E'Terra is Canada's most exquisite bed and breakfast, and a stunning blend of environmental design and luxury. E'Terra has been built with a single mission: to create a lavish retreat, while adhering to strong environmental practices and principles. E'Terra is an 8,000 square foot awarding winning masterpiece featuring local materials of stone and timbers that work together to create stunning interior spaces. Inside E'Terra is a myriad of fir beams and columns; ash, cherry and pine stairs, stone floors and walls, including a natural feature of an indoor waterfall over a piece of the natural bedrock. The building sits among a lush cedar forest on the spectacular ancient coral reef known as the Niagara Escarpment, overlooking the sweet waters of Georgian Bay. From savage fir and cedar decks there are breathtaking views of the islands of the Fathom Five National Marine Park Archipelago, including the famous Flowerpot Island.
When the study of Ecology and the management of economics can be merged and when ethics can be extended to the environmental as well as human values, then we can be optimistic about the future of humankind. Accordingly, bringing together these three E‚s is the ultimate holism and the great challenge for our future. Quote Eugene p. Odum Ecology and our Endangered Life-Support Systems.
I believed that this ultimate holism could be achieved. The challenges arose while being dedicated to protecting an ancient ecosystem, one had to find the balance between ecology, economics and ethics and I wanted a building that would blend effortlessly into its surrounding environment.
Using LEED as a basis E'Terra is built as a residence because of personal interest in addressing issues around urban sprawl as well as the impacts of the hospitality tourism industry in a rural setting.
The great challenges
The education of the equipment operators about the preservations of the trees on the site
On site sewage management to 100% treatment meeting Ministry of Environment tertiary standards using Waterloo Biofilter system
EVERY product used, from how it was made, by whom, from where and the environmental impact, (life cycle) was taken into consideration. The Odum's 3 Es were applied before a product was used in the building. Corporations/companies were asked about their working environmental policies and focus was on shopping North American first . E'Terra is at approx. 95% NA made!
Rainwater collection through evestrough and a cistern for the use in toilets, refrigeration cooling, humidification & cooling by indoor waterfalls over attached Niagara Escarpment rock, as well as all non potable requirements for outdoor gardens and ponds.
Diverting over 75% of construction waste from landfill to recycling and reuse.
Extensive use of salvaged, recycled, and locally harvested and manufactured materials.
Air conditioning is done in various forms of natural cooling design features such as placement of windows & coverings, insulation, and including a concrete ground duct system for makeup air.
Eliminating use of any ozone depleting HCFC‚s and halons.
Purchasing equivalent of 100% of electrical consumption through Green Tags using a local Wind Turbine Company that powers the grid and over 450 homes in the area; internal systems designed using propane but can transfer to alternative gases in the future by simply changing to appropriate fittings, putting Systems in place for photo voltaic when solar panel output is much greater than 30%.
Cost of actual electricity use averages $150 CDN per month. Everywhere there is residential style lighting systems mostly for esthetics, with compact fluorescents and installed stetzer filters for minimizing electromagnetic fields and electrical pollution. Dedicate time for ongoing research continues into more environmentally friendly light bulbs‚ due to the mercury content in the compacts.
All interior and exterior finishing, including those on furnishings, met appropriate LEED VOC guideline, along with using product that emitted natural VOC‚s versus products that used chemicals compounds.
Green Housekeeping policies for all cleaning supplies, including laundry and kitchen are free of hazardous contaminants. All essences, soaps and shampoos are made from the most organic and holistic products.
The creative use of fire reservoir (building code requirement) by allowing it to double as a saltwater pool, with filtration system of 10 diamtons and requiring no daily water elimination.
Other areas that were studied in detail and applied at E'Terra were products free from Fladams@amtelecom.net Bromated fire retardants (BPDE‚s), Radon, geopathic stress lines, geo magnetic energy, Natural ion generators, Chronobiology, Ecopsychology, colour vibration, sound frequencies (Otolaryngology), and the use of natural fibers in all textiles.
Hence with so much care and attention to detail , E'Terra is unique by choice not by chance and a great starting point to create a sustainable, holistic building prototype that engages our six senses!
Open in June 2006 for public viewing and packages. E'Terra is Accredited with LEED Gold NC, CaGBC 2005; Awarded „Green By Design, WOOD WORKS, Canadian Forestry Association 2005
