TCHC introduces energy-efficient townhouses

Toronto Community Housing Corporation will be adding two blocks of 21 new townhouses to the current phase of the Alexandra Park revitalization in a pilot project that will be built to Passive House standards. Construction is slated to begin in 2024 and be completed for the beginning of 2026.

Passive House is one of the most rigorous international standards for building design and construction quality that reduces 60 to 85 per cent of the energy needed for heating and cooling.  While well established in Europe, the standard is relatively new to North America, with most built projects located in the United States and British Columbia.  The GTA has only a handful of Passive House projects, and the Alexandra Park townhouses will be the first of their kind in Toronto.

In addition to the energy efficiency goals, the townhouse pilot will have some additional high-performance features:

• Decarbonized heating and cooling system – the units will be supplied with state-of-the-art Air Source Variable Refrigerant Flow (ASVRF) systems which do not burn gas, and do not emit carbon or other Green House Gases (GHG) in their operation
• Better than typical ventilation with heat recovery means residences are supplied with more consistent fresh air to combat common illnesses arising from poor indoor air quality and mold
• Stormwater Bio-retention is a system where parts of the townhouse landscaping such as gardens and street tree beds are designed to do double duty by acting as a cistern for water from a 100-year storm event, as these become far more frequent

The townhouses have been designed by an integrated professional team lead by Diamond Schmitt Architects with a high degree of input from the Alexandra Park community.  Construction will be managed by TCHC’s developer partner, Tridel. Of the two blocks, one will have three, four and five bedroom units with front and rear yards, while the other block will contain 16 back-to-back, three and four bedroom units with front yards and rooftop terraces.

TCHC is conducting the Alexandra Park pilot in order to better understand and deliver high quality and best value social housing in a rapidly changing world.  In 2019, Toronto City Council unanimously declared a climate emergency and have introduced dramatic changes to the requirements of its new buildings to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2026.

By taking on the high performance targets early, TCHC can properly develop the new policies and procedures needed to assemble the right team of professionals for a new approach to design.  The construction, commissioning and occupancy of the buildings promise to create new technical and social learning thanks to challenges that will presented through this new type of construction, and the intended benefits to tenants will also need to be verified. 

It is with these new understandings that TCHC hopes to define for our new and existing buildings, the most effective means to create resilient and efficient homes that support and enhance our tenants’ well-being.

Published February 10, 2023