EcoGen Sustainable Living

An alternative and sustainable living project conceived by a young architectural technologist student in Calgary, AB

[ecogenliving-blog]

It’s been a while since I’ve posted but don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about this page!

After concluding my program last week I am presently trying to work out what happens next from here. I am in discussion with a company and have my fingers crossed it will work out. If so, I’ll post here and announce what it’s about. It will be a huge step in the direction I want to head in and take this project. 

In the mean time, my plans to WWOOF in BC have been replaced with a trip to Vietnam in September. This will also delay the speed at which I can post updates. 

Finally, there’s another potential opportunity that is up in the air for my boyfriend and I. It will definitely make a huge impact on EcoGen and how quickly it will be able to take off. Itès not QUITE and make or break it opportunity, but if it works out, getting the ball rolling on EcoGen will be incredibly easy. A slight nudge rather than an uphill heave, if you will. This is another secret I must withhold for now but it will involve picking my whole life up and relocating.

I promise to keep poking back in as I continue on this journey. I’m sure it’ll be an exponential increase in activity and right now is just the very slow beginning.

For now, I’ll try to keep re-posting anything relevant I find interesting :) Hang tight <3   

[mdilelladesign-blog-deactivated]

“We need to deal with our resources differently, in terms of how we waste things. We have to move away from the throwaway habit. Things can, and must, last longer. They must be designed so that they can be reused. We need to take more care of our environment. That means not only our personal environment but also our cities and our resources. That is the future of design, to take more care of these basic elements. Otherwise I’m not sure what the future of our planet will be.”

Dieter Rams (via mdilelladesign)

[sunlitrevolution]

Not Your Dad’s Farm Job: Millennials Look to High-Tech Farms For Careers

A new generation is looking to find jobs in warehouse farms and indoor agriculture as a way to change the food system while earning a decent living.

Read more.

[biodiverseed]

Gifts for Gardeners

#31: Earthship Global’s Simple Survival App

Available on December 12th in the for both iPhone and Android users, this app promises plans, drawings, tips, and tricks for sustainable living from Earthship Global.

You don’t even have to be dreaming of building one of these dwellings one day to find it useful: all sorts of small-scale solutions inspired by these designs can be retrofitted into all sorts of structures.

Image: Earthship Biotecture

[sociology-of-space]

Scales of urban design based on type of energy use and type of planning

[thirty-birds]

This DIY, year-round greenhouse was designed by Francis Gendron, and it’s ethos is to provide you with an indoor garden no matter what the season or weather outside. Called “The Greenhouse of the Future”, this walipini-style semi-underground structure can provide enough of a micro-climate inside to enable growth, especially in colder climates.

The greenhouses are easily made from salvaged materials, such as reclaimed metal sheeting also incorporating aspects of earthship construction by using discarded tyres. Indeed Francis himself graduated from architect Michael Reynolds’ Earthship Academy in 2012. As we become more socially conscious about how and where our food is derived, so too do we look to try and become more personally involved in its production. In achieving this, our location on the planet will greatly inform what can be grown. According to Gendron, “…the questions people should ask themselves… 

Where do I live? 

What’s the climate like?

How long do I want to produce food throughout the year (6 months, 8 months, or the full year)?

Do I have access to a sunny place where I can build?

Do I want more than just food production? For example, you may want a beautiful place to relax in the sun during the winter.”

Source

The semi-underground structure of the greenhouse design protects it from strong winds, and heavy snows in addition to benefitting from the passive geothermal energy of the earth.

Gendron has produced a film, ebook and provides plans and designs for building your won greenhouse, which are available here for purchase and download. You can also watch the trailer for the film here.

<iframe width=“854” height=“480” src=“https://www.youtube.com/embed/tvgCucsBke0” frameborder=“0” allowfullscreen></iframe>

Francis Gendron is a public speaker, educator, and passionate promoter of an ethical, resilient and sustainable future. Francis spent many years as an outdoor guide teaching leadership, outdoor and survival skills in some of Canada’s wildest areas before he became the first graduate of the Earthship Academy in Taos, New Mexico, directed by renowned architect Michael Reynolds. He has led over 100 seminars on the philosophy and practical skills behind the Earthship concept. He started The Greenhouse of the Future project to create a resilient, organic and local food production solution for any climate. Source

[this-little-house]

[ecogenliving-blog]

Ah, a new semester. It smells like fresh coffee in the AM.

This is an exciting one for me as this is when I take the classes pertaining to my major as well as a sustainability course. My residential systems and design teacher has beliefs that align with my own so I know this is going to be the most knowledge filled 3 months of my program. In my opinion anyways.

I’m very excited about everything my institute is teaching me about the housing industry. I can only hope that if they are pushing these teachings of quality, functional design, as student’s graduate it will trickle into the industry. Thoughtful design in itself is a huge component to sustainable housing. We need homes that will last and not be torn down and replaced in half a century.

 I realized today that I still have links on my Tumblr page that I have yet to assign content to. I’m still figuring out how I want to approach this.

 I’m excited to be learning about construction documentation this semester, as I’ve yet to learn in class the proper ways to go about approaching land subdivision. I know it’s a lengthy process with many regulations and standards that have to be met, but I’ve been promised a lecture to expand on this very topic later in the coming weeks.

Before I can even go about THINKING of functional and efficient design for a sustainable community, the issue of land division and the by-laws surrounding this must be addressed. What government would let anyone build 10+ homes on one parcel of land without addressing these concerns?

I believe the biggest obstacle to communal living is personal space. There aren’t very many people very willing to share their home with half a dozen others. And there aren’t many people that can execute this without tension or conflict. I have to admit that suburbs take the win on this particular topic. At the end of the day, most people would rather retire to their own private abode.

So, how to make this happen? Is it possible to build 5 homes on 6 acres? 1 acre apart for personal space and privacy? Well, standard rural communities do it. Large home building companies buy several acres and throw down dozens and dozens of homes in close vicinity of one another. What if… the people that bought those homes all shared a garden, and a barn with livestock, and community space for entertainment and gatherings? Oh wait. I’m seeing a relation to the suburbs here… Community centers? Parks? It’s obviously doable. It’s being done every day, all the time. It’s just hardly been executed in the way that myself and many of those with a similar mindset envision. What makes a community that grows and shares resources for use and consumption different from one that shares parks and community halls for recreation? Why is one considered a commune and a social stigma while the other is the norm? What is so off-putting about teaming up with your neighbors to produce for and lower costs for everyone? Is it because everyone should fend for themselves and for those who aren’t as well off, too bad?  

Ah man. Look what I’ve done. I’ve started to hippy-rant. I could talk for days about how incredibly sad I find it that we have deviated so far from our fellow humans into such an individualistic society.

At the end of the day, all I want is for those that want to team up and share, to be able to team up and share. It’s not anyone else’s business if they do, and it’s not any one else’s business if they don’t. Live and let live.

I know that there are many obstacles to face in regards to starting off-grid communities but it’s not impossible. There is a way and I will find it whether it’s a challenge, or surprisingly easy.

[ecogenliving-blog]

Exciting news!

I’m super stoked to announce that in the spring, I will be taking advantage of the WWOOF program to volunteer on various farms around BC, Canada, over the course of 3 weeks. I’ll be doing this to learn as much as I can about self-sustainable farming and to meet families who have actually taken the first steps into decreasing their reliance on the grid. 

I’m incredibly excited to be embarking on this journey and I hope to use this program to eventually visit more farms around the world. 

I’ll be sure to update my progress in planning this trip :) It’s sure to be amazing! 

[ecogenliving-blog]

Sistema de construcción de casas cubiertas de tierra, viviendas verdes y ecológicas./Earth sheltered house building system, green ecologic homes.

This is the first time I've come across these homes and holy, are they ever beautiful. I do question their insulating abilities in the cold northern winters, but this is definitely something I'll keep in mind when further exploring alternative housing upon graduating. Very gorgeous homes.

[ecogenliving-blog]

Solar and Wind Just Passed Another Big Turning Point

It has never made less sense to build fossil fuel power plants.

[ecogenliving-blog]

CTV Atlantic: Couple lives large in tiny home

A N.S. couple has moved into their new house, a 175-square-foot, mobile and eco-friendly home nicknamed 'Tiny.'

[ecogenliving-blog]

Reduce Waste and Save Money by Regrowing These 7 Vegetables from Kitchen Scraps

Regrown vegetables add character to a home, meal and it's a fact that gardening makes you feel great. There are a few things to consider before starting though.

[househunting]

$1695/house boat

seattle, WA

[househunting]

$490,000/1 br

Seattle, WA

[odditiesoflife]

Ten of the Best Storybook Cottage Homes Around the World

These 10 fairy tale inspired cottages with their hand-made details call to mind the tales of the Brothers Grimm and other fantasy stories. All of these cottages are real-life homes from around the world. From stunning cottage houses to mystical stone dwellings, these 10 storybook cottage homes provide inspiration and inspire the imagination.

Hobbit House - Rotorua, New Zealand

Winckler Cottage - Vancouver Island, Canada

Akebono kodomo-no-mori Park, Japan

Wooden Cottage - Białka Tatrzańska, Tatra Mountains, Poland

Blaise Hamlet - Bristol, England

Willa Kominiarski Wierch - Zakopane, Poland

Forest House - Efteling, The Netherlands

Cottage in the Hamlet of Marie Antoinette - Versailles, France

Cob House - Somerset, United Kingdom

The Spadena House - Beverly Hills, California, United States

[jah-feel]

✨Humble yurt home✨