A home for the future
A rendering of the sustainable living house students are building as a cross-collaborative project.
Students and faculty at Ryerson University, the University of Toronto and Seneca have come together as ECOstudio (external link) to design, build and operate an innovative solar-powered house.
“The ECOstudio project presents a unique opportunity to spark a dialogue about how to design and build urban housing that is sustainable, affordable and attractive,” says Jamie Fine, a graduate student in engineering at Ryerson University and a group project manager.
ECOstudio’s mission is to provide a sustainable urban lifestyle for modern families - a lifestyle at the intersection of density, affordability and sustainability.
ECOstudio’s solution is solarBLOCK, a single-family dwelling that is entirely modular. It can be built off-site and then easily shipped and reassembled. The house will incorporate advanced mechanical, energy and structural systems that are already under development and analysis at Ryerson, the University of Toronto and Seneca.
“Cross-discipline collaboration is essential for ensuring that all aspects of our design are optimized. It also gives students invaluable experience in working with people outside their field,” explains Cole Wheeler, a recent alumnus of University of Toronto and a team project manager.
The solarBLOCK house will find a permanent home at the Living City Campus (external link) located at the Kortright Conservation Area, a leading centre for sustainability education, demonstration and research in the Toronto area. “Locating the solarBLOCK at the Living City Campus will help raise public awareness of the sustainable solutions that represent the future of Toronto,” notes Kyle Valdock, an ECOstudio faculty advisor and professor of building environmental science at Seneca.
ECOstudio is working with a number of suppliers and sponsors and will continue to seek further support from the public and private sectors. “This project reflects Toronto’s status as a major hub for research and innovation regarding advanced energy systems and construction technologies,” says Phil Walsh, professor of entrepreneurship and strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management and one of the ECOstudio faculty advisors.
For more information and images, please visit www.ecostudio.ca or follow the project on:
- Instagram: @ECOstudio_TO (external link)
- Facebook: @ECOstudioTO (external link)
- Twitter: @ECOstudio_TO (external link)
