Environmentally friendly Holmes
By Giuliano Tolusso

The costs of heating, cooling and lighting a home typically eat up a significant portion of a family's annual housing budget. And rising oil prices and hydro rates are poised to take an even bigger bite in the near future. The technology does exist, however, to make today's living spaces more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Enter Christopher Sweetnam-Holmes, BIB/99, and Cheryl Gladu, BIB/99. They're partners in ECOCITÉ, a green condominium development and consulting firm.

The company has already built eight Eco-Condo units in Montreal, and will break ground this summer on a 25-unit project next to the Rideau Canal in Ottawa.

"A lot of this technology has been around for a while, but it's been poorly packaged," Sweetnam-Holmes says.

"It's somehow thought that with ecologically friendly housing, you had to be willing to sacrifice in order to save money or the environment," adds Gladu.

The typical Eco-Condo uses 80 percent less energy than a normal house, and half the water. It's also comparable in price to conventional condos. Recycled, reused and non-toxic materials are used in a blend of modern architecture and natural aesthetics.

Geothermal energy, explains Sweetnam-Hohnes, provides the majority of heating within the condo by drawing on the Earth's latent energy. In the summer, it works in reverse to cool the building. All units are supplied with fresh filtered air via energy-recovery ventilators. Owners have complete control over their heating and cooling and pay only about $150 a year for heating, cooling and hot water.

Both Sweetnam-Holmes and Gladu praise Carleton's international business program for teaching them how to be flexible, and reflect fondly on their third year of study in Europe.

"When you suddenly find yourself in an unfamiliar environment, you're forced to quickly adapt to just be able to function," notes Gladu. "The experience helped us develop the ability to effectively explain complex concepts in simple terms to prospective financial backers or buyers, like the integrated systems that make up the Eco-Condo approach."

You can find more information about ECOCITÉ at ECOCITÉ.ca.

Read the full story online at http://magazine.carleton.ca/2005_Spring/1578.htm
Giuliano Tolusso, BJ/83, is a senior policy analyst with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa