“An autonomous building is a building designed to be operated independently from infrastructural support services such as the electric power grid, gas grid, municipal water systems, sewage treatment systems, storm drains, communication services, and in some cases, public roads. Advocates of autonomous building describe advantages that include reduced environmental impacts, increased security, and lower costs … Read more
Every year we publish the most popular blog posts for the last 12 months. We’ll do that again in November on our 4th anniversary. Our goal here is to look at the most popular blog posts since we’ve started – the Best of the Bestest. Think of them as hidden gems unless you’ve read all … Read more
The ongoing economic recession is putting lots of people in difficult situations. For some, the situation may even seem hopeless. I’m writing this to remind everyone to never give up. Who knows for sure what’s in store in the future, but the main thing is to keep your head together and just keep on going. … Read more
The lightweight geopolymer earthbag method I described yesterday opens the door to building boulder houses that could last hundreds or even thousands of years. All sorts of other styles could also be built, but for some reason (maybe because rocks last almost forever) these boulder houses really capture my imagination. Worst case scenario is you … Read more
Another good roof option is a grain bin roof. Good quality grain bin roofs are typically maintenance free for decades, and a good choice for windy areas and hail zones. They are especially practical for those who live in agricultural areas and can buy the roofs separately from local grain bin suppliers. They’re also very … Read more
Specifications: 314 sq. ft. interior, 181 sq. ft. interior loft, total = 495 sq. ft. interior, Footprint: 23’ diameter This blog post is a continuation of the discussion about disaster resistant domes. So far we’ve talked about Hemispheric Domes and key ideas about How to Build the Strongest Buildings That Can Last Centuries. Wiki describes … Read more