“How would your life change if you never had to pay rent or interest on a mortgage again? I bet it would take a significant weight off your shoulders. It sure would for me.
You’re not alone, in fact today most people in “civilized” parts of the world don’t own their homes but are indebted to banks or rent from a landlord. But it has not always been this way, as Henry David Thoreau so truthfully writes in his book Walden.
Is this the best humanity can do? Is it impossible to imagine a future where humans, just as other animals, own their shelter free and clear and don’t have to pay a “tax” their whole lives just to stay protected from the elements?
Of course not! This is crazy!
In the list below you’ll find examples of homes that “savage” people throughout the world built with their own hands using locally available materials that Nature provided for free. No mortgage or rent required.
What you take away from this list is up to you, but I have no doubt there’s a lot to learn from how our ancestors lived in harmony with their surroundings and adapted perfectly to their environments, no matter how harsh.
More at the source: Off Grid Quest.com
Excellent article. Take a look at #5, the Burdei. “The burdei dates back as far as 6,000 years and it’s a type of half-dugout shelter somewhat between a sod house and a log cabin, usually with a floor that’s 1 – 1.5 meters under ground level…”
i plan on moving to Custer county CO with about 13 other people to build cob houses. The sad thing is most people would not do this because they are to attached to their electronics and couldn’t handle modist living.
Congratulations! That’s one of my favorite places in the world. I have hiked and camped that area extensively. There are some really amazingly beautiful places.
How will you insulate the cob houses? It gets very cold in the winter. Thermal mass alone will not work efficiently because it’s too cold. It will be like living in a cave. Kelly wrote a good blog post about this here on our blog. Let me know if you can’t find it.
Another challenge is the short building season. Cob is slow. Most natural builders in the area use local wood poles, straw bales, scoria under the floor, earth floors and earth plaster. Plus lots of roof insulation such as cellulose. This is seems the most efficient and practical for this climate.
Here’s an example of highly efficient, superinsulated construction for this climate: Straw Bale Yurts https://naturalbuildingblog.siterubix.com/straw-bale-yurt-bible/
Consider starting a blog and documenting the process. But first, be sure to tour homes in Crestone etc. and talk to numerous natural builders for their opinion.
Building regulations in Custer county: http://www.custercountygov.com/index.php?pg=planzone
(Most county building regulations are now free online.)
A lot can be learned by studying traditional dwellings and building methods.