Great Gulf's 'revolutionary' active house in Bradford puts health of people and planet first, builder says

Company hopes to build active houses in future subdivisions across Canada

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 22, 2023
Lisa Queen

Great Gulf has unveiled what the builder calls a “revolutionary” active house in Bradford that provides a wide variety of features to improve homeowners’ living conditions while having minimal environmental impact.

The house is “a home that puts the user at the centre and transforms thinking around how homes can be built in Canada. A home that will help you sleep better, be more productive, raise a healthy family and is equipped to allow you to age in place,” Tad Putyra, president of Great Gulf Low Rise and Home

Technology and Systems Plus and a member of the international Active House alliance’s board of advisory committee, said at the Sept. 20 event.

“Why is an active house important? Health Canada tells us that we as Canadians spend 90 per cent of our time indoors, meaning elements like natural light, indoor air quality, temperature and acoustics can impact our health, physical and mental. The key principles of active house are comfort, energy and the environment. Each are a balance against each other, so buyers can choose how active their ideal house is.”

The Bradford home, at 8 Downy Emerald Dr. in Summerlyn Village, located off Holland Street West east of Highway 400, is expected to come with a price tag of $1.49 million, $50,000 more than if it didn’t have all the active house amenities, although buyers of future homes will be able to purchase specific features they want.

The Bradford home is Great Gulf’s third active home, following ones in Niagara Falls and Etobicoke.

The builder plans to have more in future subdivisions throughout Ontario, Putyra said.

“These houses exist today. It’s not like we reinvented something, but we are putting them on the production market,” he added.
Features include:

• a sun tunnel, which captures sunlight and uses reflective materials to direct the natural light to dark spaces such as closets;
• an abundance of natural light, thanks to expansive windows, skylights, sun tunnels, reflective walls and ceilings and strategic interior designs to avoid obstruction of daylight;
• an HVAC system that uses all-climate heat pump technology to improve the comfort and air quality of the home in three climate zones of the main floor and basement, the second floor and the primary bedroom;
• electrical boxes that are fully sealed to prevent air leaks and energy loss through exterior walls and ceilings;
• skylights that ensure regular airflow that keep the house cool in the summer while ensuring effective ventilation; and
• water leak sensors with automated shut-off.

It only makes sense to focus on features such as these, Great Gulf CEO Bill Tresham said.

“Why would we talk to people about what colour they want their walls to be before we talk to them about the quality of the air they breathe and whether there’s mould growing in their house and whether they can use less electricity and be friendlier to the plant?” he said.

Great Gulf’s Summerlyn Village has been part of Bradford’s community since 2008.

The 340-plus-acre neighbourhood features ecological design, a wetland area, a community park, parkette, a multi-station fitness trail and almost six kilometres of trails and has been recognized by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority for improving water quality and wildlife in the watershed, Mayor James Leduc said.

“Summerlyn has been recognized as a local leading community with people, play and our planet in mind,” Leduc said.

At the event, Great Gulf and Georgian College announced a multi-year partnership that includes scholarships totalling $50,000 over three years, supporting 24 students driving innovation and sustainability practices.

It also provides exclusive access for students to access Great Gulf’s facilities for applied research.