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Originally posted by St Udio
Dennis Weaver's earthship in 1990, up in CO, made all the rage for this type of thing.
i guess because the buckminister fuller geodesic domes got too hippyish
i'm pagan, so all those tires & aluminum cans would really cause me psyche distress... but the thought of ecohomes is a slight bit better than the McMansions a lot of us detest already
thanks for the post
Originally posted by maus80
There is NO WAY I would use straw as insulation, there is a good reason that insulation is fire retardant. I've also seen what happens to sheets of plastic that are exposed to the elements over the years.
I'm sure better, equally cost effective alternatives could be found for those two things, but other than that I like the idea of cost effective, sustainable housing construction.
Originally posted by grover
Hand-Build an Earth Sheltered House For $5,000
greenbuildingelements.com
(visit the link for the full news article)
Cash, that most basic element of our economy, can be in abysmally short supply for new young families scraping by on marginal jobs.
Sustainable housebuilding may not be foremost in their minds.
But one young couple in Wales managing on an annual income of just $10,000 went ahead and built their own cheap home anyway sustainably, mostly out of materials from “a rubbish pile somewhere.”
Sustainable design and construction:
1. Dug into hillside for low visual impact and shelter
2. Stone and mud from diggings used for retaining walls, foundations etc.
3. Frame constructed of fallen trees from surrounding woodland
4. Reciprocal roof rafters are structurally very easy to do
5. Straw bales in floor, walls and roof for super-insulation and easy building
6. Plastic sheet and mud/turf roof for low impact and ease
7. Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture compared to cement
8. Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings
9. Other items were reclaimed from “a rubbish pile somewhere”: windows, wiring, plumbing
There are just a couple of solar panels - just enough for for lighting, music and computing. It’s a simple life. A skylight in the roof lets in enough natural feeling light, and water is fed by gravity downhill from a nearby spring. There’s a compost toilet. Roof water collects in a pond for gardening.
[edit on 3-12-2008 by grover]
Originally posted by FoxStriker
Here in America, I would have to buy permits that would equal to 5,000 - 10,000. Doesn't exsist except out in the Desert with the Coyotes.
Originally posted by grover
Found a link to an article on the "lost" village.
www.dailymail.co.uk...
And here is the ATS thread link.
www.abovetopsecret.com...
[edit on 3-12-2008 by grover]
Originally posted by shipovfools
I imagine there are regulations and codes that would prevent this sort of construction from being "legal"