CodeNEXT: Nightmare Agenda 21 Building Codes of the Future

This is a new building code system that city planners are trying to implement in Austin, TX.

“CodeNEXT is a plan is to effectively do away with old fashioned things like neighborhood zoning and building use restrictions. Those are too complex and burdensome. Now that Austin has become a “destination city,” we shouldn’t live in houses on blocks in neighborhoods. Instead, we should be divided into “corridors,” “nodes” and “transit hubs.” While this may work for designing certain sectors of undeveloped land, it should not be imposed on existing neighborhoods against their will.

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Building Stuff, Eco-Style

Raising the roof at Erin is Building Stuff Blog
Raising the roof at Erin is Building Stuff Blog

“First, let me introduce myself, for those of you who may have just stumbled upon this blog somehow. My name is Erin Finsel. I’m 19 and am just beginning my summer break before my Sophomore year at Berea College. I don’t know for sure, but I think I will be an independent Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS- I don’t know where the N comes from) major. My ultimate goal (as of right now) is to have a house, a garden, maybe a few chickens and a really nice cat.

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Mortage-free Property

This wonderful idea is from Canadian Dirtbags, one of my favorite earthbag blogs. “Don’t have the money to buy land? Consider ‘borrowing’ a patch of land before you lock into a mortgage that will have you working to pay it off for who knows how many years. We met a gentleman last year who has … Read more

Proposal Design for Arts Village at Abetenim, Ghana

This architecture competition entry is from the Nka Foundation website. The design is by architects Gediminas Ratavicius and Raimundus Zidonis, and students Margarita Pantelejeva and Brigita from Lithuania. “According to one of the most appealing goals of Open ARchiTecture Challege, we have made an attempt to integrate art to architecture so that new built structures … Read more

Pallet Roofs

I found another great way to build gable and vaulted roofs — with pallets: Pallet Pavilions The site referenced above shows how pallets can be used for walls and roofs. This is exciting because free pallets are usually quite easy to get in most countries and they’re very strong. Many are made of hardwood such … Read more