Sustainable Home Builder
Our sustainable construction expertise at your service
We build sustainable, high-quality custom homes designed for comfort. Whether you're looking for a turnkey, ready-to-finish house, or an accompanied self-build project, our offer is tailored to your needs.
Our homes are built with local, safe and durable materials and meet the highest quality standards. In addition to Novoclimat-certified projects, we build LEED or carbon-neutral homes. These rigorous quality standards, recognized throughout the industry, guarantee that your project has been inspected by an independent expert. Financial support is also available for Novoclimat certification.
As a general contractor, Belvedair is a member of the APCHQ and is fully accredited by Garantie GCR and the RBQ.
Our team is made up of passionate individuals who are recognized for their expertise and committed to advancing construction standards for sustainable, environmentally friendly homes.
Based in the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Montérégie and Eastern Townships, our experienced local site teams have complementary specializations, and each task has its expert! Your project is overseen by a team leader who works closely with a project manager, from start to finish.
Belvedair builds environmentally friendly properties according to plans and specifications developed in-house with you, based on your needs. We know each project inside out, ensuring efficient exécution with a clear, reliable budget. We understand that building a home is a major undertaking and a considerable investment—you are more than welcome to ask questions at any stage!
Our services include all the coordination required to prepare your site:
- Driveway
- Septic systems
- Excavation
- Water and electricity connections
We also monitor every stage of the construction process:
- Foundations
- Framework
- Insulation
- Waterproofing and mechanical systems
- Divisions
- Exterior cladding
We can also take care of your interior finishes and built-in furniture (optional).
- Novoclimat rebate of up to $4,000 when purchasing a property;
- Energy savings of up to 60% from the first month of occupancy;
- Depreciation is less rapid than with a standard construction;
- Financial advantages according to financial institutions;
- Potential municipal tax credits.
What is an ecological home?
There are several possible answers to this question. At the very least, an ecological home should consume less energy and water, ensure healthier air quality and use environmentally friendly materials. For those who want the very best, Belvedair has extensive experience in designing and building energy-efficient homes. See our Eco-Building Guide.
How is sustainable construction better suited to Quebec’s winter climate than standard construction?
Unlike standard construction, a Belvedair sustainable home features superior insulation and exemplary airtightness. By utilizing bioclimatic design, we transform winter sunlight into a free source of heat: where a conventional home consumes energy to compensate for heat loss, the eco-friendly home capitalizes on passive solar gains, and its high-performance insulation conserves energy, providing constant comfort and drastically reduced Hydro-Québec bills.
Is an eco-friendly home truly more sustainable?
Yes, an eco-friendly home is truly more sustainable, because sustainability depends on performance that is invisible yet real. Beyond healthy materials, it is the building’s high-performance envelope that makes the difference: better weatherproofing protects the structure from water and Quebec’s extreme weather conditions. This efficiency translates into significant energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint throughout the home’s entire life cycle. Choosing Belvedair means investing in a resilient building that retains its resale value while offering a superior quality of life.
To build an eco-friendly home, do I need to incorporate technologies like geothermal energy or solar panels?
No, the first step is to optimize the building envelope, solar orientation, and floor plans. Technologies like geothermal energy and solar panels can improve a home’s energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint, but you must start with a passive approach by optimizing the home’s permanent features.
For example, you can’t change the home’s orientation after construction. It’s impossible to revise the layout after construction to optimize ergonomics and storage, for example, without incurring significant costs. And you certainly won’t want to tear open the walls to add insulation if you have an additional budget a few years later. But it is possible to add technologies a few years after the house is built.
It’s also worth noting that adding insulation, airtightness, solar orientation, and optimizing floor plans are the most cost-effective measures to address from the very beginning of your project planning. While technologies like geothermal systems and solar panels can be cost-effective, their lifespan is shorter, making them less cost-effective in the long run.
There are other factors that may still prompt you to install technologies such as solar panels, for example, to ensure energy self-sufficiency in the event of a power outage. However, optimizing the performance of your insulation and windows to retain heat remains a top priority, as this also reduces the risk in the event of a power outage.
It is also important to note that geothermal energy is no longer quite as relevant given the rapid advancements in cold-climate heat pumps over the past few years. Heat pumps that draw heat from the air and can also function as air conditioners have become so efficient that geothermal energy is no longer cost-effective compared to these units.
How long does it take to build an ecological home?
You should allow a minimum of two months for project planning and at least four months for construction.
However, the time required for construction varies from one house to another (dimensions, finishes, features, etc.), from one lot to another (constraints, access, relief), and even from one city to another (permit issuance period) or from one season to another (weather constraints). Your advisor will give you an overview at the planning stage, and as the start of construction work nears, your construction project manager will give you a schedule. Regular follow-ups will also be carried out throughout the project.
What is Novoclimat certification?
Novoclimat is a program that encourages the construction of energy-efficient buildings. Novoclimat contractors are trained and certified, as are the program's evaluators trained and mandated by Transition énergétique Québec (TEQ). In addition, each home meets rigorous standards and is inspected twice by an independent evaluator to establish its energy efficiency. Novoclimat also provides financial support ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 for certification.
This certification is a guarantee of quality, comfort and confidence.
Are your homes LEED-certified?
Belvedair has built more than 40 LEED-certified homes. We have the expertise to guide you through the LEED certification process, if that is your goal. This is a prestigious international recognition that verifies, through independent inspectors, that your home is environmentally friendly. All Belvedair homes adhere to the principles of sustainability and high-level eco-friendly design, and we would be happy to assist you if you wish to pursue LEED certification.
Can I have my house built on my own land?
Absolutely! It’s Belvedair’s specialty!