Maison Ozalée is a exceptional urban eco house.
The project is a major retrofit and restructure of an urban Montréal house.
It is currently undergoing both Platinum LEED and Passive house certification.
Passivhaus is the most stringent international energy efficiency standard achievable, needing only one tenth of the energy of a standard house to maintain a healthy and confortable indoor living space.
The super insulated walls, airtight envelope, triple pane windows, favorable solar orientation and the energy efficient ventilation system are the key elements to the Passivhaus concept.
The other ecological aspects of this house include using grey water from the showers to flush the toilets, and also recovering the heat from the shower water to preheat the hot water. There is also an underground cistern to collect the rainwater from the roof, used to water the permaculture garden.
This house represents a major advancement in sustainable design and living in Québec.