Housing Solutions for Women and Children with Adsum House

The Sunflower, a 25-unit housing development and community center by Adsum for Women and Children in Halifax, NS emerged from the Federal Rapid Housing Initiative in 2020. It addressed the pressing need for safe, permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness. Situated on a former school site, the project replaced outdated facilities with modern housing units.

A key design focus was to incorporate Passive House principles and to achieve Net-Zero - a must for the long-term financial sustainability of project given the below-market rents that were required through the funding model. By increasing the efficiency up-front through thoughtful design, reaching Net-Zero site energy became an attainable goal.

Within such a tight, Passive House structure, outdoor air cannot penetrate the building’s thermal envelope; consequently manifesting an unhealthy living environment. The top-ported, HERO® Fresh Air Appliance was installed within each housing unit to bring fresh air in and exhaust stale air out while optimizing the energy required to do so, and keeping the design focus at Net-Zero.