The Building Project

The students of Fleming College’s 2009 Sustainable Building Design and Construction program completed construction of the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre in Peterborough, Ontario at the end of July 2009. The Centre was carefully constructed on 200 acres of Trent University’s nature and wildlife preserve land. In partnership with the Gainey Foundation, the Centre is one of Canada’s most sustainable buildings and was constructed using plenty of local and some reclaimed resources. To accomplish this feat and show people how buildings can cooperate with nature, the 2000 square foot structure features innovative, rare components such as pre-fabricated straw bale walls, hemp-crete insulation, net-zero electricity use, grid-tied solar panels, super-efficient lighting, all water supplied by rainwater, composting toilets, geothermal radiant floors, a living roof, solar hot water, and Ontario’s only thatch roof. Camp Kawartha will use this sustainable building to deliver environmental programing to kindergarten to grade four students from the surrounding region and to showcase sustainable living to the greater community. Click a menu item to find out more such as the building’s highlighted features, builder biographies, and the partners involved in making this project happen.