Apr 12, 2016 | Hempcrete, Natural building materials and techniques, Recipes
On April 9, a workshop at Endeavour brought participants together to explore hempcrete insulation materials. The workshop looked at well-used options for these materials, but also explored some interesting new approaches. Endeavour has continued to develop the use of...
Jan 10, 2016 | Thoughts on Building
Maybe the Weirdoes Weren’t So Weird After All 2016 marks the 20th year since the idea of building houses with straw bales completely transformed my life. Back in 1996, I wanted to build a home for my family that would achieve two seemingly simple goals: The home would...
Sep 23, 2015 | Building Product Reviews, Natural building materials and techniques, Thoughts on Building
The Green Glut The past 10 years have seen an explosion of building products being marketed to designers and builders as “green.” As the immense impacts buildings have on our planet’s ecosystem started to become clear to the mainstream building...
Mar 5, 2015 | Building Product Reviews, Natural building materials and techniques
In 2009, we undertook the first permitted thatch roof in Ontario as part of the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre on the nature preserve grounds at Trent University. This roof sits atop a timber framed entryway for the building and greets all those arriving at this...
Dec 10, 2014 | Natural building materials and techniques
Many natural buildings feature bottles incorporated into walls. Bottle walls add colourful light and whimsy to a wall and open up all kinds of great design possibilities. Here’s a little “how-to” guide to building your own bottle wall. It’s...
