, and design assessments that meet SAH’s eligibility criteria.

The existing facility has 1,200 solar panels and a geothermal field shared between the two most recent developments. For the expansion, the applicant intends to maximize energy independence and aim for net-zero performance. The energy strategy for the new facility will be informed by past experiences and a strong project team. After the plan is completed, the next steps will include an energy charrette, applications for other funding, and integrating the findings into the ultimate design.

In addition to the above environmental benefits, the project will integrate a sustainability plan for services in the new building using the “One Planet Living” framework. This will include sourcing local and sustainable food, using sustainable materials, and using a design that increases natural light for residents. The proposed new building will also have amenities that can be used by all Centre residents.

Innovative aspect(s):

• Exploration of continued energy independence and savings beyond current solar energy generation revenues
• Design that incorporates sustainability in programming as well as construction and financial feasibility
• Holistic approach to seniors’ living with varying levels of support available according to need

Replicability:

There is a need for holistic, sustainable approaches to seniors’ living across the country. Lessons learned from this project could assist in the design of other seniors-living communities. This project could also demonstrate the added value of building to net-zero from the perspective of an applicant already reaping the benefits of solar energy generation.