Greening our Heritage…Past and Future

Guelph area architect/planner Charles Simon’s home/office is in the news again*. The April issue of Harrowsmith magazine features his recycling of the “vertical pile of rubble” left by the second major fire which occurred in 1997 and appeared to have finally spelled the end of the fine 1842 Eden Mills landmark. “Why don’t you let us put a ball to it and we’ll build you a nice new stone house” was the unanimous response of local builders.

Over two phases and twenty five years of on and off efforts, Charles and his wife have fashioned
first a residence and more recently an office, studio and apartment within the scarred stone walls which demonstrate that new life can be infused into even heavily damaged historic buildings. What’s more, the project is a demonstration of Charles’ philosophy of “future heritage”. “The heritage handed down by our forebears enriches immensely our lives and communities” says Simon “but a further challenge is to fashion contemporary yet timeless buildings which our grand-children will cherish and above all point to a more sustainable future”.

The mill project seeks to accomplish just that. The new construction integrates a variety of advanced low energy, ‘green’ environmental features while preserving the integrity of the historic remains.

From Canada’s first engineered passive solar house (1973-4 in Arkell, Ontario) to cutting edge designs for a complex of buildings at the Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA’s Environmental Learning Centre and the design of new cities, Simon has established an international reputation in environmental design. However, he says that he is becoming increasingly drawn to Thoreau’s question “what is the use of a house if you have not got a decent planet to put it on”.

The editorial accompanying the Harrowsmith article cites him as one of the first voices not only critical of urban sprawl but offering solutions. While it has been stated that in the developed world buildings consume half the energy we generate and contribute half the CO² emissions, Charles maintains that “by far the greater problem is the sprawling, highly subsidised patterns of development which are totally unsustainable environmentally and fiscally”. This is leading him back to a renewed interest in his second profession of planning.

“So much NIMBYism arises from a fear of greater densities, and yet some of the most sublime and livable environments are surprisingly compact” he adds. Whether in central cities or rural villages, he intends to place an increasing emphasis in his work on illustrating that more sustainable development patterns can also be more affordable and attractive.



• Previously described in the Toronto Star 31. May 2003; The Halton Compass ?2003;
The New Tanner 11. October 2001.