High Performance Is The Standard For The Next Generation

Location: Southeastern Québec

Projects: Harmony Sutton Triplex, Southern Comfort House, The Chateauneuf, Ayotte Claing Project, Duplex Richelieu

Project Types: Single & multifamily new construction

From the start of their Sutton-based construction firm, ÉcoNovation partners Simon Gaudreault, Étienne Vigneron and Roselyn Ruben set their sights on building for a new generation of clientele. Specifically, clients wanted their spaces to be comfortable, durable, and environmentally-conscious, a task more readily achievable in recent years thanks to major advancements in construction materials and techniques. Now, ÉcoNovation has several high performance residential projects under its belt, including multiple projects certified to LEED and PHIUS with some achieving levels of energy efficiency a whopping 80% better than code standards. The company prioritizes materials with low embodied carbon and has developed an assembly and construction methodology that results in homes that are so airtight, they regularly beat the Passive House 0.6 ACH50 blower door standard by a factor of 2.

Performance again and again. We think this photo speaks for itself:

ÉcoNovation’s construction is so airtight, it beats the Passive House standard of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 pascals before ventilation is installed. Image courtesy of ÉcoNovation.

ÉcoNovation’s growing portfolio of both single and multifamily residences includes a recently-completed Passive House triplex in Sutton that houses much of Gaudreault’s own family. Dubbed the Harmony Sutton Triplex, the project was dreamed up as a harmonious residence for three generations of Gaudreaults and became a great opportunity for ÉcoNovation to push their technique as builders. As a result, it is ÉcoNovation’s first project aiming for both LEED and PHIUS+ certifications.

The reliability of the SOLITEX system stems from its durable airtightness and incredible vapour-openness. By entrusting SOLITEX as WRB / exterior airtightness (SOLITEX MENTO 1000 on walls with SOLITEX MENTO 3000 as roof underlayment) and TESCON VANA to tape sealing the seams, ÉcoNovation was able to use about 30% less insulation than most certified single-family Passive Houses while meeting all PHIUS requirements. Through their careful consideration of design criteria and thorough knowledge of construction best practices, they were able to lower the loads, making the building super airtight while only requiring an R-value of R-55 for the walls and R-84 for the roof (yes, the bone-chilling winters of Québec often require more).

Check out some of ÉcoNovation’s other projects and how they’ve used our products to perfect their construction:

This new construction in Waterloo uses Solitex Mento 1000 as its vapor open, waterproof housewrap. Image courtesy of ÉcoNovation.

This greenhouse is climate-controlled with Intello Plus smart vapor control. Image courtesy of ÉcoNovation.

A high performance home in Bromont, built by ÉcoNovation. Image courtesy of ÉcoNovation.

Harmony Sutton Triplex during construction. Its blower door test yielded an ACH of 0.49. Image courtesy of ÉcoNovation.

ÉcoNovation has created an excellent model to follow: set a high bar, develop a system that works for your team and your clients, simplify that system and then run with it. They’ve found a couple of assembly types that they've perfected and we’re looking forward to seeing more from the high performance homes they’ve built—and what they will do next.

To find a system that works for you, talk to your regional 475 rep. Get in touch by clicking on the button below.