Like many readers here, you might be dreaming of your sustainable natural home. But maybe you’re busy saving money at a job in town and not ready for the plunge. Temporarily living in a simple garage apartment/garage studio is one way to live simply so it’s easier to save for your dream home.
low cost
John’s Earthbag House
People are dreaming of a better world with homes made of natural materials.
“Argentina is an ideal land to create a radical shift in how homes are built and how we live as a society. Once out of the city, building codes dissolve and one is free to design and build to heart’s content. Here in the sierras land is abundant. I’d love to see some of your designs or hear more about your story.
Earthbag Social Housing – Carrancas, Brazil
“This construction project was on invitation from the local council in Carrancas, (Minas Gerais, Brazil) to offer a prototype for an eco and low cost solution to social housing. It was a three-month project which was received with much attention and enthusiasm from the community and council, and has been well-loved since by its occupants.”
Pallet Sheds and $14 Pallet Shelving Units
This is a great idea for DIY low cost storage space. They’re simple enough anyone can build them. If you need a lot of shelving units, then it might be worthwhile to cut the cost in half by using 2x4s from oversized pallets (you’ll have to search around a bit to find them), and bolts or strong screws from yard sales or auctions. Bolts would be much easier to work with since it’s quite difficult to screw into old, dry pallet wood.
Building Stuff, Eco-Style
“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.
Kent’s Earthbag Cabin
“Now that the walls are all covered with adobe, I can probably work on the roof this winter when we have decent weather. You can’t do adobe work if it’s too cold, but we typically have lots of nice enough days in the winter for working on a roof. The next posting will be when significant framing is done for the roof.”