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Thrift Store Gets New Green Building

When the Haliburton food bank and thrift store move into their new headquarters in August, they will be located in a 'green' building constructed from straw bales with solar powered electricity and solar radiant heating. Constructed by the 21 students in Fleming College’s new Sustainable Building Design and Construction program, the building also features an earth -bag foundation with used carpet insulation, a rammed earth floor, clay plastered hemp bale walls, sheep’s wool insulation in the roof and recycled foam insulation in the floor.

“As a commercial building, it’s way out there,” says program co-ordinator Chris Magwood, the co-author of a newly released book called “More Straw Bale Building.” “I’m not aware of anything in the country that comes close to it in terms of being an environmentally sound space.”

The building’s photovoltaic system is tied into the grid. When it produces excess power, it will be fed to other homes and businesses in the area. When there is not enough, it can draw on the local electrical supply.

All the features of the 1,800 square foot building are designed to lessen the building’s impact on the environment, lower operating costs and offer better health for its occupants.

Supervised by electricians and plumbers, students have done the work themselves, completing the building during the 20-week program. The unique college program gives students both theory and hands-on time with some of the best practitioners in renewable energy and sustainable building design including architects and engineers.

Drawing on the talents of the nearby Haliburton School of the Arts, the building will include a stone sculpture, a ceramic wall hanging from the pottery students and decorative iron work on its front, courtesy of the blacksmith program.

The building is a co-operative venture involving the Municipality of Dysart et al, Fleming College and the Haliburton 4 C’s – a coalition of eight churches in the area.

Fleming is the first college in Canada to offer this innovative program where, each year, students will complete a building project.

For more information, please call Chris Magwood, Program Co-ordinator, Fleming College on 705-457-7293.
Green Building Press  
 

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