We challenged ourselves to design off-grid cabins that function well and are comfortable throughout the year. Cabins located in the secluded wilderness are great for resting, recovering, and enjoying nature, but servicing the site can be expensive. Our approach is to super-insulate the walls, minimize air leakage, optimize for solar gain, use a…
This Monday September 29th, the Architcture Department at Ryerson University is hosting a symposium on “Solar Energy in the Urban Context” From the International Energy Associations site: A large portion of the potential for energy efficiency in existing buildings and potential to utilize solar energy still remains unused. Globally, goals and specific targets are…
Canada, along with many other nations, has signed on to the goal of keeping global warming below an average of 2 degrees. It is generally recognized that above this level, we will start to experience irreversible feedback loops that will lead to a planet uninhabitable for humans. However, our politicians, of all stripes, are not taking the…
Buildings consume nearly half of the energy consumed in the USA and generate nearly half of the total yearly CO2 emissions according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In Ontario, “the building sector remained the third largest GHG (Greenhouse gas) emitting sector in 2012, representing just over 17 per cent of Ontario’s GHG emissions,…