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Thursday, 27 June 2013

Practical Steps to Create a Small Indoor Ecosystem: Lunch and Learn Workshop, July 9

When: Tuesday, July 9, 2013, 12-2 pm
Where: Chef of India Restaurant
Location: 1415 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4T 1Y7

We would like to invite everybody to attend this exiting lunch and learn workshop.

Luncheon: Practical Steps to Create a Small Indoor Ecosystem

Tuesday, July 9, 2013, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Chef of India Restaurant

1415 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario M4T 1Y7

Here is some event details from Eventbrite site:

The Lunch & Learn: Hydroponics Plants for House Ecosystem (cost $20)

Due to great interest following the June 11 presentation by PeapodLife, we are bringing back Wolfgang Amelung, Indoor Rainforest Ecosystem Inventor, to elaborate on the practical steps needed to create small indoor ecosystem projects.

Learn easy-to-implement tips to begin transforming the potted plants in your home from generators of harmful VOC’s into little engines of living air purification.

Please register at no charge, we are not charging for the workshop but only for lunch expenses.

Menu: All you can eat from large Buffet of Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Exclusive items, such as whole-wheat tandoori Nan, bean sprout salads and no-chili lentil curry.

Cost: $20 inclusive of taxes and service charges.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me:

Max Haroon
Founder, Life Transformation Institute
info@life-transformation-institute.org
Tel: 416-891-4937

Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Partners in Project Green: Reaching New Heights in Sustainable Value Creation

Collage: GTAA Partners in Project Green 2013 & Strategies for The Green Economy


"A growing number of companies are finding pathways to a more sustainable future. No one tells this story better than Joel Makower, whose Strategies for the Green Economy charts the course for a new era of business, one in which forward-looking companies are creating products and services that aren't just greener, but serve their customers better. This is critical reading for anyone who seeks to understand where tomorrow's economic winners are going."
~ William K. Reilly, founding partner, Aqua International Partners, and former administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Partners in Project Green to Announce New Strategic Direction at 2013 Annual General Meeting

Partners in Project Green 2013 AGM

Beyond low hanging fruit: reaching new heights in sustainable value creation 

Thursday, June 6, 2013, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport - Built Green from the Bottom Up!
Address: 3311 Caroga Drive, Mississauga, ON L4V 1A3


JOIN PARTNERS IN PROJECT GREEN FOR ITS ANNUAL COCKTAIL RECEPTION TO:

Network with fellow business leaders
Launch Partners in Project Green into the future with its new strategic direction
Reach new heights in business excellence

Partners in Project Green invites you to join us as we celebrate the achievements of companies in the Pearson Eco-Business Zone during 2012 and learn about the new direction Partners in Project Green is taking with the completed Strategy Update.

Keynote Address: Joel Makower
Chairman and Executive Editor of GreenBiz Group Inc.
Author, Strategies for the Green Economy


Joel Makower provides insight and inspiration about how companies — and their customers and stakeholders — are shifting their view of how sustainability fits in the business agenda.

Sustainable business has come a long way, from "doing well by doing good" and "doing the right thing" to addressing risk, increasing resilience in a dynamic world, and serving as a platform for innovation. At the same time, a convergence of technologies is enabling companies and industries to accelerate efficiencies while creating new products and services.

For more information, please contact Alexandra Papaiconomou at apapaiconomou@trca.on.ca or by phone at 416-661-6600 ext. 5930.

GTAA Partners in Project Green

About Partners in Project Green
Partners in Project Green is a growing community of businesses working together to green their bottom line by creating an internationally-recognized Eco-Business Zone around Toronto Pearson.  Through new forms of business to business collaboration, Partners in Project Green delivers programming that helps businesses reduce energy and resource costs, uncover new business opportunities, and address everyday operational challenges in a green and cost effective manner. www.partnersinprojectgreen.com


About Joel Makower
For 25 years, Joel has been a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. The Associated Press has called him "The guru of green business practices." In addition to to his role in GreenBiz Group Inc., Joel also serves as a senior strategist for GreenOrder, a sustainability management consultancy, and is co-founder of Clean Edge, a cleantech research firm. He is author of more than a dozen books, including Strategies for the Green Economy. He also writes “Two Steps Forward” (readjoel.com), a popular blog on green business.

Photo: Launching Partners in Project Green
Members of the Partners in Project Green Steering Committee launch Partners in Project Green.
From right to left – Eric Lange (Lange Transportation), Neil Lacheur (Bentall Real Estate), Ernie Springolo (Bayer Inc.), Anne Tennier (Maple Leaf Foods), John Coyne (Unilever), Bob Delaney (MPP Mississauga Streetsville), Fergie Devins (Molson), Maria Augimeri (City of Toronto), John Gerretsen (Ontario Minister of the Environment), Susan Fennell (City of Brampton Mayor), Emil Kolb (Region of Peel Chair), Brian Denney (TRCA), Lloyd McCoomb (GTAA), Carman McClelland (Brampton Board of Trade), Sheldon Leiba (Mississauga Board of Trade), Mark O’Connor (Kuehne and Nagel) and Toby Lennox (GTAA).

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Gala Salutes Green Innovation and Inspires Consumer Education - Keynote Speaker Raises the Importance of Greening Consumers "in the Home"
Wo-Built attended the annual gala awards ceremony of Partners in Project Green (PPG). This networking organization helps businesses reduce energy and resource costs, uncover new business opportunities, and address everyday operational challenges in a green and cost-effective manner.

wobuilt.com/blog: Carbon Neutral Neighbourhood Project Launch in Toronto

trca.on.ca: Partners in Project Green to Announce New Strategic Direction at 2013 Annual General Meeting
Toronto and Region Conservation for The Living City: New Sustainable Business Leaders Emerge from the Pearson Eco-Business Zone
Media Advisory June 04, 2013

newswire.ca: Media Advisory - Partners in Project Green to Announce New Strategic Direction at 2013 Annual General Meeting

GTAA Partners in Project Green: Partners in Project Green 2013 AGM - Beyond low hanging fruit: reaching new heights in sustainable value creation 

Thursday, 30 May 2013

Your Healthy Home: Learn about Indoor Ecosystem for Your House Health

Screenshot: eventful in Toronto 
The Lunch and Learn: Ecosystem for Your House Health
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at Chef of India Restaurant
1415 Yonge St. Toronto, Ontario M4T 1Y7


We would like to invite everybody to attend this exiting talk about ecosystems

Lunch and Learn: Ecosystem for Your House Health

Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Chef of India Restaurant

1415 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario M4T 1Y7

Here is some event details from Eventbrite site:
Lunch and Learn: Ecosystem for Your House Health

Come meet visionary Indoor Ecosystem Inventor, Engineer and Master Botanist Wolfgang Amelung and PeapodLife Project Director Attila Lendvai as they share their secrets to a more relaxed, aware, healthy and human way of living.

Easy-to-implement tips to begin transforming the potted plants in your home or workspace from generators of harmful VOC’s into little engines of air purification. Attila will share some secret insights connecting the wisdom of ecosystemic living from present day back to the mystery schools of ancient Egypt…and beyond. http://www.peapodlife.com/

A mystery guest from USA will talk about role of renewal energies in your home.

Menu: All You Can Eat
From a large Buffet of Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
Exclusive items, such as whole-wheat tandoori nan, bean sprout salads and no-chili lentil curry.

Cost: $20
Inclusive of tea/cofee, taxes, service charges

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me:

Max Haroon | Founder | Life Transformation Institute
Tel: 416-891-4937 | info@life-transformation-institute.org

PS: Please arrive early at 11:30 am for private networking.
Promote this event on your website or your emails http://ecosystem-partner.eventbrite.com

Come and get some insight on things that you have never thought of before, and get some knowledge of ecosystems!

Building Applications for Better Living, photo-collage, images credit: MS Office Clip Art
Collage: Building Applications for Better Living
Images Credit: MS Office Clip Art
Update:
Please find some photos and notes from this luncheon  in a PeapodLife's article: Indoor Ecosystem Promotes Life Transformation.

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Why Go Green with Plants?
The Benefits of Indoor Garden Living Spaces

wobuilt.com/blog: The Next Big Thing in “Cleansing” ... Your House; House Plants
The next big thing in health and wellness may be to cleanse our home environment.

wobuilt.com/blog: Peapod Life: Applications for Better Living
At Peapod Life, our motto is pretty simple: gone are the days of dead structures providing shelter for living things. Now is the time for living structures that support life…all life…Peapod Life.

wobuilt.com/blog: Toxic Indoor Environments Require Advanced Human Habitat
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Nature Deficit Syndrome (NDS), Seasonal Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Greenhouse Gasses (GHGs), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)… the problems associated with indoor space as-is (non-habitat) are numerous and toxic: physically and psychologically. The Antidote is Advanced Human Habitat (“AHH…”).

cmhc-schl.gc.ca: CMHC: Indoor Air Quality
The need for clean air in our homes should not be underestimated. Canadians spend an average of 90% of their time inside; and our homes contain many substances that may be hazardous to our health. Indoor air pollutants range from minor irritants such as dust and animal dander, to major irritants such as molds and chemical vapours that may be emitted from building materials and furnishings. It is important to be aware of how air contaminants can affect our health and to adopt corrective measures that will improve indoor air quality in our homes.
 

genetronsystems.com: Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building Syndrome
Many homes have poor air quality. Some experts say the air in private homes may be worse than in public buildings. Heavily polluted air, especially in urban areas, as well as the air‑tight environments in today's energy‑efficient, better‑insulated buildings, contribute to this situation.
by Wolfgang Amelung

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Doors Open Toronto 2013: Our Top Buildings to Visit Creators, Makers and Innovators #DOT13

Doors Open Toronto is a celebration of the City's built heritage.
Explore Toronto's Buildings May 25-26, 2013
City of Toronto: Doors Open Toronto


As every year we are looking forward to Doors Open Toronto, especially as this year there are quite a few Green buildings on the list. The Green Doors Open initiative run by the Canada Green Building Council – Greater Toronto Chapter and the Clean Air Partnership to increase awareness of the benefits of green buildings in our region.

Every year new buildings are added to the already substantial list and it is great to see so many architectural interesting buildings in Toronto. Unfortunately we can only highlight a few.  Our top five picks for this year are all from the Green Building Series, not surprising since our emphasis is green and sustainable  building.

The selected buildings range from new to old, different styles and different green elements, but they all sparked our interest.


Daniel Spectrum
Daniels Spectrum is an exciting new cultural landmark in the heart of the Regent Park Revitalization.
Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects, 2012
Address: 585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7

George Brown College Waterfront Campus - NEW!
The new Waterfront Campus is a beautiful state-of-the-art facility built specifically for George Brown Health Sciences students.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, 2012
Address: 51 Dockside Dr, Toronto, ON M5A 0B6

Hugh Garner Housing Co-Op
The Hugh Garner Green Roof tops a 181-unit, 8 storey residential building in Cabbagetown.
Architect: Klein & Sears, 1981
Address: 550 Ontario St, Toronto, ON M4X 1X3

Miller Lash House - NEW!
The Miller Lash House is a classic design in the craftsman principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement (ACM).
Architect: Edward B. Greene, Buffalo, NY, 1913
Address: 130 Old Kingston Rd, Toronto, ON M1E 3J5

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
Newly renovated four-storey, 30,000 square foot office building, is the headquarters for Native Child and Family Services of Toronto.
Architect: Levitt Goodman Architects Ltd., 2010
Address: 30 College St, Toronto, ON M5G 1K2


We will report back on our site visit in the next posting.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Doors Open Toronto Architectural and Design Studio Self Guided Tour Map; May 25, 2013

You may also like to read the following articles:

wobuilt.com/blog: Doors Open Toronto 2012: Our Picks from #DOT12
May 8, 2012 – Doors Open Toronto is back, this time celebrating 200 years of Toronto City History. There are some amazing buildings to be visited, from ...

wobuilt.com/blog: Doors Open Toronto – Humber College Arboretum
May 31, 2011 – Photos: Doors Open Toronto – Humber Arboretum May 28, 2011 @ wobuilt.

wobuilt.com/blog: Doors Open Toronto 2011 Featuring City in Focus: Architecture + Photography
May 5, 2011 – One of the must-see events in May is Doors Open Toronto. This inspiring urban exploration is our busman's holiday and it's a brilliant occasion ...

wobuilt.com/blog: Our Busman's Holiday: Doors Open Toronto

Thursday, 25 April 2013

Living Wall Ecosystem gives new life to Green Living Show

Photo: PeapodLife's at The Green Living Show
Sharing a booth with Young Urban Farmers and Cultivate Toronto
Toronto, Direct Energy Centre, April 12-14, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

Attendees of Green Living Show experience first hand the beauty and power of PeapodLife’s Advanced Human Habitat

A little over 10 days ago, the 2013 Green Living Show was held at the Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. PeapodLife was there, sharing a booth with Young Urban Farmers. 


Photo: PeapodLife's at The Green Living Show
Sharing a booth with Young Urban Farmers and Cultivate Toronto
Toronto, Direct Energy Centre, April 12-14, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

PeapodLife showcased one of its self-contained ecosystems, a customized “Angolo” unit (one with a light but not the full canopy enclosure) which allowed visitors to the booth to get up close and personal with the ecosystem.



Photo: PeapodLife's at The Green Living Show
Sharing a booth with Young Urban Farmers and Cultivate Toronto
Toronto, Direct Energy Centre, April 12-14, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

Visitors were taken by the beauty of the living wall ecosystem, including varieties of orchids, bromeliads, and moss. Standing next to it, they could also feel the fresh air bellowing off of it. No easy feat for a relatively small ecosystem, considering the enormous space of the Direct Energy Centre.

Under normal circumstances—in a home, condo, small office or retail space, an Angolo ecosystem would filter impurities from the atmosphere and eventually fill the entire space with fresh, clean air.


Photo: PeapodLife's at The Green Living Show
Sharing a booth with Young Urban Farmers and Cultivate Toronto
Toronto, Direct Energy Centre, April 12-14, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

We were happy to share a booth with Young Urban Farmers, and are looking forward to seeing how the efforts of our non-profit research partners focused on ecosystem-based organic food and pure water production will dovetail with Toronto’s urban cultivation movement.

Together, we will show the world that there is a viable alternative to the industrial agri-business monolith.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
Project Director
PeapodLife - Advanced Human Habitat via Building EcoSystems & Technology

links:
Green Renovations: Sharing Experiences and Lessons Learned
Join Building Industry and Land Development Association for this informative case study approach as panelists share their experiences on small, medium and large "green" renovation projects
Wo-Built: Green Additions with Indoor Gardens a Big Hit at Home and Green Living Shows
Going Green in the City: Building and Renovating with "Being Green" in Mind:
Part 1 - Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
Part 2 - Going Green Is Becoming Mainstream
Part 3 - Living Rooftops - An Environmental Alternative for "Green" Building
Home Renovation Tip: Donate Reusable Items to Non-For-Profit Organizations
Interesting Reading: Government Help for Going Green in Homes

Thursday, 4 April 2013

The Living Wall - What a Beautiful Addition to The Property Show!

PeapodLife's Booth at Property Show Toronto 2013, photo by Olga Goubar
Photo: PeapodLife's Booth at The Property Show
Toronto, The Hyatt Regency, March 30, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

"An Informative & Affordable Show for Anyone Interested in Real Estate Investment"

A great summary of our time at The Property Show was given in our article Real Estate Developers and Investors Marvel at Indoor Ecosystem, and I would like personally to thank Valleyview Gardens and Menagerie Pet Shop for their generosity in making the ecosystem happen and of course Kelly and Robert from The Property Show for taking so good care of us.

PeapodLife at Property Show Toronto 2013, photo by Olga Goubar
Photo: PeapodLife at The Property Show
Toronto, The Hyatt Regency, March 30, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

We had a great time meeting many interesting people. I had a very lengthy talk with Harry Stinson about his projects and about alternative funding models for real estate with Fortress Real Capital. Fascinating.

Our Project Director Attila Lendvai was interviewed by Dave Grossman of All talk TV and Gary Nusca of The Market ICI World Real Estate Network. Thank you Shannon Murree of Remax Chay Realty Inc Brokerage and TheRedPin Team for tweeting about us.

Thank you also to the many people who loved the ecosystem and inspired us with their comments.

PeapodLife's Booth at Property Show Toronto 2013, photo by Olga Goubar
Photo: PeapodLife's Booth at The Property Show
Toronto, The Hyatt Regency, March 30, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have a living wall ecosystem at all trade shows?

It was wonderful to share the experience to be close to one of our living wall ecosystems with so many attendees. When I first saw the ecosystems made by our partner Genetron Systems I fell in love with them because I saw healthy orchids growing in them (I cannot keep orchids alive to save the day). I loved the vibrancy, the healthy looking plants and of course the fish.

But until the show I hadn’t had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the vicinity of an indoor ecosystem. What an eye opener. Knowing that the system has health benefits by producing fresh air and water and experiencing them are two different matters.

PeapodLife's Living Wall Ecosystem at Property Show Toronto 2013, photo by Olga Goubar
Photo: PeapodLife's Living Wall Ecosystem at The Property Show
Toronto, The Hyatt Regency, March 30, 2013
2013 @ wobuilt.com

The indoor vertical garden ecosystem not only looked amazing, but it also produced noticeable fresh air in a very short period of time. Within a couple of hours it formed a fresh air bubble around the unit which was experienced by a lot of visitors to our booth. It gave us well needed boosts of energy through-out the day. Tradeshow days are long and physically demanding, but due to the ecosystem I still felt more energetic at the end of it than usual.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a living wall ecosystem at all trade-shows where you could spend quality regenerative time with nature without having to go outside?

But musing aside, the living wall ecosystems are a must for indoor spaces especially in urban environments. The air produced by the plants is better and purer than the fresh air intake from outside. Just imagine the boost for productivity, physical energy and general well being.

Please contact us for more information.

Martina Ernst
President
PeapodLife - Advanced Human Habitat via Building EcoSystems & Technology




Published by David Grossman on Mar 31, 2013
David Grossman from ALLTalkTV.com and Gary Nusca from http://www.iciworld.net
talk with Attila Lendvai about Advanced Human Habitat
at The Property Show - http://www.thepropertyshow.ca/
For more information go to http://peapodlife.com/
For more shows, go to: http://www.alltalktv.com
Category: Education

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Newly Renovated Natural Health Centre Helps Create a Warm, Homey Environment

Natural Health Center - a commercial renovation by Wo-Built, photo wobuilt.com
Photo: Wo-Built’s  Commercial Renovation
Natural Health Center: New  Treatment  Spaces and  Resource Centre

"My interest in nature began early.
When I was 3, I refused to leave a park because I had to pick ALL the dandelions (just imagine a sea of yellow).
 
My current ambition is to help others to use the power of nature to feel their best.
And to love dandelions as much as I do.  ;-)"

~ Janet McKenzie, Summit Natural Health Centre

Welcome to the Newly Renovated Natural Health Centre

We were privileged to work with Ms Janet McKenzie, ND on her new offices for her Summit Natural Health Centre at 5133 Dundas Street West.

The original use for the space was a sales office for the adjacent condo building, hence we were lucky in being able to reuse a lot of the services (HVAC, Fire/Safety, and Lighting) with minor alterations.

As our mandate is to be green, we also reused as much of the existing finishes (doors, carpet (good quality, almost new), and bathroom fixtures) as we could to lessen the amount of materials that went into the landfill.

Our scope of work included adding several consulting rooms and adding a second bathroom. We had some surprises during the renovations, no renovation is without, but we resolved them in some innovative ways. More of that in a later post.

We were able to help create a warm homey environment for the Health Centre, very much on the lines Ms McKenzie envisaged. Something we feel is very important in a health and wellness environment. A calming and relaxing atmosphere will help ease minds, make clients comfortable and facilitate the journey to wellness.

Summit Natural Health Centre is now open. For more information about natural therapies and treatments please contact the Centre.


Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Medical Facilities - Building Image and Branding of Your Spaces
Wo-Built’s Commercial Renovation Project Naturopathic Office

wobuilt.com/blog: Health & Wellness Professionals: You wouldn’t let just anyone Run your Practice; Why let just anyone Remodel your Premises?
The bottom-line: we are nothing without our health. Wo-Built could mean everything to the health and wellness of your practice.


Commercial Renovation by Wo-Built: Natural Health Center, photo wobuilt.com
Photo: Wo-Built’s  Commercial Renovation
Natural Health Center: New  Treatment  Spaces and  Reception Area

About Summit Natural Health Centre
Summit Natural Health Centre is a multi-disciplinary clinic focusing on natural medicine. Our mission is to provide individualized care supported by resources that allow clients and members of the community to learn about health and natural treatments.
Summit offers practitioners' rooms in newly renovated premises located in an area with excellent potential for growth.

Summit Natural Health Center
5133 Dundas Street West
Etobicoke, ON M9A 1C1
Phone: 416-236-7642
E-mail: contactus@summitnaturalhealth.ca
Facebook: Summit Natural Health Centre 
Web: www.summitnaturalhealth.ca