Resources

Accessibility

Accessibility Checklist

    Canadian Paraplegic Association
    Suite S-21 West End Mall
    6960 Mumford Road
    Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 4P1
    Tel: (902) 423-1277
    Fax: (902) 492-1213
    Toll Free: 1-800-889-1889 (NS only)

The Canadian Paraplegic Association's Accessibility Checklist allows designers to ensure that their building conforms to Nova Scotia Building Code's barrier free requirements.

Barrier-Free Design Guide

    Learning Resources Centre
    12360 - 142 Street
    Edmonton, AB T5L 4X9
    Phone: (780) 427-5775
    Toll Free: 310-0000

Safety Codes Canada has developed a thorough publication that specifies accessibility requirements for commercial and residential properties.

Construction Material

EnerGuide Assessment

Energy Conservation

Floor Finishes

Garden

Definitely in my Backyard: Making the Best Choices for You and the Environment

1-800-668-2642

This guide was created jointly by CMHC and the government of Canada to advise homeowners on how they can design their gardens in a way that reduces time, annual costs, water consumption, gasoline consumption, pesticides, and fertilizer inputs.

Heating System

Indoor Air Quality

Material Re-use

Freecycle

HRM Freecycle is an online network of individuals who live in the Halifax Regional Municipality who exchange items for free that are in good condition but are no longer needed. Membership is free.

Sustainable Transportation

Wall Finishes

Water Conservation

Architecture, Art and Design

Books:
Alexander, Christopher, A Pattern Language, New York: Oxford University Press, 1977

Barefoot Architect (el Architecto Descalzo)

Mayer, Ralph The Artist's Handbook, Viking Press, 1940

Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency

Periodicals:
Designer/Builder Fine Editions, Inc., 2405 Maclovia Lane, Santa Fe, NM 87505

Fine Homebuilding. Occasional articles on Natural Building.

Websites:
www.chebucto.ns.ca/Culture/Shifting_Boundaries - Art and natural building

Bamboo

Books:
Farrelly, David, The Book of Bamboo, Sierra Club, 1984

Periodicals:
American Bamboo Society Newsletter American Bamboo Society, 750 Krumhill Rd., Albany, NY 12203-5976.

Cordwood

Books:
Roy, Rob, Cordwood Building - The State of the Art, New Society Publishers, 2003

Earth-Building (Adobe, Cob, Earth Bag, Rammed Earth/Pisé)

Books:
Bee Becky, The Cob Builders Handbook, Groundworks, Oregon, 1997

Bourgoise, Jean-Louis and Carolee Pelos, Spectacular Vernacular: The Adobe Tradition, Aperture Foundation, N.Y.

Cob Cottage Company, A Cob Reader, Cottage Grove, OR, 1994

Earth Construction, Intermediate Technology Press, Women Ink, New York, 1994

Easton, David, The Rammed Earth House, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1996

Hunter, Kaki and Donald Kiffmeyer, Earthbag Building, New Society Publishers, 2004

King, Bruce, Buildings Of Earth And Straw: Structural Design For Rammed Earth And Straw Bale Architecture, Chelsea Green Publishing Co,1997

McHenry, Paul, Adobe: Build it Yourself

Tibbets, Joseph M. The Earthbuilder's Encyclopedia, Southwest Solaradobe School, 1989

Periodicals:
Adobe Journal, P.O Box 7725, Albuquerque, NM 87194, (505) 243-7801

Websites:
www.cobcottage.com - Cob Cottage, Oregon

www.calearth.org - Earth Buildings of Nader Khalli

Earth Sheltering

Books:
Roy, Rob, Earth-Sheltered Houses, new Society Publishers, 2006

Green Communities

Books:
Dal ,Herman E and Cobb, John B, For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment and Sustainable Future

Grant, Tim and Littlejohn,Gail Greening School Grounds/Green Teacher, New Society Publishers, Canada, 2003

James, Sarah and Lahti, Torbjorn, The Natural Step for Communities, New Society Publishers, 2004

Kretzmann, John and McKnight, John, Building Communities from the Inside Out, ACTA Publications, 1993

Orr, David W., Earth In Mind - On Education, Environment and the Human Prospect by Island Press, 1994. Box 7, Covelo,, CA 95428, (800) 828-1302. Ask for their catalog.

Van der Ryn, Sim and Calthorpe Peter, Sustainable Communities, Sierra Club Books, 1986.

Green Roofs

Nova Scotia Green Roof Manual

Health & Spirituality

Books:
Dadd, Debra Lynn, Nontoxic, Natural and Earthwise, Jeremy P. Tarcher Inc., 1990

Day, Christopher, Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as Healing Art, Aquarian Press/Harper Collins, California, 1990

Pearson, David, Earth to Spirit, Chronicle Books, 1995.

Solar and Daylighting

Books:
Mazria, Edward, The Passive Solar Energy Book, Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press. 1979

Periodicals:
Solar Today, American Solar Energy Society, 2400 Central Ave., Suite G-1, Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 433-3130

Strawbale

Books:
King, Bruce, Buildings Of Earth And Straw: Structural Design For Rammed Earth And Straw Bale Architecture, Chelsea Green Publishing Co,1997

Lacinski, Paul and Bergeron, Michael, Serious Straw Bale, Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 2000

Magwood, Chris and Chris Walker, Straw Bale Details- A Manual for Designers and Builders, New Society Publishers, 2003

Magwood, Chris and Mack, Peter, Straw Bale Building/How to plan, design and build with straw, New Society Publishers, 2000

McDonald, S.O. with Matts Myhrman, Build it with Bales, Version Two, Out on Bale, 1997

Steen, Athena, Bill and David Bainbridge.The Straw Bale House, Chelsea Green Publishing, Company, 1994

Steen, Athena, Bill, The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes, Chelsea Green Publ. Company, 2000

Thompson, Kim with Corson Jennifer, Straw Bale Construction Manual for Maritime Climates, Straw Bale Projects 1995

Periodicals:
The Last Straw, PO Box 42000, Tucson, AZ 85733-2000. The resource for up-to-date straw bale information

Websites:
www.strawbalecentral.com - Resources for straw bale construction

Thatch

Websites:
www.thatch.org - Thatching UK

Timber Frame

Books:
Roy, Rob, Timber Framing for the Rest of Us, New Society Publishers, 2004

Periodicals:
Joiner's Quarterly Fox Maple Press, Inc., PO Box 249, Snowville Rd., Brownfield, ME 04010 (207) 935-3720 Joiners Quarterly. A magazine about timber-frame construction with a natural building bent.