Affordable Housing in Vancouver and the Olympic Village Model.

We have all read the News about the difficult Housing situation in places like Vancouver. 

As prices climb,  more and more people are unable to afford to buy a house, condo or anything else in and around Vancouver.  

Obviously something needs to be done.  An affordable and sustainable housing strategy needs to be developed: an Architecture  that can house low income families and young people entering the housing Market.

Something like a new Low cost, Affordable housing Village ..... Similar to the Olympic Village but "Affordable". Is it possible to build a large scale village where 2 and 3  bedroom apartments can be purchased for less than $100,000 ?   If done with low cost, recycled, and re-used materials the answer is YES !

The Tiny House and Offgrid Community are experts at creating spaces from almost nothing. Working with recycled, reused and repurposed materials, it is possible to build  low cost housing on a massive scale. Unfinished ceilings, floors, walls, small spaces, multi-function rooms and furniture. This is the Sustainable Architecture we have been waiting for.


Located in Southeast False Creek, the Olympic Village was built for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, to house athletes and Olympic officials coming from across the world.

After the Olympics, the Olympic accommodation became residential housing. The development aligns with the City's goals, addressing environmental, economic, and social issues.

The Olympic Village, developed by the Millennium Development Group, is one of the greenest communities in the world, making Vancouver a leader in sustainable development.

In keeping with Vancouver's Greenest City targets, the Olympic Village uses innovative energy efficiency and sustainability systems like solar heating and green roofs.

The Olympic Village is a mixed-use community, with approximately 1,100 residential units, area parks, and a growing number of retail and service outlets.

The Village, which is North America’s first LEED Platinum community, was designed, developed and constructed by the Millennium Development Group led by Peter and Sharam Malek. The project was achieved in a record 30 months from commencement of construction to the opening of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Situated on a former industrial site, it has been a catalyst for the revitalization of the surrounding neighbourhood and has recently been awarded the 2013 Urban Land Institute award for urban open spaces.  http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/olympic-village.aspx

International builders soak up the Vancouver model: 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/real-estate/international-builders-soak-up-the-vancouver-model/article17933284/

Beautiful Cedar Shake Cabin in the Mountains

OffGrid-Living in Beautiful British Columbia !

Imagine .... Offgrid-Living on 3.22 acres. Breathtaking ocean & mountain VIEWS. Cozy 1,200 square ft 2 bedroom cottage with workshop and covered deck resting right at the water's edge. Desirable south-west exposure & all day sunshine to relax and enjoy everything waterfront living has to offer.  

The zoning, gentle sloping topography and spacious 200' of waterfrontage allow for second residence, perfect for shared investment. 20 minutes by boat from Deep Cove. No road access. Great investment! Only $600 k

Hydro Rates across Canada. And Ontario is set to Increase !

The average monthly electricity bill by province for 1,000 kWh of electricity consumption (which is typically about what most households use) as of May 1, 2013.

Current Rates are actually much higher and set to Increase?

Time to go Off-Grid, or move to Quebec or BC....






More Information here : http://www.ontario-hydro.com/index.php?page=electricity_rates_by_province

In the News : http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03/26/ontario-cutting-hydro-rate-for-low-income-residents-but-most-households-will-pay-about-137-more-next-year/

"Average energy bills in Ontario are set to increase by as much as $137 a year starting in 2016 due to program changes announced by the Liberal government Thursday, including a new rebate to help low-income families."

What is your Carbon Footprint ? Do you know ?

Worldwide, 82% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are in the form of CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion. 

The Global Average CO2 Emission per person is about 4 Tonnes per year.  (20 Tonnes for the US)


The cost to fly one person from Washington DC to Paris Economy Class is 1.6 Tonnes of CO2 in 1 day.

Hundreds of government officials and Scientists plan to fly to Paris this month to discuss how to reduce CO2 Emissions.

Creating hundreds of Tonnes of CO2… Equivalent to hundred's of years of CO2 Emissions in 1 day !  

Maybe some of these people should not fly and rather Skype in to these meetings.... This would save thousands of dollars and hundreds of Tonnes of CO2 Emissions.


What do you think ?

You can Calculate your own Carbon Footprint here:            http://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

A carbon footprint is the measure of the amount of greenhouse gases, measured in units of carbon dioxide, produced by human activities. A carbon footprint can be measured for an individual or an organization, and is typically given in tons of CO₂-equivalent (CO₂-eq) per year. For example, the average North American generates about 20 tons of CO₂-eq each year. The global average carbon footprint is about 4 tons of CO₂-eq per year (Figure 1).

http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150926/