The social housing high-rise at 500 MacNab is now newer, greener and welcoming back tenants

The apartment tower at 500 MacNab St in north Hamilton isn't the sort of building anyone thought would become a centrepiece of modern Canadian architecture. But with a ribbon cutting this past week, its proponents say that's exactly what it is.

The 18-storey building known as the Ken Soble Tower is Hamilton's first with a "passive house" design, which means it has high-energy efficiency. Previously, the social and affordable housing high-rise had plain brick walls, scant insulation, and windows that leaked heat, says Graeme Stewart of ERA Architects, which led the re-design.

Now, with tenants moving in this week, it has "a big winter coat" 10 inches thick, and it's so insulated that day-to-day living keeps it warm.

"When you're cooking, when you're having a shower, that heat stays in the building," Stewart said, after bureaucrats and politicians cut the ribbon Friday.

"This building was built in 1967, and it was a landmark building. It was a centennial project. It was a major investment in social housing. It was time to give it a second life," he said.

That second life, Stewart says, involves being the largest passive house project outside of Europe. Eventually, the model will be standard, but right now, "Hamilton really is the leader," he said.

CityHousing Hamilton (CHH), the city's largest social housing provider, owns 500 MacNab. The tower previously held 146 social rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units, and mostly bachelor apartments. Now it's a seniors' building with mix of studio and one-bedrooms, and only 114 units are RGI. The rest are market rent.