BATTERED BY WEATHER and baked by sun, a landing spot for birds and branches, we ask a lot of what lies above. But perhaps we can ask just a bit more of our cottage roofs—to not only keep us dry and protected but also to lighten our overall carbon load as well.
1. Grow a roof and regulate interior temperature
Ian MacDonald is an architect who spent 20 years in his old cottage on Go Home Bay, Ont., before he tore down the cabin and built a new one. In those two decades, he says, he learned what he appreciated about the location and the space, but more importantly, he saw what he wanted to change. One change he sought was to make the cottage more sustainable. He originally
