More interesting news from David Easton’s rammed earth company: “Our sister company Rammed Earth Works continues to develop technology for pre-cast veneer rammed earth panels made in our Napa factory and transported to job sites.
natural building
Low Cost Bamboo Truss System
Most of our readers know the world’s forests are being rapidly depleted. Sustainable alternatives are desperately needed. Low cost bamboo is a promising alternative building material because it’s rapidly renewable and widely available. Bamboo is especially well suited for Nepal that is in dire need of scalable solutions that can help rebuild the country. Ms. Neelima Basnet, a Nepali freelance architect, helped implement Joao Boto Caeiro’s bamboo truss method in Chapagaun near Kathmandu. Now there are 22 finished houses.
Homestead Outlaws
“When we looked around at all the things we do on a regular basis, we realize that many things are illegal in other places around the country. Living an Off Grid life in America can get you in hot water with legal authorities if you’re not careful. Here is a list of things we do that may make you an Outlaw.”
Grandma Krishna’s Earthbag Home in Nepal
“Initially, on paper, I figured that it would be cheap to build earthbag houses. After many years of research, while I was studying and working in the UK, and after the twin earthquakes of 2015, it made more sense to me to give this method a try and promote it. I finally made the jump and started building a small earthbag home for the sweet old lady from my community here in Chiti VDC Lamjung. I found some hidden surprises associated with the build.
DIY Walk-in Cooler
I’ve been emailing someone about the benefits of making your own walk-in refrigerator/cooler using factory made mechanicals. She said, “I really never did understand why people would spend thousands on refrigerators when the walk ins are so much better. Most high end refrigerators are nothing more than some styrofoam and plastic wrapped in some visually appealing finish. Since I’ll be growing most of my own food, I’ll need the extra space.”
CIDEP Permaculture Centro Argentina: Living in the Future
“CIDEP is the Centre for the Investigation, Development and Education of Permaculture in El Bolson, Patagonia.”