Case Study – Michelangelo Court

The Michelangelo Project – A Case Study

We went out on a limb and chose this unassuming 1975 ranch bungalow in South Ottawa as a case study – an example of how many of our homes, old and new, simply weren’t built to last.

At first glance, the house looked solid. But once we started peeling back the layers, it became clear: what you can’t see can absolutely hurt you. Behind the drywall we found dead rodents. In the attic, active nests, carpenter ants, and trails of destruction. We uncovered wood rot, mould, widespread air leakage, and countless entry points for critters.

The first step was removing the brick exterior – a move that raised a few eyebrows. “Why remove the bricks?” people asked. The truth is, brick can mask serious flaws in the building envelope while providing easy entry points for small animals and insects. Stripping the brick also gave us the space to construct a new exterior wall with proper control layers: water, vapour, air, and thermal insulation. The result? An R-value of 43, more than double Ontario’s building code requirements.

This project demonstrates what’s possible – not just in fixing problems, but in rebuilding homes to last hundreds of years. With thoughtful design, advanced building science, better materials, and smarter systems, we can dramatically cut energy usage while creating healthier, more comfortable living environments.

This is about more than renovation. It’s a call to rethink how we value, sell, and rebuild homes in Canada.

Stay tuned – this is just the beginning!