At the Fourth Pig we have extensive experience in natural and green building, from home retrofits to new construction, to installing solar panels and a lot in-between.  We also offer courses and workshops to teach people skills in natural building and sustainable energy.   In some cases we can incorporate workshops into the building process (such as with some aspects of a straw bale home).

We offer general green contracting/construction including carpentry, straw bale, earthbag and cob construction, healthy interior finishes, earth and lime plasters, solar assessment, PV design, solar installations, building deconstruction and salvage.  You can learn more about natural building here.

We can work from an existing design or suggest an architect to work with you and us in a collaborative design process.  

In short we build more sustainable shelters by using environmentally friendly materials, recycling, re-using and reducing waste. 

Fees - fees vary widely depending on the nature and scope of the job.  Fee subsidies may be available for schools, non-profit and charitable organizations. Please contact us for more information.

What’s in a name?
Our name is a play on the tale of the Three Little Pigs.  We say the fourth pig is the wise one who built the house out of straw bales, installed solar panels on the roof and used the breath of the wolf to turn a turbine.

Glen Byrom

Glen's work in construction over the past 12 years has focused on natural construction and renewable energy, including working on over 30 strawbale houses and PV installations. He has taught several Natural Building workshops at Solar Energy International, specializing in hands on instruction in straw bale construction and finishing, cob, rammed earth, earth bag, passive solar design and adobe.  Glen brings his expertise in natural and solar building techniques, renewable energy system design and installation and a passion and creativity for beautiful, healthy and functional spaces to the Fourth Pig.  When Glen puts down the trowel, saw, bale or wrench, he can be found picking up his two turntables and microphone.

“As an architect who designed his own home, I incorporated some tough details, which Glen was able to execute with excellent craftsmanship. This was my first straw bale project and he was a great guide.  I would not hesitate to recommend Glen to my clients.”
Doug Graybeal, LEED accredited architect,
Graybeal Architects, LLC

Fourth Pig workers:

James Davis

Since his early years spent building bamboo forts in the jungles of Malaysia, James has been fascinated with natural building.  He holds an Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies from York University and has been studying natural building methods in Australia, British Columbia, Oregon and Ontario over that past seven years.  He has worked as a carpenter in various capacities and as a prop and puppet builder for Clay and Paper Theatre.  James is currently building his own bicycle-powered sound system.

Joshua Thornton
Joshua has had a wide range of experience from trim carpentry, conventional framing, commercial construction, residential construction and feature film set building. Having worked with cob, straw clay, straw bale, log, and other systems, he now specializes in timber frame fabrication, and design enclosed with earthen plastered straw clay walls. Joshua is the founder and Director of Natural Build and he is also an affiliate/associate of the EcoNest company and has built several EcoNests in Ontario. Joshua is qualified in both residential and commercial design in Ontario, holds a license in carpentry, and has authored research for the Canadian government via the Canada mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Matthew Adams

Matthew has been working for over twenty years in the field of adult and community education, including developing participatory curricula for numerous organizations. He has a Masters in Adult Education and was a co-founder of the Catalyst Centre, a popular education community organization in Toronto.  Matthew is focusing on curriculum and workshop development as well as organizational processes.

Melinda Zytaruk

Melinda has a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University focusing on community renewable energy and sustainability.  Melinda was an intern at Solar Energy International in 1999 and is a graduate of their Renewable Energy Education Program.  She has worked on several strawbale houses and designed and installed solar electric and hot water systems. Before joining the Fourth Pig, Melinda was the General Manager of the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association where she facilitated workshops on community renewable energy, supported community organizations developing renewable energy projects, and campaigned for more advanced renewable energy policy.

Nicolas Chesne

Nic has been in the construction field for 9 years. He has lived in an Eco Village in North Carolina for 6 years where he developed his skills in Natural Building. Living at Earthaven, Nic worked on projects which included: forestry, Earthship design, Strawbale, Post and Beam construction, Mud Plaster, and Sustainable Landscaping. His love for the outdoors has fueled his desire to better the way construction is done.

Sally Miller
Sally has worked for almost twenty years as a co-op developer and manager in the U.S. and Canada. Most recently she provided resources and training for developing co-operatives in the community owned renewable energy sector at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association in Toronto. She is focusing on curriculum and workshop development, market development for Fourth Pig.

Shannon Muegge

Shannon is a carpenter, cultural worker and master at salvaging garbage. She has been working in sustainable building and design for the past two years as a way to actualize her ideas about alternative land use and ownership, and ultimately political and economic justice. She has lived in Toronto for eleven years, establishing Punchclock; a screen printing business and studio collective, and graduated in 2007 from the Sustainable Building Design and Construction course through Fleming College.