The B. Love kitchens are housed in the Green Cottage, in Hamilton’s Bayfront Area. A stone’s throw from the rejuvenated waterfront, the cottage is fittingly located on the street named after Hamilton’s first Mayor. The house has many interesting features, including :
the recovery of used wood
- Internal trim made entirely of reused wood that would have been destined for the landfill
- The Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Hobo Hardware, Mr. Used and the local thrift shops have been common sources for most of the remaining finish materials
- Shelves throughout the house have been made using church pews and kneelers
in – home functionality
- The home is open concept. There are only two doors inside the house. One is rounded like a barrel, the other is a pocket door
- On the first floor, the kitchen is a certified in-house raw food catering business organized by Barbara Maccaroni from www.blove.ca
- The basement is not heated, and operates as a cold-room during all seasons. One room is designed to stay extra cool year-round, and store food goods
- The second level is open concept, and serves as an office for Peter Ormond, environmental consultant with eco5.ca
energy management – conservation
- Six inches of insulation (exsulation) are located on the outside of the house, and finished with a layer of stucco. This moderates the temperature of the home throughout the year. As a result, the air conditioner is no longer required and has been removed.
- A number of other household appliances have been removed. The stove and microwave have been replaced by a small hot plate. The clothes dryer has been replaced by natural air drying racks.
- The natural gas supply has been canceled and the front house gas meter removed.
- A solar air heating panel is being reviewed for installation on the front of the house. Future heat will be strictly electric from the de-hydrators used to prepare the raw food, and space heating as necessary.
- All electricity is purchased through Bullfrog Power, and is hence 100% renewable.
- A solar hot water system is scheduled to be installed on the roof in July 2009. This will allow for the election hot water tank to be turned off for six months of the year
outside features
- Asphalt that once covered the entire front and partial backyard was removed by pick-axe, and replaced with garden space and permeable surfaces to reduce rainfall runoff.
- The backyard garden features a variety of home-grown organic vegetables and fruits.
- A cob oven and bench have been constructed in the yard to house fires for cooking of pizza, bread and other nourishing items. This has been masterminded by earth artist Martyn Kendrick (www.labyrinthkeys.com)
- Rainbarrels have been set-up in the front and the back of the house to catch rainwater from the downspouts. This in turn is used for irrigation of plants and vegetables.
- A green sedum roof has been installed on the back shed and provides a surface for vegetation growth
