Tiny Off-Grid Cabin in Maine is Completely Self-Sustaining

Tiny off-grid cabin on a coastal island in Maine
Tiny off-grid cabin on a coastal island in Maine

“A project 30 years in the making, this tiny off-grid retreat on a coastal island in Maine is almost entirely self-sufficient. Designed and built by Alex Porter for her father, the project features a shed roof and is wrapped in a distinctive blue-grey corrugated skin. Dwell recently profiled the home, which is the only solar-powered retreat on the isolated island – its sustainable power source actually makes life a lot more leisurely, as the family does not need to schlep in fuel to run a noisy generator. They didn’t give anything up, as they have all the conveniences of a regular home — but with a view you don’t get in an everyday residence.”

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Another Update from Rex

Interior view of Rex’s pallet house that is estimated to cost around $4/sq. foot.
Interior view of Rex’s pallet house that is estimated to cost around $4/sq. foot.

“I have a Granberg MKIII Alaskan saw mill on its way, as well as one of their smaller Mini mills. I have so much fallen trees from a friend’s recent project that I’m going to use some of the wood I mill for flooring in the center of the house and hopefully make a little change on the side selling to a carpenter friend of mine. I’ll let you know how it works out for me. I’ll be milling mesquite, live oak and juniper.

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Reflected Light from Mirrors

Mirrors can be used to bring additional light into the home.
Mirrors can be used to bring additional light into the home.

“This is what I did recently. I got the idea from Cody Lundin’s house. My apartment doesn’t get much sunlight and almost no direct sunlight. So I basically placed a mirror outside my window on the patio. The sunlight bounces off the mirror and hits the ceiling and lights up the room. The quality of the light is great. Costs: $6 mirror at Home Depot, almost nothing. I googled this exact topic and found almost nothing. I thought it was super neat.” Thanks, Mark Lazaro

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Egypt Independent Earthbag Building Article

Earthbag building in Egypt
Earthbag building in Egypt

“Fagnoon Art School hosted a workshop for teaching the latest methods of earthbag building, an inexpensive construction method, hoping to bring the innovative technique to their farms and villages.

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Eternally Solar Earthbag Projects

Kommetjie Residence – ground floor only in earthbags.
Kommetjie Residence – ground floor only in earthbags.

It’s been a while since we’ve profiled Eternally Solar’s projects from Earthbag Build.com. These are from their gallery page. Eternally Solar has perfected bags that are ideal for sand. No stabilizers needed. Note: slightly higher cost bags are offset by no stabilizers and no labor for mixing.

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