From the Montreal Gazette: "Duncan Morrison, a veteran general contractor with a degree in urban planning, got together with entrepreneur and eco-housing enthusiast Paul King to look for properties in which they could invest. 'The Point St. Charles area is being gentrified - it's full of history, near the Atwater Market and near downtown,' said Morrison. So along with architect Eric Madjer, they decided to begin Phase 1 of their new business, eco-Habitat, focusing on green building technologies and as many eco-features as they could put into a 2,100-square-foot, three-storey space. They've done this by creating a house with an airtight building envelope due to soya insulation, a heat pump for heating and cooling, air exchanger so the tight seal can allow the transfer of fresh air, low flow faucets and shower heads and dual flush toilets, recycled materials in the metal siding and quartz kitchen counters and a rainwater collection system for garden irrigation. As much as possible, they've sourced all their building materials locally, including bricks, lumber, gyproc and flooring. The main floor houses an open plan living and dining area, filled with light streaming from the front windows - retained in their original form as a government building requirement. Creating an open space for living and dining did have its challenges, like where to put the hall closet, which they solved by creating a free-standing closet made of locally-sourced 12-inch cedar planks, as much a standing work of art as a functional enclosure." Full article here.