Findings

After a hectic week of compiling data, writing reports and defining my direction I can take a wee break and update the blog.

My findings, such as they are, reside here:
http://www.fletcherdesignlab.ca/HLG/ResearchReport.pdf
9.9MB

and here:

http://www.fletcherdesignlab.ca/HLG/DesignBrief.pdf
763KB

but those are big long documents, so here is an executive, executive summary...

many problems with growing.
many opportunities.

there is need. there is demand.
Efficiencies improve with larger structures.
There are some impressive material options, but cost is a limiting factor.
People seemed inclined to share their facilities, but wish for some autonomy in this.

I concluded that as a solution (there may be many) I would focus on a material/structure approach to provide insulation value at a low cost. It would allow sunlight through. This material/structure would be shown in the context of a public facility.

There are other approaches, like energy generation rather than efficiency, that look promising in some locations. Wind power looks like an option, but one that would work better at a community scale than an individual one. And there are other things which could be done, like making bio-diesel from algae-based scrubbers attached to the diesel fuel generators, which may make a little bit of energy. Both of these looked like interesting tangents, but I have researched the viability only a little.

yet to do:

materials ideas + research
prototyping a material
testing
drafting a proposal for a public project (as this falls WELL outside of my knowledge it will be only a very rough draft)
making visuals etc. for presentation.

there may be a few more surveys ;) and there will definitely be some pictures.
but now, to the drawing board!

-Carl