BILD and RENOMARK

12-12-2024

Greening Homes is pleased to be fully accredited members of BILD and RenoMark! Our RenoMark accreditation lets you know that we meet (and in most cases exceed) industry standards. More importantly for you, it proves we operate in a responsible and trusted manner, work safely, provide project warranties, and are accountable for all of our work.

The RenoMark program is administered in Toronto by BILD, which is the Building Industry and Land Development Association. BILD was formed through the merger of the Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association (GTHBA) and the Urban Development Institute – Ontario.

Eco Building Resources

12-12-2024

Eco Building Resources is the alternative choice for environmentally friendly building products that meet the needs and concerns of today’s homeowners, and builders like us. We are able to purchase construction materials like low-VOC caulking and FSC certified plywood not available elsewhere in Toronto.

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International Living Future Institute

12-12-2024

Greening Homes is a lifetime member of the International Living Future Institute, which is an inspiring hub for visionary programs. Its mission is to lead and support the transformation toward communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.

Com­posed of leading green building experts and thought-leaders, the Institute is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The Institute runs the Living Building Challenge, Living Community Challenge, Living Product Challenge, Net Zero Energy Certification, the Cascadia Green Building Coun­cil, Ecotone Publishing, Declare, JUST and other leading-edge programs. A global network of more than 400 volunteers across nearly 30 countries drives the local adoption of restorative principles in their com­munities.

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A-Way Express

12-12-2024

Greening Homes is proud to use A-Way Express for all its courier needs. The company works with survivors of mental health challenges to provide a zero carbon footprint courier solution in Toronto. This service supports one of our core values – Smart Transportation – and our commitment to serving our community. It’s also extremely cost effective! We use this service to move important documents from projects in the city’s east end and North York to the office.

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Curbside Cycle

12-12-2024

If you don’t already know, we’re a huge proponent of commuting by bike instead of pickup trucks. Cycling keeps our crew healthy, reduces the number of trucks around our job sites and reduces unnecessary emissions (not to mention lowering our overhead for clients). Curbside Cycle keeps us tuned up and sells the best folding bike in Toronto: the Brompton.

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ARCHITECTS WE'VE WORKED WITH

12-12-2024

Sam Sacks
Sam Sacks Design 
We have had the pleasure of working with Sam of Sam Sacks Design on several residential projects. Sam’s ability to deliver an impactful  space and interior is second to none, and the reason why her work is featured in House & Home so often. Check out our Summerhill project with Sam here.

Amanda Levey
Amanda Levey Architect (ALA)
ALA is a Toronto based architecture and design studio specializing in residential design with the goal of creating beautiful, functional and sustainable architecture.

Bob Abrahams and Keith Benjamin, Principals
Open Architects
Open Architects is a leader among Architectural firms in the field of universal accessibility. They don’t view building users as either abled or disabled; “’disabled people’ is neither a meaningful nor a definable group”. Open Architects design spaces to be used and enjoyed by people with varied abilities.

Bryan Abbey
Adtek Building Consultants
Architectural Design, Technology and Building Science and Construction Services.

David Colussi
Workshop Architecture
Workshop Architecture was established in 2010 out of a desire to create buildings and spaces for communities and with community input. They have extensive experience designing public buildings, with a particular focus on spaces for teaching and learning. The folks at Workshop Architecture work collaboratively to ensure they meet and exceed the needs and aspirations of their clients and the people who use the buildings they design.

Ingrid Cyrns
soma earth
soma earth is a holistic design company that includes a broad scope of services and products that focuses on sustainability, connecting the health of the body and environment to building in our everyday lives. Their passion is to design beautiful, healthy buildings from the most sustainable, least processed and most local materials available.

Jonathan Friedman, Principal
re:THINK DESIGN STUDIO
re:THINK DESIGN STUDIO is an architecture and design firm that designs and builds peoples’ dream homes.

Nathan Buhler
BLDG Workshop – Architectural Designer
BLDG Workshop Inc. pursues the goal of working with great clients who appreciate great design. They believe that good architecture creates a sense of place through responding to client needs, the site and its conditions. They consider interior, industrial, and landscape design holistically, approaching projects comprehensively and as they relate to the context of the work.

Terrell Wong
Stones Throw Design Inc.
Stone’s Throw Design Inc. was founded by licensed architect, Terrell Wong in 1998. Sustainable design has been at the forefront of their practice since they began.

Melana Janzen
MJ | architecture
M J | architecture was established in 2005 when Melana Janzen and John McMinn joined practice. The firm is committed to sustainable principles in architecture as a fundamental point of orientation.

Sarah Ferguson
re:Built Development & Architecture
Re:Built focuses on rethinking, repurposing, renewing and reassessing the value of the existing built city to produce highly sustainable, efficient and well-designed, user-friendly buildings for tomorrow.

Green Building Links

12-12-2024

Canada Green Building Council
We are professional members of this amazing organization, the Canadian counterpart of the USGBC. The CaGBC champions the advancement of green building, education and professional development in Canada.

Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC)
CMHC produces many informative construction and building manuals and also funds studies regarding green materials, healthy indoor environments and building homes for aging populations.

EBNet
Ecological Building Network is an open, collaborative group of builders, scientists, architects and engineers sharing the best knowledge in our industry.

Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition
The OSBBC provides information to people and companies with an interest in building a straw bale home. They provide general information, facilitate training courses and support members, like us, with technical information.

Passive Buildings Canada
We are members of Passive Buildings Canada, a group of diverse professionals located across Canada who promote the development and education for building passive homes.

Passive Buildings Canada’s Haus Talks & Webinars Youtube Channel
Passive Buildings Canada posts and archives all Haus Talks and sponsored webinars on its Youtube channel. It is updated regularly.

Green Science Policy Institute
The Institute provides unbiased scientific data to government, industry and non-governmental organizations to facilitate informed decision-making about the use of chemicals in consumer products. It is made up primarily of PhD scientists who specialize in the publication and communication of peer-reviewed research.

Education Links

12-12-2024

Green Building Materials 101: A Syllabus Supplement
Intended for design professionals, BuildingGreen provides an independent “living textbook” that integrates perfectly with green building courses while exposing students to the most cutting-edge sustainability strategies and real-world green building case studies. Get the full syllabus here – for free.

Endeavour Centre
Located in Peterborough, Endeavour teaches sustainable building and design with unique immersion programs that provide real-life experience on precedent-setting green buildings.

International Institute for Bau-Biologie and Ecology
This institution’s mission is to help create healthy homes, schools, and workplaces, free of toxins in the indoor air and tap water, and electromagnetic pollutants. You will find helpful information and programs here.

Ryerson University : Building Science (BSC)
Our President, Chris Phillips, completed his Masters in Building Science at Ryerson in 2013. The Engineering and Architecture schools have many great programs for professionals looking to increase their building science knowledge.

Sustainable Building Design and Construction Program, Fleming College
Six of our crew members have attended this excellent program at Fleming College, which offers a 12-month intensive natural building experience. Each year, students design and construct a sustainable building for a real client.

Six Classes – A Webinar Series on Chemicals of Concern
This series of half-hour webinars is about six families or “classes” of chemicals which contain many of the harmful substances found in everyday products. The webinars are led by distinguished scientists, who are outstanding teachers. The webinars are worth the view!

CompAIR: Pharos’s Tool For Comparing VOCs
CompAIR, a new feature in the Pharos Project that provides the most accurate and reliable comparisons of the chemicals offgassing from paints, coatings and similar products. By providing the weight of all volatile substances that are released into the air during the application and curing of a product, the CompAIR calculator is the best measure of human health impacts available. CompAIR is free to use.

People DOING GREAT WORK

12-12-2024

Asbestos.com (Mesothelioma Center)
Asbestos.com is a website and advocacy group that helps the victims of asbestos exposure and their loved ones. They connect their visitors with the resources they need to understand and fight asbestos-related disease, all at no cost. They research the latest data about asbestos and asbestos-related diseases to ensure an accurate, up-to-date site, and we maintain relationships with doctors and cancer centers to promote patient access to cutting-edge treatment. For a comprehensive guide about asbestos removal and home safety, visit: asbestos.com/abatement-guide

Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
he Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance at Mesothelioma.com is a trusted information resource for individuals who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families. Its mission, as a leading authority on this topic, is to continually provide relevant, timely, and factual information about asbestos exposure and its causal links to mesothelioma cancer.

Its editorial team is comprised of a group of dedicated professionals committed to making Mesothelioma.com a comprehensive source of support, educational information and inspiration for those suffering from asbestos-related illness.

Mesothelioma Treatment Community 
Mesothelioma Treatment Community of TreatMesothelioma.org is dedicated to the assistance and guidance of asbestos and mesothelioma victims around the world. The Center exists to not only inspire hope during these unbearable times but to also provide palliative care and comprehensive information through its website, resources, and educational videos. By being the largest resource for mesothelioma treatment options and complementary therapies for cancer, the Center is designed to help guide patients and their loved ones toward the answers and support they need to improve their quality of life, prognosis, and life expectancy.

Mesothelioma Veterans Center
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center was created to provide information and assistance to veterans regarding treatment, clinical trials, and VA benefits for veterans suffering from asbestos illnesses. The MVC was founded by retired veterans and veterans advocates who have helped hundreds of veterans get approved for their VA benefits after developing mesothelioma or asbestos related lung cancer from their asbestos exposure in the military.

Camel’s Back Construction
Camel’s Back Construction is Ontario’s first straw bale building company and has been in operation since 1998. Tina Therrien, the sole proprietor of the company, brings her passion of the natural building world and teaching to the forefront of the business.

Chris Magwood
Chris Magwood is a sustainable builder, designer and teacher. He is the Executive Director of The Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school based in Peterborough, Ontario. He also penned a couple of books, available here.

Chris Chopik
Chris’ primary vocation is selling real estate in Toronto. For the last 8 years he has been on the Board of Directors of LEAF, the last 4 as Chair, and has spent much of his time advocating for energy scores in homes, and sustainability in building practices.

Evolution Green
Evolution Green will inspire and motivate you to push your business to perform more efficiently and deliver more value to your customers. Their work is transformative. They apply their unique process for market transformation to your product, brand and marketplace. They facilitate your exploration of customers you wish you had, find efficiencies that will pay again and again and establish new models for conducting your business.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ mission is to develop and protect the market by increasing the awareness of the economic, social and environmental benefits of green roofs, green walls, and other forms of living architecture through education, advocacy, professional development and celebrations of excellence.

Homestead House Paint Company
Originating as the only Canadian Milk Paint manufacturer, this family-owned company has shown its dedication and commitment to providing high quality non-toxic paints across North America since 1988.

Sage Living Toronto
Sage Living Toronto is a consulting firm specializing in helping you plan sustainable home improvements that are healthy your family, the planet and your budget. Principal: Bettina Hoar.

Straworks
Straworks is one of Canada’s few established straw bale building companies. At its core, Staworks is a design-build business that offers residential design, construction drawings, its own engineered wall system, carpentry, bale work, plastering, consulting and project management to ensure your home is designed and built the way you want it done. Owner: Deirdre McGahern.

Research and Reports

12-12-2024

Smart Energy Design Assistance Centre (SEDAC) at the University of Illinois
SEDAC’s Tech Note on air barriers includes a photo from Greening Homes (p. 3)! The photo by Steven Gray is an example of air sealing penetrations, taken from our July 2014 blog on our deep energy retrofit project. We were working with the latest innovative products to seal penetrations such as ERV intake ducting.

Healthy Retrofits: The Case for Better Integration of Children’s Environmental Health Protection into Energy Efficiency Programs
Canadian Environmental Law Association, March 2011.

Renovate Right – How to Make Sure a Home Repair or Energy Upgrade is Child Healthy
By the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health & Environment, November 2011.

Five Simple Tips to Make Your Home Healthier for Kids.
By the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health & Environment, November 2011.

Piping for New Construction: Plastic vs. Copper
By Healthy Building Science, Published in Green Building Consulting & Healthy Building Materials