Green Demonstration Home - Office

Our home-office is an example of green, healthy design.

We have solar and wind energy systems, water collection and recycling, an advanced hot-water heating system and attached, food producing greenhouses and gardens. The buildings were built with wood milled on the site and many found and salvaged materials.

We use no gas, oil or electricity for heating and purchase very little electricity from the utility.

Wind power

Advanced Heating System

Our heating system is a wood fired masonry heater that makes hot water. It burns wood quickly, cleanly and efficiently. The heat is stored in the bricks, the insulated concrete floors and in water tanks. About 4 hrs. of burn is all that is needed for a winter day, including domestic hot water. It also contains a baking oven.

Rainwater Collection and Ponds

Our roofs are designed for rainwater filtration and collection. A system of beautiful cascades brings water from the roofs to an underground pipe system. It flows from there into storage ponds in the landscape that support fish and plants and water local gardens. Storm water from the land flows into large dug-out ponds that are used for fire protection and major irrigation.

Green Roof

We use two types of green roofs, a light, thin-layer type made up from local mosses and a heavy, thick-layer type made up from soil, hardy grasses and wildflowers. Green roofs attract birds and butterflies, stay cool in summer, and last a very long time because the roofing membrane is protected from sunlight.

Productive Greenhouses

We use attached greenhouses for spring seedlings and winter food production. The greenhouses are heated by the sun, by heat reclaimed from wastewater, and by heat generation from our off-grid battery power system.

Solid Waste Recycling

We recycle organic waste from gardens and dry toilets separately by composting and blending. The food and garden waste compost goes back on the edible gardens. The dry toilet compost is mixed with woodworking waste and composted for ornamental gardens.

Salvaged Materials

We use a wide range of recycled and adapted materials in construction and systems. Most of our construction and finishing wood comes from resawn, used lumber and from blow-down trees. Our heating and electrical and water systems include many high quality components from industrial and military surplus; our “swords-into-ploughshares” effort.

Examples are:

• Hardwood floors made from resawn, discarded railcar decks

• Greenhouses made of patio doors from demolitions

• Stainless tanks and heat exchangers from paper mill equipment

• Backup power systems from military computers