Worlds first labeled Active House open by Great Gulf
The first labeled Active House has been opened by Great Gulf Homes in Centennial Park, Toronto, Canada.
Centennial Park Residence is a distillation of Great Gulf’s recognition of the modern homebuyer’s needs which are becoming increasingly savvy about incorporating health and well-being into their daily lives.
Located in the suburban West End of Toronto, this demonstration home is the result of highly process-driven approach to building an affordable energy-efficient product achieved through the combined expertise of a team of Danish and Canadian Building Science professionals, the award-winning Toronto architecture firm superkül, 
and Great Gulf, the builder committed to evolving the Active House concept in Canada.
Great Gulf’s Centennial Park Residence is designed to improve human comfort and well-being. Its clean modernist architectural aesthetic comes with energy-saving and environmentally conscious features such as interior and exterior LED lighting systems, low-flow water fixtures and finishes that are easy to maintain.But what ultimately makes this home appealing is an approach to design maximizing opportunities for natural daylight and
ventilation.
It is the strategic use of natural daylighting that defines the true character of the Great Gulf Active House.
So much illumination is provided that little to no artificial lighting is required during the day. This occurs even in the secondary living spaces where a skylight framed by a sculpted ceiling bisects the shared washroom between the two adjoining bedrooms, or in the master bathroom where three skylights 
grouped together and inserted into a long vertical “slice” in the ceiling are complemented by a nearby horizontal fritted window designed to mitigate glare.
Two factors ensure the success of an energy-efficient home in a competitive residential market: affordability and quality of workmanship. Home Tech’s manufacturing facility was the key driver in responding to these two challenges, enabling the construction of pre-assembled components that fit together with greater precision and less material waste than what can ever be achieved on site. The endproduct is one where walls, windows and entrances don’t easily allow heat to escape, or cold air to cause uncomfortable drafts. Extensive visualization studies and mockups coordinated by Great Gulf with input from its partners translated into greater affordability—and value—for the consumer.
