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Mark Fleischhaker – Profile

Mark Fleischhaker, P.Eng. has over 13 years of engineering experience. He has contributed to projects throughout Canada (and a handful internationally) that incorporate sustainability principles – including natural- material constructions, fish-friendly pump station retrofits, timber community buildings and energy efficient water supply projects. Mark always tries to leverage opportunities to design holistically by considering the context of environmental and social systems.

Throughout his schooling, Mark worked as design-construction liaison on large-scale projects with EllisDon on Winnpeg’s LEED Airport Terminal and Bouygues Travaux Publics on Jamaica’s Highway 2000 network.

Throughout his 5 years in Associated Engineering, Mark worked on large-scale multi-discipline critical infrastructure and community projects including the award- winning Nanaimo Reservoir No.1 & Energy Recovery Facility, the Government of Northwest Territories’ development of a climate change risk assessment and vulnerability tool, the 28,000 ft2 Martensville Athletic Pavilion, and the 155,000 ft2 Sylvan Lake Multi-plex.

With Metaphystations, Mark is is dedicated to projects that truly prioritize sustainability principles. He often supports charged, community and sustainability-driven private owners.

Position: Principal Structural Engineer
Professional Engineering Organizations:
  • Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC)
  • Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
  • Structural Engineers Association of British Columbia (SEABC)
Extracurricular:
  • British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Sustainable Energy Management Advanced Certificate (SEMAC) Program Advisory Committee
  • O.U.R. (One Unite Resource) Community Association
  • Wells Gray Search and Rescue (Director)
  • Darfield Earthship Caretaker
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Discovery Channel Building Off the Grid

Mark Fleischhaker, P.Eng. was the structural engineer for Nevin Cabin — a 5 module pre-fabricated off-grid cabin on Gambier Island. Discovery Channel documented the project on their Building Off the Grid Series.

“Building pro Mark Smith builds an off-grid modular home high up on a cliff off the coast of Vancouver, Canada. Everyone’s on their toes, working as carefully as possible; the smallest mistake could result in the home diving 85 feet down into the sea.”
 
Location: Gambier Island, British Columbia, Canada
Date:

2020
Episode:

https://www.discovery.com/shows/building-off-the-grid-dsc-reversion/episodes/episode-27

 

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Insider

Insider reached out to Mark Fleischhaker, P.Eng. to chat about his time inside The Darfield Earthship during COVID.

“Life during lockdown in an Earthship”

“During the lockdown, he said he hasn’t needed to visit a major town yet. Nearby gas stations provide him with any necessities he needs, but even those he doesn’t visit often. He still has deer and fish in his freezer from last season, and tomato sauce, canned peaches, canned pears, and chutney the owners left behind … He’s also started cultivating his outdoor garden for the season.“

Location: Darfield Earthship, British Columbia, Canada
Date: May 2020
Full Article:

https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-living-in-earthship-off-grid-sustainable-home-2020-5?fbclid=IwAR3aWXii3lq-9IOpYxSvmh4u_avrSEb9oA2mZLwQhca2bWuB6X8Nn-USAao

 

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Exploring Alternatives

Mat and Danielle from Exploring Alternatives recently visited Mark Fleischhaker, P.Eng., to help share his experiences care-taking the Darfield Earthship.

Mark is a structural engineer who works on alternative structures and is currently the caretaker of the Darfield Earthship in BC. He’s been living there for nearly 2 years,and is also in the process of designing several Earthships so he is an incredible resource. We’re grateful that we had a chance to spend an afternoon picking his brain about his experience living in an Earthship, and learning how they can perform in Canada’s extreme climate (spoiler alert: it varies!). – Exploring Alternatives

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Permaculture Structures

Mark Fleischhaker, P.Eng., contributed to the Structures for Wood & Water Developments‘ Kamloops 2019 Permaculture Design Certificate Program at The Living Arts Studio where he taught about

  • Permaculture structures: Creating structures that align with and support common permaculture values
  • The basics of structural systems
  • Building codes & regulations

Hosted by Gord Hiebert (Wood & Water Developments) and Shelaigh Garson.

PDC Course Description: https://www.woodwaterdevelopments.com/2019-permaculture-design-certificate-kamloops-bc/

Location: The Living Arts Studio, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Date: November 2019
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Natural Building Colloquium

Mark Fleischhaker, P.Eng., was a speaker at the 2019 Natural Building and Ecological Design Colloquium at OUR Ecovillage where he

  • shared his takeaways from focusing his engineering work on meaningful structures over the past 4 years
  • contributed to a panel discussion
  • taught the basics of structural systems to natural building enthusiasts

“Rocking OUR world and the full house of builders, designers, and all at the ‘Natural Building and Ecological Design Colloquium’ is a most amazing Engineer who understands and supports natural building through regulatory processes and helps teach us all what we need to understand to create health, safety and permitted natural buildings!” – Brandy Gallagher

Other speakers and contributors included natural building heavyweights Mark Lakeman (City Repair Project), Mudgirls Natural Building Collective, Elke Cole, Benito Stein, Athena Stein, Patrick Hennebery (Cobworks), Eco-Sense, and the several of the next generation.

Location: OUR Ecovillage, Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Date: June 2019
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Westcoast Small Home Expo

Mark Fleischhaker, P.Eng., was a speaker at the 2019 The Westcoast Small Home Expo where he taught the basics of structural systems to small home enthusiasts on the Tiny Home Village Stage.

What role does engineering play in the design of your tiny house? When planning your tiny home, it’s important to take into account things like structural elements, load paths, and stability. These things don’t need to be complicated. Mark shares his years of experience by demonstrating these key principles that will help you better understand and improve your tiny home’s structure.

Location: Tradex, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Date: May 2019
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Kumbhaka

Mark Fleischhaker has been converting a 1973 Argosy 24′ into an off-grid mobile working and living space. It incorporates repurposed, natural, and healthier material choices as best he can.

Location: Everywhere, British Columbia, Canada
Date: April 2016 – Present
Album: Kumbha