Yellowknife (May 17/06) - Wayne Guy of Guy Architects thinks it's possible to build environmentally sound housing in the North and he has entered a national competition to prove it can be done.

The competition, held by Design Exchange in Toronto, gave Guy an opportunity to assemble a team and develop his Northern plans.

"If the North is going to thrive, it needs to be (getting) what it needs from its own back yard," said Guy.

The team consisted of Guy, mechanical engineer Dr. Paul Tinari, Chris Wong and landscape architect, Karen LeGresley Hamre of Avens Associates in Yellowknife.

Their design features a variety of low-tech, cost effective components, said Guy.

A concrete wall would retain heat from the sun which would be boosted by using ground source heat pumps, he said. Water recycling systems and composting toilets would also be included in the design.

"We are shooting for a house that can obtain its energy requirements without burning fossil fuels," said Guy.

The Northern sustainable home would be approximately 1,200 square feet, he said. Costs would vary depending on what part of the North the house was built in said Guy adding in Yellowknife it would be $192,000 to $216,000.

The City of Yellowknife needs to consider environmentally sustainable housing, said Karen LeGresley Hamre, who took part in the project as a landscape architect.

"These homes have to be a reality," she said. "We can't continue to create housing that contributes to global warming."

Yellowknife does support the idea of green homes said planning and lands manager Monte Christensen.

"The community energy planning committee is looking at these very questions regarding sustainability," he said.

The group's recommendations will part of the overall plan for development in the city.

Guy's sustainable home submission has reached the finals of the Design Exchange competition. The winner will be chosen in mid-June.

The model home that Guy's team created will also be on display at the prestigious Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. in the upcoming months.