Timber frame for teachers’ union
Timber framing is an important building system for any sustainable builders’ palette of options, and we always try to include a timber framing element in our projects so our students can gain some exposure and experience in this time-honoured way of building....
Natural Finishes for Canada’s Greenest Home
One of the goals of the Canada’s Greenest Home project is to show that a very green home can be built by any contractor with the desire to do so. As part of that goal, we made sure that we used no products that contained toxic chemicals or off gassing compounds,...
Using an Induction Range
When it came to choosing a cooking appliance for Canada’s Greenest Home, we were faced with a conflict in approach. Most homes that aim for net zero energy consumption will choose to use natural gas ranges and ovens, and take the cooking loads away from the...
Project Update: A large, low-energy root cellar
Our 2013 project at Circle Organic farm involved constructing a large, root cellar-style vegetable storage facility attached to the vegetable processing barn. Our research showed us that small subterranean root cellars have a long history, but that the principle has...
Home-made hydraulic lime plaster
One of the most exciting elements of the Circle Organic farm project is the home-made hydraulic lime plaster we successfully used on the interior and exterior walls of the building. With this new recipe, we are able to make a plaster with locally sourced materials...