Sabine Karsenti and her husband, an artist who moves by simply the letter “F,” didn’t set out for a formal certificate of sympathy because of his or her Montreal home. They simply wanted an eco friendly house that felt and looked modern and fresh. “We took a look at a few green and eco-friendly house layouts, but they didn’t appeal to people,” Karsenti states. “They felt very hippie like, very Birkenstock-y, and although we have nothing against Birkenstocks, it’s not a proper representation of our family.”
So afterwards she and her husband refused to compromise on their ecofriendly values or the modern aesthetic of the house, they decided to take it all of the way and goal for Platinum LEED certification.
“Our house, which we’ve called ‘Ecologia Montréal,’ became less about a specific architecture design and more about reducing our footprint and using nonpolluting materials,” Karsenti states. “These will be the principles that drove us forward.”
in a Glance
Who lives here: Sabine Karsenti, husband F and their 3-year-old son
Location: Montreal
Size: 2,700 square feet
That is intriguing: Ecologia Montréal, made by Gervais Fortin, is your very first single-family home that is aiming for Platinum LEED certification in Montreal.
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The property’s exterior, created of a regional St. Marc quarry rock, stands in gentle contrast to the conventional, century-old houses in the area. “We were able to construct a modern house with this block because the previous house was a complete eyesore and had been abandoned for over 10 decades,” Karsenti states. “Its previous inhabitants were a family of raccoons, so our neighbors welcomed the new arrangement.”
Stone: Les Carriéres Ducharme
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The couple spent in geothermal heating systems and purchased substances solely from local sources. Exposed beams, graphic windows and an interior courtyard create a cozy and warm living space.
An area artisan made hemp and limestone walls, which have a velvety look. “The walls don’t contain gypsum or paint and are VOC free,” states Karsenti.
Wood and polystyrene forms using a coat of black carbon paint help the hemp and limestone top layer. The black carbon paint cubes electromagnetic waves (EMFs) from cell phone towers, Karsenti and others believe. “With all of the information available as well as the data to support the health issues related to EMFs, we’re taking precautions — especially since we have a child in the house,” she states.
“I acknowledge I wasn’t conscious of using black carbon paint to block EMFs,” says designer Gervais Fortin, “but as a designer I’m in favor of creating a customer’s vision of a healthy and happy home.”
“The phones within the house have cords, so that they don’t give off EMFs,” states Karsenti. She carries a cell phone in her purse but switches it to plane mode in the house and reroutes cell phone calls to the property’s landline.
Sofa: Meubles Re-no
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Fortin used recycled granite for your kitchen countertops and sourced the zero-VOC cabinetry in Nu-Green in Montreal. “The cupboard’s lacquer is eco friendly,” Karsenti states.
The faucets have adaptors that reduce water circulation in line with the consumers’ needs. The family has more kitchen counter space due to the lack of a EMF-emitting microwave. “There was some resistance regarding understanding our choices,” Karsenti states. “But now people who have worked on the house see the outcome, and they are beginning to understand that our strategy makes sense.”
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Fortin acquired the kitchen table and breakfast nook out of Atelier 001-A. “The timber used for the two tables was in the timber of the previous house and dated back to the 1890s,” he states.
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An interior courtyard separates the living room in the dining area and kitchen and brings more light inside.
Floors: Eeko
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From the master bedroom, double-glazed windows ensure minimal heat loss during the winter, and recycled white ash flooring visually expand the area and heighten its expansiveness. A large square window by the bed faces a walnut tree which changes colors. “It is like a live picture frame,” states Karsenti.
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Transom windows naturally stabilize the restroom. The vanity mirror reflects and doubles the lush views in your opposing windows. The hand-crafted bathtub, vanity and sink are made from an ecofriendly composite material, and organic rock softens the angular modern suite with its curves.
Bath, vanity, sink: Ramacieri Soligo, Wetstyle
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A partial wall visually separates the toilet from the bed, but the soaking bathtub and vanity are a part of the room’s open plan. To protect the wood flooring, the couples uses a bath mat and keeps splashes to a minimum. “The child’s bath differs from ours,” Karsenti states, “however our bath is really unique: spa like and calming, somewhat like a Japanese soaking tub area.”
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A green roof inhabited by indigenous plants helps insulate the house.
Generally, individuals in Montreal buy and sell their houses every five decades, Karsenti states. “This mentality promotes individuals choosing materials with short life spans, ones which fill the waste websites. But we intend on staying in this house for as long as we can. It is our legacy to our family.”