It’s a Fact Georgie has taken playing in the mud to a whole new level, engaged in constructing an earthen toilet facility in Toronto’s Dufferin Grove Park. The all-natural facility, constructed by volunteer community members, will save over 65,500 litres of potable water a year.

As an experienced earthen (cob) builder, Georgie began researching and designing a community art project for Dufferin Grove Park, a small earthen building that would house a composting toilet facility. The design featured the toilet unit and a green roof with exterior sculptural details and was sized to be exempt from the requirement of a building permit.

City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) got behind the project, seeing it as a pilot for other possible bio-toilet initiatives in Toronto parks. Earthen building workshops began in the spring of 2006 and the local community came out in droves to help dig with their hands and mix dirt with their feet. Children and adults shared in the work and the foundation rose quickly.

During the summer of 2006, construction came to a halt when some neighbours expressed concerns about the project. To address the concerns, Georgie spoke at numerous community meetings organized by PFR and the local councillor’s office. Building further community support, Georgie authored an informational pamphlet and delivered the information to every household within a several block radius of the park. Meeting further resistance, PFR decided a building permit was required. In response, Georgie spent the summer of 2007 revising her designs with an architect and two engineers. Design challenges included the lack of reference to earthen building in the Ontario Building Code and the flexible form rammed earth (earthbag) foundation that had been completed. Responding to these and other challenges, a building permit was issued at the end of the summer and the construction of the earthen toilet facility resumed.

Transforming earth into a habitable building, primarily with hands and feet alone, satisfies many needs, both environmental and community. Using local dirt instead of wood and concrete reduces the impact on fragile forests and ecosystems; and, reduces green house gas emissions from transporting construction materials and from cement production. The waterless toilet saves 65,550 litres of potable water per season and turns human waste into a resource for the surrounding ornamental gardens. In addition, the green roof absorbs rainfall and moderates the temperatures inside.

The most important contribution earthen building makes is to the community itself, requiring many hands and feet to construct a building. The construction builds community, inviting people to help and giving them a chance to contribute to the well-being of others, while supporting their own.

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