A 1.1-hectare parcel of property at LeBreton Flats just west of downtown Ottawa will soon be home to an integrated, future-oriented community that will be Canada’s largest residential zero-carbon development.
The project will feature innovative heating, cooling and solar power systems and have a significant number of new affordable housing units, setting the tone for the remainder of the area.
“Rooted in nature and heritage, the development strives to implement the ideals and aspirations of the LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan through integrated urban design, architecture and landscape responses that are legible through the built form,” explains Justin Robitaille, development lead at Dream LeBreton, which was recently selected by the National Capital Commission (NCC) and CMHC to develop the project.
“The development considers the site’s Algonquin heritage, the existing topography, its strategic location along the Confederation LRT Line, and the extraordinary potential to create a world-class sustainable, inclusive and innovative mixed-use community.”
The development is being built on a portion of the Flats known as the Library Parcel. It will consist of towers of 30 and 35 storeys, each with a four-storey terraced podium and shared underground parkade. Forty one per cent of the 601 rental housing units will be for affordable housing.
The two buildings will be steps from the Pimisi LRT station and contain a mix of unit types ranging from studio to three-bedroom units together with retail space for cafes, food retailers and health services.
The venture will have everything from alternative energy sources and solar power generating systems to a bicycle maintenance shop. It is the first development phase of a master plan approved by the NCC in 2021.
Robitaille says there will be a sewer heat recovery system that involves tapping into the sewer trunk line beneath the site as an energy source that will provide all of the heating, domestic hot water and air-conditioning needs for the development.
A central plant within the development will use heat-recovery chillers and heatpumps that are connected to the City of Ottawa’s large sanitary sewers as a source of heating energy and a sink for discharging heat for air-conditioning.
For heating, the heat recovery chillers will extract and upgrade heat from the sewer. For cooling, the system will operate in reverse, rejecting heat from the buildings to the sewer trunk. The sewer is warmer during the winter and cooler during the summer than the air temperature, greatly improving the chillers’ efficiency and reducing overall electrical demand required to meet the needs of building occupants.
The development will also have a solar power system that uses photovoltaic panels integrated with the facades of the residential buildings as an additional source of renewable energy.“The design optimizes solar power generation through Juliette balconies that will minimize solar shading, and the south orientation of the panels that will maximize solar availability,” explains Robitaille.
The goal is to have a development that will achieve CaGBC Zero Carbon, One Planet Living and LEED Gold accreditation.
Katie Paris, NCC project manager for LeBreton, says pending final federal and municipal design and development approvals, Dream LeBreton is planning to obtain building permits by the end of 2023, with buildings ready for occupancy by early 2026. Both the development of the buildings and site design will be subject to NCC approval.
The request for proposals for the Library Parcel identified specific criteria for affordable housing. The NCC and CMHC worked in partnership to support the development of a minimum of 600 new housing units.
“While the NCC was impressed with all responses to this request of proposals, Dream LeBreton’s proposal met those criteria and went above and beyond, particularly in terms of affordability and sustainability,” says Paris.
“The idea to develop affordable housing at the Library parcel site meets the NCC’s objectives of a socially inclusive and sustainably designed community as outlined in the LeBreton Master Concept Plan.”
The design of the development may evolve in the coming months as it progresses through the NCC’s review process.
Development of LeBreton Flats itself will be phased in over a period of years, with construction of infrastructure and projects occurring simultaneously to accelerate the regeneration of the area. The property has sat empty for decades. At one point, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk had proposed a new NHL arena on the flats but the deal fell apart.
The NCC is presently accepting proposals for destination facilities at LeBreton Flats in hopes of attracting at least one significant anchor in the arts, culture, sports or recreation sectors.
“We are open-minded about what attractions should be built in LeBreton Flats – leaving the canvas blank so creative minds can suggest innovative and financially sound ideas which will capture our interest,” says Paris. “Some people think sports arena, some think concert hall, some think exhibition space, and some have other ideas. We are excited to see what ideas come forward.”
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