Between 2010 and 2014, we embarked on an ambitious journey to redefine sustainable living. Through the Biohome Alberta project, we demonstrated how a single home could address over two dozen environmental challenges, ranging from climate change to food security. Located in Lethbridge, Alberta, the project was a real-world prototype integrating biological, mechanical, and information systems to create a highly efficient, eco-friendly living space.
Year-Round Food Production: The Biohome produced fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fish for 4–5 people, utilizing aquaponics and balanced ecosystems.
Waste Conversion: The home diverted 10–25% of neighborhood waste, converting kitchen scraps into compost and black soldier fly larvae to feed fish.
Energy Efficiency: A combination of solar, geothermal, and radiant systems reduced heating, cooling, and hot water costs dramatically. For example, 2/3rds of heating needs were met at 1/4 the cost of natural gas.
Education and Outreach: Over its development, Biohome Alberta welcomed hundreds of visitors, from students to eco-tourists, to showcase how sustainable systems could integrate into everyday life.
The project’s guiding principle was inspired by E.F. Schumacher’s words:
"The aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption."
The Biohome experience shaped our vision for CarbonNeg.org. While Biohome Alberta focused on a single home as a microcosm of sustainable living, we recognized the potential to scale these ideas for broader urban applications. CarbonNeg.org expands this vision, developing Empowered Passive Solar Greenhouses and other solutions that integrate with urban infrastructure to produce fresh food, reduce energy consumption, and mitigate carbon emissions.
Systems Thinking: The integration of multiple sustainability-focused systems remains at the heart of our work.
The Need for AI to Manage Complexity: The structural complexity of Biohome Alberta required constant oversite despite much automation. AI and machine learning will bring that complexity to a manageable level necessary to scaling this concept beyond prototype.
Education and Community: Just as Biohome offered free tours and curriculum-aligned field trips, CarbonNeg emphasizes outreach to inspire future generations.
Innovation: From aquaponics and radiant cooling to smart automation, Biohome technologies laid the groundwork for CarbonNeg’s advanced, scalable systems.
The lessons learned from Biohome Alberta guide every step of our current project. We’re turning the vision of sustainable, carbon-negative urban food production into a reality, one prototype at a time.