Regenerative homes have a positive impact on the climate and biodiversity.
Regenerative design occurs when the building process takes into account the surrounding people and environment in order to maximize the beneficial impact.
Regenerative buildings are designed and built with the goal of improving the world, not just minimizing harms. At ReGen we incorporate mass plantings into our projects, rewilding and providing natural habitat alongside human homes. We consider water, heat, energy, lifestyle, transportation, waste, food, and how these sync with and complement earth’s systems. Onsite clean energy production replaces the portion of non-renewable energy that comes from the power grid. Regenerative homes use sustainably harvested materials that emit the minimal amount of pollution during production, and are durable for maximum lifespan.
Also important is the lifestyle the building supports its inhabitants to have.
Does the building make it easy for its occupants to live a low-impact lifestyle? How far must one travel to get groceries, drop their kids off at school, or get out into nature?
Living close to all the necessities means less time and energy wasted in traffic and more time enjoying life. It’s considering how a new building sits within its environment in a way that complements the community now and long into the future.
Regenerative homes give more than they take, biodiversity and climate benefits from their existence.
The choice to build regeneratively comes from seeing ourselves as part of the living world instead of separate.
At ReGen Homes our practice evolves as technologies and understanding grow to meet the needs of our future.
What does Zero Emissions mean?
What makes a building zero-emissions?
At it’s core, it will have a Zero Greenhouse Gas Intensity (GHGI), which is a measure of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the operation of the building. A lot of details go into making zero-emission homes, but a few basics are:
- Highly energy efficient walls with extra insulation and high quality windows and doors
- All electric appliances and mechanical systems to avoid the use of gas
- Roof-top solar panels generating onsite electricity that offsets all non-renewable energy from the grid
All our projects will be certified BuiltGreen Platinum.
Committed to the integrity of its programs, Built Green Canada provides learning opportunities that allow for continuous improvements to building practices and third-party certification, which requires builders to contract Energy Advisors or Engineers to assess the effectiveness of the systems in the home.
While energy efficiency is a fundamental component of these programs, integrating the EnerGuide label through Natural Resources Canada, Built Green Canada goes beyond energy efficiency, moving the industry toward a more holistic approach to sustainable building practices. An approach that includes the preservation of natural resources, reduction of pollution and GHG emissions, ventilation and air quality, the improvement of home durability, and more. As such, builders and their customers get a two-in-one: the BUILT GREEN® label and the EnerGuide label, offering verification of the energy performance and the green features integrated into the home.
This holistic approach means using advanced building technologies that consider the home as a system or a sum of its parts—everything from site orientation, building materials, HVAC equipment, windows, water and electrical consumption, and builder practices. These component parts all contribute to the way Built Green Canada teaches builders how to use the latest technologies to ensure a healthier, more durable home with a lower environmental impact, costs savings to the homebuyer and choices they can make on how to have a greener home.
