While painting a far from brilliant picture of the future of our environment, materialized by the warming up of our planet, greenhouse gasses, acid rain and blue algae, André Gagné, director of training and technical services at the Association provinciale des constructeurs d'habitation du Québec (APCHQ), agrees with the broad principles of the concept of the « green house », while avoiding to create obstacles for the construction industry.
The speaker who was invited at a symposium organized by the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ) which was recently held in Trois-Rivières on the future of the green house, tried to grasp the topic at a time when opinions are divided on the new characteristics of our future habitat which must ameliorate our health, and enhance energy efficiency, all this while protecting the environment.
André Gagné does not believe that it is up to the building contractors to incite consumers to take the green shift as such, but the APCHQ anticipates means of information to help these same consumers to find their way around in order to succeed in making choices concerning future « green constructions ». The speaker believes that, at this point in time, the building contractor is not capable to assess the cost of a new green house, as is the case when one buys an automobile with different options available and which the consumer can buy at predetermined cost.
The APCHQ’s spokesman thinks that the consumer is more and more keen about the green house but that additional building costs may often be an obstacle in his decision-making. He prefers that financial incentives be given to consumers who favour the green shift in housing, but he certainly does not want that government imposes norms which would result in slowing down construction.
The APCHQ believes in the green shift, in the green house, and, in the coming months, it must organize an awareness campaign with building contractors and consumers. Among the means used, there will be this little guide « Guide to ecological options » which will be published and available very soon.
Notre photo : dans l'ordre, Hubert de Nicolini, directeur de la planification et du développement de programmes à la SHQ; John Mackay, vice-président au développement à la SHQ; et Martin A. Messier, président de l'APQ.