Your reference for sustainable residential construction and renovation

The guideperrier.ca website provides information on best practices in residential construction and renovation with a view to sustainable economic development.

In housing, sustainable development implies the use of:
1- renewable resources as a priority, otherwise optimal use of non-renewable resources.
2- sustainable technologies that are easy to maintain (within the user’s reach)
3- energy-efficient design for construction and periodic maintenance.

This approach aims for long-term economic development while protecting the quality of our environment.
As an introduction to this subject, see Ecological foundations of green buildings

Sustainable, healthy, ecological or energy-efficient materials?
There are many ways to think about a product’s “environmental” credentials, but it’s a common misconception that using a natural product is more environmentally friendly. To assess sustainability, we need to:
– energetically assess its life cycle, from production of the resource to its destruction (from cradle to grave)
– where it comes from, depending on where it was built (to assess the energy impact of transport)
– its impact on water and air pollution and on public health
– its impact on other building materials used. You need to evaluate the performance of a wall, roof or floor construction system, not just a material.