First ‘Lego’ Home in B.C. Completes Construction

Published on November 19, 2018

A home in Vancouver Island just finished construction, and is the first net zero home to be made of bio fibre. The exterior walls of the project were built using Just Bio Fiber blocks, and is called the Harmless Home, as it is a highly efficient and sustainable home with a low impact on the environment.

The walls in the building fit together in a manner that was inspired by lego, and are made out of a composition of hemp, lime, and water.

The bio blocks are manufactured in Calgary, and allow for faster than normal construction times, are effective insulators, and are almost completely fire-resistant. They also do not mold and absorb carbon, which further increases the blocks’ strength over time.

The home has a recessed greenhouse to grow food and plant trees within the building, a solar panel roof, a cistern to collect rainwater for household use, and a tesla battery bank.

Mark Faber, a builder for Just Bio Fiber, has expressed his desires to see this building method become more of a standard in the building industry, and that there is still room for things to improve even more.

“Once we develop and really dial in the system, I think we’ll be able to be competitive with all the other building systems out there,” said Faber.

Progress of the Harmless Home can be followed on Facebook

Energy Efficiency Initiatives

Seeing new projects such as the Harmless Home is exciting for our team at Barrier Sciences Group. Innovation and investments towards improving energy efficiency is not only beneficial towards reducing carbon emissions and the effects of climate change, but it is also receiving support as being economically beneficial and more affordable than ever for homeowners to participate in.

By having a Home Energy Assessment conducted by a Registered Energy Advisor, a homeowner can become aware of all possible options for improving efficiency in their home. Included in the assessment is a tailored list of options for improving efficiency, and they are arranged in order of what would be the most cost-effective option for them to consider.

Quite often, the most cost-effective way of improving a home’s efficiency is through the low cost strategy of improving attic insulation and sealing air leaks. However, a Registered Energy Advisor is able to evaluate the entirety of a home, and determine which modifications or retrofits would have the homeowner see a return on their investment the fastest.

For homeowners in Ontario, our Registered Energy Advisors are happy to help you understand and qualify for the home renovation rebates that are currently available from both Enbridge and Union Gas.