Here is another nicely made video in the Groundwork series featuring straw bale building and explaining why it makes so much sense to think in terms of using natural materials for dwellings. You can watch the video at www.youtube.com or click the title to watch on the blog.
In an effort to preserve an ancient building technique, Vista Grande High School in Taos, New Mexico is working toward adobe certifications for students interested in learning this original Southwest building style. Shop teacher Keaton Karvas (at left in the above photo) is engaging the students in his class with the finer points of adobe … Read more
Delta Bay, a 12-acre RV park and tiny-house resort, on the banks of the San Joaquin River about 40 minutes outside Stockton, California is a legal tiny home community. Homes on wheels started rolling in just four years ago. The community has a biannual Tiny House event where tiny-house owners open their doors and allow … Read more
Quail Springs is an experiment in sustainable living that is part educational and part social exercise. Living on this 450 acres in California’s high desert is complex, with a farm, a greenhouse, composting toilets, yurts, naturally crafted buildings, 11 staff members, a handful of interns who come and go, and lots of outdoor space. Permaculture … Read more
inhabitat.com featured an article about the pros and cons of using shipping containers as a basis for creating buildings. I think that they make some good points, so I’ll outline those below.Pros: CostCompared to building a similar structure with brick and mortar, on average, “cargotecture” can be 30 percent cheaper. Structural Stability Since steel containers … Read more
Quail Springs Permaculture group in Maricopa, California has announced a collaboration with Cal Poly San Louis Obispo to do earthquake testing on cob walls. Cal Poly has offered to support this public benefit project with deeply discounted access to earthquake testing equipment and expertise ($10,000 rather then the usual $70,000!) Testing is needed to get basic … Read more