As Vancouver's public officials aim to make the city one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly in the world, the private sector is doing its part too, as a new under-construction housing development fully embraces the Passive House concept that has long been a staple of residential development in Europe. The Heights at 388 Skeena Street will span six storeys, hold 85 units, and hopefully become Canada's largest building certified to Passive House standards.

A rendering of The Heights, image via Cornerstone Architecture

The purpose-built rental development helps fill a wide gap in a scorching hot housing market that hasn't seen any significant growth in the supply of apartments in recent years. That quality alone makes the building an atypical addition to Vancouver's recent housing stock, but it's the project's unique environmental features that catapult the development onto a forward-thinking path. Passive House buildings are high-performance sustainable structures that minimize household energy usage and maximize air quality. The Heights will use approximately 80 percent less energy compared to a typical housing project, courtesy of simple high-quality insulation and windows.

The Heights is currently under construction, image by Stephen Hui via Pembina Institute

The Pembina Institute — a Canadian non-profit think tank — recently released a detailed report about the successful growth of Passive House units, especially in North America. The document points to an encouraging trend. The number of Passive House units across the continent have quadrupled from 500 to over 2,000 in the past year, and about 600 of those units are located in Vancouver alone. "In less than 10 years, near-zero emission homes and buildings will be commonplace in Vancouver and elsewhere," said Karen Tam Wu, director of the buildings and urban solutions program at the Pembina Institute. "Recent government initiatives — including Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Building Plan and B.C.'s climate plan — call for new buildings to achieve near-zero emissions by 2030. We expect the federal framework for clean growth and climate change to complement this objective. These forward-looking policies will protect our communities, support job creation, and strengthen our low-carbon economy."

Officials tour the building, image by Stephen Hui via Pembina Institute

The Pembina Institute organized and hosted a tour of The Heights to give the media a firsthand look at the technical and structural components that make the low-carbon building possible. Officials from Eighth Avenue Development Group, Peak Construction Group of Companies, Cornerstone Architecture, the City of Vancouver, and Passive House Canada were also in attendance. The public was also invited to visit The Heights on November 12 in recognition of International Passive House Days, increasing public awareness of this future-minded development, which is gradually becoming the new North American normal.

The Heights is slated to become Canada's largest Passive House, image by Stephen Hui via Pembina Institute

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