Sustainability, Longevity and Solus Decor
At Solus we believe sustainability and longevity go hand-in-hand. This guides our day to day activities. Our purpose is to create enduring designs that will bring a lifetime of enjoyment and function. In our production practices, we strive for a small footprint, recycling and reusing where possible, using certified lumber and recycled form materials, and drawing the bulk of our energy from human power.
Our Concrete and Our Products
In the world of building products there is no such thing as a totally “sustainable” material. Rather, we can use materials in ways that provide for the best opportunity for sustainable use. We design our concrete and our products with this goal in mind.
Recycled Content and LEED Certification
Our mix designs incorporate the post-industrial waste products of fly ash and silica fume. This keeps waste out of the land fill while also improving the performance qualities of the concrete. Fly ash, in combination with concrete, can also contribute to a project’s LEED certification points.
LEED in Canada ›
LEED in the US ›
Recycling
- Wood is recycled into wood pellets for high-efficiency stoves
- Containers are recycled into various consumer products
- Paper and cardboard are recycled
- Rejected concrete is crushed and used as aggregate and fill
- Wash water is filtered, treated and then reused
Power
Our manufacturing is largely human powered. Concrete is cured at ambient temperatures – no superheating.
Indoor Air Quality
When cured, our concrete off-gases nothing more than trace amounts of water.
Thermal Mass
Floor tiles will enhance radiant heat performance; fireplace mantels hold and radiate heat.
Local Materials
We utilize largely locally sourced and manufactured materials.
Embodied Energy
When initial and recurring embodied energy are considered together, (i.e. the overall energy to produce and maintain our products) our concrete performs better than most other materials in comparable use (ref. Canadian Architect – “Measures of Sustainability”).
Office Materials
Wherever possible we use recycled, reusable and refillable office products.
Ongoing Improvements
We still have more work to do, and continue in our efforts to find and implement additional ways to offset our footprint.
