This summer, a couple started building a so-called “passive house”, i.e. one with very low energy consumption. From the first sketches to the handing over of the keys, we accompany his project in Ham-Sud, in the Eastern Townships, in three stages. In this first part we return to its creation, which is not always easy.
Updated at 4:00 p.m.
Nathalie Larouche and Philippe Candelier, who currently live in Longueuil, were returning from an eight-month stay on board a sailboat when they had the idea of anchoring elsewhere. Seeking a green approach, they searched for land near Mount Ham and found land for sale as part of an eco-housing project in Ham-Sud.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY NATHALIE LAROUCHE
The land was prepared last spring. In the background we can see Mount Ham.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY NATHALIE LAROUCHE
Between the first sketches of the project launched in 2020 and its implementation, the couple followed a path full of obstacles.
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They therefore decided to sell their residence in Montérégie to build a small one-story house with two bedrooms and a living room that has specific features to maximize energy storage. “It’s a different construction, south-facing, very large triple-glazed windows that face north as little as possible, 20-inch hyper-insulated walls, double frame, attached garage but no communications, etc. In winter, the sun heats the concrete slab, which makes it warm again,” explains the couple, who designed the wiring for any solar panels.
What is a passive house?
According to the organization Ecohabitation, it is a residence that consumes little energy to be comfortable all year round. It is its orientation and structure that maximize solar exposure, as well as its thermal insulation and tightness that allow it to significantly reduce its heating needs even in winter. The passive house concept remains different from project to project.
From challenge to compromise
Attractive on paper, the project nonetheless caused difficulties for Nathalie Larouche and Philippe Candelier during planning, not only because of the pandemic (they officially acquired the property in October 2020) and other unforeseen events, but also because of its nature, which architects and builders are not necessarily used to.
Finding an architect knowledgeable about passive house concepts was not easy and it took time to plan a house to our liking, within our budget and as passively as possible.
Nathalie Larouche
It took several months to find an architect, Tandem, willing to respect the spirit and budget (between $200,000 and $300,000) of his project. A year had already passed between the preliminary sketches and the final plans received in December 2021.
ILLUSTRATION OF TANDEM ECOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE
A projection of the house of Nathalie Larouche and Philippe Candelier in Ham-Sud
ILLUSTRATION OF TANDEM ECOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE
The fenestration aims to maximize energy efficiency.
PLAN OF TANDEM ECOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE
The detailed plan with the adjoining but not communicating garage
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Then came the second big challenge: finding a builder who was on the same wavelength as the couple to build their home without radical compromises and give them the opportunity to participate in the work. Some builders were certainly willing to get their hands on the slab… but they seriously disregarded the original characteristics.
“One of them didn’t want to add any more insulation, claiming the electricity was cheap. We were offered to replace the materials with others that didn’t do justice to the project. “We didn’t like those answers and looked elsewhere on the Ecohabitation website,” point out those who had already given up small amounts of land for certain aspects of maximizing energy efficiency: smaller area than usual (nearly 1,200 square feet or about 110 square meters), northeast-facing window to take advantage of Mount Ham views, setting up a workshop, etc.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, THE PRESS
Philippe Candelier and Nathalie Larouche
Nathalie Larouche and Philippe Candelier continue to snoop around and have found a suitable contractor… but it won’t be available until 2024. After several calls, HD Construction will finally be awarded the contract in October 2022 and commit to respecting the passive house concept. “They don’t make such constructions that often, but they like doing it, it’s a challenge for them,” emphasizes Nathalie Larouche.
attitudes and pitfalls
In addition to the difficulties caused by COVID-19 (unavailable labor, shortages and increasing material prices) and the complications of finding the right partners, future Estriens also face some problems that have slowed down their progress. For example, the only factories that made the needed ECO4 insulating panels had stopped production due to disasters. Progress of the process was also hampered by various exemptions needed to meet local planning advisory board (CCU) requirements, sometimes by just inches.
“There were a lot of small glitches that meant that three years passed between the purchase of the land and the construction,” says Nathalie Larouche, who also expects the budget to be exceeded. The groundbreaking finally took place with the availability of the construction company at the beginning of May 2023, the handover of the keys is planned for the end of August. The work is therefore currently in full swing; The construction phase will therefore be the subject of the next part of this series.