Posts Tagged ‘Natural 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

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Posted in Biogeometry, Building SOUL, Healthy Building, Natural Building, Sacred Geometry, Sustainable | Comments Off

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

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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!”

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    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

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    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……

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    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.


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    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!

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    Green Living Show 2008 Report & this April 24-26, 2009

    Monday, March 16th, 2009
    Hauling the logs for the 2009 booth

    Hauling the logs for the 2009 booth

    We are preparing to exhibit in the upcoming Green Living Show on April 24 – 26, 2009 at the CNE in Toronto.  We are designing our booth with local tree’s that we are hauling ourselves out of the woods from felled tree’s of one of our client’s projects this week.  We hope to create a booth with little-to-no nails at all, but to lash the tree’s together in a pergola type of structure. More detail to follow in other posts…..

    Last year we created a delightful and unique hand made design that was extremely eye catching.

    Green Living Show Booth 2008

    Green Living Show Booth 2008

    I used 10 – 8′ long bamboo poles on either side of the arch and lashed them part-way 10 more to make them about 14′ high.  Then I used a horizontal brace on the bottom, the middle and at the top to hold it together in the arched shape.  My mother, my two staff, Daniella and Anne, made it with me with some help of a neighbour booth builder.  It was very challenging to get it done on time and also very satisfying.

    Creating the SACRED GEOMETRY pattern with oil pastels

    Creating the SACRED GEOMETRY pattern with natural oil pastels on 100% cotton backdrop cloth

    lashing the bamboo poles together

    Lashing the bamboo poles together with seagrass over wire (my Mom helped me with this!)

    Assembling the poles to line up on the floor first

    Assembling the poles to line up on the floor first

    Detail of booth

    Detail of booth with a natural jute rug, wicker chairs as well as 100% cotton & silk materials

    I didn’t want to take it apart once we built it and I decided to see if I could put the entire unit onto my car!  It actually was able to fit to my great surprise.  It was an extra WIDE load, so I went home in the evening after it was dark, and took mostly lane way alley’s home for safety – and made it successfully!  That was a super fun ride!

    Taking the bamboo archway home on my car

    Taking the bamboo archway home on my car

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    Madoc Performing Arts Centre – A Natural, Strawbale Building

    Saturday, October 11th, 2008

    Madoc Performing Arts Centre, August 2008

    Madoc Performing Arts Centre, August 2008

    soma earth ARCHITECT 2008
    Madoc Performing Arts Centre
    Lowest Embodied Energy – Natural, Straw Bale Building
    Madoc, Ontario

    The students at Flemming College Sustainable Design Program finally finished their 5 month course building the Madoc Performing Arts Centre with an internal opening ceremony on Aug 21, 2008.  Considered as one of the most sustainable buildings in Canada, it is built with the principles of the lowest embodied energy as much as possible.  It considers aspects that not even a platinum LEEDS building rates yet.  Only the lowest-impact and longest-lasting materials have been chosen to build this structure. From the compacted stone of the rubble trench foundation, to the hempcrete grade beams, up through the load-bearing round straw bale columns, to the hempbale & earthen plaster walls, the living green roof over the front porch and  galvanized metal roofing on the rest of the building, this project represents the best available choices for building materials in our northern climate.

    Earth Plaster over Strawbale wall

    Earth Plaster over Strawbale wall

    The hempcrete grade beams are being used for the first time ever on this building. Hempcrete is a mixture of chopped hemp, hydrated lime and a small amount of either portland cement or quick-set gysum. A reaction between the lime and the hemp results in a very lightweight material that still has reasonable compressive strength. The advantage of hempcrete over regular cement is that the hempcrete is both structural and insulative, so both ends are achieved in the same pour. It is also lower in embodied energy. The disadvantages are a longer set time (2-4 weeks) and lower strengths. However, where the high ultimate strength of concrete is not necessary, this option works well.

    Chordwood wall

    Chordwood wall

    The building is based on upon eight load-bearing columns made of large, round, hemp-straw bales. These 4×4 foot round bales are very tightly compacted when they are made, and stacked three high they make for very stable and strong columns. The straight walls sections between the round bales are infilled with regular, rectangular hemp-straw bales. Clay plastered straw bale walls are one of the most environmentally friendly building systems available. The combination of locally-grown, minimally-processed straw and locally harvested clay means that the embodied energy in the wall system is only a tiny fraction of any other wall system. Combined with excellent thermal performance over the lifetime of the building, this system saves energy in every possible way, and is comparable in time and cost to any conventional building system.

    Local round wood column raising

    Local round wood column raising

    We have used three different insulation types for the three 2 x 6 double frame wood stud wings; One wing is infilled with hempcrete, which is a site mixed combination of ground hemp, water and hydrated lime. Another is infilled with light clay/straw. For this material, we blend chopped hemp straw with a small amount of clay slip (a runny mixture of clay and water). The third wall is insulated with cotton batt insulation. These batts are similar to fiberglass or Roxul batts, but are made from non-toxic, recycled denim fabric.

    Front Entrance

    Front Entrance

    The building uses available technologies to drastically reduce its resource consumption and waste production; from the geo-thermal heating and cooling system that allows the building to maintain a comfortable temperature year round without relying on fossil fuels, to the PV panels that provide its electrical power, to the solar ventilation system that provides the building with pre-warmed fresh air, to the rainwater collection system that provides flushing water for the toilets.

    Rubber tire wood column foundation trenching

    Rubber tire wood column foundation trenching

    Built by the students of Flemming College Sustainable Design Program, the building was well received by the Township of Madoc, Ontario. A decorative element that included participation with the local children, they were invited to make handprints on the front exterior wall, simulating the leaves of a tree.  The students finished off the building with some beautiful final touches; a chordwood wall, an earth brick floor & countertop, hand carved wood trim, rope trim edges, rough hewn pineboard decorative features, timber framed beams with hand carved joints, local roundwood columns sanded & bleached, etc.  My good friend, Henry Wiersma, supplied the compressed earth adobe bricks that were used as flooring in one area as well as a decorative wainscoting feature inside.

    Exterior decorations

    Exterior decorations

    At the official opening of the building in January 2009, Chris Magwood, the teacher of the Flemming College design program who created this project, will be receiving a 2008 Excellence in Education Award from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

    Interior - Strawbale Columns with first layer earth plaster

    Interior - Strawbale Columns with first layer earth plaster

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    A Project on the boards

    Saturday, October 11th, 2008
    Earth Organic Farms Landscape

    Earth Organic Farms Landscape

    With an extraordinarily busy summer, lots of canoe trips & so much wonderful work, I haven’t had a chance to catch my breath and post into our new BLOG.

    We are currently working on an exciting large project in our office; Earth Organic Farms is a 65 acre Organic Permaculture Farm & Sustainable Learning Centre, located in Cannington, Ontario, 1.25 hours north east of Toronto. Similar in principles to Everdale Organic Farm, it will be built all out of natural building materials such as strawbale, wood, earth, etc.  with renewable alternative energy systems (solar, wind, geothermal, etc.).  We are very excited to also include unique sacred geometry design features as well as a high emphasis on non-toxic, healthy materials and building systems.  We expect construction to start in the spring of 2009 and are looking for natural builders & sub-trades who would be interested in working with us to create this magical project.

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