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Building Green

Our Guide To Eco Structure Design and Construction

Growing Demand for Eco-Friendly Construction

With rising energy prices and a growing demand for healthy homes and eco-friendly construction, more and more people are coming around to building green either from the start or as retrofit installations.

There are multiple benefits to building green from health to efficiency to the environmental and social benefits of eco construction methods. It takes a little more time to build a sustainable home but it more than pays for itself in the long term benefits of "doing it right".

This takes planning and research. Earthwalk has been involved with Sustainable Construction for some time and we have done a lot of critical analysis along the way which we share in our workshops and on this web site. We have designed and facilitated a wide variety of eco construction solutions and with the opening of our Sustainable Living Center you can now benefit not only from our personal experiences but the more varied and vast experience of our sustainable construction Instructors.

Eco Construction Educational Programs

From the beginning of Earthwalk our concept was to offer architects, contractors and homeowners an option to build and remodel in a new, smarter way. At Earthwalk we offer workshops on Eco Construction so you can learn about the process of creating your own eco home from planning and construction methods to green materials , using passive and active solar systems as well as a multitude of infrastructure efficiencies all attainable with a little preplanning and forethought.

Our instructors not only have a lot of personal experience to draw upon but they are always looking for new and innovative approaches to sustainable design from here in Canada and around the world. This year we went on several courses and field trips including a trip to the Findhorn Eco Village in Scotland where they have sustainable community workshops and the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Wisconsin for their programs on green building. Last year we were invited to the Sustainable Architecture conference in Cambridge and several eco structure tours. Our instructors all have hands on experience with sustainable solutions but they are also constantly exploring what is new and successful in the sustainable construction field and they bring that knowledge and experience to the programs that we run here at Earthwalk.

We run regular seminars and workshops on sustainable construction techniques, ranging from renewable energy systems, to healthy homes. We stage a whole weekend of workshops once year at the Green Planet Festival. Next year we will begin offering week long and week end courses on such green construction techniques as straw bale, cord wood, timber framing, SIPS, and ICF with more on the drawing board. So stay tuned to our Training Programs page for an up to date list of upcoming events, workshops and courses.

Eco Building Design and Consulting Services

In addition to our educational programs we also offer design, coaching and consulting services to those interested in creating sustainable shelters. Whether your project is local or on the other side of the continent we have expertise that can help you achieve your sustainability objectives. Simply contact our office to make an an appointment with one of our sustainable construction designers or consultants. We can help you craft your path to a healthy and sustainable home.

Earthwalk's Shelter Philosophy

Through or workshops and design, consulting and project management services Earthwalk to offers homeowners an option to build and remodel in a new, smarter way. We do this by paying the utmost attention to details that encompass your building project. The three main details we concern ourselves with are energy efficient design, healthy home systems and sustainable building practices.

Energy efficient building promises that the client will have a completed project that will be more comfortable and enjoyable. This also means that your home will cost you less for energy each month, leaving you more money for other things in life.

Creating a healthy home is part and parcel of our design process. Research has been demonstrating that indoor air quality in many homes and businesses is much worse than our outdoor pollution issues. But this can change! Through the use of toxin free and natural materials and extensive attention to air and water quality considerations in design and construction of your home we create a legacy for your family in the form of sustainable healthy home. We even guide you in how to furnish and maintain your home in ways that insure the healthiest of environment for your family.

Using sustainable or “green” building practices enables the client not only to have a more healthy and efficient home but to do their part to lessen their impact on the earth’s resources. Typical sustainable materials are locally produced, and have lifetime or very long, low maintenance life spans. This leaves the client with more time for things other than home maintenance and the peace of mind that their home will be durable and trouble free for a lifetime.

Learn more about sustainable building..

Eco Shelter Design
Follow this link to learn about our sustainable building design services. Planning can make all the difference and save a great deal of time and money in the crafting of any green building.

Sustainability Consulting Services
Follow this link to learn about personal sustainable construction coaching and consulting services. From mentoring to project management we can help you make it happen by providing the right advice and guidance for each step of your project.

Eco Products
We have tested hundreds of eco building products and materials and we only recommend products that have proven to be effective over time. We have identified sources for many of these products on our Sustainable Products page. You can follow this link to source many of your sustainable solutions.

Eco Services
We have evaluated local service providers that can build your green home or install your eco technologies. Follow this link to review our list of Sustainable Service Providers. This list is by no means complete but the providers on this list have qualified to be there or we would not be endorsing their services.

Books, CD's & Publications - If you have the time to read there are more and more books being published on the subject of sustainable construction and we have a number of Green Building books available through our Resource Center.

Workshops - If you like the personal touch, we will be inviting many of these authors to do presentations and workshops at Earthwalk and we will list these events in our schedule of events.

Our Web Site - Of course this web site is another resource you can use when planning a green building project. It will be constantly expanding with additional information and articles on the subject. On these pages you will find an over view of number of resources and a discussion of some of the issues and possibilities that you might want to consider including in your next building project. More importantly we will endeavor to link you to a wide variety of useful information sources.

Online Resources - You can follow many of the useful links on our Links of Interest page. We are also compiling a Sustainability Resource List with contact information for sustainability providers that will be available at our future workshops.

Enjoy the benefits of Earthwalk Membership

www.ecoearthwalk.ca