Straw Bale Construction and Natural Building

Sorry, this workshop is Full for 2008.

With Ben Polley of Harvest Homes

Straw bales can be used to build homes and other types of buildings that are extremely durable, beautiful, energy-efficient, low-cost and well suited to our four-season climate. Lots of theory and practical experience building a small straw bale cabin. (This will not include cement lime or earthen plastering. We recommend you take the plastering and finishing workshops set in August.)

With Ben Polley of Harvest Homes

Plastering is an art unto itself. Learn skilled techniques to become proficient at mixing and troweling traditional cement-lime plaster to provide elegant and professional finishes. Colour tinting, stucco spraying, interior finishes, reliefs, inlays and mosaics will also be discussed with some hands-on opportunities.

Please wear long sleeves and long pants to this workshop.

With Tom Wolf, Earthship builder

Fashioned from sand, clay, fiber and natural binders earthen floors can resemble stone, brick or tile. While clearly complimentary to other forms of alternative construction, such as straw bale, an earthen floor can equally be considered for otherwise conventional homes and is ideally suited for installation over radiant heating systems.

In this exciting workshop you will learn the ingredients, tests for local soil appropriateness, and the tools required, and discuss methods for adding colour, finishes, care and maintenance.

Then roll up your pants, jump in and feel the mud ooze between your toes while applying your newly gained knowledge to mixing and installing a new earthen floor at Home Alive! A day of hands-on learning and play suitable for all ages and experience levels.

What to bring:

With Tom Wolf, Earthship builder

Earthen plasters are a healthy, non-toxic, and inexpensive way to create plastered finishes that are ideal for natural building or renovations. Learn how to use local soils and fibres to create beautiful and durable earthen plasters for straw bale walls, or for any other plastered interior or exterior surface. Learn how to sample soils, create test patches, and mix for base, second and finish coats.

Please wear long sleeves and long pants to this workshop.

Coffee and tea will be available, but please bring your own lunch.

PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE from July to August!!

With Joshua Abush P.Eng, a renovator and certified energy advisor with a Masters of Engineering in green building and building science.

Reduce the ecological impact of your home renovation by balancing energy efficiency, low
impact materials selection, building techniques, and timeless design.

Coffee and tea will be available, but please bring your own lunch!

With John Wilson of the Natural Living Network

This workshop was offered in January 2008 an we hope to offer it again as part of the Everdale in the City 2008/2009 workshop series.

This seminar will provide you with an introduction to the key concepts of sustainable living and gives you real world examples that work. It covers ecological design, renewable energy systems, water and sewage treatment as well as building permits and whether to grid-tie or not to grid-tie.

Coffee and tea will be available, but please bring your own lunch!

With David McAuley, Architect, Building Biologist & Feng Shui Practitioner

We are hoping to offer this workshop in the Everdale in the City series in winter 2008/2009.

This is your dream and for most, a major life investment! Let's make it live on paper and reflect your lifestyle, property and budget. A full day of learning about the process, sketching imaginative, sustainable, efficient designs and working your ideas into conceptual sketches or a programme of needs you can use to communicate with other builders, professionals and municipalities. An emphasis on site-specific opportunities, healthy design, green home ergonomics and spatial planning. Bring along a survey plan, written needs and preferences. We’ll supply pencils and sketch paper.

Suggested reading:

With Carolyn Moss, B.Arch, OAA, LEED AP, Principal Architect, MOSS SUND Inc. and Terry McGlade, Horticulturalist and president of Gardens in the Sky, recipient of many gardening awards including 2007 City of Toronto Green Roof Award. Terry has been instrumental in bringing greenroof technology into its own in Canada.

Join us for this day long workshop to learn how to create a green roof or roof garden on both new and existing buildings. Rooftop gardens improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions, delay storm water runoff, increase habitat for birds, reduce the heat island effect, reduce cooling costs and increase the value of buildings. From structural issues to plant selection, costs to permits - this workshop looks at the planning and implementation of green roofs on both residential and larger buildings.