Aesthetic, structural and energy retrofit. Bilby Street, Halifax.
This was the ugliest house on Bilby St. when we started in on it. We removed all the exterior walls down to the boards and did a lot of rot removal, structural repairs and bracing. We tripled the R value by adding insulation to the outside walls, installing a new, fully sealed air barrier and triple pane windows. We finished it up with all wood siding. The oil furnace and tank was removed (for a $250/year reduction on insurance premium) and the house is now heated with a heat pump and a wood stove. Last winter the house used an estimated $500/month in energy costs. This winter, it's using about $80/month plus firewood gleaned from the demolition process! |
Lumber racks. Quebec.
I was spending time on a farm in Quebec, exchanging labour for room and board. They had a big pile of lumber in disarray in one of the barns. Using lumber from the piles, I designed and built racks for both long and short pieces. Now they can see and access every piece at a glance. |
Wood-fired sauna. Rural Cape Breton.
I installed the stove in this sauna through a brick wall. The door of the stove is outside. No firewood, ashes or dust inside! In the sauna room, I sectioned out all the knots from the planed hemlock boards and put all the joints behind the benches. The appearance is of knot free walls and ceilings with no joints in the middle of any wall or ceiling. It's a two room building that can be sauna/change room or guest cabin with sleeping space/living space. |