Question from Kristen, one of our readers: Any tips or pointers for building a strawbale roundhouse on post and piers?? I have a yurt with a permanent post and pier foundation with concrete piers going 2 feet down and 1.5 feet wide. I want to take down the yurt and build a strawbale house, and since the floor is already round use the layout I have…Thanks for any direction as my husband and I will be doing this ourselves and enlisting our 16 year old son and any friends we can have come help.
Uncategorized
Best Materials for Natural Building in the Pacific Northwest
Reader question: I am hoping to start building a home in the Pacific Northwest this summer. I have been reading EVERYTHING I can on building with cob, hyperadobe and strawbales, and am trying to come up with a solution that I can afford and build on my own (I am recently divorced with four kids and no family or friends available to help build).
Tribute to King Bhumibol Adulyadej: New Theory Sustainable Agriculture and the Sufficiency Economy
This is the one year anniversary of the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and so it is fitting to highlight the great work he has done in Thailand. The King’s policies helped raise the standard of living for tens of millions of people in Thailand and make the country one of the largest food exporters in the world. In my opinion, King Bhumibol Adulyadej may be the greatest environmentalist of the last century. Westerner’s are often unaware of the King’s work because most of the information is in Thai, not English.
Cheap Camping: New Mexico State Parks $225 Annual Pass
“In this Part 9 of my series on free or very cheap camping, we look at the New Mexico State Parks Pass. For only $225 per year (for the entire year) you can stay at any New Mexico State Park for free. If it has one, that includes the use of their showers and water and the majority do have a shower.
Is Green Architecture Missing a Footing?
Why Building Geometry Matters by Allen Dusault “In 1853 a rather eccentric gentleman named Orson Fowler published a book entitled, “The Gravel Wall and Octagon Mode of Building”. The book was a best seller of its day and it spurred a short-lived nationwide fad of building houses (and some barns) in an octagon shape, a … Read more
Best Places to Live with Minimal Building Codes: Small Communities in Decline
Consider investigating small rural communities with lax building codes for homesteading. Many of these communities are in slow decline and eager for new community members. Keep an eye out for properties for sale and related community information online. Many properties come on the market when seniors pass away and children want to live in big cities. Look for areas with good water and established gardens with good soil.