Posts Tagged ‘Healthy Building’

Oval Strawbale House gets an Award

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Oval Strawbale House

The Oval Strawbale House has been given an AWARD on April 8, 2010, in the FOUNDING CUSTOM HOME category by the Home Sweet Home Competition;

“The idea for Home Sweet Home sprouted in 2008 during the research and development of OntarioGreenSpec.ca. OntarioGreenSpec.ca is an online directory that was founded by Mindscape Innovations Group (Mindscape) in response to the overwhelming demand for information about green building products and services to serve Ontario’s growing green building market.  Mindscape, experts in green building consulting and certification, developed OntarioGreenSpec.ca as a free directory for use by the public and industry.”

“OntarioGreenSpec.ca exists to shine a bright light on the great products and services available to Ontario’s high performance builders, and to serve Ontario’s green building sector. As such, Home Sweet Home promotes the use of “home-grown” materials.  Not only does a competition entrant need to be located in Ontario, the judging criteria also gives cumulative points for Canadian, Ontarian, and local (within 800km) content, with triple points when the products in the home come from your region of Ontario.”

Elegant. Efficient. Ecological.

From early design considerations of habitat preservation and geopathic energy assessments through to the final stroke of paint, all features were considered for their effect on human health, environment and of course, comfort and beauty.

In our opinion, the Oval Strawbale House exemplifies that which soma earth ARCHITECT and the builder, Evolve Homes, strives to embody in every one of their projects, a home that is all of elegant, efficient and ecological.

Rear View

Elegant

With its elliptical shape borrowed from the natural contours of its surroundings, the house gently perches on a hillside and also based on the sacred geometry of the vesica piscis. The curved walls welcome the sun’s rays into more rooms, for more hours each day than traditional straight walls while simultaneously promoting views of a neighbouring pond. Adjacent shade trees are carefully maintained ensuring seasonal shading and provision of privacy.

Prior to construction, eco-architect, Ingrid Cryns, dowsed for the geopathic earth energy lines to find the best place to position the house to clear the bed, sitting areas for the couch & office as well as the kitchen sink. The architect and owner also identified a very large, three foot diameter, beneficial energy spot on the site and the house was placed so that this energy spot was located just inside at the corner between the living room/mediation room window and upstairs bedroom walls. A plastic line was embedded into the concrete floor slab to connect this spot to the centre of the house at the fireplace to secure the energetic centre of the house with the land. This was the most critical & significant energy enhancing aspect that was implemented. The design of the house with the two curves in plan creates an extremely strong beneficial energy. All together, this creates a very strong sense of well being, joy and calmness when inside the house that is very noticeable to anyone who visits.

Sitting Room with FSC maple floor

Inside, soft finishes including customized sculpted relief work emerging from walls and fireplace surrounds together with luxuriously deep window sills replete with tiled mosaics, complete the unique look and allow personal expression for the Owner, who assisted with design and implementation of such details.

Efficient

Careful attention was paid to sealing of all joints in the building envelope and upgraded conventional insulation. Low- or no-VOC sealants and recycled under-floor insulation, instead of virgin polystyrene, was used. Additionally, this home’s strawbale insulated exterior walls, at + R30, offers significantly better operating performance than ordinary conventional construction methods.

While insulating is important, so too is the notion of massing: using dense materials in which to store and then slowly release heat. A heavy concrete subfloor as well as 1 ½” of plaster on the interior of the bale walls, combine to provide excellent thermal storage capacity. This mass absorbs heat when it is generated via the sun or the radiant floor heat distribution system, and then gently releases this heat again as the air temperature declines. Strategic use of mass provides comfort and efficiency. Working equally well in the summer by robbing the air of its heat as well as humidity to maintain user comfort, this home has no need for mechanical air conditioning.

Masonry Heater - Designed by the Client & Architect

Integration of an historic “kachelofen”, or masonry fireplace, expands the use of mass in this home. Ordinary fireplaces or woodstoves regularly burn uncomfortably hot while also consuming wood inefficiently as up to 70% of the heat escapes through the chimney. Kachelofens incorporate many small channels into specially constructed masonry masses between the firebox and the chimney. These channels absorb the generated heat before it escapes to the chimney – improving efficiencies by a factor of 2x or 3x.

Better still, this mass radiates the captured heat for hours afterward at a slow, gentle pace, allowing the users to bask in a soft, warm glow with all the visual pleasure of an ordinary fireplace.

Meditation room fireplace

Ecological

Local sourcing and use of naturally occurring materials are vital components in reducing the impact of this home. And what could be more local then felling trees from the owner’s surrounding woodlot, milling them on site, having them kiln dried nearby then turning the finished boards into all of the interior doors, cabinet doors, window sills, stair treads and baseboard. To top it all off, literally, natural oil finishes are applied and offer long lasting protection in lieu of ordinary petrochemical based urethanes.

More than simply “low-VOC”, silicate dispersion paints – Canadian  manufactured using silica sand and natural mineral pigments – are used throughout to provide rich colour and naturally mildew-free painted wall finishes. One room was even more specially treated with a clay veneer instead of any paint at all, leaving a suede-like texture that immediately attracts attention. Additionally, some baseboard was sculpted and the fireplace face’s constructed using only earthen based plasters prepared on site from locally available clays. No cement, no polymeric binders…just rich, durable, natural materials.

Kitchen with paperstone counter

Kitchen

Additional Project Details

Energy Savings

• Typical heating energy reduction of 30-50% compared to conventional construction

• Integration into landscape and existing mature trees to provide seasonal shading

• Orientation of major windows primarily toward south & east (primary view of pond) for as much passive solar gain possible through the dense forested site

• No mechanical air conditioning required

• Significant free “daylighting” through strategically located windows to reduce light use

• Further savings in heating costs achievable by owner use of Kachelofen enhanced further if using deadfall trees from own property

• Reduction in embodied energy in building materials through combination of: local sourcing, use of reclaimed/recycled materials and materials requiring fewer processing inputs

• Fibreglass framed windows provide longer life and higher insulating ratings

• Low E coatings on window glazing reduce heat energy from the sun in summer only

• Thermal edge spacers between window panes reduce thermal bridging

• “Massing” strategically used for efficient thermal storage and heat delivery

• Efficient radiant floor heat distribution on main floor and hot water radiators on second storey

• High-efficiency condensing boiler for domestic hot water and all space heating

• High efficiency Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV), professionally balanced on start-up

Stairs

Environmentally Preferred Materials

• Local, reused and reclaimed materials and minimally processed materials reduce embody energy inherent in ordinary construction

• Reclaimed wide plank beech flooring

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified flooring

• Clay veneer wall finishes

• Earthen-based plaster fireplace facing and embellishments

• Strawbale exterior walls complete with hand-applied plaster finish

• Solid wood flooring

• Natural oil wood finishes

• VOC-free mineral based naturally pigmented paints

• Soy based polyurethane vaulted ceiling insulation

• Simulated, long lasting (50yr warranty) cedar shake roofing invented in Canada (Enviroshake)

• Locally made mineral wool attic insulation

• Interior doors, baseboard, window sills, kitchen cabinet doors and stair treads all made by local craftspeople from trees felled adjacent to house

• Kitchen counter top made from pressed and recycled post-consumer paper waste into resilient, satin finished surface

Wood trim & door detail

Waste Reduction

• Lumber off-cuts stored and sorted for reuse later in project

• Construction waste streamed appropriately for local municipal recycling programs

• No general waste construction bin used on site

Transportation

• House is walkable to community centre, shopping, banks and other amenities

• Staff carpool to site to reduce commuting energy costs; some staff stay temporarily on site during construction, eliminating the need for daily commute

• A south facing Potting Room will enable off-season vegetable greens and fruit to be grown while annuals get a head start on the outdoor planting season thereby reducing reliance on shipped in foodstuffs

3Rd Party Labeling Programs Utilized

• Eco-logo™ certified drywall

• Energy Star™ rated windows

• FSC™ certified hard maple flooring

• HRI Institute™ approved heat recovery ventilator (HRV) unit

Technical Repeatability

• All materials selected currently available in the Ontario market

• Traditional trades can use existing skills applied to alternative materials

• Design strategies customized for this site and user though same rules can be applied differently as appropriate for varying circumstances

Affordability

• Super insulated, environmentally preferable straw bale wall system comparable price to ordinary frame wall with brick or stucco finish

• Site felled trees were prepared for use at similar cost to purchasing raw material with unknown provenance from ordinary lumber suppliers

• Mineral wool batt insulation costs just 5% more than fiberglass though with a higher insulating rating, easier & much healthier to install and advantageous hydro-phobic properties

• Sustainably harvested hard maple flooring with consistent clear grade ordinary maple from unknown sources at traditional retailers

• Quality, durable materials and careful construction detailing will ensure longevity of house to reduce ongoing repair and maintenance

Technical Innovation

• The builder, Evolve Builders,  has strategically systemized construction processes and details for straw bale walls to make this labour intensive building method cost-competitive with ordinary construction

• Simple, successful, repeatable “technologies” borrowed from historic building techniques then reformulated or adapted for modern expectations including: natural finishing oils for wood treatment, clay binders for wall finishes, mineral pigments for paint tinting

Ontario Strawbale Building Coalition (OSBBC)

Saturday, February 6th, 2010
OSBBC Board Members - from left to right, Tina Thierin, Ingrid Cryns, Deirdre, Adam Krop, Frank Tetiner, David Elfstrom

OSBBC Board Members - from left to right, Tina Therrien, Ingrid Cryns, Deirdre McGahern, Adam Krop, Frank Tettemer, David Elfstrom (and Jup Bhasin - absent)

www.osbbc.ca

*

I am currently a board member fo the OSBBC and have truly enjoyed working with the dedicated team of volunteers who are passionate about supporting and encouraging the growth of Natural Building, including Strawbale biofibre building.  Here is some detailed info. from the website – PLEASE SPEND SOME TIME VISITING THE SITE – YOU WILL LEARN A LOT!!!

The Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition (OSBBC) was formed to serve several purposes:

  1. To provide information for people with an interest in building and/or owning a straw bale home. These services include general information, facilitating training courses, and providing testing data for building designers and building inspectors.
  2. To initiate and support efforts to further the base of knowledge about straw bale building, including studies and tests leading to the building code acceptance of straw bale building techniques.
  3. To foster a community of builders and owners involved in straw bale building to promote the exchange of ideas, resources, and social opportunities.

The Goals of the OSBBC

The OSBBC believes in the need for a movement towards a more environmentally responsible built environment. By using materials with the lowest possible embodied energy and toxicity and employing them in buildings designed to maximize the potential for renewable energies and minimizing the use of fossil fuels, we can make a substantial positive change in our impact on the environment. For the same costs as typical homes and buildings it is possible right now to create similar spaces from environmentally sound materials and to lower energy consumption dramatically. We hope to promote these strategies by assisting builders and owners to adopt them and to help to introduce them into the mainstream building world.

There is fantastic comprehensive listing on the website of sound technical documents that have been culled from various sources, mostly elsewhere on the web and on email lists.

Click this LINK FOR STRAWBALE TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

Membership in the Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition has many benefits:

  • free admission to the Annual Tour of Straw Bale Homes and Buildings
  • reduced rates for selected OSBBC workshops
  • reduced rate for The Building Official’s Info-Package
  • inclusion in a volunteer on-call list
  • financial support for testing and code-acceptance of bale building
  • helps the organization promote straw bale building to building officials, the general public, and children through displays, speaking engagements, the web, and a toll-free number for inquiries

www.osbbc.ca

Sustainable Organic Farm & Educational Centre

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Front Entry View

Front Entry View

Sustainable Organic Farm

Design description

2009

Purpose

The Farm Buildings have been designed to accommodate a family and staff, as well as occasional guests. It has been designed to provide a working example of a high performance, low embodied energy building which could easily be replicated on a larger or smaller scale.

Cross-section at Round Centre

Cross-section at Round Centre

Side Elevation

Side Elevation

Design

Main House

Access to the houses is from the Northern corner of the land. A road lined with native new-plant woodland & fruit trees leads south from the bottom of Albert Street and then curves east, along the top most west/east ridge to a crossroads centered within a large residential garden & pond. An west/east foot path track provides access to the house buildings as well as the east plots.

The house has been designed on an east-west axis to maximize passive solar gain. The house is a timber-framed or recycled steel building with a sedum/ herb roof.

Barn

The Barn is located near the house on the top ridge, central to the land, and is constructed mainly of timber and strawbale infill.

Educational Learning Centre/Storage Garage

The Centre/Garage is located in the northwest quadrant and is constructed mainly of timber and hemp/strawbale infill.

Services

There are water, sewage & electrical services accessible at the entry to the site, at the bottom of Albert Street. These services will be utilized as needed on the site.

Electricity

Electricity will mainly be supplied to the buildings from onsite solar panels, wind turbines & possibly micro-hydro from the nearby Beaver River.

Residential town hydro access to the site may be initially utilized to supplement this supply as well as selling back power to the town through this source.

Ground Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

Materials

The structure is either a roundwood timber-frame or recycled steel structure using local timber from the Site and/or nearby properties. The external walls of the dwellings are hemp/strawbale on a stabilized earthbag stem wall or concrete mix foundation. The floor is of FSC wood or rammed earth that will provide a large thermal mass which will serve to regulate the internal temperature conditions. The loading on the roof will be carried by trussed rafters or recycled steel. The roof will be insulated using a combination of solid and loose hemp fibre or blown cellulose insulation.

Materials are dependant on approval by Ontario Building Code regulations.

Farm Buildings Construction

Design

The House has been designed using a modular scheme which allows for a high degree of flexibility in the design of the individual dome units whilst specifying a common approach to the construction. The intention is to create a design that can be replicated easily and that is simple to construct.

Element

Material

Reason

Role

Source

Foundations

Concrete (Mix with pumice, flyash, lime…..)

Hempcrete

EarthBag

Recycled Masonry

Environment

Environment

Natural

Recycled

Structural

Structural

Structural

Structural

Local/Ontario

Local/Ontario

From site/local

Recycled/Ontario

Floors

Compressed/Rammed Earth

Wood

Adobe Brick

Concrete (Mix…hemp)

Natural

Natural

Natural

Finish

Finish

Finish

Insulative

From site/local

From site/local

Local

Local/Ontario

Walls

Timber, wood frame

Recycled Steel

Earth Bag

Strawbale

Plaster – Earth, lime

Rammed Earth

Earth bag

Recycled Denim

Hemp

Sheep wool

Cob

Eco-drywall

Natural

Natural

Recycled

Natural

Natural

Natural

Natural

Natural

Recycled

Natural

Natural

Natural

Structural

Structural

Structural

Skin

Skin

Skin

Skin

Insulation

Insulation

Insulation

Interior

Eco-drywall

Local

Recycled/Ontario

From site/local

Local

Ontario

From site/local

From site/local

USA

UK

Local

From site/local

USA

Windows Skylights

Double Glazing

Solartube

EFT

Recycled

Manufactured

Manufactured

Natural Lighting

Natural Lighting

Natural Lighting

Recycled/Ontario

USA

UK

Roof

Metal geodesic frame

Trussed joists

Plasterboard

Vapour barrier

Hemp Insulation

Green plywood

Wood boarding

Butyl Membrane

Soil [Green Roof]

Sedum/ Herb [Plants]

Recycled

Manufactured

Natural

Manufactured

Natural

Natural

Recycled/Nat.

Manufactured

From Site

From Seed

Structural

Structural

Skin

Membrane

Insulation

Finish

Structural

Membrane

Environmental

Environmental

USA

Ontario

UK

USA

Recycled/Ontario

Local

Local

Element

Material

Reason

Role

Source

Mechanical

Composting Toilets

Radiant Floor Heating

Solar Hot water heating

Wetland grey & blackwater waste management

Rainwater collection

Biomass heating stoves (per room)

Masonry Fireplace

Electrical

Building Biology principles of installation

Biogeometry EMF protection

Low energy/high efficiency bulbs

Candles

Alternative Energy Systems

Geothermal

Solar

Wind

[Micro-hydro]

Construction

The foundations will be made from a concrete mix of possibly hemp/limecrete with high flyash and/or pumice stone as well as possibly using recycled masonry (subject to building regulations approval).

The main structure will either be recycled steel or timber posts which will sit on pad foundations. They will support recycled steel or timber beams which will in turn support the roof. The floor will be insulated with hempcrete and above that will either be rammed earth or FSC wood. The external walls will be straw bale with earth plaster on the inside and lime plaster on the outside. The internal walls & finishes will be earth plaster, cob, eco-drywall with recycled denim, hemp or sheeps wool.

The roof will be supported either with recycled steel or trussed joists. These may be lightweight timber I-section beams made from recycled woodchips or local lumber. A possibility is to construct them on site using local wood from on near the site. This may eliminate the need for a large section timber roof structure. The roof will be insulated with hemp fibre or blown cellulose insulation and boarded with local or FSC wood planks or lined with [plasterboard to provide a fire retardant layer]. An EPDM membrane will provide a waterproof layer for the 70mm deep sedum/ herb roof.

Glazing will be double or triple depending on aspect. Windows and doors will be

either of softwood (FSC), recyled or local hardwood depending on their aspect.

Reversibility

The building is reversible insofar as the site could be restored to its former condition

with relative ease. After dismantling the structure the small masonry elements could

be dug up and removed. The concrete slab would need breaking up and removing

from the site. There would need to be some minor earthworks to return the site to its

previous incline.

Passive Solar Design

The Farm Buildings have been designed to maximize passive solar gain. The southern glazing

will capture the sun’s heat and this will then be stored in the massive floor.

Active Solar Design

The roof of the buildings will also incorporate solar water panels. This will be used to heat water for domestic use during the summer. Solar Water heating is technologically simple and works excellently to heat water in the summer. Water Accumulators will store this solar heat. We plan to be able to harvest all of the building’s hot water needs from the sun for 6 months of the year from the sun.

Ventilation and Infiltration

The buildings will be designed to minimize infiltration. The main entrances will be designed as airlocks.

Ventilation is provided in all of the ‘living’ rooms. In most cases this will take the form of

openable windows and trickle ventilation.

Natural lighting

All of the rooms have been designed to be lit under ordinary daylight conditions. Solartube ceiling lights will be added to supplement lighting into the rear hill side of the rooms as needed. Geodesic skylights will also be utilized in various feature areas.

Space/ Water Heating

The buildings will be designed to be super-insulated and thus require minimum heating. Heating will be provided by means of under-floor, radiant heating. This will be sourced from a large super-insulated water tank.

Heating Fuel

Fuel for heating will be sourced from a variety of different methods. Biomass stoves will be located in rooms with highest uses. A large central masonry fireplace with a significant thermal mass container will be utilized for the main rooms.

Oval Strawbale house

Friday, February 5th, 2010
Entry detail

Entry detail

Oval Strawbale House - GF Plan

Oval Strawbale House - GF Plan

Here is the ground floor plan of a 2 storey, 2000 SF, OVAL STRAWBALE HOUSE that  started construction April 2009! We have been so inspired by the gentleness and awareness of our client who is studying Reiki & Permaculture. The curved shape grew out of our many design conversations together and also creates an extremely high vibrational energy with this simple plan shape. Using my special Biogeometry BG3 pendulum, I am able to test vaiours levels of design to continuously enhance & balance the quality of energy in each room. This building will be entirely non-toxic with 95% all natural, building materials. A combination timber post interior with balloon wood frame strawbale wall is our main construction system.
Oval Strawbale House - Elevation

Oval Strawbale House - Elevation

Oval Strawbale House - Detail at 2nd Floor window

Oval Strawbale House - Detail at 2nd Floor window

Strawbale walls have a unique vapour permeability that allows minute water vapours to pass through the unique porous crystalline structure of the plaster skin and can have anywhere from .10 to .50 ACH (air exchanges per hour) (with no mechanical assistance/technology). Strawbale walls don’t actually ‘breathe’ which is a common myth, rather they “respire” which favourably impacts on the indoor humidity and which in turn provides comfort by adding/removing moisture in the winter/summer as needed.

This creates an extremely healthy living space and air environment that surpasses, in my opinion, any standard, stick frame home. Also, a typical brick/wood stud 2×4 wall usually has less than an R20 insulation whereas strawbale walls have a continuous monolithic insulation of a R30 to R40 value. And, the thick plaster on the inside of straw bale walls acts as a thermal mass and has been shown to play a significant role in stabilizing indoor temperatures. A strawbale house is simply a smarter house!

Oval Strawbale House - Foundation Prep

Oval Strawbale House - Foundation Prep

Plotting the geopathic earth energy lines

Plotting the geopathic earth energy lines

Geopathic earth energy lines - Hartman (yellow) and Curry (Red) lines

Geopathic earth energy lines dowsed and located – Hartman (yellow) and Curry (Red) lines

Foundation formwork starting

Foundation formwork starting

Poured Concrete Foundation with Insulation

Poured Concrete Foundation with Insulation

Wood sill plate base for strawbales

Wood sill plate base for strawbales

16' long Larsen Trusses delivered to site

16' long Larsen Trusses delivered to site

Framing started (larsen trusses on right)

Framing started (larsen trusses upright on the left)

Round log posts & timber beam for interior only

Round log posts & timber beam for interior only

Framing at 2nd floor

Framing at 2nd floor

2nd Floor Window Framing

Larsent posts base at corner

Larsent posts base at corner

Wood Framing

Ballon Wood Framing

All finishes will be natural with ‘0′ VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). We are looking at reclaimed timber flooring, papercrete countertops, milk paint stains as well as milling wood from directly from the site.

As the site has a great supply of wood and our client would like to use some of the maple, cherry, ash and ceder wood in his house. We visited the site together before any clear cutting was done for the building site and talked with the trees to let them know they will be needed in the house. This was a tremendous experience for both of us that I wrote a lot about in my blog here….

The house will also have radiant heating in the floors, a tankless water heater, and a masonry heater fireplace as the main heat source with propane back-up as needed.

  • Oval Strawbale House - Exterior plaster started Oval Strawbale House – Exterior plaster started
  • Exterior plaster

    Exterior plaster

    Long view of house from driveway

    Front of Oval House

    Front of Oval Strawbale House

    Sustainable builder, Ben Polley of Harvest Homes is a leader in the field of natural strawbale construction. His depth and breadth of experience is absolutely wonderful to work with. We highly recommend him for any projects. He works in the Guelph/Kitchener-Waterloo, Grey-Bruce, and Orillia-Muskoka area. From these three locations, they service projects north to Lions Head and Huntsville, east to Highway 400 and most areas south-west within a one to two hour distance from Guelph. In my opinion, there are very few Natual Builders as highly qualified as Ben is.  Please contact me if you want names of green, strawbale contractors in other areas of Ontario as well or visit my website for more detailed info here….

    This is what Ben has to say about working together on this project;

    “I really appreciate your manner of expressing the values important to you and expressing also the defense of things you imparted into the plan on [your client's] , behalf all the while leaving it open to [him] to consider, weigh and decide or defer as necessary. I am very much looking forward to this and future projects working alongside you!”

    Building a HOGAN

    Thursday, May 21st, 2009

    I refer to a Hogan in my new book [soma earth HOME ENERGETIC BALANCING]. The below link is a fabulous slide show, showing how to construct one yourself! The pictures of the round wood frame structure are beautiful!

    Building a Hogan - SLIDE SHOW LINK

    Building a Hogan - SLIDE SHOW LINK

    For the Navajo, the spirit of the home is called a Hogan, and is treated like a living object by its inhabitants. It needs to be taken care of and loved to sustain the harmony of the Navajo home life. Historically they were originally a separate hut in the community and were used for ceremonies and to keep themselves in balance. Often built in a teepee shape or in a rounded mud shape, they were constructed out of wood poles and straw, clay and/or stones, either a 5 or 8 sided, usually facing the east.
    “Hogan’s are personified in ordinary conservation – they are alive; they need to be fed, cared for, spoken to, and shielded from loneliness”

    Frisbee, Charlotte J., The Navajo House Blessing Ceremonial 1980, p.166

    Hogan round wood structure

    Hogan round wood structure

    The house blessing ritual aims to “feed the house, show proper treatment and respect to it, prevent timber breakage, and remove the Hogan’s loneliness” (Frisbie, C., The Navajo House Blessing Ceremonial, 1980, p. 176). A sacred song called the Blessingway is chanted during the ceremony. The Hogan’s loneliness, before the ceremony is performed, is a dangerous thing as it can attract evil spirits; “every new house is taboo until, by appropriate rites, it is made noa (secular or profane)” (Van Gennep, A., The Rites of Passage, 1960, p. 24).

    The house blessing ceremony of the Navajo is performed so that the Hogan may be lived in by its designated inhabitants. When the built Hogan is finished, the medicine man blesses the home in beauty, invites happiness from the 4 directions as well as from the earth & sky, and asks for protection from illnesses and evil. The home is marked inside on the 4 walls with a sacred symbol to remind its inhabitants that it is graced with the blessings of the Great Spirit.

    A finished HOGAN

    A finished HOGAN

    The Healthy & Sustainable Eco Home

    Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

    RD Lawrence Museum - Strawbale Walls

    Walls

    · Exterior

    o Straw Bale, Cob

    o FSC new/reclaimed/recycled wood

    o Chordwood

    o Rammed Earth

    o Durosil concrete/wood block

    o Stone, brick

    o Glass (windows)

    · Interior

    o Plaster, cob, wattle & daub

    o Strawboard

    o Magnesiacore non-toxic drywall

    o Recycled ceramic or glass tile

    · Paints, sealants, caulking

    o 0 – low VOC and/or water based natural paints, stains, clear finish coats, sealants, caulking

    Madoc Performing Arts Centre - Flooring

    Flooring

    · Bamboo

    · Cork

    · Marmoleum/Linoleum

    · Stone, glass, recycled tile

    · Pure/organic cotton, wool carpet

    · FSC Reclaimed/recycled wood

    Madoc Performing Arts Centre - Roof

    Roof

    · Wood (cedar, pine) shingles

    · Recyled plastic shingles (Enviroshake)

    · Ceramic roof tiles

    · Planted earth roofs – flat/ low slope

    Madoc Performing Arts Centre - Solar

    Electrical, Mechanical & Energy systems

    · Solar panels

    · Solar hot water heater system

    · Wind turbine

    · Geo-thermal

    · Wood/masonry heater stove

    · Water Purifiers & Hypo Allergenic Air filters

    · Transmute/design for EMF, electrical & geopathic stresses

    RD Lawrence Museum - Composting Toilet

    Fixtures & Appliances

    · Energy star rated appliances – dishwasher, fridge, stove, washer/dryer

    · Low flush or compost toilets

    · Low energy light fixtures

    RD Lawrence Museum - WC Counter

    Cabinetry & Countertops

    · Cabinetry; solid FSC Reclaimed/recycled wood, , bamboo, Plyboo, Nu Green, Medite, strawboard

    · Countertops: solid FSC Reclaimed/recycled wood, ceramic, papercrete, high fly-ash/light-weight concrete, stone, tile, compressed earth

    RD Lawrence Museum - Bench

    Furniture

    · Organic/cotton/rubber 100% Hypo-Allergenic Bed

    · solid FSC Reclaimed/recycled wood tables, cabinets, chairs, shelving

    · Organic/cotton/hemp/bamboo fabrics on couch, armchairs

    Curtains

    Miscellaneous

    · Eco-friendly dishes, glasses, cutlery & pots

    · Hemp, cotton, wool – linens, table cloth/napkins, curtains, rugs…….

    · Eco-friendly cleaning products for kitchen, bathroom including soaps, toothpastes, shampoo……

    How to Create a Healthy Home

    Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

    A Healthy Home

    1. Free of Toxins


    AVOID the following;
    VOC paints, off-gassing from synthetic carpets, under padding, adhesives, glue, pressed wood  cabinets, formaldehyde in particle board and interior plywood, masonite, combustion appliances (gas stoves, oil furnaces…), drywall, basement mold…..

    2. Build with all natural materials


    Straw, earth, mud, cob, plaster, wood (reclaimed, recycled, FSC certified, local), cork, bamboo, stone, slate, granite, glass, ceramic, use natural fabrics for your interiors (organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, wool…)

    3. Use the newest materials & technologies

    Maximize energy efficiency to reduce the burden on forests/global climate.  Solar energy panels, wind catchers, geothermal, find ways to increase the R value (insulation), recycle water (wetland, black & greywater systems) & waste ( separate garbage, compost……)

    4. Minimal environmental impact

    Choose materials that have the Lowest Embodied Energy: Building impact on the earth and choice of materials selected.  Sensitive to the existing environment. Enhancing & restoring the natural elements. Recycle materials as much as possible.  Awareness of  environmental impact in an effort to produce or create building material used.

    5. Location

    Proximity to schools, work, shopping, entertainment.  Walking & biking vs. always driving.

    6. Size

    Small is beautiful vs. bigger, luxury mega homes, cars, appliances, spaces. Learn to live with less, maximize & integrate lifestyle with work, reduce your expectations…

    7. Durability

    Different building materials cost more or less compared to environmental, long term impact costs

    8. Affordability


    Cost of construction AND cost of long term operations; possibility of grants, materials choice in terms of impact of personal long term health costs.

    9. Simplicity

    Check out the ‘Voluntary Simplicity’ movement.  Change your lifestyle and priorities.

    10. Connection to Nature

    Establish direct views to connect to Nature from inside the house (Biophilia), importance of the placement of plants and gardens, include a spiritual element, Feng Shui.


    How Healthy & Green is your Kitchen?

    Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

    A Healthy & Green Kitchen

    1. A green kitchen should include good natural lighting for improved visibility, good ventilation to clear the air of vapors and indoor air toxins, low-toxicity surfaces and finishes, environmentally responsible materials, energy and water efficient appliances, and surfaces that are easily cleanable, durable, and, of course, esthetically pleasing.

    2. As much as possible, locate work surfaces near operable windows or install operable skylights or suntubes for improved lighting and ventilation. Use lighter colours on the walls and shiny floors to brighten up the space.

    3. For additional lighting, high efficiency compact fluorescent light (CFL) fixtures, with a color rendering index of 84 or greater and a color temperature of 3500 Kelvin or greater, and with a quick start, electronic ballast are a possible alternative to regular incandescent, saving you up to 75% in your energy bills. However they contain mercury which if shattered is a problem in the home & in landfills, are often a very limited spectrum for what the eyes & body needs (uses only 2 of the 7 needed rays – however you can find broader, more expensive spectrum bulbs). You can buy now Full Spectrum CFL’s which are the best. They also give off greater EMF’s (which is becoming a greater concern these days). There is debate whether the new LED’s are any better or not and are generally fairly cost prohibitive at 25X the cost of CFL’s. Maybe beeswax or soy candles are the best natural lighting to use in the end!!!

    4. To improve indoor air quality, limit the introduction of toxins by using only “0” or low-emitting materials for cabinet boxes, door and drawer fronts, flooring, paints, finishes, adhesives and sealants.

    5. Avoid standard particle board cabinets and use formaldehyde-free medium density fiberboard, exterior grade plywood, hemp/ straw/wheat or uni-board for cabinet boxes. There are other low cost options such as NU Green (Uniboard), Medite or using a 120 gram Melamine that traps the gasses better than the typical 105 gram melamine composite boards (make sure they are not cut on-site anywhere).

    6. Consider bamboo, Plyboo, reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood (FSC), and straw/wheat board for cabinet doors and drawers. If using solid wood try to use Birch, Poplar or Sorghum as they are harder woods. Pine is also a traditional standard, but softer and easily marred. Try to avoid cedar or woods with strong resins as they can affect those with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). Seal your natural finish or stains with a ‘0’ or low-volatile (VOC) organic compound clear finish.

    7. For countertops, consider compressed earth (built up in multiple layers with oil in-between), high fly-ash concrete, papercrete, “Verterazzo” glass colourfully embedded in concrete, recycled plastic, tile (mosaic, recycled, glass, ceramic), granite, salvaged stone slabs, and other unique salvaged materials (such as recycled wood at Urban Tree Salvage, in Toronto).

    8. Many environmentally responsible options exist for flooring, including stained and sealed concrete floors (soy based stains [not acid etched], sustainably harvested or reclaimed wood, bamboo, recycled content tile, slate, natural linoleum (marmoleum), and even cork if well sealed.

    9. Consider an on-demand hot water pumping system rather than a whole house re-circulating hot water loop, which has proven to be inefficient for delivering hot water quickly. Solar hot water heaters are an additional possibility.

    10. There are a series of UV & charcoal filters available that re-use the grey water from your sinks. Or consider installing a wetland garden in your backyard to naturally filter the water. And, install a good quality water filter with a UV ray to purify the water that you do use on a daily basis.

    11. S elect energy efficient appliances with the EnergyStar label. You could also switch to Bullfrog Power, the first 100 per cent green electricity retailer in Ontario.

    12. Be sure to only use environmentally friendly natural and biodegradable cleaning compounds so you don’t reintroduce those nasty VOC’s!

    The Fourth Wave – Higher Vibrational Frequency creates buildings with greater harmony.

    Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

    There are 4 waves or aspects that I feel encompasses the exciting & pioneering field of green sustainable building. The first wave is where most people are aware of sustainable design as an aspect of saving energy. The second wave is where more people are understanding that there is also an aspect of how design can include healthy, non-toxic use of materials and air systems. The third wave includes an awareness of invisible EMF and electrical toxicity and how to design for this. The fourth wave and in some ways a much less known aspect, is how to design buildings to work with invisible environmental energies and how to enhance the vibrational frequencies in a pro-active & protective manner.

    Click here to read about The First Wave – Green, Sustainable Building as Saving Energy.

    Click here to read about The Second Wave – Creating a Healthy Buildingt

    Click here to read about The Third Wave – Designing with EMF (Electro-Magnetic Frequency) & ELF (Electrical) awareness.

    The Fourth Wave – Higher Vibrational Frequency creates buildings with greater harmony.

    Everything that is matter is also energetically connected, is always in a state of change and whether you are aware of it or not, your environment also carries a variety of frequencies which can also be understood as levels of consciousness. Understanding how to work with different energetic & invisible vibrational frequencies allows one to restore balance and harmony for all parties concerned, whether it is for restoring balance to the environment, both externally on the land or internally in a building, or energetically for a person or a large group of people. It is the process of creating a beneficial energy environment in a home, office, or on the land, designed to support you, your family, and/or your employees, etc. Detrimental subtle energies can be assessed such as the energies associated with some underground water streams, geopathic stress lines, electromagnetic fields (EMFs), and other possible energies such as cosmic rays, psychological, or a variety of unusual, spiritual types, of energies. Once these energies are discovered, with various tools and techniques they can be transmuted into beneficial energies and the environment is reorganized into a healthier, more harmonious balance.

    The fourth wave is how to design in an energetic and/or scientific & ‘Feng Shui’, type of ‘healthy’ approach. Working with an awareness of how math, vibrational frequencies, geopathic lines & water patterns, sound, colour, harmonic proportions, sacred geometry and shapes can affect space and how you feel in that space. You can actually feel calmer, and think with greater clarity & concentration in these spaces. There are less arguments, disagreements and thus a greater harmony can be created that affects the people who co-habitate in relationship in this space. This also, as a byproduct, can increase immune systems, productivity, sales, etc. A number of different modalities that utilize an approach that addresses these issues are slowly filtering through our western society from the East.

    Egyptian Temple

    Egyptian Temple

    There are century old traditions that have evolved, been lost as well as are currently being reclaimed with greater degrees of sophistication by various different branches or sects from India, China, Tibet and Egypt. These ancient arts are slowly coming back and being incorporated more & more initially in the remediation of current spaces as well as being included in building design from scratch.

    In the Hindu, Eastern tradition from India, Ancient Vaastu Architecture as a very sophisticated & more exact science, is currently being re-claimed through the brilliant work of Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati, the world’s most eminent Vaastu architect. Another term for Vaastu is Ayurvedic Architecture. The Buildings are designed with an awareness of how they can influence our emotional & physical health and spiritual & material prosperity. Mayonic Science is based on the universal laws of authentic Vaastu Shastra. This science is now finally being taught in North America (www.aumscience.com) to enable designers to create built space through the use of precise scientific principles and mathematical formulas which are inherent in all creative activities that take place in nature. Although it is best for new building and not very easy to apply to remediate existing structures.

    Vaastu understands and has developed a science to work with the ‘morphogenetic field’, or the ‘energy which was before matter and out of which all matter consists’. Using highly developed mathematical principles they know how to manipulate matter through pre-physical energy, or the zero point energy. It can be a profound and sacred experience to walk through a Vaastu designed building. You can completely feel the difference as soon as you cross the threshold. It has been reported that fires, earthquakes or intense hurricanes or Tsunamis completely go around these buildings, leaving them standing as if nothing happened.

    “If a part of free space is isolated and confined into a four walled structure called a building, it becomes a living organism and the space enclosed will start vibrating in a particular order. If such a building is designed to vibrate in the same numerical order as that of the indweller, the resultant phenomenon is that he will experience harmony or perfect union with the Universal Self (Quantum Field)”

    -Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati

    Traditional Chinese or Tibetan Feng Shui, roughly translated as “Wind – Water”, has been around for over 5,000 years. Wind is associated with intention and water is action. Intention is also thought of as goals and water is acting on those goals. So the basis of Feng Shui is intentionally arranging our environment to help our goals manifest. There are about 600 various sects or schools, however the six major schools of Feng Shui are; the Form School, Yin Yang Theory, Five Element Theory, The Flying Star School, The East-West School, and the Black Hat Tantric Buddhism Sect. The different schools have varying degrees of sophistication and training methods from 2 day weekends to years long trainings to specialized, intuitive or shamanic or ‘magical’ types of teachings.

    “Feng Shui is based on the awareness that an electromagnetic energy flows around and through your body, linking your energy to others, objects and forces in the universe”.

    - Sharon Stasney, The Feng Shui Training School in Salt Lake City, Utah

    In a number of these schools, there are four major principles to begin using Feng Shui: Chi; Yin and Yang; The Five Elements; and the Bagua Map. Defined as the ancient art of Chinese placement, Feng shui provides blueprints and advice for creating the proper the flow of energy in your space. The positioning of many objects are based on the patterns established by yin and yang and the flow of chi, which together create positive and negative effects. An equal representation of male and female energies (Yin and Yang) is sought to create a balanced environment. Everything in the environment falls into either the Yin or Yang category, Yin being female and Yang equaling male. An example of Yin energy is things that are small, dark or heavy; Yang energy is big, bright and light.

    Bagua-Feng-Shui-Colours

    Bagua-Feng-Shui-Colours

    Feng shui uses colors, symbols, flowers and furniture placement to create a smooth pathway for chi in a home, office or retail space. Negative energy is removed or counteracted in order to encourage auspicious energy and welcome progress. Colors and shapes related to the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) are used to enhance movement, balance and protection. Home accents such statues, photographs and paintings are carefully chosen and placed to promote positive energy.

    The feng shui map is known as the ba gua (ba: eight; gua: area). It indicates which areas of your life are governed by particular areas of your living or work space. The ba gua is usually depicted as an octagon with eight sections surrounding a central area. Together with Center, the nine areas include: Career or Life journey; Wisdom; Health and Family; Wealth and Prosperity; Fame; Relationships; Children and Creativity; and Helpful People and Travel. Every space has its own ba gua; there is a ba gua for land, house, and even one for each room within your home or apartment.

    Some Feng Shui schools also work with ritual and ceremony, empowering their students through the spiritual transmission from their lineage Masters. This ‘transmission’, similar to how Reiki energy healing is taught, gifts the students with the ability to intuitively know how to work with healing bodies as well as spaces. Rigdzen Chodon Rinpoche (Madi Nolan), a Tibetan Lama and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (DCM) is one such teacher (www.whitelotushealing.ca). She has started a school called the White Lotus Healing based in Seattle, Washington. She travels around the world teaching this craft and is authorized to pass on these teachings, empowerments and initiations from the White Cloud Monastery in China. Individuals are called initiates in the “Stream of Wisdom” of the Blue Buddha’s which includes the transmission of memory of all of the masters who studied these traditions for the past 800 years. The lives of Initiates go through a “Quickening”, where positive outcomes are a daily experience and miracles come to pass.

    Dr. Ibrahim Karim

    Dr. Ibrahim Karim

    In Egypt, Architect & Scientist Dr. Ibrahim F. Karim has been developing the science of Biogeometry over the past 30 years (www.Biogeometry.com). Biogeometry, is a kind of Egyptian Feng Shui, but much more sophisticated. Biogeometry works with the energy principles of how resonance and harmonic relationships affects energy through geometric shapes, colour, sound, motion and vibrational frequency to be able to balance biological (human, animals, plants, land) energy systems. Based on the Physics of Quality, Biogeometry integrates the energy manifestations understood in the universal laws of esoteric spiritual knowledge with science. Dr. Karim has developed tools based on sacred geometry principles that can transmute detrimental energies and/or amplify highly beneficial and natural energy qualities. BioGeometrical shapes have three primary vibrational qualities:

    1. A Negative green colour & sound frequency.

    2. A higher harmonic of ultra-violet colour & sound frequency, and

    3. A higher harmonic of gold colour & sound frequency.

    IKUP Pendulum designed by Ibrahim Karim

    Incorporating the French science of Radiesthesia (which was discovered originally in Egypt), Dr. Karim has developed several sophisticated dowsing tools to be able to detect or calibrate with greater precision the various frequencies of different vibrational energies. It is an incredibly fascinating science that is being reclaimed from the knowledge that the ancient Egyptians already knew thousands of years ago. Radiesthesia uses the vibrational fields of the human body as a link to be able to access information on levels that we cannot visibly see or hear.

    Zero Point

    Zero Point

    Similar to Vaastu, Biogeometry works with an understanding of Quantum Physics and how the ‘zero point energy’ and matter is formed first in the ‘pre-energy’ spiritual field. With Biogeometry an existing space can be remedied to balance & transmute all detrimental energies and enhance beneficial energies. But to be able to design using the principles from the beginning creates an even stronger and higher vibrational frequency. The science of harmonizing the energy of the environment with Biogeometry principles appears to create a greater balance in the energy field of the body which also allows the body a greater ability to be able to heal itself or simply live in a greater harmony.

    “Similarly as with air so it is with vitality, emotional, mental and subtle spiritual energies, all these energy types exist in the space around us and give the space qualities that are constantly affecting and being affected by our energy system. The Architect as the sculptor of space should have the knowledge and the tools to work on all those levels. It is therefore essential that we expand our design language to include the necessary criteria to interact with all these energies.”

    - Dr. Ibrahim F. Karim

    Biogeometrical shapes designed to enhance & balance the energy of the room.

    Biogeometrical shapes designed to enhance & balance the energy of the room.

    Different cultures have developed the science of working with these invisible energies that can profoundly affect and change your experience of your space as well as how you operate in the world. They are all simply different facets of the truth that makes up a greater truth with even more possibilities of increasing variety and combinations.

    Buildings can become more sensual, relaxed – to the eye, to the body, to the environment and there can also be a whole consciousness that can be ‘sung’ into the building as workers work with joy & love as they build! Consciousness through sound/toning/chanting/song can affect & change the vibrational frequencies of all matter, material, building components, completely. Any material type can also follow the mathematical principles of Vaastu. So why not experiment a little, integrating other modalities with, for instance, the new, highly sophisticated, Biogeometry dowsing tools, that can now allow us to test for different frequencies so we can know what creates a higher or lower vibration and see what new architecture can be created?

    Buildings can actually enhance the consciousness of the individuals living in them and we can heal people not only with hands on methods to the body, but also through building actual buildings that can enhance healing profoundly and truly affect your ability to receive or work with new information and thus be able to be more expansive, creative, balanced and harmonious.

    A building that incorporates all 4 of the Waves of a Sustainable, Healthy and Harmonious Building Design are generally of a higher quality, more comfortable, safer, quieter and can require less maintenance. They are also more durable, and can incur lower monthly operating costs!

    Designing in a 4 Wave Healthy approach will ensure that you have the best building possible to optimize & enhance your health & well being on ALL levels!

    The Third Wave – Designing with EMF (Electro-Magnetic Frequency) & ELF (Electrical) awareness.

    Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

    elec towers

    Electrical EMF radiation towers - Never live closer than 500 m or more if you can, otherwise you risk a higher statistics to getting CANCER.

    There are 4 waves or aspects that I feel encompasses the exciting & pioneering field of green sustainable building. The first wave is where most people are aware of sustainable design as an aspect of saving energy. The second wave is where more people are understanding that there is also an aspect of how design can include healthy, non-toxic use of materials and air systems. The third wave includes an awareness of invisible EMF and electrical toxicity and how to design for this. The fourth wave and in some ways a much less known aspect, is how to design buildings to work with invisible environmental energies and how to enhance the vibrational frequencies in a pro-active & protective manner.

    Click here to read about The First Wave – Green, Sustainable Building as Saving Energy.

    Click here to read about The Second Wave – Creating a Healthy Building too.

    Electromagnetic Spectrum

    Electromagnetic Spectrum

    The Third Wave – Designing with EMF (Electro-Magnetic Frequency) & ELF (Electrical) awareness.

    Now, a third wave of building healthier is slowly emerging. Designing with EMF/ELF awareness. Many ‘green aware’ buyers already recognize EMF/ELF as an issue of concern, especially those people who would be interested in a “green” building, or a “healthy” building to start with. The perception of the public is that EMF/ELF is slowly becoming a real issue.

    Cell phone radiation

    Cell phone radiation: According to a 1996 study by Om Gandhi at the University of Utah, radiation penetrates the brain of a child 4.2 times faster than an adult brain. It penetrates the fluid of the eye more than 12 times faster. It penetrates the lens of the eye 11.6 times faster. It penetrates the connective tissue of the eye 11.1 times faster.

    There is an organization that originated in Germany over 40 years ago called the International Institute for Bau-biologie & Ecology (www.bau-biologieusa.com). They have been in Florida, USA, since 1987. They have developed very sound guidelines of what is a healthy building, from specifying non-toxic, healthier building materials to how to actually design for EMF/ELF protection. A handful of graduates have been gradually influencing the North American market and this general awareness is slowly filtering to the public.

    “Organisms live in a delicate balance with their environment and are exposed to natural and man-made sources of energy. Electromagnetic energy can be classified into three categories based on its source: techno energy, earth energy, and life energy. Public concern is focused on electromagnetic energy generated by our technology and includes radiation and fields produced by power distribution networks, computers, microwave ovens, cell phones, wireless communication antennas, and satellite communication systems worldwide.”

    - Magda Havas, B.Sc., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Environmental and Resource Studies at Trent University

    Example of Electromagnetic fields on a bed

    There are three fundamental principles of field reduction when designing the electrical systems in a building. They are (1) distance, (2) natural field cancellation, and (3) shielding. A single plan review process will define the procedures for all units, and it then becomes a simple matter of adherence to the design and the exercise of best practices in wiring installation. Expensive magnetic shielding can almost always be avoided.

    EMF Force Fields

    EMF Force Fields

    EMF is an invisible force field that occurs naturally (e.g., lightning, the Earth’s magnetic field) and also is a byproduct of technology. EMF surrounds any electrical device including power lines, house wiring and appliances. As an electrical power frequency (60 Hertz in Canada/USA), EMF levels fall off very rapidly with distance from the source and have very low energy. Radio, television and cellular and microwave communication are electromagnetic in nature as are visible light, x-rays and cosmic rays. All these forms of electromagnetic energy are part of the ‘electromagnetic spectrum’ that describes the frequency and energy of both visible and invisible fields. Cellular communications, for example, operate at frequencies almost a billion times higher than EMF resulting from electric power, which means they are than much more powerful and can transmit signals over long distances, and as a byproduct can be very harmful for humans.

    EMF Tri-Field Metre

    EMF Tri-Field Metre

    The term “EMF” as used here refers to electric and magnetic fields at a frequency of 60 cycles per second or Hertz. EMF are commonly measured in units of gauss (G) by an instrument known as a gaussmeter. A milligauss (mG) is 1000 times smaller than a gauss. Healthy EMF & Electrical levels should be limited to a maximum of 3 mG in a home or workspace and that can even still be too high for some, more sensitive or seriously ill people. Some nervous system disorders, such as MS (Multiple Sclerosis) & some cancers such as Leukemia has been linked to EMF/ELF sensitivity for instance. Most homes average out in the range of 1-3 milligauss measured at a 60 Hz frequency.

    Make sure you don’t live near or directly under any low or high voltage transmission lines though, as their frequencies can be anywhere from 10 – 100mg which is completely toxic and definitely cancer or tumor creating. But even in your home, 1 foot away from a TV will give off 10 – 80 mG, a microwave oven, 100 – 300 mG, a computer 10 – 20 mG, and a hair dryer, 10 – 700 mG. Without awareness, you can really scramble your own bio-energy system on a daily basis! This will detrimentally affect your immune system, your ability to think clearly, your emotional sensitivity, and so on. Through simple, straightforward intelligent planning & awareness, magnetic and electric field levels can be designed to be lowered quite a bit. Results can be calibrated with readings taken from small, hand-held, EMF/ELF reading machines.

    Significant long-term exposures can be created by electrical wiring errors, grounding problems, and inappropriate placement of electrical equipment. Low-EMF/ELF design avoids this possibility, and produces uniformly good results. Home automation and communication systems (including Wi-Fi and BPL technologies) are another potential problem area. Whether you have a unique electrical sensitivity, or simply want to exercise a strong measure of caution in limiting exposure, designing in a way that includes EMF/ELF awareness will provide the ultimate in electromagnetic field protection.

    Considering a LOHAS consumer target market, incorporation of a low-EMF feature would also offer a strong additional selling point. This is, in part, because it would round out the other environmental health issues addressed in a buildings design, and reflect a comprehensive approach that many buyers would recognize and appreciate. In addition, most other green builders have not adopted the concept except on an individual client and individual home basis, so incorporating this awareness in the design of your building would have a unique advantage.

    Further Resources;

    www.emfservices.com/electric.htm www.emfservices.com/electrical-photos.htm

    www.brain101.info/EMF.php

    www.emfinterface.com/category/hypersensitivity/

    cell-phone-dangers
    This is a thermographic study showing how hot your face and ear get after 15 minutes of cell phone usage.