Canadian Apartment
Summary
Rising out of its industrial past, Zibi is a community unlike any other in Canada. Framed by Portage Bridge and Waterfront Quarter to the east and Chaudière Crossing and Albert Island to the west, the new waterfront city straddling Ottawa and Gatineau features a connected system of walking trails, extensive cycling paths, retail space, and multiple transit options. Progress has been underway on the 34-acre development since 2013, bringing to life an ambitious masterplan of standalone buildings, public squares and retail plazas that will soon serve more than 5,000 residents and countless visitors to the nation’s capital region.
“The Zibi project presents a perfect opportunity to bring housing to urban professionals looking to live more affordably and lighten their environmental footprint,” says Justin Robitaille, VP, Development at Dream Asset Management. “With 7.7 acres dedicated to four parks, as well as a mix of housing to accommodate various levels of income, the draws of this exceptional new community go on and on.”
Among the attractions, brave souls will be able to launch themselves across the river on the world’s first interprovincial zipline. Meanwhile, residents looking to set roots in the area can choose from two-storey townhomes or single-dwelling urban flats. For renters, a new high-rise component, featuring a mix of co-living spaces and market rentals, is set to open within the next two years.
Zero Carbon Energy
Of critical importance to the One Planet Living framework, Zibi will bring zero carbon heating and cooling to every tenant and resident of the 34-acre city. The region’s first zero-carbon District Energy System (ZCU) will rely on post-industrial waste energy for heating, and the Ottawa River for cooling. Although many district thermal systems do exist in Canada, this will be the first of its kind in North America to use post-industrial effluent energy recovery in a master-planned community.
“District energy has countless advantages including increased reliability, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and overall lower costs,” he says. “Moving toward zero carbon is the way of the future and Zibi is leading the way here in Canada.”
All buildings in the community will be interconnected through a hydronic loop that will deliver heating and cooling energy generated at the ZCU central plant currently under construction. The heat will be injected into the plant through low-grade heat from effluents recovered from the neighbouring Kruger Products plant. Heat will be rejected through chillers into the Ottawa River to efficiently produce chilled water to cool the buildings. In the interim, temporary plants in Ontario and Quebec are heating and cooling the current buildings by gas. The permanent plant will be completed in 2021 and the DES is expected to go online at the same time.
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