Category: Blog Posts
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Increasing carbon tax in Canada or US – How More Tax might be a Good Thing
Raising taxes is usually something that dips into all wallets – but the Carbon tax, applied correctly to target consumption, may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened for the North American construction industry and homeowners. I was a carpenter/contractor for decades, during and in between university. In 2…
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Meet The Winner of The New Garage Design Challenge!
A sustainable design challenge from Volvo Cars Canada and The Interior Design Show, The New Garage encouraged Canadian design enthusiasts to reimagine the garage, which has become a key focal point of home design. Keeping this in mind, The New Garage challenge winner, Tiam Maeiyat, delivered a unique conceptual design entitled Parking-Parc.
After studying architecture at the University of Bologna in Italy, Tiam Maeiyat found a career in Montreal as a designer in the field of architecture and interior design.
Tiam’s vision for The New Garage goes beyond vehicle storage to utilize the exterior space as an alternate family room. Enjoy a meal alfresco, or watch a movie under the stars. Inspired by the design of the Volvo XC40 Recharge, the garage uses similar flowing lines to create a dynamic shape when viewed from any angle.
The compact, all-electric XC40 Recharge is designed with purpose for our planet, meaning you can travel up to 335 kilometers on a single charge!
Tiam’s design features multiple sustainable elements, from flexible solar panels to a green roof that purifies the air and provides natural insulation.
Browse the gallery for more garage design inspiration.
The post Meet The Winner of The New Garage Design Challenge! appeared first on House & Home.
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Ikea Sustainability and their new Sell-Back Program
When we think of Big-Box Stores & Retailers we don’t generally think of sustainability – we think of a “pile it high & sell it cheap” disposable mentality – but we’ve been discovering that Ikea, the worlds largest furniture retailer, is at least trying. So here’s a new situation – We find that a certain corporation is…
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Achieving Living Building Challenge Petal Certification – Case Study
A dive into achieving Living Building Challenge Petal Certification of the Calgary Zoo Panda Passage exhibit by Matt Grace and Eric White. Date And Time of Webinar
Wed, May 5, 2021
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM PDT
The renovation of the Calgary Zoo Panda Passage exhibit, home to four pandas, kept the health and wellness of the… -
Top tips for energy efficient swimming pools – reduce pool cleaning & running costs
Swimming in your own home pool is a great way to stay fit, enjoy time with the family, and top up your vitamin D. But beyond the purchase price, what does it cost to run and clean swimming pools, and how can we best reduce energy costs. Energy efficient & Eco friendly swimming pools – are they even a thing?!
The curr… -
How to build high performance homes with less lumber
With the cost of lumber at an all time high, and some suggesting it may hit +300%, we decided to look at how we can still build high performance yet affordable homes. The cost of lumber is at an all time high, and because of that fact, other wall assemblies are showing themselves to be more affordable in comparison. S…
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And so it’s Earth Day, Again…
After the 50th anniversary of Earth Day last April kind of fizzled out in the face of impending viral doom, what does Earth Day 2021 mean for the Planet. Under a previous US administration, the environment seemed to have taken a back seat to nationalism,
industry, jobs, and the economy. Initiatives like the Paris agr… -
Here is what old coffee grounds are good for – including skin care !
Following on from our recent article on how putting old coffee grounds on gardens will not help them grow. We thought it would be useful to take a look at what coffee grounds are good for – like skin care. As we mentioned in our previous post, coffee has many magical properties but its magic should never be used on yo…
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The North American Property market faces a ticking timebomb – Mandatory energy labeling – and here’s what to do about it
With our international perspective of construction and home pricing trends, it’s time to stress the importance to the homeowners of North America and Canada of home performance. If buying a home, or thinking about it – please read this first. A recent report in the UK by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has started…
