Choose durable roofing materials that will last through wind, precipitation and exposure to U.V rays. 1. Asphalt shingles: Asphalt shingles © Ecohome We’ll start with shingles to get it out of the way, because choosing an eco-friendly, durable roof covering starts first with dismissing any idea of installing asphalt…

Home lighting impacts safety, function, energy consumption and quality of life. Different lights offer not only different levels of efficiency, but a variety of colours as well, and can help with Seasonal Affective Disorder(S.A.D.). The first thought of home lighting design should be the orientation of windows for…

Water efficient toilets, compact plumbing design, low-flow fixtures, grey water recovery and rainwater harvesting. There are lots of ways to save water in a home. Home water consumption in Canada: On average, Canadians use over 300 litres of water per person, per day. Compare this to consumption in the UK of 200…

It has been estimated that the sun provides as much energy in 15 minutes as humans use in a year. By taking advantage of that with heating and electrical generation, we can work to end our dependence on fossil fuels. How to set up a home solar energy system Our future truly depends on us continuing to develop and…

Heating water accounts for one fifth of our energy consumption and there’s a lot we can do to improve that. How to save money on hot water: We will discuss a number of ways to conserve water, particularly hot water, but all of that starts with using less in the first place! Choosing low flow fixtures and toilets…

Decommissioned aircraft getting second life as recycled metal is used as exterior cladding. They might be parked a little more precisely than an auto wrecking yard, but that doesn’t mean theses planes will ever fly again. Decommissioned aircraft have been declared so, because they have reached the end of their safe…

built with 105 recycled shipping pallets, this innovative structure by b sq. Design Studio Inc. included walkways, a playhouse, a water feature, and vertical herb gardens that delighted visitors at the flower and garden festival. b sq. Design Studio Inc. is a Toronto-based landscape design and build firm that…

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…

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…

When it comes to choosing a building envelope there are many variables to consider: what climate zone you're building in, performance, durability, health, comfort, and of course, cost. What is the best wall system for a home? We're frequently asked which is the perfect wall system for high-performance LEED , Passive…

Considering between slab-on-grade construction compared to foundations and crawlspace or a basement? Take the first step of home design in deciding which foundations to build on. Is an insulated slab on grade the best foundation choice? Or is a basement better? Traditionally, home construction often starts with a…

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)…

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…

Understanding the performance characteristics & limitations of different types of insulation before you make a purchase & start to build or renovate a high performance home is important. Not all insulation materials are the same, and they are not always interchangeable A basic understanding of how walls work is…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…