Kate’s Rest cottage

New build uses advanced technology for energy efficiency

Thanks to a generous donation by Lanny Huff in memory of his mother, Phyllis, a new cottage has been built at Kate’s Rest that utilizes modular construction and digital electrical technology to provide a new pathway to affordable housing. Last Thursday, Father Brian Hart, members of the Kate’s Rest Foundation board, residents and visitors gathered at the Big Island location to thank Mr. Huff for his donation and to hold an opening ceremony for the new cottage. Fr. Hart began by giving a brief history of Kate’s Rest from its beginnings 20 years ago. He said it was an old fishing camp with a number of three-season cottages on the site. The cottages were retrofitted to make living space for the young and otherwise homeless residents to live there year-round. Fr. Hart said there were a number of unusual projects suggested to provide an income for the residents, including establishing a cricket farm, but eventually they established a spray foam insulation business. Eleven of the young people who came to Kate’s Rest in those early days eventually completed their high school education with one of them going on to community college. “There was a lot of benefit that came out of people being not just housed and fed, but also actively engaged in something they could do and feel they were contributing to society. There was no plan, no map. We grew as a community and as a family, where we welcome people, have a compassionate heart and empower people to find their place in society. We want to create an environment where people can discover themselves,” said Fr. Hart.

That outlook has guided Kate’s Rest through its years. This latest project is about rebuilding the original seven cottages to provide better and more sustainable housing for the residents. Mr. Huff’s donation was instrumental in getting the project started with the reconstruction of the first cottage. Fr. Hart said an innovative approach had to be taken to keep the cost manageable. Using the traditional electrical power supply would have been extremely expensive, as the requirement would have been a 200-amp supply to each of the cottages. Instead, a digital power management system is being implemented where the current single 200-amp supply is efficiently used to supply all seven cottages as they are rebuilt. The incoming alternating current supply is converted to direct current, which is distributed in millisecond “packets” of power where and when it is needed. Buried cables deliver the DC power to each of the cottages, where it can be converted to AC or used as is. Fr. Hart said that eventually about 70 per cent of the power usage will be in the form of DC, with conventional AC appliances taking up the rest. In future the system will be augmented by rooftop solar and miniature vertical wind turbines that will charge a storage battery in each unit—with excess power being returned to the grid.

To further enhance affordability, the cottages will be built as modular units using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). Anthony Francis of Nexgen Modular Inc. said the components of the cottages can be assembled indoors in the garage on site after which the building can be completed in a matter of days. He said it is a costeffective alternative to traditional frame construction, and is carbon- neutral. The panels are fireproof, with a five-hour fire rating, and are mould resistant. The new cottage meets the requirements of the Building Code as well as all electrical safety standards. Fr. Hart noted that this is the first residential building in Canada to use digital electrical technology.

Following the dedication ceremony, visitors were invited to tour the interior of the rebuilt cottage. It was a comfortable space for a single resident, with large windows providing a lot of natural light. A heat pump provides efficient heating, cooling and ventilation, and a power control module distributes electrical power through the cottage. Fr. Hart said that this was just the beginning. He is grateful for Mr. Huff’s donation to get the project going and is looking for funding to complete the rebuilding of the other cottages on site. Kate’s Rest Foundation is in discussions with the federal and provincial governments for additional funding.

He anticipates the cost to be in the neighbourhood of $1.2 million to provide seven affordable housing units. The board is also seeking funding to establish a hydroponic farming business on site. There have been a couple of pilot projects to demonstrate the feasibility, and Mr. Hart said it will provide viable employment for the residents. “We’re building for the future. We’re not just building for today, we’re looking ahead,” he said. For more information about Kate’s Rest or to make a donation, please visit katesrestfoundation.ca