The Conscious Builder: Building Sustainable Homes in Ottawa

Casey and Natasha are one of a kind duo for whom we have the utmost admiration. They built a really cool house. A Passive Solar House. And not only that, they run a building company called The Conscious Builder, which implements those same principals for other homes too.

So let’s talk about this house. A good chunk of the couple’s budget went into making sure the outer walls of the home were well taken care of - that meant, hyper-insulating 20 inch thick walls, stuffed with locally produced Roxul (more info on Mineral Wool Batt Insulation here). To take advantage of the sun and make sure they make the most of it heat their home, they used a mix of Krypton and Argon-filled Triple Glazed Windows.

With an airtight home like this one, Casey and Natasha opted for a couple of Air Pohoda ERVs to make sure stale air from the home is moved outside and fresh air brought in - and theses units do this through a 92% efficiency rating.

The house also boasts some really nice goodies in terms of materials we love. A Drain Water Heat Recovery System makes good on reusing heat from shower wastewater. And air to water heater unit also makes us envious as far as savings go.

Now, one of the stand-apart features of this passive house is its 10kW solar array, which the family uses as a rental unit (selling back to the grid) - a great way to bring in some extra money!

Because Casey and Natasha are very conscious of their purchases, where they come from, and how they’re made, a lot of attention went into sourcing the finishes. They made use of things like Reclaimed Hardwood Floors and concrete countertops - both stunning products that are still affordable and are mindful of the environment as well.

Why We Love it

• Close to 20 inches of Mineral Wool Insulation
• 10kW solar array selling back to the grid
• Great use of interior finishes

Check out a great video on Casey and Natasha by our Youtube friends at Exploring Alternatives