“Our community has voted unanimously to support this initiative because we embrace innovation and new ideas,” said Ted Lojko, mayor of Gananoque. “From day one, the Horizon team has been stellar to work with and answered all of our questions. We are satisfied that their plans will meet the planning requirements of our community.”
The project is to include six buildings. As many as four are to be assembled in the first phase and will use new construction technology to help solve the affordable housing crisis.
“Each building is being designed and built by architects who were chosen in a competition from around the world,” said Lojko. “They will each have 3 units – one two-bedroom apartment, one one-bedroom apartment and one bachelor apartment. Horizon Legacy has mandated each architectural team to design a building that reduces the time and the cost of the building, as well as being energy efficient and durable.”
Designed and planned by HLG’s contest winners, they hope to create a new normal in building sustainability. They are to use green energy for lighting, heating and cooling, which will get most of its power from on-site renewable energy. The buildings will be compact – each one about 1,400 square feet – owned and made available as rental units by HLG.
Gananoque has a population of just over 5,000 people and has been struggling with the issue of affordable housing. HLG backed the Marco Polo Digital Build challenge, investing up to $10 million and offering cash prizes and royalties to winners in this international competition designed to help solve this issue by using new processes and technologies. The new units could eventually provide housing for 18 individuals or some small families.
