See the LEED Platinum Kenogami house with a Passive Solar Index rating of 15. Performance: Passive Solar Index 15 Registration date: February 12, 2015 Region: Saguenay, Quebec Type of construction: Single-family New home PSI rating: 15 kWh / m² Method of calculation: Modelled Built by owner Alain Hamel, the Kenogami…

Straw bale SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) have all the benefits of traditional straw bale homes, but address all the risks. Straw bale homes, are they any good? Traditional straw bale home construction can be a low-tech and affordable route to a very ecologically responsible home . There are, however, some…

Some forward thinking developers are designing homes that are ready to handle the more severe weather caused by a warming climate. While governments have a role in shaping and improving the built environment through zoning, development bylaws and other means, developers also play a large role. They choose where to…

Net Zero Energy and Net Zero Water buildings have rapidly captured the public imagination, and are transforming expectations for the pace of change in the built environment. The Living Building Challenge™ expands Net Zero concepts in ways that look far into the future, consider the endgame and shape our efforts to…

Living Future 2014 in Portland, OR. Explore how beauty and inspiration can transform our movement and ourselves. Humans are nature. We do not live in straight lines. We are infinitely varied and constantly changing. Truly resilient and regenerative design recognizes this unbounded human experience. It feeds our…

As they set out to build a LEED Certified house that will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, a very excited group of students and teachers can't wait to break ground. When the New Frontiers School Board decided they wanted to be a leader in teaching green building practices, it’s doubtful that they could have…

Not only are these sustainably manufactured tiny pre-fab houses affordable, they're ready to go off grid and look good doing it. With write-ups in Gizmag, Inhabitat, Tiny House Design, FastCoExist and well, too many other places to recount, one could say it's clear that the green building world is enamoured with…

This is a great little video that illustrates how we are surrounded by potential energy, we just have to put a little thought into how to harness it. We found this video at Whole Systems Design, a New England based company who identify, design, and develop human habitats. In their own words from their website : "We…

The risks and costs of climate change: since insurance companies are becoming more aware of the greater threats posed by more severe weather, we had best become more aware as well. How to build homes ready to face climate change? We often think of the land underneath our feet as fixed and unmoving. On a calm day, if…

With the help of the Ecohome design team, home builder Alain Hamel builds "The Most Resilient House in North America". The most resilient house in North America The first house designed under our Passive Solar Index (PSI) program won "Most Resilient House" in the 2013 Green Builder® Home of the Year Awards. The…

Harold Orr introduced us to some of the most essential components of durable and energy efficient homes. Here is a look back at the passive solar heated house he designed that revolutionized the housing industry. While developing pages on passive heating and cooling and writing about Passive House, we were in…

The Conservation House in Saskatchewan was built in 1977, and was a revolutionary building design that introduced passive heating and cooling to modern Passive House home building. Passive House design, how does it work? If you've ever sat in a car with black leather seats in the summer, particularly when wearing…

The New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) in Ormstown, Quebec wants to give their graduating students a leg up in the world of green home construction, by building a LEED house that they plan to donate to Habitat for Humanity. After completing a design workshop for high performance wall systems, teachers at the New…

An Australian report finds sustainable building is helping to create stronger and more prosperous communities. Sustainable building practices are doing more than just helping the environment - they are also helping to create stronger and more prosperous communities. This is according to the Green Building Council of…

The basics on passive heating and cooling homes, as when building a green high performance & healthy home, free heat is a good start. What is passive solar heating & cooling? Passive heating and cooling of homes is not new . The above image is of Mesa Verde National Park, the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in…

Green Energy Doors Open 2013 is an annual, single-day showcase of the province-wide green energy economy. For over a decade MEC has been "greening" their buildings – making design and materials decisions based on environmental considerations. The Ottawa and Winnipeg stores were the first and second retail buildings…

Days of Rocket Mass Heater geekery, building, fun, and laughs. This workshop will explore the science behind Rocket Mass Heaters, participants will build a demo and a real unit, talk about heating with an R.M.H. and even do some bobcat cob for the bench! Due to the time of year, camping will not be available…

There are a number of ways you can up the efficiency of your home without spending much money. Here are our top 10 energy-saving home improvement tips with the greatest return. The best tips to save money and reduce bills? First of all, the best way to reduce bills & save money is to spend as little as possible for…

If you love tiny houses and want to learn how to build by doing it this workshop is for you. In the past all of these workshops have sound out and Deek has to limit participants to approximately 24 people to ensure everyone gets instruction/attention. Expect an emphasis on DIY building  as budget for this build will…