Environmentally Responsible and Connected Homes

Green Renovation
‘Going Green’ is a popular catchphrase but what does a green renovation really mean? Going green when refurbishing your home is all about making choices that do more good than harm — from renovating instead of demolishing your house to choosing locally sourced building supplies.

• Change to more energy-efficient windows to save on energy costs and, in turn, lessen your carbon footprint
• Improve the insulation and heating system efficiency in your home
• Install systems that reduce the use of electricity and water (like an on-demand unit that heats water only when it’s needed)
• Select locally sourced building supplies that don’t contribute as much to carbon emissions created by transportation
• Use materials that don’t harm a person’s health, like environmentally friendly paint that emits low to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Use ecological and durable materials
• Reduce the need for electric lighting by installing light tubes, skylights or LEDs
• Reuse or give away some of the old material to make new use of it instead of sending it to the landfill

Eco-friendly windows
There are several benefits related to a change to more eco-responsible windows, including:

• Your annual consumption of heating and air conditioning will be reduced as this type of window and framing tends to better insulate against the elements and maintains the home’s indoor temperature. This will save you money in the medium and long-term, providing a partial or total return on the cost of the windows.
• In certain areas, government initiatives offer grants or tax credits of up to 20% on all expenses. It’s a fantastic incentive to become more ecologically conscious, especially if you intend to change all of your windows!
• The style! Update your windows for a fresh modern look with beautiful new frames in PVC, aluminum, wood or hybrid styles!

Renovation with materials that have a smaller impact on the environment
Green renovations are not just about green products, but also about the materials used and how the work is executed. Some materials leave less impact on nature, which is why we take care in choosing our materials. Not every contractor will take this into account but we feel that it’s an important part of our business ethics.

Other tips for making your house green

• Change to higher-quality green insulation to improve your home’s ability to retain its temperature
• Install systems that reduce electricity and water consumption (such as a device that heats water on demand only when needed)
• Choose locally-made construction materials that help reduce carbon emissions from transportation
• Use materials that don’t harm people’s health, such as environmentally friendly paints that emit very little or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Use environmentally-friendly and durable materials
• Reduce the amount of electrical lighting needed by installing fluorescent tubes, skylights or LEDs
• Reuse or donate some of the old materials to recycle them rather than send them to the landfill
• Opt for shielded power cables and choose energy-efficient fixtures (such as LEDs)
• Install solar panels to reduce reliance on unsustainable energy sources

Changing to a low energy heating and cooling system
Do you still have one of those old, obsolete heating or air conditioning systems that make noise, don’t heat properly, and pollute the environment? If so, consider upgrading to a new green solution that will consume far less energy. Whether it is a central system or a floor system, several renewable energy options are available. Click here to learn more about heating and cooling systems.


Connected and Smart Homes
Often complementing our concept of sustainable architecture, Connected and Smart homes can help you lessen your impact on the planet at the same time as providing you and your family with an unprecedented level of customization, security and ease of use in your home.

The technologies behind the connected home can be grouped in the following categories:

• Networking: Familiar home networking technologies (high bandwidth/high power consumption), such as Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, as well as 3G and Long Term Evolution (LTE), are complemented with low-power consumption networking standards for devices and sensors that require low bandwidth and consume very little power, such as thermostats.
• Media and Entertainment: This category, which covers integrated entertainment systems within the household and includes accessing and sharing digital content across different devices, has proved to be the most prolific and contains some of the most mature technologies in the connected home.
• Home Security/Monitoring and Home Automation: The technologies in this category cover a variety of services that focus on monitoring and protecting the home as well as the remote and automated control of doors, windows, blinds and locks, heating/air conditioning, lighting and home appliances, and more.
• Energy Management: This category is tightly linked to smart cities and government initiatives, yet consumer services and devices/apps are being introduced at mass-market prices that allow people to track, control and monitor their gas/electricity consumption.
• Healthcare, Fitness and Wellness: Solutions and services around healthcare have proven slow to take off, because they have to be positioned within a health plan and sold to hospitals and health insurance companies. The fitness and wellness segment has strong and quickly developed ecosystems that range from devices to sports wares to apps, which integrate seamlessly with each other to create a strong customer experience.