A wealth of wellness inside the 2024 Minto Dream Home for CHEO

The 2024 Minto Dream Homefor CHEO is more than just a piece of paradise in Mahogany, Manotick. It raises the bar of home design, with a wealth of wellness and sustainability features inside and out.

This year's home, the Oasis, combines innovative energy solutions with thoughtful design choices. It’s a home that not only looks beautiful but also nurtures your well-being. Here’s what to expect from the grand prize of the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery.

A focus on holistic living

Wellness is more than just a buzzword in the Oasis—it's a guiding principle. This year's design is centred around creating spaces that promote physical and mental well-being. It reflects a growing trend in residential home design, where the priority is the health of homeowners.

Justin Bouchard, Director, Estimating and Purchasing at The Minto Group, highlighted this shift, noting that "while wellness isn’t directly related to energy efficiency, it’s part of the holistic approach we wanted to achieve with this year’s Minto Dream Home."

Luxurious spa-like amenities

One of the most exciting features of this year's home is the inclusion of a fully-equipped wellness area in the basement. Here, you’ll find a dry sauna, steam shower and a cold plunge tub—amenities often found in luxury spas. These features offer relaxation and promote a healthy lifestyle, making wellness an easy part of your daily life.

That’s not all. The loft of the Oasis is designed as a yoga studio. With ambient floor lighting and natural light pouring in from tall windows, it’s the perfect space for a relaxing flow and a speedy stretch. What’s more, it’s outfitted with a Murphy bed, allowing you to transform the space into a guest room and foster a sense of togetherness.

Both the basement spa and the yoga loft align with the home’s overall theme, helping create a sanctuary where you rejuvenate both body and mind.

Maximizing natural light

Natural light is also emphasized in the Oasis. Large, tall and strategically placed windows allow sunlight to flood the interior, creating a bright and airy atmosphere that enhances mood and well-being.

The abundance of natural light is a way to bring the outside in, connecting the home’s interior spaces with the surrounding natural environment—the Oasis is backed by protected woodlot. This approach not only improves the aesthetic appeal of the home but also supports a healthier indoor environment by reducing the need for artificial lighting throughout the day.

Building a greener future

Sustainability is another cornerstone of the 2024 Minto Dream Home. The Oasis is equipped with solar panels, generating a significant portion of its energy needs and helping reduce its carbon footprint. According to Bouchard, the energy produced by the solar panels, along with the home’s other energy-efficient features, means the home operates around 45% better than current building codes.

Hybrid heating for maximum efficiency

This year’s home features a hybrid heating system that combines an air source heat pump with a gas furnace. The heat pump handles most of the heating and cooling needs, while the gas furnace kicks in only during the coldest temperatures. This keeps the home warm without relying too heavily on fossil fuels.

The system is designed to be as hands-off as possible, automatically switching between electric and gas heating based on the outside temperature. As Bouchard pointed out, “this approach not only optimizes energy efficiency but also reduces the home's overall carbon emissions.”

Innovative hot water solutions

Sustainability extends to the home’s hot water system, which uses an air source heat pump water heater. This technology is more efficient than traditional gas-fired systems, using ambient air to heat water and reduce energy consumption. It’s up to six times more efficient than a standard hot water system, further lowering the home’s energy use and environmental impact.

Local and sustainable materials

In addition to being energy efficient, the 2024 Minto Dream Home includes local and sustainable materials. For example, the sheathing used in the construction is sourced from a company in Wakefield, Quebec, just 45 minutes from Ottawa. This choice reduces the carbon footprint associated with transportation and supports the local economy. Not only did this make building the Oasis more eco-friendly, it also reflects the community spirit the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery represents.

Reduced strain on stormwater management systems

Sustainability efforts extend beyond the walls of the Oasis. One of the functional features is the water-permeable driveway, designed to lower the strain on stormwater management systems. By allowing water to seep back into the ground rather than run off into storm drains, the driveway reduces impact on local systems and recycles water naturally.

Basking in a backyard paradise

From the basement spa and the yoga loft to paradise in the backyard. The Oasis offers tranquility outside, featuring a large backyard complete with its own water feature. The yard mixes stone walkways with a patio and a grass area, giving you spaces to gather and connect and space for the kids to play. Plus, there’s a multi-use pathway right behind the home travelling alongside the woodlot.

Supporting CHEO’s mission with a home that cares

The Minto Dream Home is the grand prize for the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery. It’s a beacon of hope, rallying the community in support of CHEO children and their families. By combining wellness-focused design with sustainable building practices, the Oasis serves as an example of what it means to live and build well. More importantly, the home represents the community’s commitment to caring for those in need.

The Oasis is now closed for in-person tours, but you can still take the virtual tour online by visiting our website here.