The Cooperative Bois Ellen dreamed of affordable housing in which its residents would take ownership of the ecological maintenance of the building. Recently built, it is located near the Place de la Concorde train and metro station, a neighbourhood in transition to multi-residential housing. Unlike the current trend of incorporating complex and sometimes very expensive technologies, our approach was totally different. Bois Ellen, as a result of our PCI integrated design process, focused on passive design implementations so that maintenance could be easily managed by the Co-op and its residents.
To complete our client support, we created guides with text and diagrams on the building’s passive systems. The residents themselves can understand and adjust the HRV systems in their homes, a technique that can reduce energy consumption by 35%. The Bois Ellen cooperative represents an accumulation of knowledge, experience and lessons learned from Coteau-Vert and Benny Farm: building envelope and technical measures on the one hand, and community engagement and livability on the other.

Ellen Wood was designed for seniors and families, while simplifying ongoing maintenance for the client and residents.
“At Ellen Wood, energy costs will remain intact even if energy costs increase because of our mentality to implement “scalable solutions” from the beginning of the project.
Sudhir Suri, Associate Architect, L’OEUF.