Ottawa-Gatineau homebuilder takes new approach to sustainability

 

Ottawa-Gatineau homebuilder takes new approach to sustainability

Brigil incorporates heritage buildings, forests and wetlands into new communities
 
 

A new generation of local homebuilders is looking at sustainability in a fresh way, applying creative and holistic thinking to create low-impact communities that celebrate the existing built and natural environment.

 

One of the leaders in this area is Brigil, which has prioritized building durable, well-constructed homes since its inception in 1985. In recent years, the local homebuilder has placed a special priority on creating pedestrian-oriented neighbourhoods that embrace existing heritage and environmental features.

 

“When we think about sustainability, most people will associate it with energy efficient upgrades or where the materials are sourced from, but as developers, we have a much bigger responsibility,” says Jessy Desjardins, a real estate developer at Brigil. He and his brother, Kevin, are the sons of Brigil founder Gilles Desjardins and are bringing new ideas and perspectives to the company as they assume increasingly senior responsibilities.

 

“It’s not only about the buildings we build,” he adds. “But it’s about where we build them.”

Built in 1835 by Hull Township founder Philemon Wright, the Columbia farmhouse is a local landmark that reflects the Georgian architecture style of the era.
 
 

Protecting greenspace

A key part of Brigil’s approach to sustainability is protecting mature trees and maintaining as much green space as possible for residents.

 

Located just a few kilometres from downtown Ottawa, Champlain is one of the homebuilder’s latest urban village developments that will combine residential space with commercial units targeted at locally owned restaurants and shops.

 

Plans call for the protection of the various trees and wetlands currently on the development. Brigil is also designing the community to be compact and as pedestrian-friendly as possible – a “15-minute neighbourhood” in which residents can easily walk to shops and services for their daily needs, and be well-served by public transit.

 

“It’s density for sustainability. Instead of focusing on car accessibility, we really focus on foot and bike accessibility,” says Desjardins, noting that private vehicles are one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec. “It’s a project that has a lot more public space, wider sidewalks and really nice planters along the street, but is still protecting more than 30 per cent of the trees and ponds in the area.”

 

Similarly, at Brigil’s Domaine du Vieux-Port community – which overlooks the Gatineau River – the neighbourhood is dotted with preserved mature trees and also backs onto a forest that has the potential to become an urban sugar bush, says Desjardins.

 

“We’ve worked with forest engineers to identify each tree and to make sure when we design future phases that we don’t impede on those existing plants,” he says, adding that the team hopes to one day explore the option of making maple syrup using the trees in the forest.

 

“It’s about creating that contrast of urban living within the environment. We want to represent the idea of bringing nature back into our cities.”

Preserving heritage

Brigil’s Le Columbia condo tower, located on St-Joseph Boulevard in Gatineau, will include high-end amenities such as rooftop terrace and spa. However, it will also incorporate a treasured feature that reflects the area’s storied history: The iconic Columbia Farmhouse.

 

Built in 1835 by Hull Township founder Philemon Wright, the farmhouse is a local landmark that reflects the Georgian architecture style of the era, says Michel Prévost, president of the Outaouais Historical Society.

 

“It’s one thing to protect the building, but it’s another to promote the history and the heritage, which is what Brigil is trying to do,” he says. “They realize that they have to respect the structural history, and to do that they have to be very careful in the building process.”

 

The construction team is taking precautions to limit any shaking or movement of the house, and even built up the structure’s foundations to ensure it remains stable during the process.

 

To further highlight the historical significance of the location, the homebuilder also reached out to the public to hear their thoughts on the project and to gather stories, photos and illustrations of the building’s history in the community, with the goal of adding plaques around the site that help tell the story of the Columbia Farmhouse, says Prévost.

 

“I believe that most of the people who will live there are not aware of the importance of the area,” he adds. “By including archive photos and giving the building a name related to its history, it will only help educate new (residents).”

 
 
 
 
 
https://obj.ca/index.php/article/brigil-sponsored-ottawa-gatineau-homebuilder-takes-new-approach-sustainability

Non classifié(e)

Non classifié(e)

Brigil Welcomes Telesat to Its Former Headquarters in Gatineau

Steven MacKinnon, Federal Minister of Employment, Labour and Workforce Development, made a major announcement on March 7th, with the presence of Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, Mayor of Gatineau, and several executives from Telesat, as well as elected officials from the Outaouais region. Telesat, a Canadian company operating in the field […]


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

800 km by Bike: Short Film for Centraide Outaouais 80th Campaign

Last fall, the three co-chairs of the 80th annual Centraide Outaouais campaign, Gilles Desjardins and his sons Jessy and Kevin, accompanied members of the Centraide Outaouais team on a tour of organizations in the Outaouais region. In their own way, co-chairs Jessy and Kevin Desjardins wanted to set the tone for this campaign and bring […]


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Brigil evolves Canevas (prev. Place Cartier) with residential units

Brigil’s team is proud to announce the construction of the very first residential apartment building on the Canevas site, formerly Place Cartier, at 425 boulevard Saint-Joseph in Gatineau.  This modern six-story building will offer 146 units and contribute to enriching the residential landscape of the area. Featuring two elevators, two lounges totaling over 2400 square […]


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Brigil donates $1M to Carrefour santé d’Orléans for community care

Source: Le Droit


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Brigil and APCHQ: Time to Review QST on New Construction Projects

      ABORDABILITÉ DE L’HABITATION D'ABORD ÉLIMINER LA TVQ SUR LES LOGEMENTS NEUFS PHILIPPE MARSANPRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION DE L'ASSOCIATION DES PROFESSIONNELS DE LA CONSTRUCTION ET DE L’HABITATION DU QUÉBEC, ET 13 AUTRES SIGNATAIRES* Sur fond de crise du logement et de surchauffe du marché de la revente, l’abordabilité est mise à mal comme jamais par […]


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

210 Papineau St. : Brigil accepts the City’s decision

  210 rue Papineau : Brigil accepte la décision de la Ville de Gatineau     Gatineau – le 6 mai 2022.   À la suite de la séance spéciale du conseil municipal de la Ville de Gatineau tenue le jeudi 5 mai, Brigil accepte la décision du conseil en lien avec le projet du 210 […]


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Future Gatineau hospital: Coalition demands transparency

  Source: Le Droit


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Brigil Acquires 600 Vanier Road to Preserve Boucher Forest

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     BRIGIL COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE BOUCHER FOREST WITH THE ACQUISITION OF 600 VANIER ROAD.   Gatineau, October 5, 2021 – The Desjardins family confirms that Brigil has proceeded with the acquisition of the land located at 600 Vanier Road (Aylmer sector), adjacent to the Boucher Forest, and that […]


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Preserving 100% of Boucher Forest: A Vision Once Seen as Utopian

  Source: Le Droit


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Village Cartier Revitalization: 1st Step Toward a Thriving Community

  Source: Le Droit


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Brigil ready to invest $1 billion in Gatineau’s downtown revival.

                                      Source: Le Droit


Lire plus
Non classifié(e)

Relaunching Downtown: A Letter to Gatineaus Mayor on Urban Revival

           Source: Le Droit


Lire plus

Pour être à l’affût de toutes nos nouvelles, c’est par ici

    Reset password

    Enter your email address and we will send you a link to change your password.