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The
Seabird Island First Nation Sustainable Community Demonstration Project
introduces new sustainable, environmentally healthy and energy efficient
construction methods and products to residential builders and communities
across Canada. One of the housing units will remain open for tours
and public education over the next two years.
References to traditional vernacular and past technologies are embodied
in the design, structure and detailing. They include use of indigenous
materials such as logs (recycled old growth yellow and red cedar), cedar
siding, river rock, traditional forms, local craftsmanship, artworks
and a colour palette which is based on the four elements (earth, air,
fire, water). Ancient builders have used the relationship with
the cosmos (trajectory of the sun) to create environmentally responsive
buildings for thousands of years. The use of affordable and clean renewable
energy sources are promoted at Seabird Island. The homes are designed
to benefit from solar, wind and earth energy. The main living areas
and solariums are oriented to the south in a semi-circular pattern around
a communal spiritual healing
garden (PDF). The garden is the focal point of the site and its
design demarcates the four sacred cardinal directions.
Key to
this project is the intention to provide an information-transfer opportunity
for the Seabird Island First Nation and other communities. The planning
and design process has enjoyed considerable community involvement and
the community will benefit from the self construction of this innovative
project. Virtually all Seabird Island residents, from the elders who
are creating the Spiritual Healing Garden to the school children who
are growing medicinal plants destined for its four sacred quatrants,
have taken part in some way. Almost every crew, from pouring concrete,
to framing, to shingling, to roofing has been First Nation, while the
project overall has significantly fed the local economy.
Some
of the sustainable innovative
features demonstrated include: wind generators, low tech geothermal
heat extraction, integrated roof-solar-heating systems, passive solar
solarium heating, heat recycling, radiant hydronic floors, fan coil
heat, water efficient plumbing, healthy home materials, net zero energy
targets and an application of the integrated design process to residential
community projects. View
Project Summary (PDF): "Integration + Innovation"
View
ALL Resource Materials for Download.
Building Industry and Community Participants:
The following
companies and community groups are actively involved in this sustainable
development project.
• Agassiz
Ready Mix
- fly ash content concrete
• Agassiz
Agricultural Research Center
- indigenous planting, treatment,
pesticide alternatives
• A
& J Trading Company Ltd.
- engineered hardwood flooring
•
Altwood Synthetic Lumber
- 100% recycle content synthetic lumber
- first application for sill plates and strapping
- new alterative to pressure treated wood
• American
Standard
- water efficient plumbing fixtures
•
BC Hydro
- Powersmart strategies, recycled power poles
- wind energy strategies
•
BC Wood Recycling Ltd.
- recycled telephone and power poles
• Bill's Custom
Cabinets
- low VOC kitchen cabinets
•
Broadway Architects (Sieniuc + de Ridder)
Tang Lee, Faculty of Environmental Design,
U. of Calgary
- sustainable environmental design
- Earth Tubes™
- Thermal Living Air Floor™
- Thermal Living Roof™
- Thermal Transfer Water Storage
• Canadian
Pacific Railway
- documentary film support
• Canex
Building Supplies
- local supplied building materials
•
Dupont
Canada
- Tyvek house wrap, flex window wrap
- Tyvek Supro non-toxic roof sheathing
(first application in North America)
• Emco
Limited
- hydronic/fan coil heating, dhw preheat
- high efficiency boilers, rain water collection
•
General Paint
- zero VOC paint
•
Georgia Pacific Canada Inc.
- mould resistant drywall, tile, tub backer
(first Canadian application dens armour plus)
• Interfor
(International Forest Products)
- lumber, logs from local forests
•
Johns Manville
- formaldehyde free, high recycle content batt insulation
• Lightolier
Canada
- compact flourescent lighting fixtures
•
Prospera Credit Unions
- carving program support
•
Renewable Energy Systems Ltd.
- vertical axis Lang Wind Turbine
•
Seabird Island First Nation Construction
- self-construction
- local materials and resources
(including fill, river rock, landscape
material)
•
Seabird Island First Nation elders and
school children
- cultural components, landscaping, spiritual healing
garden
•
Seabird Island First Nation carving program,
Local Artists
- local artworks
• Soltec
PowerSource Energy Solutions
- Whisper windgenerators, invertor, metering
• Starline
Windows Ltd.
- low-e, high performance windows, sunspace
doors
• Terasen
Gas (BC Gas)
- low energy appliances
• Trail
Appliances
- low energy appliances
•
VicWest
- metal roofing for integrated metal roof solar
collector
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