Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 27

Sustainable.to

Architecture + building
Toronto, ON - Founded in 2009, this niche
firm hailing from Toronto’s hipster Leslieville
enclave has forged a reputation largely on work
conducted outside the city. This reputation, as
one might gather from their name, is built upon
a sustainable approach comprising three steps:
reduce energy demand, incorporate passive
sources of energy and use renewable sources of
energy as required.
In 2011, Sustainable.TO won a prestigious
international competition, designing a passive
house for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina
in New Orleans. The design was remarkable for
its simplicity and its affordability—and this was
what resonated with the judges most. (A hightechnology solution championed by Hollywood
star Brad Pitt was relegated to runner-up status.)
“The perception is that sustainability is
expensive,” says founder and chief architect Paul
Dowsett. “But to be effective, sustainability has
to come from the ground up—that means it has
to be affordable for the average homeowner.” Two
years later, the firm won a competition sponsored
by the American Institute of Architects to design
sustainable housing for residents of Queens who
were affected by Hurricane Sandy.
One of their current projects hits closer to
home. Using a design called the “Toronto Method
Wall,” the firm is testing ways to build homes that
will better withstand the extreme cold of Toronto
winters and humidity of the city’s summers.

Next big project

Canada’s first transitional
housing facility for LBGTQ2S
street-involved youth
The state of eco-friendly
architecture today

Better than ever and
continually improving, while
becoming more mainstream
Claim to fame

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUSTAINABLE.TO

philosophy

Healthy, affordable and
energy-efficient design
solutions for everyone

The first architects recognized
with the CMHC award for
Healthy Housing

six star magazine 27