Building for a changing climate / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Concept and design

Resilient Design Features for New Home Construction

...ater, evaluate whether building a rocket mass heater might be the most sustainable and affordable path to home comfort. Building homes to survive climate change The primary concern for people in most of Canada and other cold climates is the ability to stay warm in the event of a power outage, and there are numerous way...

Lifestyle and environment

Green building is accelerating around the world

...and that by increasing the efficiency for energy, water and waste, green buildings can also lower building costs and create a building that holds its value for longer than comparable non-green buildings. Creation of Green Product Markets and Business Benefits As green building has grown, so have the markets for new pr...

Wind turbine © Jinterwas, Flickr
Lifestyle and environment

Clean Energy Infrastructure and Efficient-Housing for Canada's Indigenous Communities

...as a powerful force for change and are partnering, owning, and operating projects. Our mission is to create an inclusive and open Indigenous clean energy community of practice across Canada. OUR VISION. OUR PASSION. We believe clean energy projects can be a substantive part of Canada’s future and a restorative force fo...

Ecohome's passively heated Edelweiss House
Efficient home design

Are better insulated homes worth the money?

...are when imagining a dream house - we all want the nicest one possible for the least amount of money. And we want both of those things right away, rather than waiting a lifetime to see the 'payback' for noble design choices we might have made to save polar bears, bees, pollution, energy, or baby seals for that matter. ...

Rendering of River District Sustainable housing development In Vancouv
Lifestyle, location and commuting

Vancouver developer leads the way to more sustainable communities

...and more sustainable for the community. There are many great developers out there. Chris Higgins works with the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) as the LEED Canada for Homes Program Leader and collaborates with the LEED Canada for Homes Technical Committee to deliver the LEED Canada for Homes program. Chris has a...

As our climate adapts to human carbon emissions, homes have to change
Lifestyle and environment

How to future proof homes as we face a changing climate

...ant. In the last 10 years, water damage has become a big problem for the insurance industry and society.  Sea levels are rising, tropical storms are getting more frequent, and large rainfall and flood events are happening more often. In 2012, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said the yearly average for all water damage w...

Green homes climate change
Lifestyle and environment

Green buildings are better situated to handle climate extremes

...an’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning released a landmark report Feb. 29 that describes how green buildings advance resiliency in disasters. “Green Building and Climate Resilience: Understanding Impacts and Preparing for Changing Conditions” describes potential adaptive strategies available to green b...