The Wellington

Six storeys, 48 mixed-income units and a Passive House Institute US standard that demands airtightness, balanced ventilation and right-sized systems.

A block in Uptown Saint John once home to the Jellybean Houses, built in 1860 and survivors of the Great Fire of 1877, is being redeveloped. The Wellington, sponsored by Saint John Non Profit Housing Inc., is a six-storey, 48-unit mixed-income apartment building with commercial and professional space on the main level, designed to respect its heritage neighbours.

Designing to the PHIUS standard

Acre Architects contracted Fundy Engineering for building systems design. The building was designed to the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) standard: buildings that meet it use 40% to 60% less energy than conventional construction, with superior indoor air quality, resilience during power outages and quiet, comfortable interiors. For the mechanical and electrical engineer, that means heat-recovery ventilation sized and balanced precisely, heating and cooling loads far smaller than rule-of-thumb, and careful detailing of every penetration.

Timeline

Design development ran from fall 2019 to fall 2020, PHIUS verification followed in fall 2021, and our construction reviews continued from spring 2021 to spring 2023.