Net metering PV now functional
The use of photovoltaics (PV) to generate electricity has been a common element on most of our projects. PV is affordable, easy to install, nearly maintenance free and very reliable. Once again, a PV array has been a key part of the energy strategy for an Endeavour...
Finishing the straw-cell wall system
Our office building project for the Trillium Lakelands Teachers’ Union features a straw bale wall system that combines conventional wood stud framing with an interior straw bale wall. Recently, we finished the exterior side of this wall system. This involved...
Air tightness details for straw bale walls
Straw bale wall systems have been touted for 20+ years now as a way to achieve higher insulation values with lower environmental impacts. And, having built many straw bale homes and commercial buildings now, we know this is true. However, we have also seen that...
Stop motion straw bale and earth plastering
Sustainable New Construction 2014 student Ben Bowman set up his camera and took some great sequences of the construction process at our teachers’ union office project. Here are the two sequences of straw bale installation and earthen plastering. In many ways,...
High-straw earthen plaster recipe
It’s no secret that we love clay plasters at Endeavour, and the best case scenario is being able to use a clay soil right from the building site. It just so happens that we lucked into this for the teachers’ union office project! After digging some test...