Planning & Designing Sustainable Green Homes

Recycled and Reclaimed Materials

Turning waste plastic into useable fuel

An emerging technology that can make use of waste plastic. Though we all diligently cart our plastic to the curb for recycling, the sad reality is that only about 7% of it is commercially viable for recycling, the rest ends up as landfill. Plastic is a petroleum product that until now has been very inconsistent and…

LEED Homes

Ontario’s First LEED Certified Hospital

With the goal of enhancing the natural healing environment of their hospital while minimizing their ecological footprint, Bluewater Health in Sarnia will be the first acute care hospital in Ontario to achieve LEED certification. Bluewater Health announced today that it has been selected as one of the first Canadian…

LEED Homes

LEED Home in the Gatineau Hills

A development near Wakefield, Quebec called Edelweiss Lakes will soon be entering the first phase of what is intended to be a community of LEED certified homes. Developer Luc Bélisle will be partnering with Matthew Smith of Mapleridge Homes to build the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)…

Off-grid and Net-Zero Housing

Net Zero Energy Community in Calgary, Alberta

Alberta’s first Net Zero Energy community will comprise include 27 pre-fabricated homes. Landmark Homes Inc. In Calgary Alberta, In partnership with Brookfield Residential Properties, has just started construction on a community of 27 prefabricated net zero energy homes , the first of its kind in Alberta. A ‘ Net…

Living Building Challenge

Taking the Living Building Challenge

The Endeavour Centre in Peterborough, ON sets its sights on the Living Building Challenge. The Living Building Challenge is one of the toughest green building certifications to complete, and has yet to be achieved in Canada. The Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit trade school in Peterborough Ontario, is setting out…

Lifestyle and environment

Green buildings are better situated to handle climate extremes

The climate is changing, how we build home needs to change as well. The U.S. Green Building Council and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning released a landmark report Feb. 29 that describes how green buildings advance resiliency in disasters. “Green Building and Climate…

How to Find Qualified Green Building Professionals

Hiring professionals or doing it yourself

Choosing a building team in design and construction: weigh the options between a DIY home build, hiring a general contractor, purchasing a Pre-fab kit. 1. Hiring an architect: We discussed previously the idea of choosing an architect that specializes in high-performance eco-friendly home design and can co-ordinate…

Concept and design

Efficient home design, or how to design a home to use less energy

All about energy efficient home design - building enclosures, product selection and energy efficiency strategies. The principles of green building: High performance, energy efficient homes may include features like geothermal heating, wind power and solar panels, but these are not the defining features of green…

Lifestyle and environment

Resources and getting started

Whether you are building a home, you just bought a home, or you want some energy conservation tips for your apartment, it all starts here. Our tips below will help you get started in designing and planning your project. Choosing between buying, building or renting 1. Building a new home. Building a sustainable and…

Choosing where to live

Moving to the country - living a rural lifestyle

Tips for getting out of the city and living a rural small town lifestyle. For those that aren't made for the bustling lifestlyle of cities, small towns can be a dream come true. The nature of small towns is one of community and accessible downtown cores. Essential services like grocery stores, banks and post offices…

Choosing where to live

Living a greener lifestyle in the suburbs

Suburbs can be one of the hardest places to live a green lifestyle, as they often have little access to services and public transportation. Here are a few tips to reduce your carbon footprint in the suburbs. The ecological impact of suburban living: U.S. studies regarding the energy impact of population by location…