“Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it exists. It has often been dismissed as crude and unrefined, but also has … Read more
“In this book, Bernard Rudofsky steps outside the narrowly defined discipline that has governed our sense of architectural history and discusses the art of building as a universal phenomenon. He introduces the reader to communal architecture–architecture produced not by specialists but by the spontaneous and continuing activity of a whole people with a common heritage, … Read more
“Helen and Scott Nearing were well-known American back-to-the-landers who wrote extensively about their experience living what they termed “the good life”. The Nearings began their simple life on an old farm on the foot of Stratton Mountain near Jamaica, Vermont in 1932, in the pit of the Great Depression. In 1952 they moved to Maine, … Read more
– Why Every American Homeowner Should be Concerned “The following table represents a scenario where home energy bills increase by a very modest 5% per year over a 50 year time frame. Look up your current monthly energy bill to see what your cumulative energy bill will be years into the future. The column highlighted … Read more
The kitchen is the heart of the home where families spend much of their time. You want it to look nice. It seems nothing can compare with the rustic, natural beauty of wood. In some ways, all wood kitchens epitomize luxurious living. Plan carefully because a well built kitchen will greatly enhance livability and resale … Read more
“Testing a CEB (compressed earth block) wall for the ability to withstand small arms fire with an AK-47, 223 and a 45-70 Gov” The video is rather shaky, but it does help validate what we’ve been saying here for the last few years – that compressed earth, especially when combined with gravel, has very good … Read more