Green Building

Green building is a land stewardship practice

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using local, natural materials like manure and clay reduces the need for fossil fuels to produce and transport more energy intensive materials

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building with fewer and simpler materials means fewer pollutants are emitted through industrial processes. No toxic materials were used.

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using FSC and Nagaya certified eco-wood from well-managed woodlots protects forest ecosystems and biodiversity.
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toxin-free buildings are better for people. Low-impact materials use fewer fossil fuels, which reduces suffering brought on by climate change.

The Pavilion is a low-cost, low-impact structure built by the Windhorse Farm community. It is used as a dining room, meeting room, and community gathering place.

Construction

The walls are cob, a mixture of local (on the farm or close by) sand, clay, straw, and fresh horse manure.

The beams and rafters were salvaged from a warehouse on the Halifax dockyard. All the rest of the lumber was harvested and processed at Windhorse Farm.

The mixed-species flooring was made in our woodshop from "eco-wood" certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Nagaya Forest Restoration. This particular wood was of a quality too low to sell, but serviceable for on-farm use.