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Advertised to potential buyers as an “all-electric community powered by the sun,” Canada’s Electric Vehicle Enclave Park (or EVE Park) in London, Ontario is a net-zero residential project aimed squarely at the EV enthusiast.
True to its name, the development offers electric vehicle charging and a car-share program for residents. Rather than driveways or a ground-level parking lot, each of the condo buildings contains an automated “smart” parking tower that stores vehicles vertically, freeing up space for gardens and landscaping.
Designed for developer s2e Technologies by US architecture firm Gensler, the four circular residential structures can accommodate a combined 84 households. They are positioned and orientated to maximize sun exposure for the mass of solar panels that feed into the community’s “micro-grid.”
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Jay and Allison Handleman took possession of their new home in EVE Park just before the holidays.
“It was actually about a two-year wait, and when we took possession it was really exciting. Actually, there's a webcam that's on the whole site and we had relatives across the country watching us and we waved to the webcam as we went into our new place.”
That excitement was rejuvenating for S2E CEO Milfred Hammerbacher, especially after delays caused by the pandemic.
“I was lucky enough to be here when one of the first couples moved in and they were all excited and, wow, we're building somebody's home,” said Hammerbacher.
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“It was a meaningful investment made to develop these homes. You don’t see one of these every day,” said Glen Drummond, a spokesperson for s2e.
The cluster of four doughnut-shaped buildings has 84 residences in total, with 48 two-bedroom units, 32 three-bedroom and four one-bedroom units.
New buyers Michelle Hermansen, 37, and James Agudo, 35, moved into their unit in November. The circular concept was one of the aspects of the development that attracted the couple who recently got engaged.
“I think we’re just in awe to see their vision,” Hermansen said.
“And how they were able to pull that off,” Agudo added. “It’s super close to the concept photos. They did such a great job of bringing that vision to reality.”
The landscaping is still being finalized, and the finishing product should look exactly like the drawings, said Derek Satnik, vice-president of technology with s2e.
Each of the four buildings will have its own mini-park in the centre and residents have places to walk within the community, making it feel “very pedestrian,” Satnik said.
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Global architecture studio Gensler has designed an apartment complex with circular buildings and integrated electric-vehicle parking towers in Ontario.
Designed in collaboration with design agency Studio Dror and located outside of Toronto, the Electric Vehicle Enclave (EVE) Park development aims to integrate green technologies into a community-focused residential development.
"The EVE Park homes are designed within circular clusters with stepped rooflines that create dynamic spatial experiences between buildings and allow roof-mounted solar panels to optimally harness energy," said Gensler principal Oliver Schaper.
"The circular clusters promote community within a shared courtyard and offer small private outdoor spaces on the outside embedded in a park-like setting, creating a residential experience centred on connection to the outdoors."
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EVE Park is part of the Greater Sustainable West 5 Community – North America’s first and largest mixed-use net zero community. Starting in 2014, s2e played a seminal role in the creation of West 5 by bringing together the project’s research partners, knitting together an innovative vision and advising West 5’s developer, Sifton Properties, on renewable energy technologies. In 2017, s2e started on the next logical step: Reconceptualizing housing through a broader sustainability lens; net zero, of course, but also disrupting existing market assumptions about the relationship of housing to mobility, land use and more. The outcome is now under construction with the first phase nearly sold out and the second phase soon to begin.
Project Lead Ashley Hammerbacher has an undergraduate degree in Bioengineering and a graduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. To make it all happen, Hammerbacher credits the unique and heavy-hitting project team they assembled. “The idea was to bring in a wealth of experience and creativity from international players to come up with something unique and cutting-edge,” she says. “Then we critically found a lot of local partners to help with implementation. They ensured the project could be built in London – everything from accessing resources, to adopting modular construction techniques that could be used to reduce on-site construction waste.”
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Milfred’s passion for the environment has guided him throughout his education and 30+ year career. Solar energy through photovoltaic technology has been one of the paths he chose to have an impact on the environment.
For the last 12 years Milfred has been the founder and CEO of s2e Technologies Inc. where he has expanded beyond solar to the development of smart sustainable communities and renewable energy solutions.
In addition to s2e, he was the President of Canadian Solar Solutions between 2009-2012, where his team developed a new business model for Canadian Solar, integrating solar panel manufacturing with project development and construction.
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