Innovation

Evolve Builders have developed numerous innovations, that have helped to benefit the environment. Such examples include water conservation retrofitting, rooftop gardens and use of natural materials such as clay and straw for construction.

Evolve Builders’ main innovation is a project called “Home Alive: The House that Thinks, Drinks and Breathes”.

Mr. Polley explained that this project is what put Evolve Builders on the map. The project consisted of a “demonstration house that integrate[d] many of the things that we as a business offer”. This house was built to look “like a conventional home so that people wouldn’t be disturbed by it”, but as Mr Polley explained, what made this house stand out, was that it was built using straw bales as walls and insulation. Lead by Mr. Polley, the house was built “by almost 250 different volunteers”, and made a dream of his come alive. Mr Polley’s childhood home was destroyed by a fire, a horrific incident that always stuck with him. While at a festival Mr. Polley came across a booth that was demonstrating the benefits of using straw as an insulator. One of the main benefits the booth was explaining was the fact that straw is essentially fireproof. This struck a chord with Mr. Polley, and spurred him to want to look into this innovation further. From there Evolve Builders was born and in turn “Home Alive” was created. For Ben Polley, this innovation satisfied the desire to be an architect, as well as offering a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to common building materials.

Inspiration

The story behind the creation of Evolve Builders Group Inc. is compiled of a childhood dream, a traumatic experience, and a passion for a creating a better planet. Stemming from the childhood dreams of Mr. Ben Polley, the founder of Evolve Builders Group Inc., who had always hoped of becoming an architect had a strong interest in design and construction while growing up. Although his career didn’t initially move in that direction, all it took was a seminar 16 years ago at the Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario to revive two juvenile memories which reignited that passion. At this seminar Mr. Polley was reminded of a frightening childhood memory when listening to a speech on straw bale wall construction, which happens to be fireproof in practice. While discussing a possible solution to fire prevention, Mr. Polley was reminded of his childhood home that burned down, moments after him and his family escaped, destroying all of their possessions. Luckily, his family did not sustain any injuries, but a traumatic incident such as this, is “something that definitely marks you and sticks with you”.

After remembering his experience with the fire, it sparked an interest in combining his his passion of becoming an architect, with helping to prevent people from being in the same position he was as a kid. While he was growing up, emphasis on environmental protection was sustainable development was non-existent. These memories sparked a change of direction in Mr. Polley’s life. “Energy efficiency and fire protection were two things that were important (to me) …” says Mr. Polley, “… personally, I have always been environmentally inclined and interested, but my work at that time wasn’t delivering that for me” he continued. Mr. Polley claims that this divide in his beliefs and work life was truly the inspiration to leave his job and begin his new career in sustainable resource management. “Finding a disconnect between my personal values and that which I was doing was really the underlying motivation to change fields, and it was my history that pointed me in the direction of where I wanted to go”.

Overall impact

The innovation provided by Evolve Builders is integral for the success of their business, relying on the demand for sustainable development. There is a direct correlation between how much of a demand there is for the innovation and the success of the business. Evolve builders achieves many of the sustainable development goals outlined by the United Nations, contributing to goal number 9 focusing on industry, innovation and infrastructure and goal number 11 sustainable cities and communities. Evolve Builders possesses a desire to be a positive force in their communities by being the premiere option for consumers who want reduce their costs by using less resources and becoming sustainable. Since they offer clients an alternative to other construction companies this helps to supply those few who are wanting environmental change in their lives. Consumers can have Evolve Builders install solar panels on their home for an energy efficient investment that theoretically pays for itself. Evolve Builders has had a positive benefit on the local environment through their environmentally friendly innovations. From rooftop gardens, passive solar design, solar panels, straw insulation, and rainwater recycling, all of what Evolve Builders do, aims to reduce the environmental impact of developing cities, while providing attractive landscapes and infrastructure in our public space.

The effects of Evolve Builders innovations have been widespread both in the short and long term. One of the largest of these impacts came from a pilot project to introduce greywater recycling to the municipality of Guelph. As Guelph is the largest city in Canada to rely on only groundwater, the demand to conserve and reduce use of this water is significant. In the short term, this pilot project reduced water demand of households in Guelph from 20-30%, by installing these devices. In the long run, this has allowed the City of Guelph to avoid building a once proposed, costly water extraction pipeline to the shores of Lake Erie. This innovation has potential to create even larger long-term effects as the project has been brought to the attention of the provincial government, who is in the process of changing building codes in a way that more of these greywater recycling units will be installed. The evidence suggesting that this impact has occurred is the fact that Guelph, a growing city, continues to rely solely on ground and rainwater, and hasn’t had to import water from surrounding lakes. A quote that describes the impact from Ben Polley is “That was a contributor to the city being able to forgo the prior capital plan for sending a pipe down to Lake Erie to draw water which would have been extraordinarily expensive and environmentally unsustainable, so basically, through this little tiny pilot project they were able to identify that they could save decades worth of consumption through a lower cost option, should they need the capacity.

Business benefit

The benefit that these innovations have had on Evolve Builders group is hard to measure, as providing ecologically conscious consumers with sustainable development is such an integral element of their business. However, providing these unique services have allowed Evolve Builders to become a green construction and sustainable renovations powerhouse in Southwestern Ontario over the last 16 years. Ben Polley is proud to cite that Evolve builders has never conducted any paid advertising, relying only on social media and word of mouth, something Ben attributes to providing such a unique and innovative service.

Social and environmental benefit

From prefabricated homes made from straw bales, to rooftop gardens, everything Evolve Builders Group Inc. offers their clients is based on sustainable development. The core of their business model is targeted at helping to reduce the strain on the environment, and create practices that increase sustainability. After speaking with Ben Polley, it is evident that the work Evolve Builders is doing, not only benefits themselves as a corporation but has an impact on the greater society and the environment. A local example Mr. Polley explained, was a pilot project presented to the City of Guelph to reduce water demand by household. Guelph is Canada’s largest city to solely rely on groundwater as its main source. With the water demand increasing, Guelph was faced with a difficult situation. The challenge was brought to Mr. Polley, and on behalf of Evolve Builders they brought their idea to the city to “introduce greywater recycling, and through that project, [they] were able to demonstrate [how] an average household could save 20-30 percent of their water demand by the simple installation of one of the devices”. This project, led by Evolve Builders allowed the city to “save decades worth of consumption through a lower cost option,” and negate the need for an expensive and an environmentally degrading pipeline.

Interview

Ben Polley, Interview