Treehouse Village Ecohousing
Treehouse Village Ecohousing was launched in the fall of 2018. Construction was substantially completed in December 2023 and we were registered as Lunenburg County Condominium Corporation No. 37 in January 2024.
We are excited to bring the first cohousing development to Atlantic Canada! Our community includes households from Bridgewater and elsewhere in Nova Scotia, from across Canada, and from around the world – thanks to the scenic beauty and relaxed lifestyle of Nova Scotia’s spectacular South Shore.
Cohousing
Cohousing is a unique kind of housing – planned and financed by the future residents. Privacy is balanced with community involvement as households keep their independence, living in their own homes while also co-owning valuable indoor and outdoor shared amenities.
Typical Cohousing Characteristics
- A number of fully-equipped, privately owned homes designed using a participatory process with the future homeowners
- A site planned and arranged in a way that encourages interaction and community-oriented living, with gardens, walkways and play areas
- Shared amenities, usually in a Common House, such as a large kitchen, a dining room, fitness room, library, and guest suites
Treehouse Village Ecohousing is proud to offer all this and more in beautiful Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Our community was designed with passion, based on research around best practices in other cohousing communities.
Sustainability
At Treehouse Village Ecohousing, our commitment to the planet goes far beyond building energy efficiency into our homes. We believe in protecting our planet and we are building every aspect of our community around that belief. Building a sustainable community is part of our core vision, and one of the key drivers of decisions we make as community members.
Here’s what you can expect from Treehouse Village Ecohousing:
Low-Impact Development
We are committed to low-impact development at every stage, from land development to lifestyle.
- Passive House design standard for all our private homes, and a highly efficient building envelope with minimal energy needs
- Solar photovoltaic panels on all roofs, and 11 electric vehicle charging stations
- A reduced physical footprint, disturbing only a fraction of our property to preserve the old-growth forest
- Multiple units per building, with stacked units and shared walls to reduce building materials and heating demand
- Low-impact stormwater management through use of bioswales and water-retaining landscape features
- Careful consideration of building materials with a focus on low toxicity, low carbon footprint, and low embodied carbon
- Wherever possible, the sourcing of local building materials and local contractors to reduce transportation distance
- Intentional project management with consideration around reducing construction waste and the volume of earth trucked off our site
- Shared community amenities, such as meeting spaces, guest rooms and a fitness studio to reduce the size of our homes
Environmentally Friendly Practices
Research shows that living in an intentional community and having good relationships with your neighbours significantly benefits your mental health. Our design supports and encourages residents to engage in environmentally friendly practices in some of the following ways:
- Shared tools, appliances, yard and gardening equipment, as well as outdoor and recreation equipment, help community members reduce their costs and the space to keep their own, while also drastically reducing landfill waste.
- Each household can have their own washer and dryer, but shared laundry facilities give members the option to save the space in their home – and the cost of purchasing and maintaining their own washer/dryer.
- We are incorporating space for gardening and food forests into the landscape design, increasing our access to healthy food with a low-carbon footprint.
- With our property located in the heart of Bridgewater and bordering the Centennial Trail, residents are able to walk, cycle or bus to complete many of their errands.
- By working together to grow some of our own food, and buying food in bulk, we reduce food waste and packaging.
- With the bonus of a large kitchen and dining room in the Common House, members have opportunities to prepare and share meals together as they wish.
- With a workshop on site and a community of skilled residents, there’s bound to be someone to help you fix that wobbly chair or broken toaster.
- We have implemented an electic vehicle car sharing service.
- Our community promotes healthy lifestyles through on-site access to both outdoor and indoor leisure opportunities.
- Our buildings were designed with health in mind, prioritizing good indoor air quality and use of construction materials with low toxicity.
Recognition of Our Past, Commitment to Our Future
Treehouse Village Ecohousing is built on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq peoples. We are grateful to be building on this land. We will live in peace and seek means of reconciliation. Read our full Land Acknowledgment.
Part of our commitment as stewards of this land is engaging in a process of continual learning and self-reflection as we explore how to live out our values of being kind to ourselves, our neighbours, and our planet.
Sin So’sepe’katik is the traditional Mi’kmaq name for Bridgewater and Pijinuiskaq is the name for the LaHave River, meaning “river of long joints/river branches.” (Source: Pjila’si Mi’kma’ki: Mi’kmaw Place Names Digital Atlas.)
Treehouse Village Ecohousing Timeline
Fancy Pants on the Green
By Katherine Harman, Treehouse Village resident On March 26, my neighbour Clara and I received a personal invitation from hostess Cora to visit the newly established Fancy Pants on the Green. The smiling Cora welcomed us with a bell under the freshly painted sign. Marlo and Cora are ready for…
Bridgewater Wins Sustainability Award for innovative energy poverty program
By Terry Lavender, Treehouse Village community member The Town of Bridgewater, home to Treehouse Village Ecohousing, has been recognized with a prestigious Sustainable Communities Award for its groundbreaking Energize Bridgewater program. This award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) highlights Bridgewater’s leadership in addressing energy poverty and climate change…
Highlights of the holidays
By Allyson Rowley, Community Reporter. Photos by community members. After a busy year finishing construction projects, planting trees and gardens, and opening our Common House, it was time to rest and rejuvenate … and enjoy a holiday season filled with light. On December 15, the Treehouse Village community celebrated our…
“Cohousing gaining traction”: Treehouse Village in the News
Treehouse Village Ecohousing, Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing community, was mentioned this week in a Canadian Press feature on housing affordability in Canada. In the article, CP journalist Ian Bickis describes how European countries are addressing housing affordability, and contrasts their efforts with those of Canada. He notes that the situation…
Tea and Cookies with the Candidates
Treehouse residents meet the candidates! Left to right: Kathy Horton, Mike Conklin, Donette Getson, Allyson Rowley, Jane Morrell, Etienne Baqué, Meg Beliveau, Valentin Bourneuf, Emma Savage, Cheryl Fougere, Braden Newell, Sacha Baqué, Heather Yundt (all photos by Terry Lavender) By Allyson Rowley, Community Reporter Like the rest of the province,…
Canadian think tank urges planners to look to Treehouse Village for inspiration
By Terry Lavender, Treehouse Village Media & External Relations Coordinator “For inspiration, Nova Scotian planners and communities could look to the Treehouse Village Ecohousing project in Bridgewater.” That’s one of the conclusion of authors Jara de Hoog, Alice Cohen, & Andrew Biro in their recent report for the Canadian Centre…
The Common House is Open!
The Common House (Photo by Terry Lavender). A birthday dance party and a children’s summer camp are just two of the many activities that marked the opening of Treehouse Village Ecohousing’s 4000 square foot Common House earlier this summer. The Common House, which includes laundry facilities, two guest rooms, a…
Celebrating Sustainability and Community
Treehouse Village Ecohousing’s Inaugural Open House By Terry Lavender On June 22, two days after the Summer Solstice, Treehouse Village Ecohousing (TVE) hosted its first open house to celebrate the completion of Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing community in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. More than 100 people attended this landmark event, including…
Treehouse Villagers Choose Condo Board Directors
Treehouse Village reached another milestone on April 28, as the community’s newly registered condominium corporation held its first Annual General Meeting and chose the new condo board. Self-governed and co-developed by its residents, Treehouse Village is a welcome option for those seeking eco-friendly, community-oriented living. One of the first decisions…
You’re invited to Treehouse Village on Saturday, June 22!
Come celebrate the Summer Solstice with us! SAVE THE DATE: Treehouse Village is hosting a Community Open House on Saturday, June 22, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing development, Treehouse Village Ecohousing is now a vibrant, multi-generational community. Our residents range in age from four months…
‘We felt at home right from the day we arrived’
L to R: Phil Aylesworth, Sue Aylesworth, Therese Kirrane, Sunil Kittur. (Photo by Sharon de Souza.) By Treehouse Village Ecohousing Treehouse Village Ecohousing is so excited to welcome our two new households! Sue and Phil Aylesworth made the trek to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, from Windsor, Ontario, in January. They jumped…
“We did it!” Treehouse Village celebrates the completion of our eco-friendly, multi-age cohousing development
Photos by Shirley Robb, Treehouse community member By Allyson Rowley, Community Reporter Treehouse Village Ecohousing, Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing development, is now a vibrant, multi-age community with construction substantially completed and all but one of our 30 condos pre-sold. Residents have moved into their energy-efficient homes and are working together…
Treehouse in the News
Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing community is generating a lot of interest in the media, both regionally and nationally. In recent months, Treehouse Village Ecohousing has been featured in Maclean’s Magazine, on CBC Television and Radio, the Halifax Examiner, and even the Weather Network website. The media outlets have been interested…
Pictures of welcome: Treehouse Villagers are moving in
Pictures of welcome: Treehouse Villagers are moving in At Treehouse Village, we’re fortunate to have a professional photographer in the community. Shirley Robb has been busy capturing a visual record of our welcome parades and other fun festivities, as more households begin to move into our 30-unit, multi-age, eco-friendly cohousing…
Here comes the sun!
Solar panels are on the rooftops of all our buildings at Treehouse Village. Our eco-friendly homes are almost ready! Photo by Treehouse Villager Emma Savage. Drone photo courtesy of Vince Casey. By Allyson Rowley, Community Reporter Have you heard of Treehouse Village Ecohousing? We’re the eco-friendly, multi-age housing development located…
“We were home”: Treehouse Village Ecohousing Welcomes Its First Residents
Treehouse Village Ecohousing, Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing community, has its first residents. The first family to move in was that of Clara Lovatt and Kathy Horton in late July. They were joined later the same day by the Stonhams – Caitlin, David, and their son Alfie. A few days later,…
All Sold – Treehouse Village Ecohousing
Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing community slated for completion in early 2023 A “seed of an idea” planted more than four years ago has come to fruition. Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing community – Treehouse Village Ecohousing – announced today that all units are pre-sold. The development is well underway at its…
Construction Update
Signs of spring are popping at 54 Pearl Street, including some accelerated progress on the building of Treehouse Village! Despite the challenges of our winter weather, we have been making steady progress with constructing our community. At this point, in early April, work is happening on the workshop, the common…
Work Party
Treehouse Village Welcomes More Than 130 to our Official Groundbreaking Celebration
Designing a New Kind of Community
The Dream is Becoming a Reality
Groundbreaking Ceremony for Atlantic Canada’s First Cohousing Community
Treehouse Village Ecohousing celebrates start of construction What: Official Groundbreaking Celebration for Treehouse Village EcohousingWhen: Saturday, August 21, 10:00 a.m. ADTWhere: 54 Pearl Street, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia Bridgewater, NS—Atlantic Canada’s first cohousing community will mark the start of construction on Saturday, August 21, with activities including planting of a fruit…
Tree Clearing
The Cat’s Out of the Bag – We are now on MLS!
The word has been “out” for quite some time, but it’s now “out” in a different way. Treehouse Village has posted our available homes on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which you can see on both Realtor.ca and Viewpoint.ca, with more details at Innovative Real Estate LTD. This is very…
We’ve Selected our Homes!
Something is Happening!
Multigenerational Cohousing Group Seeks Young Families
What size cohousing home is right for me?
Our Development Agreement Is Approved!
Common Cohousing Myths and Misconceptions
I’ve been with Treehouse Village since the get-go, and there aren’t many questions about it that surprise me anymore. “Is it for introverts?”, “Is it a cult?”, “Do you share bathrooms?”. I don’t mind answering even the strangest questions, as I appreciate curiosity. While cohousing has been successful in other…
We’re Hiring a Marketing Firm!
We are one step closer to building our community
Unit Availability Update
Design Development – Here we come!
This weekend we held the fourth and final design workshop with our architects. They presented us with a set of schematic drawings for our village including: Site LayoutCommon HousePrivate Units As a community we consented to the schematic design for the Village. This design aligns with our vision and our…
We have land!
We’re so happy to share that we have secured the land for our future community. It’s an incredible 15 acre parcel of forested land including many old growth trees, bordered by the Centennial Trail (a multi-use active transportation trail) and centrally located in town. The land has an excellent walkability…
Meet Our Architects (Caddis Collaborative & RHAD)
Today we welcome on board our architecture team: two firms that combine specializations in cohousing, green building, as well as knowledge of the local industry and vernacular. RHAD and Caddis Collaborative are now tasked with designing our community, bringing our dreams closer to reality. The first step of the design…