Calgary’s Most Eco-Friendly Neighborhood Nearing Completion in Echo Haven, Calgary
November 12, 2021
Only 3 lots are still available in Calgary’s most eco-friendly neighborhood, Echo Haven in Calgary, Alberta. This ground-breaking green community preserves 60% of the site in its natural state – untouched and undisturbed. The 25 sustainable homes in the neighborhood are all custom-designed and built to minimize environmental impact.
This is not a typical cookie cutter suburb. “The site is a bit of a laboratory for new, energy efficient home design,” says David Dodge of Green Energy Futures. Each home has a unique look. The lots are small, but there’s natural space everywhere, regular wildlife sightings and an extensive landscaping project is underway which includes an outdoor gathering space.
Echo Haven started as a group of 6 families who wanted eco-friendlier solar housing. Over 2 decades later, their acreage has become a subdivision of like-minded people. Their goals are to:
- Minimize environmental impact;
- Preserve the water and trees on the site; and
- Make the homes affordable for an average family.
“What’s underneath the skin varies as much or even more than what’s on the outside,” says Jaime Turner, a President of the board at Echo Haven. Indeed, because of the advances and development in technology, not all Echo Haven homes use the same methods to produce or conserve energy.
Advanced insulation and triple-glazed windows minimize heat loss and air leakage, and combined with controlled heat recovery ventilation, the heating load is reduced by approximately 80%. An average household saves an estimated 65% of heating and cooling costs by using solar energy and heat pumps.
Rooftop rainwater collection reduces water demand, and the community uses natural stormwater systems to reduce stormwater infrastructure.
Melcom Homes, an eco-friendly Calgary home builder, recently purchased 2 of the remaining lots. This required a vigorous approval process. All new home builds must meet or exceed a set of strict architectural guidelines and technical standards to ensure it upholds the goals of the community.
“Our mission is to help create a sustainable world and we do that by building affordable eco-friendly homes.
We’re impressed by how far Echo Haven has been able to take that, and we’re pleased to become a part of the Echo Haven community,” says Taiwo Ogunsina, Project Manager at Melcom Homes.
