October 14, 2008

Fleming College educator receives CMHC sustainable-building award

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

The passion and innovation of Chris Magwood’s work as an instructor and builder in sustainable development has been recognized by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Magwood, co-ordinator of Fleming College’s Sustainable Building Design and Construction program, is the recipient of a 2008 Excellence in Education Award from the CMHC. The award honours outstanding educational contributions to sustainable practices. It recognizes educators who have integrated sustainable concepts in housing and community development into the academic curriculum.

“I actively use CMHC work a lot and as an organization, I value what they do, so this means a lot to me,” said Magwood. “This award shows that sustainable building is something we need to teach people how to do.”

Fleming’s Sustainable Building Design and Construction program is the only one of its kind in Canada. It is a college certificate program running from April to August each year.

Students design and build a completely sustainable facility, a truly hands on experience.

Four structures have been built through the program, the most recent being Madoc’s new performing arts centre. Recyclable and sustainable materials have been used throughout the structure. Square straw bales covered in a plaster mix of mud, clay and straw were used for the walls of the centre. Three different insulation types were used for the building’s three wings. One type is hempcrete, a site-mixed combination of ground hemp, water and hydrated lime.

The centre also has a geothermal heating and cooling system and electricity generated through a photovoltaic power system, where energy is collected through solar panels and stored in batteries. The centre is a ‘net zero’ building, a first for the program, says Magwood.

“Chris is a model individual who practises what he preaches — he teaches sustainable building, design and construction, and, at the end of a day of teaching, he returns to the sustainable family home that he built. His commitment to sustainability is so firm and genuine that our students have a truly honest classroom and field experience,” says Sandra Dupret, principal of the Haliburton Campus.

In addition to his role as educator, Magwood is an author, builder and advocate for sustainable building. He is an international expert in straw bale construction and is the former editor of the Last Straw Journal, an international publication about bale and natural building.

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