Sustainable Building Materials and Technology
At Endeavour, we thrive on working with the most promising and innovative sustainable building materials and technology. From simple natural materials to effective high-tech mechanical systems, our exploration of what’s available, possible, practical and affordable is our raisons d’être.
On this page, you’ll find links to blogs we’ve posted on a wide range of sustainable materials and techniques. Scroll through and explore, or use the search function to find the subject of your interest…
Helical pier foundation
By Chris Magwood
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August 17, 2014
The timber frame portion of our project for the teachers' union rests outside the walls of the building, requiring individual...
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A Durisol stem wall foundation
By Chris Magwood
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August 17, 2014
Over the past few years, we have turned to Durisol insulated concrete forms (ICFs) several times. They offer an attractive blend...
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A unique shallow frost-protected foundation (SFPF)
By Chris Magwood
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August 17, 2014
In the pursuit of foundations that use little or no concrete, we have two common strategies that we often use....
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Finding LED lightbulbs that work
By Chris Magwood
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June 11, 2014
Since my first days of living off grid with a tiny PV system in the late 1990s, I have been...
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Project Update: A large, low-energy root cellar
By Chris Magwood
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January 19, 2014
Our 2013 project at Circle Organic farm involved constructing a large, root cellar-style vegetable storage facility attached to the vegetable...
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Waste Wood Structural Columns
By Chris Magwood
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January 8, 2014
There is an incredible amount of “waste” wood that is thrown into landfills or otherwise left to rot because it...
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Home-made hydraulic lime plaster
By Chris Magwood
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January 5, 2014
One of the most exciting elements of the Circle Organic farm project is the home-made hydraulic lime plaster we successfully...
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Framing and Bales for the Farm
By Chris Magwood
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December 24, 2013
We do a lot of straw bale work at Endeavour, but it's such a normal part of what we do...
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First Ever Poraver Foundation
By Chris Magwood
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October 25, 2013
Followers of the Endeavour blog may remember that last year we used an innovative new insulation based on Poraver expanded...
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Making a Rubble Trench Foundation
By Chris Magwood
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October 22, 2013
Rubble trench foundations offer a means by which to connect a building to frost-free ground in cold climates without resorting...
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Hypar Roof Workshop with George Nez
By Chris Magwood
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July 13, 2013
On July 3rd, the students at Endeavour's Sustainable New Construction program took part in a day long workshop focused on...
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The Da Vinci Roof
By Chris Magwood
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May 28, 2013
Inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci's self-supporting bridge we decided to build a roof shelter for our work area to protect...
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Another Cord In The Wall
By Chris Magwood
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May 28, 2013
A cordwood wall is made of cob and cord wood; this is how we made it: We began with a...
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Solar Hot Water Shower
By Chris Magwood
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May 28, 2013
Solar Hot Water System Our outdoor shower makes excellent use of a handmade solar hot water system. This is a...
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Reciprocal Roof
By Chris Magwood
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May 28, 2013
What is a reciprocal roof? Reciprocal Frame Architecture by Olga Popovic Larsen 'Reciprocal frames consist of linear members which are...
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FSC Hardwood Flooring
By Chris Magwood
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February 15, 2013
One of the great difficulties of building a sustainable home is figuring out what products are really "green" and which...
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Air Source Heat Pump
By Chris Magwood
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October 17, 2012
Among the many challenges involved in meeting the Living Building Challenge standard for Canada's Greenest Home, one of the biggest...
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Dense-pack Cellulose Insulation
By Chris Magwood
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August 23, 2012
There are several portions of Canada's Greenest Home that do not have straw bale walls. While we believe strongly in...
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Low-tech glory: Straw and clay
By Chris Magwood
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August 21, 2012
A lot of the attention in a sustainable building goes to the high tech equipment and mechanical systems. But at...
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A Remarkable New Insulation
By Chris Magwood
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August 9, 2012
If you look beneath many of the most sustainable homes in North America, you'll often find foam-based insulations. Regardless of...
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