Every time the Nenet reindeer herders migrate they must pack their whole tent away, drag it across the tundra on sledges, and erect it again in a fresh place, often in below zero weather. Survival depends on working together as a team. Sometimes they must pack and move every three to five days to keep … Read more
I recently discovered that a supplement to the 2019 California Residential Code approves the use of superadobe construction (as established by CalEarth). It requires the use of cement stabilized earthen fill material. You can read this supplemental document at icc-es.org
We’ve been having trouble recently with our blog posts not going out to the people who are signed up on our email list. If you are on the list and used to get quite a few emails from us but haven’t gotten them lately, please let us know (by posting in the comments or emailing … Read more
Aspects of the Property Consider the topography of the land. Can the house be built to take advantage of natural features? How can it be constructed with minimal harm to the natural habitat? This includes designing the house for the best orientation to the sun, specifically for windows and solar panels, for maximum heat and … Read more
Lloyd Kahn and Shelter Publications has just published another spectacular book of eye candy featuring hundreds of color photographs of various forms of shelter on wheels. Within these pages you will find 11 vans, 9 all-terrain vehicles, 2 solar powered vehicles, 23 campers on pickups, 7 house trucks, 4 house buses, 13 trailers and 5 … Read more
A study by The University of South Australia has verified the structural integrity of walls constructed from tires packed with earth. Tire waste represents a major sustainability challenge globally, with Australia alone generating an average of 55 million (450,000 tons) of used tires each year. A team of scientists has rigorously assessed the structural … Read more