FAQ
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Have a look at some of our common FAQs. If you can’t find what you are looking for then give us a shout! If you are looking for program-specific FAQs please visit the program page itself.
Where do you hold your workshops and programs?
Our classroom and workshop space is in central Peterborough, at 910 High Street, Unit 14.
Our on-site programs and workshops are typically located in and around the Peterborough, Ontario area. Sometimes we venture a bit further from our home base, but it’s rare that any of our programs happen outside a 2-hour driving radius of Peterborough.
The location of each program and workshop is always noted on the specific web page for the event. Please be sure to check the workshop/program page to confirm the location.
Where can I stay while taking a workshop?
Endeavour does not have a campus with accommodations. All our participants are required to make their own accommodation plans. There are plenty of available AirBnB rooms and homes, campgrounds, B&Bs, hotels and motels that suit a wide range of needs and budgets. We advise you to book early, especially during the summer and holidays as Peterborough is a popular destination.
How far in advance should I register for a course?
Many of our workshops sell out, so we suggest registering as soon as possible. Early registrations also help us confirm dates and make plans for materials and meals (when applicable). Early registrations also help us plan additional workshop dates when we reach capacity.
Do you provide financial aid?
We do not currently have any internal form of financial aid for attending Endeavour programs or workshops. While we would love to be able to offer support, we are a small, not-for-profit organization and our programs are priced as affordably as we can manage.
Participants have been able to apply funding from a variety government and training programs to Endeavour programs, but all arrangements and prequalifications for such funding are the responsibility of the participant.
What are your cancellation & refund policies?
Below are our regular cancelation policies. Please note we are currently revising them to reflect the impact of Covid-19. Check back for covid-19 cancelation policy updates.
If you need to cancel your participation in a workshop:
- If you let us know about your cancellation at least 2 weeks in advance, we will refund your registration fee less an administration fee of 15% of the tuition fee.
- If you let us know about your cancellation less than 2 weeks in advance, we cannot provide a refund or a credit. As we are committed to keeping our class sizes very small, once we have made arrangements with instructors and arranged for food, materials and resources, we simply cannot afford to offer refunds for short-term cancellations. However, you can transfer your registration to another student to take your place.
- If you do not contact us in advance and do not show up for any reason, we cannot provide a refund or a credit.
If you need to cancel your participation in a Program (Sustainable Building & Design, Natural Building Intensive, Construction Skills for Women & Timber Framing intensive) :
- The deposit fee for all Endeavour programs is non-refundable
- Cancellations 4 weeks prior to the start date of the program (Sustainable New Construction, Sustainable Renovations, Natural Building Intensive) will be refunded in full minus the non-refundable deposit and a $500 processing fee
- Cancellations 4 weeks prior to the start date of the program (Construction Skills for Women, 4 Day- Hempcrete, 4 Day- Straw Bale) will be refunded in full minus a $300 processing fee
- No refunds for cancellations less than 4 weeks prior to the start date
- Refunds will not be issued after the commencement of all programs
Do you offer internship or work-trade opportunities?
We do not currently offer any internship or work-trade positions at Endeavour.
Do you accept international students? Are international fees higher?
We accept and welcome participants from anywhere in the world, and our fees are the same for all participants. To date, people from 20+ countries have attended Endeavour and we love the knowledge and cultural exchanges that happen when participants come from other places!
For those coming from outside Canada, all travel arrangements, visas and other requirements are your responsibility. We can provide letters of registration and fee payment if required for visas.
Can I get college or university credit for Endeavour programs and workshops?
Participants of Endeavour programs and workshops have successfully received credit at public and private post-secondary institutions. Arrangements and approvals must be obtained in advance by the participant, and Endeavour will support your efforts with information as required by your institution.
Can I get continuing education credits for Endeavour programs and workshops?
Participants have successfully received continuing education credits from a range of professional organizations including architecture and engineering bodies and certification bodies like LEED. Arrangement for credits must be made in advance by the participant and Endeavour will support you with required documentation.
Who is a typical Endeavour student?
We don’t really have a “typical” student at Endeavour! Our participants range in age, ability, experience, gender, race, nationality and any other categorical definition.
Endeavour participants are united by a strong desire to learn and grow and by a commitment to building a better future for people and the planet.
What is the Peterborough area like to visit?
Peterborough is a great little city of 80,000 nestled in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes region! We are about 1.5 hours northeast of Toronto by car or public transit.
The city is located on the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig territory and in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, collectively known as the Williams Treaties First Nations, which include: Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Alderville, Scugog Island, Rama, Beausoleil, and Georgina Island First Nations.
Peterborough has vibrant art, music & food scenes. From the city you have nearby access to some of Ontario’s most beautiful nature areas. Peterborough will not disappoint!
Does Endeavour provide a fragrance free environment?
Yes. Endeavour supports sustaining healthy indoor air quality for all. We request all instructors, staff and participants to please refrain from using scented personal care, laundry, and cleaning products in order to provide an environment in which every person can feel safe and comfortable.
Can I bring my dog to a workshop?
We cannot accommodate pets in our classroom or workshop spaces. Please contact us about special needs or requirements.
Do you sell gift certificates for Endeavour workshops?
Yes. Please contact us for gift certificate purchases, which can be made in any dollar denomination.
Can you run a workshop at my property?
Endeavour does run workshops and programs on community and private projects. Please refer to our “Host a Workshop” page for more information.
Our priority in delivering workshops is the educational experience of the participants. We do not offer workshops to provide free labour for projects. We seek win-win opportunities where educational needs and project needs overlap in a constructive way.
Can you design my house for me?
Endeavour is not a design firm. Our design team comes together to support our educational projects, but not for private home design projects.
We do provide a range of consulting services to assist projects when our specialized knowledge will be helpful.
Our workshop lineup features many home-design opportunities and our books and free resources on this web site are all intended to help you on your design path.
What is sustainable building?
We have chosen the term “sustainable building” to describe what we do at Endeavour. Our focus is creating a built environment that is helpful and healing for people, planet and climate. As with many words, “sustainable” may be considered to be tarnished by over-use and greenwashing.
What we are not about is simply sustaining current practices that have been so destructive to people, cultures and ecosystems. What we are about is creating a sustainable future in which we live, work and build within our means and respect and support life in all we do.
What is the greenest building system?
We get asked this question a lot, and our answer is always the same: It depends!
At Endeavour, we have a criteria-based approach to design and material selection because we see that every client, building program, budget, region, climate and code will inform the goals of each project and set the criteria used to choose building systems and materials. The best option for one circumstance may be a bad choice in another.
We call ourselves “sustainable building omnivores.” We do our best to understand all the available options and work to place them in the right context to ensure that every project meets its core goals.
How much does it cost to build a sustainable building?
This is one of the most frequent questions we get asked, and the answer is always the same: It depends!
Buildings and renovations are complex projects, and every aspect affects the overall budget. There are so many variables that we don’t see any value in attempting to identify an “average” per square foot cost.
What we do know is this:
- Building is never cheap, but can be more or less expensive depending on the choices you make
- It’s always possible to make sustainable choices affordable
- Sustainable choices are only more expensive if we want to ignore all the additional costs, like our health, the climate and our ecosystem
Endeavour does not believe in “boutique” sustainable building. Affordability is at the core of all we do, and we hope our workshops, programs and web site can help you make the choices that fit your budget.
Do you sell green building products?
No. Endeavour does not sell materials or products. We share everything we know about the materials and products we use in our projects but do not benefit from any sales or endorsements. Wherever possible, our course materials and web site provide links and contacts for materials and products.
Why is it so hard to find green building products?
It is very difficult to introduce new building materials and products into the market. Innovators face tremendous hurdles to develop, test, market and distribute new products. Sadly, many great building materials never survive in the marketplace.
If you want to work with innovative materials, you may find that conventional retail outlets do not carry the things you want to use. You will need to reach out to small distributors or directly to manufacturers. Wherever possible, we provide links on our web site to assist with this. But you will need to be committed to spending extra time (and sometimes money) to access new and innovative materials.
You can help with bringing new materials to the wider market by letting your local retail outlets know what kind of products you want and telling them when you have gone elsewhere to source materials that they did not carry. Consumer pressure and feedback is an important part of changing the retail landscape.
Can I consult with Endeavour centre?
Yes. You can read about our consulting services and see if we can be of service to your and your project.
What books do you recommend reading?
We’ve listed and provided links with many of our favourite book resources here.
Have natural building materials been tested?
Natural building materials have typically been tested by time… they are solutions that have been used for a long time and have proven themselves in the climates and regions where they have been used.
Lots of natural building materials have also been lab tested to show that they meet the needs of building codes and certification programs.
Wherever possible, our web site provides links to relevant testing documents. Our books are excellent resources for testing information. And you can always check resources like Google Scholar, ASTM, CSA and local codes for references to testing documents.
Are natural building materials code compliant?
Building codes are different between countries, states, provinces and municipalities. Before you can learn whether or not a particular material is accepted by your local codes, you must first identify which code applies to your project and then see if the materials you wish to use are directly supported in that code.
It is important to know that every building code includes options for proposing new materials and alternative solutions. Once you’ve identified the code that applies to your project, you can learn the requirements for submitting plans that use unconventional materials and designs. In most cases, no feasible approach will be denied a permit as long as the appropriate supporting documentation can be provided. But it will be up to you (or your design team) to prepare a submission that meets the threshold of evidence required for a permit.
Can I visit or tour the Endeavour Centre?
We do not keep regular hours at our classroom/shop facility and many of our workshops and programs take place on sites around the region. Please do not plan to drop by without contacting us first.