Materials and resources

How wood structures compare to steel and concrete for carbon footprint

A life cycle analysis of the three major materials used as structural support for buildings - wood v concrete v steel - embodied carbon. Wood, steel and concrete each have specific structural advantages , each with their own characteristics. The following is a life-cycle comparison conducted by the Athena…

Finding environmentally friendly building materials

Green materials don’t start and end with whether or not they are recyclable or contain recycled content. There are many factors to consider when searching for sustainable materials. All materials will have a history, the pros and cons of which will need to be weighed. Unfortunately there isn’t always an obvious…

Wood and organic materials

Mid-rise construction time-lapse video with CLT & glulam beams

The construction of mid-rise projects with mass timber products like glulam beams and CLT panels is a quick, durable and cost effective way to significantly reduce embodied carbon in our cities buildings. See more in the mid-rise wood v concrete report. Located in the bustling Griffintown neighborhood of Montreal…

Wood and organic materials

The construction of mid-rise residential buildings in Canada - wood or concrete?

In order to help the mid-rise construction sector, Ecohabitation our Quebec partners have conducted a large-scale comparative study in 2022 demonstrating that the construction of mid-rise wood buildings is a winner on all fronts for all stakeholders. The vision: a brighter future for Canada and North America through…

Wood and organic materials

How to build high performance homes with less lumber

With the high cost of lumber, we decided to look at how we can still build high performance yet affordable homes. The cost of lumber is at an all time high, and because of that fact, other wall assemblies are showing themselves to be more affordable in comparison. So it’s a great time to highlight a few…

Wood and organic materials

All about FSC certified lumber & wood products - Why FSC certification is important

What does 'FSC Certified' mean on Wood & Lumber Products? Choosing FSC Certified Lumber and Paper Products means it comes from sustainably managed forests and helps to protect old growth forests - which is good. What is "FSC Certified" lumber? The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, not-for-profit…

Recycled and Reclaimed Materials

Is it safe to build beds or furniture with shipping pallets?

Everywhere we look online we see cool & beautiful furniture like beds & headboards made from recycled wood from shipping pallets - but could they be slowly poisoning us? Here's how to keep pallet furniture safe. Pallet beds - cool but potentially dangerous! We've all seen these rustic shabby-chic pallet wood beds &…

Concrete and masonry

Gabion walls - what is a gabion cage & how to build with them?

Gabion cage walls can add thermal mass to homes without adding significantly to the carbon footprint of a home like concrete can. Gabion walls are retaining walls built by stacking stone in a gabion cage or gabion basket that can serve many purposes but are most often used to create tiered or leveled ground in…

Concrete and masonry

Low-carbon concrete by CarbonCure Canada - lowering the carbon footprint of buildings

Producing cement for concrete results in high levels of CO2 output and is the third ranking cause of man-made CO2 in the world after transport & energy generation. Low-Carbon Concrete is needed for Building Green Homes. Low-carbon concrete - green cement at last? One of the most essential and commonly-used building…

Wood and organic materials

Hemp building supplies

Hemp fibreboard cabinetry materials as an alternative to standard wood boards for kitchen cabinets - why it makes Eco-friendly sense. Hemp is a very sustainable construction material that is no longer just a fringe product; rather, it is becoming a more accessible mainstream building product, most notably as…

Recycled and Reclaimed Materials

Where to buy and sell used building materials

Get money for your old building material and Find used building materials on classified lists and through online brokers. When buildings are decommissioned there can be a lot of valuable materials that could be used again, but when buyers can’t find sellers, otherwise usable materials are being sent to a land fill…