An upcoming master-planned community in Oakville, Ontario offers a breath of fresh air – literally.
Long-time Ontario homebuilder ARISTA Homes has teamed up with Panasonic to include their Breathe Well indoor air quality solutions in its upcoming Oakpointe community of detached homes and townhomes. This makes them North America’s first homebuilder to include the product as a standard feature in all new homes. But they certainly won’t be the last – especially after word spreads that residents of the upcoming community are breathing easier thanks to the end-to-end complete air quality solution.
Included as a standard feature across the vibrant, multi-phased Oakpointe community, each residence will feature a complete approach to improving indoor air quality, including air purification and circulation technology, and, cleaner and more balanced ventilation and filtration systems.
This means that every home will include WhisperAir RepairR spot purifiers featuring Panasonic’s patented NanoeTM X technology, inhibiting up to 99% of common viruses; the Intelli-Balance Energy Recovery Ventilator which functions like the lungs of the home, exchanging indoor air with fresh, filtered outdoor air and helping to retain relative humidity for optimal health; and Swidget’s award-winning, modular smart controls for home automation, monitoring indoor air quality.
Among its benefits, the Breathe Well system, once its integrated into a home, will automatically manage and maintain healthy levels of CO2 and can detect decreasing indoor air quality by automatically exchanging it with fresh outdoor air.
“The greatest benefit of Breathe Well by Panasonic for residents is that their indoor air is clean, comfortable, and fresh,” says Sonny Pirrotta, National Sales Manager, Panasonic. “Whether it's heating and cooling, ventilation, or air purification, Breathe Well solutions improve the quality of indoor air. Since indoor air can be significantly more polluted than outdoor air, this makes a huge difference in a family's quality of life.”
On the topic of quality of life, Oakpointe delivers all the must-haves and nice-to-haves, from ample green space and breezy outdoor areas, to thoughtful finishes and top-of-the-line appliances. The striking detached and freehold townhomes feature functional and generous living spaces, with open concept floorplan layouts. The homes’ contemporary traditional exteriors set the stage for the appreciated design details found inside, including 9-foot ceilings on the main and upper floors, with smooth ceilings, engineered hardwood, and natural finishes throughout.
Purchaser Rami Gill particularly appreciates the open-concept design. He and his wife had sold their family home and relocated to a condo, but – especially with busy grandchildren as frequent visitors – realized they needed more space, and set their sights on Oakpointe.
“We were drawn to the contemporary design of the Oakpointe homes – it isn’t cookie-cutter – and the good use of space,” says Gill. “The model we chose, Wesley, gives you an open feeling, is very well-designed, and is much bigger than it looks. The open design – with the wide-open kitchen, dining, and living area – is great to keep the family together when they visit.” Some family members might not have to travel too far for a family dinner, Gill says his daughter is currently considering purchasing an Oakpointe home herself.
Although the Breathe Well wasn’t an initial draw of the property – they were unaware of the feature until they learned more about the development– Gill says it’s definitely an appreciated feature. “The Breathe Well system will keep the humidity as close to 50% as possible – which helps with dryness and allergies – with no cold spots or hot spots,” says Gill. “It was a big selling feature. The whole family can be classified as full-time frontline workers. So, during the pandemic, the value of air quality became so much more important... when we heard that the air was going to be a lot cleaner, it was a real added bonus.”
Gill isn’t alone in his sentiment. “Today’s purchasers are demanding a lot more these days than just a beautiful and well-built home,” says Franco Crispino, VP Sales and Marketing for ARISTA Homes. “They’re looking for greener initiatives and homes that are healthier and more sustainable. We came to the conclusion that the Breathe Well would be a wonderful addition to the homes at Oakpointe. It’s a competitive market and there’s a lot of negativity in the press about homes. We wanted to go above and beyond the typical expected features.”
In a sense, once discovered, Breathe Well is the best thing buyers never knew they needed in their life. “A lot of people are working from home these days and spending a lot of time at home – 90% of our time, in fact,” says Crispino. “Once they see the package and what it means and how it can contribute to a healthy environment for their family, it’s really given us an advantage over our competitors. They appreciate the cleaner environment.”
As Oakpointe comes to life – and gives the surrounding Oakville community something to talk about in the process – demand will likely grow for Breathe Well products in both future developments and individual homes. “Demand continues to build,” says Pirrotta. “Breathe Well makes it easier for builders and contractors to build healthy homes. Education is key to this change: we help our customers educate their prospective homeowners on the importance of indoor air quality. They are making the most important financial decision of their lives and facts make a difference.”
Panasonic conducted a study with 600 homeowners (includes prospective homebuyers) regarding their perspectives of indoor air quality (IAQ). “Many homeowners are not well educated regarding IAQ, but once they learn of the risks of poor IAQ, 97% of homeowners indicated that they are more likely to invest in IAQ solutions,” says Pirrotta. “So yes, it’s major selling point, but home buyers need to be educated. Allergies, smoke from wildfires, and other pollutants can be mitigated by Breathe Well solutions. There are things that can be done to make lives more comfortable and we are pleased to make a difference.”
Studies cited by Panasonic suggest that, on average, people take 20,000 breaths per day and spend upwards of 90% of their time indoors, and yet indoor air can be up to five times dirtier than outdoor air. These statistics speak to the benefits of new home solutions like Breathe Well, which can improve indoor air-flow, limit harmful substances and ensure optimal temperatures and humidity levels.
While every home in the development will feature the Breathe Well solution, ARISTA’s commitment to sustainability (which the builder refers to as Innovation by DesignTM) means that every home will also boast a series of sustainable, ‘life-friendly’ features, including low VOC paints, solar-ready conduit, electric vehicle charging capability, smart-home devices and will be ENERGY STAR certified.
Furthermore, thanks to its prime location, Oakpointe residents can also get a dose of fresh air straight from the source, thanks to the property’s abundance of green space and close proximity to parks, hiking trails, and waterfront amenities. The location was a major draw for Gill, who says his grandchildren love the outdoors. “They need more space than our condo to run around,” he says. "They'll love the pond and playground and all the nature trails."
After 30 years in business, Crispino says that ARISTA Homes’ ownership and construction teams are always looking for new ways to build better homes. The Breathe Well initiative is just one example of this – and it’s not the only one either. Another just-launched community features the system as well. And we have a feeling it's just one of many to come.
