Concept and design

The Cardboard Wikkelhouse from Fiction Factory falls under our 'too cool not to share' category. Seriously, no pun intended - it's just hard not to describe the cardboard Wikkelhouse as anything other than an extreme case of thinking outside of the box. It's like there is some kind of one-upmanship going on in the…

Despite the good intentions, Earthships in cold climates can't work because they contradict the laws of physics. I'm not the Mike Reynolds who invented the Earthship, I'm the Mike Reynolds who thinks Earthships in Canada and other cold climates are a bad idea. A coincidence of names; just putting that out there so…

Better houses can be cheaper to live in from day one. Why build a less comfortable, and less efficient home if it actually costs more. Is it worth insulating a home past building code requirements? There are probably only two general desires we share when imagining a dream house - we all want the nicest one…

The fully off-grid Ecocapsule has its own micro-power generation and rainwater treatment system. If your fantasy is to live totally off the grid anywhere around the world, that dream just got one step closer to reality. Nice Architects just unveiled the first photos of their incredible egg-shaped Ecocapsule home…

Understanding building science basics will help you design and build durable and efficient wall systems, in this instance LEED Platinum v4. LEED Platinum V4 wall design: building Science The wall we designed for the Edelweiss house, Canada's first LEED Platinum V4 Home is best categorized as a 'REMOTE' wall, a high…

Study shows there are more factors at play beyond simply the R value of materials in determining the thermal performance of buildings. What does the R value of insulation mean? The thermal performance of wall assemblies and insulation products has long been characterized using R-value, a metric which describes…

With a hot tub, personal chairlift and the mountainous playground in his back yard, snowboarding pioneer Mike Basich re-defines what a truly rich life looks like. Snowboarding pioneer and photographer Mike Basich built himself an epic Tiny off-grid cabin. Without a bedroom or bathroom per se, but equipped with a hot…

This is the first in a series of videos on how to build passively-heated homes. WATCH MORE VIDEOs about passive solar home design and construction here This is the first in a series of videos on passive solar home construction, we begin with passive solar design basics, orienting the future house on the site to take…

A case study by Alex Wilson of the Resilient Design Institute on Ecohome's Kenogami House in Northern Quebec. A resilient home for sustainability Northern Quebec isn’t a place where one might expect to look for a model of resilience . It’s bone-chilling cold in the winter with 10,450 heating degree days per year…

Built largely with reclaimed and salvaged materials, Jenine Alexander built this beautiful tiny home for less than $3,500. Build your own tiny home and live cheaply! Using materials found on Craigslist and salvaged from the landfill, Jenine Alexander built herself a super affordable Tiny House. Since first building…

The Kenogami House holds the highest LEED score achieved in Canada (106), meets Passive House performance of 15 kWh per square meter and won a Home of the Year Award from Green Builder Media. Along with its unprecedented achievements, the Kenogami House continues to act as a laboratory for resilient, cold climate…