About HavenCraft
We believe strongly in trying to minimize our impact on this earth...
- to build with materials that require less energy and resources to manufacture
- to waste as little as possible of those materials
- to build things properly, once, with little need to upgrade or repair in the future.
We are fully insured, and registered with WSIB/CSAO, with up-to-date safety, First Aid/CPR training and certification.
We pride ourselves on safe, neat and organized job sites. We go to extra lengths to avoid construction waste and clutter.
About the founders
My name is Patrick Marcotte and my partner is Sherri. We first got the bale bug in 1998, when we contacted architect, Linda Chapman about designing a strawbale home for us. One visit to a home she'd designed and we were hooked. We quickly dove in and started building our family home in Bancroft, Ontario, where we've been ever since.
We both worked in the technology sector, and dissatisfied with the suburban commuter lifestyle, made the decision to lead a more sane, and sustainable lifestyle. I got back into doing renovations, which I had done all through college and between jobs. I rediscovered that I really loved building and couldn't remember why I'd ever left it. We quickly moved towards taking on bigger, full scale projects.
In researching the construction of our home, we learned a great deal about healthy homes, what to do and more specifically, what not to do. We now aim to reduce the use of products that are toxic, unhealthy or unsustainable. By nature, juggling cost, availability, and energy efficiency in material choices is always a trade-off, but a happy balance can always be reached.
We have evolved our business to include consultation and teaching as well. We both conduct workshops and lead work "bees" for clients. Additionally, I am also running workshops for the Ecology Retreat Centre, Loyalist College and the Haliburton School of the Arts. I am also teaching the Sustainable Site and Facility Design course, part of the Eco-Tourism program at Sir Sanford Fleming College.
When I can find some spare time, I like to play music in my home studio and build and repair guitars and other stringed instruments.
