For thousands of years survival in Norway’s countryside, where farms were miles from each other, meant complete self-sufficiency. Farmsteads were like small villages with several families living together and building their homes from logs and turf. At Oslo’s Norwegian Folk Museum, entire farmsteads have been transplanted log-by-log by master carpenters who use traditional joinery techniques … Read more
This lovely home in Maryland has solar and geothermal systems, a ‘green roof’ and materials sourced on the property. The owner, Serge Rousselle, says that the house has a “feeling of strength and resilience” and was “built to last,” like the homes he grew up with in France. Rousselle’s vision was brought to fruition by … Read more
In 1958, James and Anne Hubbell bought cheap land in the Cuyamaca Mountains east of San Diego to build a home with their own hands using materials from the land. Over the next several decades, they built a cluster of unique homes across the property to accommodate their growing family and working needs. Using only … Read more
85 year old Rod Rylander purchased 10 acres of remote land in New Mexico with the intention of solving America’s housing crisis on a bare-bones budget. Now he is building an off-grid, solar-powered, 1,200-square-foot home with $50,000, calling his creation “the sustainable home.” Once he finishes this he plans to break ground on another one, … Read more
The tiny community of Coslor Cove in northern Navajo County is just east of the tiny town of Snowflake in Arizona – about a three hour drive to the nearest big city of Phoenix. This 1,300-acre commune wants to remain off the grid, with eventually all 200 of its residents participating in garden-farming toward its goal … Read more
I recently discovered the folks who run tinyshinyhome.com and who have produced a number of video programs. I was particularly impressed with this video about building with hyperadobe that they call “The ULTIMATE GUIDE to Hyperadobe Earthbags: Pros, Cons, & Cost Savings” They say, “After 4 years of experimenting, here’s everything we know about hyperadobe … Read more