{"id":705404,"date":"2026-05-31T07:44:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T07:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/705404\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T07:44:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T07:44:32","slug":"a-canadian-construction-scion-turned-this-1870s-workers-cottage-in-ontario-into-a-voc-free-green-masterpiece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/705404\/","title":{"rendered":"A Canadian Construction Scion Turned This 1870s Worker\u2019s Cottage in Ontario Into a VOC-Free \u2018Green Masterpiece\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the son of a billionaire Canadian homebuilder expanded a tiny 1870 worker\u2019s cottage into a cutting-edge sustainable home, it made headlines<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, a dozen years later, the 3,000-square-foot house built by Mattamy Homes scion Matt Gilgan is on the market for C$3.85 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a highly distinctive residence that blends traditional construction methods with advanced environmental systems,\u201d said Petrus Engelbrecht of Engelbrecht Associates Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada, the listing agent. \u201cIt\u2019s a world-class \u2018green\u2019 masterpiece.\u201d<\/p>\n

The four-bedroom, four-bathroom house integrates the diminutive original house and a sleek, airy addition that Gilgan conceived with local contractors. \u201cIt\u2019s a house that breathes,\u201d Engelbrecht said. \u201cWalls are composed of straw bale insulation within a timber frame, finished in natural lime-based plaster. There are no paints, plastics or VOC-emitting materials, contributing to very clean indoor air quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The floor at the home\u2019s entry foyer is rammed earth\u2014a mixture of sand, soil and clay sealed with natural oils.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen that in another home,\u201d Engelbrecht said. \u201cIt feels warm, calming and grounding to walk on.\u201d Hardwood floors and doors throughout the house are reclaimed beechwood, which repeats along ceilings in several rooms. Geothermal heating, energy-recovery ventilation and rainwater harvesting supports the home\u2019s \u201chigh level of performance without compromising design integrity,\u201d Engelbrecht said.<\/p>\n

Gilgan didn\u2019t sacrifice luxury to go green. The living room\u2019s centerpiece is a custom soapstone fireplace and integrated pizza oven that was hand-assembled on-site. The custom Scavolini kitchen, with glossy blue cabinetry and Miele appliances, features countertops in concrete-like reconstituted granite. Custom ironwork accents much of the home.<\/p>\n

The seller, who is downsizing, bought the home from Gilgan a decade ago. Furniture is available by separate negotiation. Because it\u2019s in an urban area known as a CMA (census metropolitan area), the property is subject to Canada\u2019s foreign-buyer ban<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stats<\/p>\n

With four bedrooms and four bathrooms, this 5,129-square-foot home is set on 0.16 acres. There is a standalone, one-car garage, clad in ipe wood.<\/p>\n

Amenities<\/p>\n

Advertisement – Scroll to Continue<\/p>\n

The primary suite opens to a private terrace, and includes a glassed-in perch with treetop views. The lower level includes a gym, a cedar-lined wine cellar and a guest suite. Outside, the grounds feature a cedar sauna, an outdoor shower, a fire pit and a full outdoor kitchen. \u201cThere are nine distinct seating areas outside where you can entertain or relax,\u201d Engelbrecht said.<\/p>\n

Talking Points<\/p>\n

When Gilgan bought the home in 2014, the 1870 stucco-clad worker\u2019s cottage was a designated heritage building associated with a tannery that was once the town\u2019s largest employer, according to The Globe and Mail<\/a>. The area\u2019s industrial legacy is memorialized in the name of Tannery Park, steps from the home, which overlooks Lake Ontario.<\/p>\n

Neighborhood Notes<\/p>\n

Oakville is an affluent suburb of Toronto sought-after for its proximity to both the city and Lake Ontario. The home is in the West Harbour neighborhood, a short walk east to downtown Oakville, \u201cwith its upscale shops, dining, and galleries,\u201d Engelbrecht said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very special location.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the median sale price<\/a> for single detached homes in Oakville was C$1.3 million in the first quarter of 2026, down 4.8% year-over-year. The highest-priced sale of 2025 was a 10,000-square-foot waterfront mansion<\/a> for C$10.1 million.<\/p>\n

Toronto Pearson International Airport is about 21 miles north. Downtown Toronto is about 32 miles northeast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Agent: Petrus Engelbrecht, Engelbrecht Associates | Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada <\/p>\n

View the original listing<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When the son of a billionaire Canadian homebuilder expanded a tiny 1870 worker\u2019s cottage into a cutting-edge sustainable…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":705405,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[171122,171123,256512,184291,256513,171135,171136,256520,184301,256521,76,354,355,256516,136640,49,48,1007,136637,159431,184293,159440,184303,3525,198980,125498,159432,159441,356,75,8890,256518,136639,96138,2841,10852,106304,163846,163854,184292,184302,256524,256514,256515,256522,256523,35994,1671,905,15469,96136,968,184304,184294,184295,256517,53124,7074,715,171112,171125,4935,12052,256519,26205,4584,159442],"class_list":["post-705404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-amenity-amenities-firepit","tag-amenity-amenities-outdoor-kitchen","tag-amenity-amenities-outdoor-shower","tag-amenity-amenities-sauna","tag-amenity-amenities-terrace","tag-amenity_amenities-firepit","tag-amenity_amenities-outdoor-kitchen","tag-amenity_amenities-outdoor-shower","tag-amenity_amenities-sauna","tag-amenity_amenities-terrace","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-building-construction","tag-ce-executive-news-filter","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-construction","tag-content-types","tag-content-type-content-type-article","tag-content-type-content-type-gallery","tag-content-type_content-type-article","tag-content-type_content-type-gallery","tag-corporate","tag-corporate-social-responsibility","tag-corporate-industrial-news","tag-credited-by-mansion-global","tag-credited_by_mansion_global","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-environmental","tag-environmental-social-governance","tag-factiva-filters","tag-gcapi","tag-general-news","tag-governance","tag-industrial-news","tag-integration-apple-news","tag-integration_apple-news","tag-lifestyle-lifestyle-metropolitan","tag-lifestyle_lifestyle-metropolitan","tag-linkendrnrealtime-linkedarticle-snco20260528005383","tag-location-country-canada","tag-location-market-toronto","tag-location_country-canada","tag-location_market-toronto","tag-natural-environment","tag-north-america","tag-ontario","tag-political","tag-political-general-news","tag-real-estate","tag-real-estate-services","tag-real-estate-services-transactions","tag-real-estate-construction","tag-residential-building-construction","tag-residential-real-estate","tag-services","tag-social","tag-subject-subject-listing-of-the-day","tag-subject_subject-listing-of-the-day","tag-sustainability","tag-sustainable-development","tag-sustainable-development-sustainability","tag-synd","tag-transactions","tag-wsj-pro-mansion-global"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/705404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=705404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/705404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/705405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=705404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=705404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=705404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}