“In this video we show you how to build an earthen oven. Wood-fired earthen ovens are easily documented all the way back the ancient Romans. Likewise, they are easily documented in archaeological evidence and first-hand accounts from the 18th Century. We show you how easy it is to build one.
General
Low Cost Cooking Options in Nepal
“Due to the fuel crisis in Nepal now we don’t get gas for cooking. I just wanted to ask you if you have some idea regarding building a solar cooker. I did some search in google but I could not come up with a concrete idea. And yeah I have a methane gas chamber in my house. Do you have some idea to improve that as well because its not enough to cook 2 meals. Thank you.” Prateek
Turning Whole Trees into High-Value Building Materials
“Rather than chipping trees and re-forming the pieces with adhesive (like OSB), Roald Gundersen’s company, Whole Trees Architecture and Structures, has developed methods for using whole peeled logs for columns and trusses.
Small? – a documentary about dry cabin life and alternative housing in Fairbanks, Alaska
“Fairbanks, Alaska is one of the coldest cities in the country with winter temperatures frequently reaching -30F. Yet, thousands of people choose to live without many modern conveniences such as running water and indoor bathrooms in modest, non-traditional housing arrangements. Why?”
Rocket-fired Griddle Oven — Free Plans
Kelly Hart posted an interesting story the other day about a Rocket-fired Oven and Griddle that really caught my eye. I think lots of readers would be interested in learning more about this stove. There’s some additional info on the Firespeaking.com website that will prove useful.
The Natural Building Colloquium
I have just returned from an intensive week of immersion in the varied world of natural building at the Natural Building Colloquium in Kingston, New Mexico. The Black Range Lodge hosted this event, the fourth one that has occurred there, and the fourth that I have attended. Between 150 and 170 folks were there, many of them long-time pillars of this diverse community of enthusiasts.
The first Colloquium was in 1995 and was organized as a way to get folks together so they could have time to become acquainted and share information. The idea was that if people had this opportunity it would not only advance the art of natural building, but it might quell the tendency for competing factions to form and create discord or animosity among practitioners. I think that this intention has been realized to a great extent; we really have become a close-knit family that is aligned with the purpose of spreading the word of how the natural building movement can help move society towards a more sustainable future. It was an international event, with representatives from all of the Americas, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Nepal and Europe.