Passive Design Solutions

25/08/2026

Well it's been a minute since we've shared a bit about what we've been up to. We've been steadily working on a whole range of exciting, sustainability-focused projects as our small but dedicated team continues to grow. To celebrate that growth and to give a bit of an update on how far we've come (and where we hope to end up!), we thought a reintroduction of our team might be in order starting with a group photo taken at our last quarterly staff meeting.

Clockwise from back left: Mike Anderson, Jann Peters, Zak Miller-Ada, Molly Merriman, Eric Stotts, Zane Murdoch, Marie-Claire Leblanc, Natalie Leonard, Naryn Davar-Timbre, Alia Yassin-Saied, and Liz Chamberlain.

23/09/2025

We're excited to see some coverage of this project and look forward to the launch of their fundraising campaign. This will be a much needed new home for the Antigonish Womens' Resource Centre designed by Project Architect Molly Merriman and the team at PDS.

  The Antigonish Women's Resource Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association is looking to open a new building in Antigonish over the next few years. Anita Stewart, executive director for the local women's resource centre, said they purchased a piece of land on James Street on the site of the.....

29/08/2025

29/08/2025

17/07/2025

Lovely to see some coverage of this exciting project we were honoured to be a part of. We're so grateful for the chance to develop quality and affordable housing solutions with AHANS. It's so important that front-line organizations see this kind of investment from all levels of government.

Photo collection Affordable Housing Development in Yarmouth 16 July 2025 | 1:44 PM Premier's Office Growth and Development housing Premier Tim Houston was in Yarmouth today, July 16, to announce the Province’s investment in 24 housing units on Shaw Avenue, a project of the Affordable Housing Assoc...

17/06/2025

The PDS and UPLAND team was in Sydney yesterday for the launch of the catalogue of pre-approved housing solutions we've been working on for CBRM! Lovely to see some coverage of the event.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality says 15 plans ranging in size from a backyard suite to a six-unit townhouse are available to residents free and are pre-approved under the building code to speed up the permitting process.

03/06/2025

Congratulations to all the winners at last week's Halifax Urban Design Awards and thank you to the jury for their time and thoughtful words and consideration.

02/06/2025

We just got the link from this webinar last year with the Ecology Action Series which now has the whole talk by PDS Director, Molly Merriman, for their Better Building Series on their youtube channel (link below).

Hear a bit more about the Adsum Sunflower Court development, lessons learned building high-performance, non-profit, affordable housing.

Sept. 24, 2024 - Sunflower Court is a Net-Zero-ready 25-unit long-term rental housing development and community centre for Adsum for Women and Children, a lo...

30/05/2025

We were so grateful to be able to receive this award alongside so many of the project team members who made the project happen. Beyond that, we were able to share it with many of the people who made it possible with their foundational work.

Thank you to Grant Wanzel and Jim Graham for joining MMAI, and with the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia to accept the Award of Excellence for Housing Solutions at the 2025 Halifax Urban Design Awards.

24/05/2025

When we talk about construction that changes lives, Eleanor’s Court is proof of what’s possible when builders lead with heart to bring their clients’ vision to life.

Erika Shea, President at New Dawn Enterprises, recently shared some touching words about our partnership that reminded us why we do what we do:

"This is more than a building. It's a place where people will find warmth, dignity, and belonging. A home that will change lives, and in doing so, change our community."

Eleanor's Court presented complex challenges with tight deadlines, but our team embraced every aspect of the project with dedication and skill. The result? A beautiful, welcoming and affordable housing development that will serve the community for generations to come.

As Erika beautifully put it:

"You've helped bring to life something we have long dreamed of: beautiful, affordable housing that tells people they matter."

We're incredibly proud of this collaboration with New Dawn Enterprises and look forward to continuing our shared mission of creating spaces where people don't just live - they thrive!

Building for you. Building for community. Building for the future. 🏗️💙