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Posted on by Carine De Pauw

L’ALBÉDO

Social housing offers multigenerational living and superior performance

By Élodie Simard

Aiming for the highest standards of social responsibility and inclusivity, this project has implemented multiple innovations that contribute significantly to the fight against climate change.

This 12-storey building, located on the Sainte-Foy plateau in Québec City, was designed with great care to house 128 social housing units as well as a childcare center (CPE) with 148 places. Part of the two lower floors form a podium dedicated to children, infants, and educators, topped by a ten-story residential tower for seniors. It is an innovative, multigenerational project.

In addition, 30 housing units are reserved for social organizations such as Vivre Grand, PECH, and Clés en main. Through shared spaces, terraces, meeting areas, community gardens, and the small, wooded area of Rochebelle, residents can share a living environment that fosters an extraordinary social fabric promoting inclusion and human dignity.

The demand for social housing in this area of the city is undeniable. La Bouée – the owner of the residential part – supported by Action-Habitation, the City of Québec, the Société d’habitation du Québec, CMHC, the Ministry of Families, Hydro-Québec, and several other key partners, has helped meet a major need—ensuring the project’s success on social, architectural, and economic levels.

L’Albédo offers vulnerable individuals the opportunity to live in a place of great comfort, designed specifically for them. A large dining hall and community services with on-site staff are available daily. The building is fully accessible both inside and out, including the rooftop terrace above the daycare center. All housing units are adaptable, allowing anyone—regardless of physical or cognitive limitations—to live there independently.

Social and technical innovation are present throughout the project. The diverse program encourages intergenerational sharing; very few buildings welcome children, people facing social integration challenges, individuals with intellectual disabilities, and seniors—all living together in harmony and kindness.

Built on a former municipal parking lot near the Intact Assurance Ice Center and the Sainte-Foy Public Market, Albédo contributes to urban densification by avoiding sprawl; while its compact form, high performance envelope and use of waste heat help to reduce the heat island effect. In addition to being close to public transit and along the future tramway route, the building promotes active mobility, offering universal accessibility with spaces for mobility scooters and electric bicycles in the building.

For the childcare center, nearby parking spaces ensure the safety of young children and provide convenient access for parents. Despite the site’s relatively high density, every available ground-level and rooftop space maximizes green areas and recreational zones for users. An optimized stormwater management system was integrated, including a retention basin, oversized piping, and rainwater collection for watering plants and gardens.

Waste management has been centralized in the building’s basement, requiring innovative coordination of shared services and costs between La Bouée and the CPE. The result is a low ground impact and simplified waste collection.

Part of the two-storey podium houses a daycare. All drywall products were supplied by Certainteed.

Project Performance

  • Energy intensity (heating, cooling, lighting, equipment) = ≥ 50 KWhr/m2/year, heating 25 KWhr/m2/year
  • Energy intensity reduction relative to reference building under MNECB 2015 = 42.5%
  • Water consumption from municipal sources = ≥ 40K liters/occupant/year
  • Reduction in water consumption relative to reference building under LEED = 36.4%

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  La Bouée, Société acheteuse de préservation et de développement de l’habitat communautaire
  • Architect  Lafond Côté architectes
  • General Contractor  Concrea
  • Landscape Architect  Duo Design
  • Civil Engineer  CIME consultants
  • Electrical/ Mechanical Engineer  Génécor experts-conseils inc.
  • Structural Engineer  CIME consultants
  • Commissioning Agent  Génécor experts-conseils inc.
  • Energy Modelling  Poly-Énergie inc./EcoHabitation
  • PhotoS  Joël Gingras et Christian Gingras

ÉLODIE SIMARD IS SENIOR PARTNER AT LAFOND CôTÉ ARCHITECTS.

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