I’ve been corresponding with one of our readers in New Zealand about low cost, alternative cabin building ideas with disaster preparedness in mind. We’ve talked about a whole range of ideas such as using straw bales for energy efficiency. The design presented here is DIY friendly, affordable, suitable for a grid-down situation and can be easily moved if desired.
affordable
Nomadic Gardner Grows In Florida + Maine on Other People’s Land
“After visiting Jim’s winter market garden in Florida, it’s time to follow up and see his summer market garden in Maine. See all the tricks of this nomadic gardeners trade.”
Converting my chain link fence to a stone wall
“I installed a chain-link fence in 1974, Now, with my pond, I wanted a better backdrop and more privacy than the chain-link fence provided. I also wanted a barrier to occasional water runoff from the schoolyard behind my property. A rock wall seemed to be the answer. This video shows how to use an existing fence as the base for a faux rock wall made from concrete. This is part one as the summer came to and end. Part two will be made when warmer weather returns.”
DIY Gabion Walls
“Here is a quick tutorial of how I build my own gabion walls from standard concrete remesh and galvanized wire. They are simple to build and can be filled with most types of large stones, rock, or concrete chunks. These are commonly available materials and often can be found free on craigslist.”
Earthbag School in Phulping, Nepal is Complete
“Good Earth Nepal is proud to have completed the construction of Shree Seti Devi Pancha Kanya Primary School in Phulping, Sindhupalchok. The build was funded by the 108 Lives Project, a project of the Three Jewels Outreach Center Inc.
Jaw-Dropping Traditional Small Japanese Home Renovation
“Imagine having the opportunity to renovate a wonderfully unique building and turn it into your dream home. When Daigo came across an abandoned small home in rural Japan which previously had been used to grow silk worms, that’s exactly what he did. The home takes full advantage of the original traditional Japanese construction materials, yet is styled with an minimalist, modern edge.”