Cambridge Grand House

My apologies once again for the lack of blogging this week. It is after-all college "reading-week" here in Ontario. (Yes, for our foreign readers, Ontario get's its "Spring Break" while there's still snow on the ground...) Well one reason the blog went un-updated was a brief road-trip through the core of Southern Ontario. On this trip we came across something just simply bizarre that I just had to share, so here that is:

The Grand House             .

Humans are getting pretty good at living just about anywhere, but this idea was more grand than that. Students of Architecture and Design put together a magnificent piece of engineering and eco-friendly building when this house was made. Know to locals as the "Grand House", and to passerby's as the "OMG, What is that thing...that's so cool! House," this project was actually quite the feat!

The Grand House Student Co-operative
   [ ðə ˈgrænd haʊs ˈstudnt koʊˈɒpərətɪv ]
  noun
1. A sustainable, straw-bale house in downtown Cambridge, Ontario, purpose-built for students, by students.
2. The first new student housing co-op in Canada since the 1970's.
3. Home.
Origin: Eng. First recorded use, 2004. Multiple derivation:
1. "My, what a GRAND idea!"  Wonderful or very pleasing; magnificent or splendid; noble or admirable in conception or intent.
2. Overlooking / adjacent to the Grand River.

To read more about the building of this house, how the student cooperative functions within, or just for more photos of the structure and how it came to be: click here. Their is even a blog from the students who live here to give you an idea of what it's like to live in an eco-friendly student coop that dangles precariously from the edge of a cliff.

Cheers to human ingenuity and incredible design! 
-D-
[GrandeHouse]