Planet-Era Action Inc.
Institute
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Société
Planet-Era Action Inc. Institute |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How did this project get started? Our genesis precedes Planet-Era
back to the mid 1970s when an oil embargo showed us how dependent we were
on fossil fuels. Before 1980 Ari & Jackie had what is now referred
to as a modern off grid home. The next milestone came in preparing for
the Energy producers exposition during the summer of 1989 when our current
project was designed. Construction got started in late 1990.
How is Planet Era organized? The organization a federally chartered
registered charity with a board of directors. It runs as a virtual corporation
with team members working out of their own homes to eliminate the need
for commuting and the expense of office space. Technologies are being tested
by our team before we recommend them.
Where do you get your funding? Originally we were funded by the
very deep pockets of Ari and Jackie Wloski. The project now runs with little
government assistance, not out of any particular philosophy but due to
the fact that grants do not go to technologies that reduce consumption
and therefore taxes collected. Following the example set by our leaders,
we invest our time in making a real difference and investing in our common
future. We also are shareholders when a technology is leased for eventual
commercialization and consulting services.
How do you choose projects and direction of research? When a persistent or pernicious
problem comes to our attention, we see if a simple and affordable solution
comes up in our brain storming sessions.
Do you seriously mean to tell me that solar energy will heat my home in a Winnipeg winter or are you counting on global warming to keep me from freezing? No, Virginia, there really is
sufficient heat in that old sun to keep us warm in Quebec, Manitoba or
anywhere as long as the formula is applied and design is followed. Several
members of our team live in homes whose principal source of heat is solar
even in winter. Our latest design will push the percentage of heat generated
to over 85% with no increase in owner activity or cost.
What other aspects of your project are currently ready for use? Aquaterrium, Grey water heat recovery,
Bio-shelter with Aqua cell, PherusGrass bio digestion and Folding panel
or pocket walls.
How interdependent are all those goodies you are working on? Each and any of our innovations
can work alone.
What other projects is Planet-Era working on? A symbiotic farming project combining aqua culture, hydroponics and multi-level greenhouses with a closed loop system for by-products and emissions. A feasibility study to examine planting industrial hemp under electrical transmission lines in order to reduce the use of herbicides and produce an infinitely sustainable source of fibre for paper production. Hogaz is a low tech solution to liquified malodorous
pig effluent in a closed loop system that converts it to methane gas. Using
existing technologies in new ways the main irritant of pork production
is turned into an energy source. There is also an associated project to
recoup restaurant waste as pig feed.
How much will we save if we choose to build the home ourselves? Depending how much of it would be
done by the owner builders, the structural framing savings would be between
38 to 45 percent. Depending on their confidence level the owner builders
can hire either a carpenter, a handy man or just an individual to help
with the lifting and carrying (a schlepper in the jewish vernacular of
colloquial lingo). Each one has a different price tag. Framing costs represents
about 60% of the finished costs of an eco-box type home or about 40% of
a more expensive building. The finished costs vary greatly depending on
the type of fixtures, cabinets, flooring, doors, windows, etc. The end
savings will be about 15% to the consumer when they build with our system,
depending how much of the electrical and plumbing they do themselves.
How many houses were built with your framing system?. There is no reliable data on that,
every year we get about two dozen requests for information packages. Not
all these people go on to the construction phase.
How long will it take to assemble all the parts and put up a shell? In most cases an inexperienced but
motivated crew (ideally 3 people) can put up a building in under a month.
Will polymorph structural framing work with non-load bearing straw bale? Polymorph works just like post and
beam solid timbers but at a fraction of the cost. The walls can be our
own panels, structural inflating, non-load bearing foam filled, conventional
stud or straw bale. I personally am not a great fan of the straw bale method
due to our experiences with it. If the straw gets wet it will form fungus
and mould which in spore form can be very dangerous. This happened to us
and it nearly killed my assistant (hospitalizing him) and gave me a milder
infection of the bronchial tubes. There are reports that identify these
problems from both CMHC and HUD (Housing and Urban Development (USA)).
How do I convince my spouse that your framing system is safe, were tests run? We ran a series of tests at McGill
university with the assistance of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation
under their Housing Technologies Incentives Program. In addition a longevity
study was conducted by the McGill and Concordia centre for building studies.
The purpose was to test the durability of the box beams, panels, posts,
pony walls and joinery, all passed with flying colours. Of course, the
best assurance is a visit to our own 6 story building and those of my neighbours.
Is a box beam more likely to fail in a fire? No. Box Beams have been used in over
a dozen buildings and there are 4 options to satisfy building codes and
assure the owners. 1- Treat exposed beams with an industrial fire retardant.
2-Wrap the beams with drywall. 3-Wrap the beams with fire code gypsum using
metal furring strips as spacers for a radiant barrier. 4-Place thin wood
strapping across the beams and cover with dry wall.
Earthquakes are a danger in our area and we want to build a wood framed home. Unfortunately it is unaffordable. Will the polymorph home offer the quake resistance of a conventional wood frame? A building suffers structural failure
when the quake reaches its resonance signature (steel, brick, concrete,
or wood will resonate differently). Our rigid beam with its interlocking
joinery grid and panels with a glue/nail bond of the sheathing produce
a structure will out-perform other structures under seismic loads. Modern
wood framed buildings have a well documented history of surviving earthquakes
when all others around them crumble.
Are there any publications on your technologies or training workshops? We have two books on Polymorph framing in the works. The
first is a how-to guide for owner builders with an accompanying video.
The second is an architect and engineer’s bible. We do run training workshops
during the construction of homes near our institute. We use a "sweat equity"
formula that allows for owner builders to get assistance with their projects
at the same time as gaining experience.
Do you have an internship program and what are the criteria for applicants? We are always looking for bright, creative people who
have demonstrated a penchant for simplified design and their ability to
adapt simple technologies in new ways. Artistic nature is a definite plus,
as is athletic ability and ability to travel. All applications should be
sent to us via e-mail, the address is ari@planet-era.ca.
Aside from schooling, please send independent projects you have completed.
The duration and timing of hands-on internships is flexible. We are also
running an apprentice housewright program that covers all 14 trades and
lasts 30 months.
How far in advance do I need to make an appointment to visit the site? Most days there are people working on Wentworth house,
but at least 48 hours would be appreciated.
Are there architects / engineers you can recommend to help with our project? Depending on the area, there are a number of professionals
with experience on our system. Your engineer or architect can call us,
and we will recommend one of them for consultation.
If we need additional assistance can you recommend anyone where we live? Some of our trainees are looking for short term jobs and
are willing to travel.
How can I get in contact with one of your clients who has a completed home? Tell us who you are and what you are planning to build
and we will find someone who built something similar.
We earn too much to qualify for Habitat for Humanity assistance but below what our banker would require. A friend heard that Planet-Era helped others in a similar predicament. Our mandate does permit assisting members of the institute
with their construction but we have no resources or any intention of expanding
on the Habitat for Humanity mandate. Members of our Institute usually work
on a project or two in order to obtain experience, other Planet-Era members
and interns are permitted to work on these projects but it is on their
own time.
Will city hall accept your design and what technical assistance can you provide to get the plans approved by our local building inspector? One of our two coming books will include a section on
how to get your plans through city hall, how to prepare the drawings and
all the reference sources to satisfy even the most conservative building
inspector.
In your old website we noticed that there was a list of various artist studios in the house you were showing, are they now history? The studios are still part of the project and will be
part of the integrated home design which includes artisan production facilities
in addition to offices.
I had never heard of Histomatrics before, what is it? Histomatrics is a clone of Econometrics where historical
trends are analysed to give us greater insight into what is to come. Both
disciplines depend on computer simulations to chart trends and plot probabilities.
Histomatrics utilizes mathematical models to project the most likely scenarios.
What accommodations and other attractions are in close proximity to the Wentworth Project? The site is located between Montreal and Ottawa on the east west axis, and between Lachute and Morin Heights on the north/south axis. Ottawa is our nation’s capitol with many attractions, museums and entertainment. Montreal is a world class entertainment centre. Lachute has a market every Tuesday that is a combination of county fair, where produce and live stock can be bought, and one of the greatest flea markets you’re likely to see. It covers a great many acres. Morin Heights has boutiques and factory outlets, galleries and small town charm a-plenty. Last, but not least is, the natural beauty of the lakes in the hollows of the boreal forest over Precambrian granite outcrops, which attracted us here in the first place. There also are many other examples of both our technology and other solar homes in the area. |
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For more information, please contact:Dr. Ari WloskiTel: (514) 484-5239 Fax: (514) 484-4152 4133 Northcliffe Avenue Montreal, QC Canada H4A 3L2 E-mail: ariwloski@hotmail.com |
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