A two-bedroom home covering 1,078 sq ft in Saint-Rémi-d’Amherst, Quebec, has been built using structural panels made from the equivalent of about 200,000 recycled plastic bottles. The building shell was fully put together on-site in just three days. The project could offer a new way to build more affordable and sustainable homes across Canada. The building system, called PakVert, was developed by Quebec-based clean technology company PakVille. Founded by Canadian engineer and entrepreneur Parinaz Pakniat, the company designed prefabricated panels that combine the building structure, heat insulation, and outside finish into one lightweight part.
Recycled core technology
The centre of each PakVert panel is made from 100 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This is the type of plastic commonly used in single-use drink bottles. According to technical details published by Construction Canada, the panels can be used for outside walls, floors, and roofs. They can replace several traditional building materials, including wood frames, fibreglass insulation, and outside wall panels. PakVille says the panels’ dense plastic material helps protect them from moisture, mould, rot, and pests. The company also estimates that homes built with this system could last twice as long as homes built using traditional construction methods.
Addressing costs and labour shortages
The prefabricated system comes at a time when Canada’s housing industry faces major challenges. Rising material costs and a shortage of workers have slowed down home construction across the country. According to PakVille, using the PakVert system can lower total construction costs by about 35 per cent compared with traditional building methods. However, the actual savings will depend on the details of each project. “People want homes they can afford, without compromising quality or comfort,” said Parinaz Pakniat, founder and chief executive officer of PakVille, in a statement reported by Construction Canada. “We developed PakVert to make construction faster, simpler, and more affordable. The fact that we’re also giving plastic waste a second life makes it even more meaningful.”
Assembly and energy performance
At the construction site in Saint-Rémi-d’Amherst, workers assembled the entire 100 m2 building shell in 72 hours. Since the panels arrive ready for installation, they create much less waste on-site than traditional wood-frame construction. They also need smaller teams of workers to install. The home’s owner, Daniel Massé, praised both the speed of construction and the home’s ability to keep heat in after the project was completed. “When it comes to energy efficiency and speed of construction, it’s a product that I would recommend to anyone,” Massé said. The project shows the growing interest in new building materials across Canada’s construction industry. In particular, more attention is being given to systems that keep plastic waste out of landfills while helping build homes faster.