Yesterday’s blog post was about the foam glass insulation we plan to use on the Wiki Natural House. Today we’re giving a sneak peak (first draft) of the foundation design. The primary design considerations are low cost, owner-builder friendly, minimal cement, must withstand cold and wet climate (insulation is key), must align with thick straw bale walls and meet UK building codes. That’s a pretty tall order. Many of my designs are for rural areas with few or no codes. In this case, we have to put a little more effort into workable solutions.
sustainable
Foamglas Blocks, Gravel and Insulation Board
We’re starting work on the Wiki Natural House project in the UK. At this point it looks like we will use three foam glass products: foam glass blocks, foam glass insulation board under the slab floor and foam glass gravel in the tires. This plus the straw bale walls plus R-40 roof insulation and good windows will give us a superinsulated house.
My Off-the-Grid Building Odyssey
“In the wake of both personal and national tragedy, I decided it was time to follow Thoreau’s dictum and simplify. Clearly, my life of quiet desperation had to change. As I sifted through the complexities of my daily routine, I noticed a recurring problem—my struggles to house myself.
Puddled Adobe
We reported on their adobe retreat center yesterday. Now New Life Foundation is building puddled adobe housing at their center in Chiang Rai, Thailand. This type of construction receives very little attention even though it’s one of the simplest, lowest cost building methods and has been around thousands of years. It’s believed the oldest house in the US — pre-Spanish — was built with puddled adobe. Among other things, puddled adobe would make good interior walls with adequate framing at doors.
New Life Foundation
“It is our mission to cultivate a lifestyle that fosters inner growth and helps people to find meaning and purpose in life again. We believe that all of us have everything it takes to create a peaceful, equitable and sustainable existence. All we have to do is renew our relationship with ourselves and our environment.
Code Approved Rammed Tire Foundations
If you spend enough time you can find almost anything now for free on the Internet. Jason has been sending me one good tip after another. He recommended Strawworks.com in the UK for their detail drawings. They’re world famous for their expertise in strawbale building. Visit their site to see their code approved rammed tire foundation detail drawing and other excellent drawings, photos and more. Note: I still prefer gravel bag foundations for their speed and ease of construction, however, it can be challenging getting them permitted in areas with building codes.