“Let’s create the Regenerative Home. With this proposal, we are raising funds to showcase technologies for homes that are ecological, affordable, and appropriate for these times. We will build the second prototype this summer in Colorado (earlier version shown in the intro video). Throughout the construction we will document in film and photography. The building plans will be available this year online for $10. Plus, in a subsequent fundraising effort next year, we will assemble an online documentary film about the process so others can learn from and recreate these ideas.
natural building
Milling and Selling Specialty Woods
My blog post yesterday about small scale logging reminded me of a related business milling hard to find specialty woods for woodworkers. These woods command a premium price, but often are not commercially available due to scarcity or difficulty of obtaining adequate supplies. Woodturners, fine cabinetmakers, instrument makers, hobbyists, etc. are all potential customers. You could build up a client base and mill the wood to their specs or cut standard dimensions. To get an idea of the profit potential, visit a specialty woodworker’s supply store in a major city (or check online catalogs) to see the eye-popping prices being charged for specialty hardwoods. Cut out the middlemen and sell direct and/or over the Internet. You could also make furniture, cabinets, crafts, etc. and sell the surplus wood.
Small Scale Logging
Most builders use at least some wood when building houses. This is true even for earthbag, strawbale, adobe or other types of sustainable homes. But what’s the lowest cost, most sustainable wood source? The following article has some good ideas for starting a small scale sustainable logging business and obtaining wood at low or no cost.
Brandon Roger’s Earthbag House in Ghana
Brandon Rogers on Earth Bag Building in Ghana from Rosie Peppy Parke on Vimeo. Previous blog post: Earthbag Home in Ghana
Hybrid Homes
“In a sense, virtually all buildings are hybrids of one sort or another. Most modern buildings employ a wide range of materials, some “natural” some not. A strawbale house, for instance, is most likely a hybrid of strawbales and conventional wood framing. Unless the building is a dome or vault, the roof is likely framed with wood or steel. Our domed home is a hybrid of earthbag and papercrete materials. I know of a fine circular home that was minimally framed with 2X4 studs and then strawbales set on their ends provided the insulation.
Koh Phangan Earthbag Workshop
Participants will learn the basics of EB, and by the end of the weekend feel ready to begin a small structure by themselves. We will inspect existing buildings, do hands-on demonstrations on how to fill bags, how to lay them, and how to tamp them, and engage in Q & A sessions. Supplemental slide shows and film screenings will complete this full-immersion experience. Freshmen welcome, earthbag experience not required.