Impressive 100-Mile House Built with Sustainable & Reclaimed Materials - Green Building

Have you heard of the 100-mile diet? This is the 100-mile house! The goal with this build was to source and salvage as many materials as possible from within a 100-mile radius to reduce the carbon emissions associated with transporting building materials, to re-use materials in order to reduce the environmental impact of building with new materials, and finally, to support local builders and craftspeople by paying them a fair wage for their work.

Briony Penn is a well-known artist, writer, naturalist, and educator. She has been working in the field of conservation for 40 years through her work as a lecturer at UVic, as the author of several books, and with over 500 published articles on environmental issues.

You can find out more about Briony, her art, and her writing here:

Of course, when an opportunity came up for Briony to build a home, she took the responsibility very seriously. The 100-mile house idea was a way to help her reduce the impact of building her home. She built with the smallest footprint possible (within municipal regulations) with approx. 1000 square feet of living space and she shares the land with her sister who also built a small home next door. Together they share the driveway, well, septic, and electricity, and they also protected the rest of the 5-acre property since it is a biodiverse area with several species of endangered wildflowers found there.

Of course it was impossible to source absolutely everything from within 100 miles, but Briony and her team of builders did an impressive job with this green building! They sourced recycled insulation and they salvaged slate shingles, wood floors, wainscotting, sinks and bathtubs, and even worked with a salvage tug boat to retrieve and mill logs that constantly wash up on the BC shoreline. To reduce the impact of the concrete they had to use in the foundation slab, they worked with a concrete specialist to come up with a mix that would include fly ash, which is a by-product from coal and steam plants.

We found Briony's 100-mile house to be a timely and important reminder that we as consumers have a big say in the materials that are used to build our homes. And we can choose to build smaller, and with quality materials that will last.

Thank you so much for watching!

Mat & Danielle

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CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.

Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives

Filming Credits:
Mat of Exploring Alternatives

[db]

For 1000 sq feet, it gives the impression of looking like a mansion. Very nice home.

[robatsea]

This looks like the most comfortable house ever.

[ellentea]

I’m in awe of the thoughtful process that built this home.

[jenniferwhite]

Salt Spring Island is a truly beautiful special place. I live on the Sunshine Coast of BC on hwy 101. Near the beginning or end of it. Depending on how you look at in. There is really something very special about this part of the world. The palm trees, the giant first, cedar, pine and balsam trees. Oh and Arbutus trees are my favorite. I love finding broken off Arbutus branches after a storm, drying them out and using them in my home. There are so many logs on the beaches around here that could be salvaged if someone was so inclined. I think your home is incredible and I like how your personality and environment shine in your home. Thank you for sharing. From a fellow Canadian ~Jennifer 😊🇨🇦

[Raynor]

This isn't a house. It's a HOME! I'd love to get the blueprints for this lovely home. I have watched about 1000+ videos on living "tiny" and eco-friendly and this is the only house I'd want to live in.

[earthrider]

What a gorgeous woman, respecting the Earth is priority.
Respect 🌿

[fullmooninbloom]

Some are commenting that anything is possible with money. Newsflash: no great work is possible without a vision! Kudos to this women for inspiring me on my journey!

[daoshen]

I really love the producers put the people in the story up front -- allowing them to tell the story with minimal editorial. Brilliant!

[jennymcnamara]

I only wish we got a full tour of the gardens and the bedrooms too! I think this might be my dream house tbh

[rorirm]

I really like the mix of wood and plaster in the interior. Just plain wood walls would be boring. This is a beautiful house, and she is a very soft spoken lady.

[saxahainerz]

Very pretty home, it feels warm and cozy! It gives a peaceful vibe.

[Lena-mjkr]

This looks like a perfect home for quarantine, it looks so cosy I wouldn't want to leave it anyway.

[jeremynv]

I can truthfully say that I could live in this house for the rest of my life. It's paradise.

[mistycampbell]

Im literally crying- how amazing she is!!! i love how she loves our Mother 🌹beautiful home too☺

[mariaathena]

Now that's an aesthetically pleasing, green and sustainable house 100%🏡👏👏👏👏

[benp]

I loved the walls that absorbed the heat and keep the house warm. So much money and energy saving.

[zackaryfender]

Another lovely home. I think the idea of building smaller but with greater quality is fantastic as well. I'm sick of seeing cookie cutter houses that are 2, 000+ square feet and lack warmth and originality.

[buddyneher]

What a gorgeous, cozy, character-filled space! A great pleasure for the eyes and also the soul. Thank you for this!

[magnolia]

Such a cozy home. I remember people putting water recyclers in their houses quite a few years ago. Salvaging and recycling is the way to go. The wood in some old houses is stronger than the wood today.

[SoCalFreelance]

After watching many of these videos over the years I find that artistic folks make the most awe inspiring homes, tiny or not.