Living Design Systems by the Living Design Group
Living Design Systems (LDS) is a Western Canadian design & build company with a specialization in ecological design. The 32-year-old company also actively engages in housing research. LDS is a team of designers, engineers and other specialists advancing solutions for our present housing and environmental challenges. To date our work has spanned across Canada with most work located in Western Canada.
Since 1997(22 years) Living Design Systems has designed and or built over 40 solar energy efficient homes and commercial structures. Many of these builds used straw bale wall insulation. See gallery for examples.
The principal of the company is Paul J. Belanger. He has a background in general sciences and began his ecological design education at 17 years of age. An early research project saw him achieve a University of Calgary environmental design award during these student years. He founded the company in 1987, in the middle of the Northern Alberta oil patch.
During the first 10 years in business Belanger offered design consultations. Living Design System became a design – build company in 1997. Since then the company has achieved a steady pace of continuous design, research, construction and project management activity. The result became one of the most prolific builders of straw bale houses in Canada. Each project was complex and multifaceted, most with innovative aspects.
LDS has set the bar high in term of the quality of detail in its designs. LDS is proud to claim the most durable and careful details developed for straw bale construction for cold climates. Our influence has spread to Russia.
The Structural Engineering for LDS projects is provided by Verlin Koch with KTA Structural Engineers, of Calgary Alberta.
Mechanical Engineering was by Nabil Mansur of Solar Engineering Group of Calgary, Alberta until he passed away two years ago.
With increasing need and demand for ecological and low carbon buildings LDS in now growing into Living Design Group – adding more partners, collaborators and staff.
Living Design Group encompasses all aspects of design and construction including the engineering of building HVAC systems, passive solar design and solar electrical packages including installation management. LDS design philosophy requires a comprehensive integration of all house systems for what is referred to as holistic design or Comprehensive Anticipatory Design (CAD) a phrase coined by R. Buckminster Fuller over 60 years ago.
LDS has a long list of innovations and original design detailing, some of which are shown on pages of this website.
Along with ongoing projects, Living Design Group is now offering green multi-housing designs. Group housing offers the lowest ecological footprint and lowest cost per unit.
Living Design Group, our commitment and our mission statement:
By placing the value of a healthy ecology in the foreground of design, our work is minimizing energy and material use, reducing pollution, preserving habitat, restoring ecosystems, using natural infrastructure, and fostering community, health and beauty.