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21 April 2010
Posted in
2) In Season .. for Spring!
The Nile House is a green building, and a great example of how eco-renovations can be undertaken while maintaining architectural integrity...
by Liz Cunningham, Owner (with Rod Malay, Green Designer, Archnet)
The "Nile House" is a Green Building
The "Nile House" is a green building and is a great example of how eco-renovations can be undertaken, while maintaining architectural integrity.
In part, it was constructed with recycled lumber and bricks, extracted from a partial deconstruction of the original building. Other features include:
- Cinder blocks were salvaged and used for a perimeter rainwater collection and planting system.
- The timber rafters were carefully removed from the original building, de-nailed and reused as studs for a 10-foot addition to the rear of the building.
- All new wall and floor structural materials and floor sheathing were constructed with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) lumber.
- Excavated earth was stored and later installed for the green roof.
- A geothermal pump system heats the building through in-floor radiant heat.
- Two drilled wells (each 360 feet deep) supply water by an open loop system.
- The wall system is stuccoed with traditional mortar cement to allow breatheability for a healthier building, with enhanced air quality.
Architectural Element with Social Value (Rod Malay, Designer)
The intent of the "Nile House", according to Rod Malay (Archnet), was not simply to "go green", it was and continues to be an architectural element with social value.
"When I found out that the ground floor space in the Nile House was available", said Liz Cunningham (Owner of Chez Tess Creperie), "I jumped at the opportunity". "I was born and raised in New York City where there are neighborhood restaurants everywhere."
Enhancing the Neighbourhood Restaurant Trend (Liz Cunningham, Owner, Chez Tess Creperie)
I loved the building and the location from the instant I saw it. I have always wanted to create a comfortable, warm, inviting space that people would enjoy coming to with friends to enjoy a good meal and perhaps a glass of wine.
When I first arrived in Halifax if you wanted to go out for a sit down dinner and a drink you had to go downtown. When Jane Wright opened Jane's on the Common, I believe the idea of the "neighborhood restaurant" began to take off.
Chez Tess has turned out to be exactly what I had hoped it would be; a warm, cozy neighborhood spot, with good food and a pleasant atmosphere. Tucked away in the heart of the North End, my hope is that I've created a spot where people in the neighborhood can walk to and enjoy a great dining experience. I believe the North End is experiencing a renaissance and I hope that Chez Tess will play a part in that."
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