SoLo | Soo Valley Modular Home
Introba provided mechanical, electrical, and lighting design services for the SoLo, Soo Valley Modular Home in Soo Valley, BC, Canada.
The Lower Soo Valley falls within the extremely remote, traditional territories of the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations. As an off-grid project in an extreme climate, pursuing Passive House energy efficiency helps to achieve the goal of self-sufficiency. SoLo is a prototype for a much larger community and provides exceptional comfort, resilience, and integration within local existing ecological systems.
With special attention to the regional climate, the project integrates high airtightness and insulation for winter and controlled natural ventilation for summer. An optimal performance building envelope includes glazing for natural daylight, heat gain reduction, and external views. Overhangs for south-facing glazing block sun and deep reveals are placed on the east/west-facing glazing. A pre-heating and pre-cooling geo-exchange loop takes advantage of moderate ambient ground temperatures to directly pre-heat/cool the incoming air supply in the winter/summer without using a heat pump. The house was constructed off-site in modular sections to minimize site disturbance and reduce waste.
The team adopted an indirect illumination approach for lighting with the rural surroundings and low-energy target goals.
Sustainability
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Passive House certified
Project Highlights
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Off-grid project in an extreme climate, Passive House certified efficiency helps to achieve the goal of self-sufficiency
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A prototype for a much larger community and provides exceptional comfort, resilience, and integration within local existing ecological systems
-
Integrates high airtightness and insulation for winter and controlled natural ventilation for summer
-
Building envelope performance optimization includes glazing for natural daylight, heat gain reduction, and external views
-
Geo-exchange loop takes advantage of moderate ambient ground temperatures to directly pre-heat/cool the incoming air supply in the winter/summer without using a heat pump
-
Constructed off-site in modular sections to minimize site disturbance and reduce waste