Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) are in charge of the national housing initiative EQuilibrium Housing. The objectives are to develop healthy and energy efficient homes. In fact the goal for them is that the homes shall produce at least as much energy as they consume annually. As a start of the initiative they invited developers to take part in a great nation wide competition. 72 teams took the challenge and send in proposals, of those 72, twelve where selected to be built as examples of the new housing ideal. One of those selected teams where from Winnipeg. The winning teams were each awarded $50,000 by CMHC. The money is meant as a help to build and realize the projects as energy-efficient healthy demonstration homes across the country (EQuilibrium Housing, 2007).
The project “Urban Ecology” proposed in Winnipeg is a double house situated at William Avenue in Down Town Winnipeg. The team behind this project was put together by Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation (WHRC), which is a non-profit corporation who works to create more affordable housing in Down Town Winnipeg. The team WHRC put together consists of: Prairie Architects Inc., Manitoba Hydro, EarthTech Canada, Faraci Engineering, Wolfrom Engineering, JL Hockman Consulting, Milestone Project Management, Centennial Community Improvement Association, Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative, JDL Construction and others (EQuilibrium Housing, 2007).
This Winnipeg project is different from the other 11 projects because it is the only one initiated by a non-profit organisation as well as it is the only project who works with in-fill in a down town area. By working with these aspects it recognises the whole idea about sustainability, which is both about social equity as well as environmental concerns. Instead of building new sub-urban areas, it explores the possibilities of creating quality housing in a denser and already populated area.
In other cities in North America, there are areas available for development within the existing city borders. To develop these sites is a way to prevent further development of new land and an increase in the already significant dependence on cars.
The project “Urban Ecology” proposed in Winnipeg is a double house situated at William Avenue in Down Town Winnipeg. The team behind this project was put together by Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation (WHRC), which is a non-profit corporation who works to create more affordable housing in Down Town Winnipeg. The team WHRC put together consists of: Prairie Architects Inc., Manitoba Hydro, EarthTech Canada, Faraci Engineering, Wolfrom Engineering, JL Hockman Consulting, Milestone Project Management, Centennial Community Improvement Association, Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative, JDL Construction and others (EQuilibrium Housing, 2007).
This Winnipeg project is different from the other 11 projects because it is the only one initiated by a non-profit organisation as well as it is the only project who works with in-fill in a down town area. By working with these aspects it recognises the whole idea about sustainability, which is both about social equity as well as environmental concerns. Instead of building new sub-urban areas, it explores the possibilities of creating quality housing in a denser and already populated area.
In other cities in North America, there are areas available for development within the existing city borders. To develop these sites is a way to prevent further development of new land and an increase in the already significant dependence on cars.
