Burlington, Ont.-based developers New Horizon Development Group and the Krpan Group have created a joint venture named NEWRISE to develop and build sustainable communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

NEWRISE focuses on green building practices and energy efficiency, building on both companies' experiences in sustainable development.

New Horizon and Krpan Group kicked off the NEWRISE venture during the approval process for the Ovation at Encore rental project in Oakville in 2021. Ovation at Encore is a six-storey, 356-unit building that will be powered by geothermal and solar energy.

The ongoing collaboration on Ovation at Encore helped New Horizon come to the conclusion that Krpan Group is “quite aligned in our vision and our goals,” according to Natasha Paikin, director of client experience at New Horizon, who spoke to Sustainable Biz Canada in an interview.

She said its projects will pursue LEED certifications, as both companies have backgrounds with the program. New Horizon has LEED-certified residential buildings, while Krpan Group has LEED experience in its commercial and industrial business.

New Horizon's sustainable development history

New Horizon, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is a residential property builder and developer that also works on commercial buildings.

“Our focus is really on sustainability and affordability when it comes to those new home products,” Paikin said. Its focus on sustainability was directed by the company’s interest in being a first mover as sustainability becomes increasingly prioritized in the real estate industry.

New Horizon is a trailblazer in the western portion of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for its use of geothermal energy, Paikin said, heating buildings with clean energy rather than natural gas. An example is its City Square condo in Hamilton. Sustainability is also prioritized through the use of solar panels on buildings and electric vehicle charging facilities at its properties, she added.

In recognition of its efforts, New Horizon won the Canadian Home Builders' Association’s Builder of Canada’s Green Home award for a custom home that is powered by geothermal and solar energy. The builder-developer has completed or is finishing almost 3,000 housing units powered by underground heat, and 276 units that are powered by the sun, according to Paikin.

New Horizon has over 1,200 homes, condos and rental suites under construction, including a 218-unit purpose-built rental building in Hamilton's Stoney Creek community that will be the city's first LEED-certified residential building to hit the open market, Paikin said.

During the partnership on Ovation at Encore, New Horizon saw Krpan’s experience in land development and its “exciting” land pipeline, which led to the belief New Horizon would benefit from a joint venture to expand its building portfolio, she said.

Krpan Group also developing iConnect

NEWRISE represents the first time New Horizon and Krpan Group have worked together.

Though the partners do plan to expand the venture, Paikin was reluctant to offer specifics, only saying the joint venture will be “going through our first project together and working towards bringing some of the same future-aligned successes on upcoming developments as well.”

For its part, John A. Krpan, CEO of Krpan Group, told Sustainable Biz Canada via email exchange, “NEWRISE is dedicated to advancing sustainable development practices, observable through our geothermal approach to heating and cooling our buildings.”

Krpan Group, founded in 1973, has a portfolio of over 10,000 homes developed and built, and millions of square feet of commercial and office space in the western portion of the Greater Toronto Area, according to Krpan.

Its emphasis on sustainability is seen through its iConnect master-planned community in Hamilton, Krpan said. iConnect emphasizes walkability over driving to lower its residents’ carbon footprints, and features green spaces and parks to promote biodiversity.

“We prioritize sustainability in our projects and developments and are doing our part to not only contribute to environmental conservation, but also create healthier, more resilient communities that thrive in harmony with nature,” Krpan said.