Visit | Ketchum House

Visit Ketchum House

Nestled in the Hockley Valley Hills hidden amidst surrounding manicured country estates is a wild child, the off-the-grid Ketchum House. Covered in vines and surrounded by plants native to the area, this property is so much more than a house. It’s an eco-living destination.

Come experience the astounding sustainable features of Ketchum House. We welcome you to stay and learn about the functionality and benefits of our off-the-grid lifestyle.

Book a Tour or Stay at Ketchum House.

Click through the images below to see a few of the unique features our property has!

The hillside is a heat source! Below the frost line, the year-round temperature is approximately 10° C. Ketchum House taps into this free heat from the house’s position on the north and east sides being built directly into the hill.

The sun is a free furnace, thanks to 174 square feet of R8 ‘heat mirror’ windows on the south and west sides, and building materials that form a huge thermal mass or ‘heat sink’.

The sun’s short rays heat up the interior brick walls and tile floor, while the filter in the windows keeps the heat from escaping through the glass.

The remainder of the heat comes from perhaps the most unique feature of the home which takes up 1,600-square-feet of the house: a central seven-ton wood-burning masonry heater and fireplace.

The electricity powering the house is generated by a wind turbine and solar panels, then stored in batteries.

The electricity powering the house is generated by a wind turbine and solar panels, then stored in batteries.

Even the tropical houseplants share a long container, forming the backbone of a greywater filtration system. The water for the plants comes from the shower, laundry and kitchen sink running through the soil before it flows outside.

We have two compost toilets; a type of dry toilet that treats human waste through a biological process called composting. A great alternative to traditional flush toilets that don't require any plumbing or water.

During your time at Ketchum House, we encourage you to sit in one of our bright red Muskoka chairs made from hundreds of recycled milk jugs and learn about how you too can incorporate some of these sustainable principles in your everyday life upon your return home.

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Earth Leases signed since April 2021

Visit Ketchum House