This Montreal Apartment Building Is Secretly A Giant "Green" House

Being green ain't easy, as anyone who's actually tried to reduce their carbon footprint will be sure to tell you. Simple actions like putting the heat on in your home, or buying your groceries at a chain store can go against a greener lifestyle, making the task of being environmentally-friendly pretty damn difficult.

Not for the folks who live in the "Maison productive House” (MpH) in Pointe-Saint-Charles, though. Designed by Montreal-based architecture firm Produktif, MpH was made with the environment in mind, without sacrificing any modern convenience.

Not wanting to force a greener lifestyle on residents, the 9-unit, 12, 000 sq/ft complex that is MpH goes a different route by providing residents with alternatives to traditional ways of living.

Take the rooftop garden, for example, which is open all year round. By providing all residents with a space to grow their own food, the greenhouse negates a need to buy vegetables at the store. Better yet, the greenhouse is heated by a shared sauna, cutting down on heating costs.

The same idea is seen with MpH's shared artisan bakery space. Equipped with a wood oven and plenty of counter space, residents can create their own baked goods, with the ambient heat from the stove going to warm the entire MpH complex.

Other noteworthy (and incredibly desirable) features of MpH include a design studio, a yoga + exercise room, radiant heated floors, and vehicle (bike or car) storage space. Keeping the space incredibly green is the geothermal heating system that warms the entire building and the eight solar panels set up on the roof, both of which allow residents to cut back on their hydro bill by 60%.

Located on 2432 Châteauguay, right by Charlevoix metro, the Maison productive House truly is the perfect fusion of environmentalism and easy living. Take a look inside through the pictures below, courtesy of Produktif.