Genesis of the project

The Eco Home ERE 132 is an interpretive centre on eco-construction built according to an ecological housing model that is both affordable and adapted to Quebec’s northern climate. It adheres to the most stringent environmental standards and takes its inspiration from various environmental certifications of sustainable buildings.

As an integral part of the Reford Gardens, the ERE 132 Eco Home acts as an exemplar raising public awareness that eco-construction is a smart and affordable option. It is a green construction that respects the environment and contributes to one’s health and welfare as well as to economic development, both locally and regionally.

The ERE 132 project is founded on the principles of the environment, the economy and the community. In this sense, in its method of construction, from both a management and an operational standpoint, it maximizes the impact on the local economy while at the same time minimizes the impact on the environment.

PROJECT CONCEPTION

The ERE 132 construction project is a an initiative that came into being in 2010 by way of the combined creative effort of a team of experts, namely Pierre Etcheverry (Groupe CONTACT), Marie-Hélène Nollet (Architectes Goulet & LeBel), Marie-Elaine Banville (Groupe Architecture MB) and Isabelle Vézina (Cégep in Rimouski).

The team prescribed to a multi-disciplinary approach in designing a building respecting both the regional realities and the principles of sustainable development.

In the fall of 2010, the Lower Saint Lawrence is awarded the ACCORD regional “clusters of excellence” in eco-construction. After careful consideration and analysis of the feasibility perspectives, this centre of expertise gives new impetus to the project by funding the study that will allow the team to lay the foundation for this project. Engaged in market development, knowledge acquisition, innovation and stakeholder engagement, the members of the Green Building Cluster see an opportunity with the Eco Home project to consolidate the network of companies dedicated to eco-construction in the Lower Saint Lawrence, to tap into regional know-how in this domain and to stimulate the sale of environmentally friendly products.

By mutual agreement, they are a key element in the strategic planning of the Cluster. In turn, the involvement of the Green Building Cluster, in terms of the project and the endorsement of its objectives, allows access to financial support for the different phases of project implementation..