Stephanie Vo, Alaa Zidane, Gianfranco Cammalleri, Iris Hu
Carbon Positive Affordable Housing:
Solar Suite
Urban centres are struggling with an affordable-housing crisis; sky-rocketing prices have made housing unaffordable for citizens around the globe. GHG-driven climate change has exacerbated this issue: future heatwaves, flooding, and droughts will threaten millions of homes and further burden families with hefty costs and strained resources. Throughout this crisis, low-income groups will be vulnerable to the resulting instability.
Our team designed Solar Suite as a solution. Solar Suite is an affordable, carbon-positive laneway suite.
Passive strategies like its rainwater-irrigated green wall, cross-ventilation, and open-concept design enable Solar Suite to use minimal energy. It then generates clean solar energy to power itself, and transfers surplus to the grid. Deliberate use of recycled and carbon-sequestering materials, like cedar siding and steel, also minimize emissions throughout its lifecycle.
Despite these carbon-positive elements, Solar Suite remains affordable for low-income renters due to its unique renting system. Each laneway suite contains two units. The lower-level unit rents at market price; the upper-level unit rents for less, with subsidies to cover any losses. Uniquely, upper-level units can be easily omitted if small lots prohibit larger suites, thereby improving replicability. In addition, prefabrication significantly reduces construction time, and long-term energy savings provide proven returns on initial investments.
Carbon Positive Affordable Housing:
Solar Suite
Urban centres are struggling with an affordable-housing crisis; sky-rocketing prices have made housing unaffordable for citizens around the globe. GHG-driven climate change has exacerbated this issue: future heatwaves, flooding, and droughts will threaten millions of homes and further burden families with hefty costs and strained resources. Throughout this crisis, low-income groups will be vulnerable to the resulting instability.
Our team designed Solar Suite as a solution. Solar Suite is an affordable, carbon-positive laneway suite.
Passive strategies like its rainwater-irrigated green wall, cross-ventilation, and open-concept design enable Solar Suite to use minimal energy. It then generates clean solar energy to power itself, and transfers surplus to the grid. Deliberate use of recycled and carbon-sequestering materials, like cedar siding and steel, also minimize emissions throughout its lifecycle.
Despite these carbon-positive elements, Solar Suite remains affordable for low-income renters due to its unique renting system. Each laneway suite contains two units. The lower-level unit rents at market price; the upper-level unit rents for less, with subsidies to cover any losses. Uniquely, upper-level units can be easily omitted if small lots prohibit larger suites, thereby improving replicability. In addition, prefabrication significantly reduces construction time, and long-term energy savings provide proven returns on initial investments.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2900fd057b66e0ccbedf3bed80cfbb7fcf5b1b5007ff79b69d469f3d3c5d0b69/carbon-5-1.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1489ca4e7a9d641e3b6af91c572ea207edc5b7aeb9e226806db3e37f6a7fdd7e/carbon-5-2.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4a6fcfeb28d283a43244f34b3378bafac9677c9a9b8c748df495daa37a590a48/carbon-5-3.jpg)
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![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e42f2cfddffdb5cffac636107750bafb6e69969cce724f48a999521e8d20a4be/carbon-5-6.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/77829e78231fa05106940d59a4bdb7907edc0a016808a676b6ca84d09e2eaff1/carbon-5-7.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e142b8777b9601da55ae57a0f56131ea41c3707259205a1656b51d135e4985b5/carbon-5-8.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/224feca05a020723e19966949d3219d1c3c9fa1f655e50c1bf08199d867cf960/carbon-5-9.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c9adeb07eade486f836df2cc763366313d8f3cfa6687e78d98cf5e8c3998b7c/carbon-5-10.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fa70a756a08ac88bc7ea909cfdf9586e861281a28dbce3b51be617dd0c4cdcd6/carbon-5-11.jpg)