http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZS4VQczEAk There isn’t one earthbag system that’s best for all situations, and so we cover all different ways of building with bags. It’s been quite a while since we’ve talked about the EcoBeam system. This video sums up the process nicely. It’s ideal for larger, rectilinear, more conventional shaped houses. From the EcoBeam Homes website: … Read more
A growing number of people are disillusioned with conventional housing made of 2x4s and sheetrock (the way most homes in North America are built). These homes are filled with materials such as particleboard, plywood, plastic, linoleum, and synthetic carpet and paint that contain known carcinogens and allergens. These man-made materials offgas toxic chemicals such as … Read more
Here’s a short list of designers who have inspired my thinking. Christopher Alexander – architect and author of some of the most significant books on architecture: The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language Laurie Baker – British architect who worked in India on affordable, sustainable housing Hassan Fathy – Egyptian architect and author … Read more
Almost every home uses at least some wood. We’ve been examining various free and low cost ways of obtaining wood for homebuilding. Yesterday’s blog post mentioned cutting your own wood with a bandsaw sawmill. Again, this is a great way to mill wood for far less expense than store bought lumber. There’s lots of free … Read more
The recent posts on Pallet Furniture and building with Recycled Wood got me thinking about other types of low cost or even free wood for furniture, woodenware and home building. That word “free” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Okay, it’s not always free. Sometimes you have to pay a small amount for … Read more
This is a continuation of the previous blog post on recycled wood. A reader left a comment about the door they built from pallets and so I thought a post about pallet furniture would be interesting. Many don’t realize how countless thousands of pallets are discarded every day. Some pallets are made with strong wood … Read more