Wintergreen Studios
Encyclopedia
Wintergreen Studios is a wilderness education and retreat center in southeastern Ontario, Canada. Year round facilities at Wintergreen are off-the-grid
, and use straw-bale construction
and cordwood construction
. Wintergreen hosts gardening and wilderness programs for youth, workshops on a local and international scale (past educators include: Lorna Crozier
and Helen Humphreys
). Wintergreen also promotes community and corporate mindful living by offering sustainable facilities for meetings, concerts, and retreats designed around principles of place-based education
. The eight buildings on the 204 acre site, part of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve were designed by Rena Upitis, Professor of Education and former Dean of Education at Queens University. Rena is an authority on architecture and learning and directs Wintergreen as a not-for-profit education, research, and retreat center. Research partners include Queen's University, Concordia University, and The Royal Conservatory.
. A 3KW Solar Voltaic array and Solar hot water heater make use of southern light and the building features, including R-40 insulation, clerestory windows, and considerable thermal mass from the plastered walls and concrete foundation. One wing is sheltered with an earth-covered living roof. Recycled barn beams are featured in the design. Natural materials found on the Wintergreen site are used, such as stone, wood, and earth. "Other reclaimed and repurposed materials abound in the lodge and outbuildings: discarded copper roofing, fence posts, broken pottery, glass, cedar fence rails, stone and even plants from the surrounding meadow that adorn the living roofs." A peat-based septic system is used for sewage treatment and management.
Official website: http://www.wintergreenstudios.com
Off-the-grid
The term off-the-grid or off-grid refers to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities....
, and use straw-bale construction
Straw-bale construction
Straw-bale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both...
and cordwood construction
Cordwood construction
Cordwood construction is a term used for a natural building method in which "cordwood" or short pieces of debarked tree are laid up crosswise with masonry or cob mixtures to build a wall.-Construction:Walls are usually constructed such that the pieces of wood are "proud" of...
. Wintergreen hosts gardening and wilderness programs for youth, workshops on a local and international scale (past educators include: Lorna Crozier
Lorna Crozier
Lorna Crozier is a Canadian poet and holds the Head Chair in the Writing Department at the University of Victoria....
and Helen Humphreys
Helen Humphreys
Helen Humphreys is a Canadian poet and novelist who has written several books. She was born in London, England, and now lives in Kingston, Ontario. When she was younger she was kicked out of high school and had to attend an alternative school to finish her education...
). Wintergreen also promotes community and corporate mindful living by offering sustainable facilities for meetings, concerts, and retreats designed around principles of place-based education
Place-based education
Place-based education, sometimes called pedagogy of place, place-based learning, experiential education, community-based education, education for sustainability, environmental education or more rarely, service learning, is an educational philosophy developed initially by The Orion Society, a...
. The eight buildings on the 204 acre site, part of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve were designed by Rena Upitis, Professor of Education and former Dean of Education at Queens University. Rena is an authority on architecture and learning and directs Wintergreen as a not-for-profit education, research, and retreat center. Research partners include Queen's University, Concordia University, and The Royal Conservatory.
History
Wintergreen Studios was founded in 2007 by five founding directors. Rena Upitis serves as President and CEO. Wintergreen Studios was granted charitable status in July 2008, and programming began late in 2008.Environmentally Friendly Practices
The lodge is built from locally grown straw using straw-bale constructionStraw-bale construction
Straw-bale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both...
. A 3KW Solar Voltaic array and Solar hot water heater make use of southern light and the building features, including R-40 insulation, clerestory windows, and considerable thermal mass from the plastered walls and concrete foundation. One wing is sheltered with an earth-covered living roof. Recycled barn beams are featured in the design. Natural materials found on the Wintergreen site are used, such as stone, wood, and earth. "Other reclaimed and repurposed materials abound in the lodge and outbuildings: discarded copper roofing, fence posts, broken pottery, glass, cedar fence rails, stone and even plants from the surrounding meadow that adorn the living roofs." A peat-based septic system is used for sewage treatment and management.
External links
Kingston Whig Standard article: http://www.kingstonwhigstandard.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1748439Official website: http://www.wintergreenstudios.com