About Evolve Builders

This living roof is a model of sustainablility

Sustainable Building Research

True to its name, Evolve Builders Group constantly pushes the natural limits of the building envelope and sustainable building.

We are sought out as partners for our combined leading-edge knowledge and practical experience in sustainable building practices. Our recent collaborations with academic and government researchers have included assisting in the development of northern-climate rainwater harvesting devices, gathering data on the weather-appropriateness of various straw bale plaster finishes and implications of grey water recycling devices in an urban context.

Perhaps our most well-known sustainable building research and demonstration project is Home Alive!™ – The House that Thinks, Drinks and Breathes. Designed by Evolve founder Ben Polley, this fully autonomous house was originally erected entirely by volunteers inside Toronto’s Exhibition Hall as a key feature of the National Home Show in 2003. After an incredible reception by tens of thousands of show attendees, Home Alive!™ welcomes hundreds more guests each year during its open houses at its now permanent location, the Everdale Environmental Learning Center.