Alternative Building Techniques - Page 2

Opteron_Man · 03-30-2008, 09:04 PM

I love that Earth Ship concept.

LaBelleDameSansMerci · 03-30-2008, 11:09 PM

I'm a fan of the hobbit house. The roof is amazing. I'd live in one of those houses...
I sent the link to my parents too, cuz my dad wants to move to the country and build a cabin.
It'd be fun to build one of those hobbit houses in the city/suburbs, too. Then you'd be on a bus system, but also living in a super-green house. Some turd would probably deny a permit though so people don't have to look at a weird little hobbit house. Oh nose! A hobbit house!

Johnny Gnar Gnar · 03-30-2008, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emeraldlonewoulf

Several years ago, I was in a situation where i had to haul water for about three months. It really makes you aware of your water consumption and conservation habits. I used to hate having to flush the toilet, because of how much water it took each time, and I knew I'd just have to haul another five gallon bucket.

Try putting a couple of bricks, or another dense type of material in the tank of the toilet. Be careful not to crunch the internal guts of it. It will save quite a bit of water. I too have lived in a place where I had to haul water, and in all reality, a pit toilet was just as easy to use as a modern flush type toilet.

Oh, and I just finished watching the videos on the earthships. That is some very amazing stuff. My curiosity is definitely piqued.

KontanKarite · 03-30-2008, 11:58 PM

I told you so.

LaBelleDameSansMerci · 03-31-2008, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Gnar Gnar

piqued.

Yay! You used the right one!
The Earthships do sound really cool, but I'm still a fan of the hobbit house.

korinna5555 · 03-31-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Gnar Gnar

If I ever settle down, I will probably wind up going with a cabin. Now, I don't plan on settling down anytime in the near future. I don't know if it will ever happen, but it might.

I would be quite content with one of these:
http://www.unionmiles.org/images/UMDC%20Log%20Cabin.jpg

Not this:
http://www.aboutloghomes.com/ideas/w...me-mansion.jpg
Ugly. Eyesore. BLEHH.

Of interest to me, and probably to you, Johnny Boy.
http://dailycoyote.blogspot.com/

raggedyanne · 03-31-2008, 05:16 PM

I like korinna's idea! But I'm more of an Eichler person myself. Lived in one for the first 13 years of my life and I swear I'll die in one. Small, energy efficient, modern, radient heating (from the floors - heat rises, way cheaper), and a perfect roof for solar panels)!

http://www.eichlernetwork.com/nbrhd_fairglen.html

http://www.arcspace.com/books/Eichler/eichler_book.html

Stormtrooper of Death · 03-31-2008, 06:57 PM

http://www.abcnorio.org/about/about.html

Here's where I want to go.

Johnny Gnar Gnar · 03-31-2008, 08:40 PM

And she is from here! I wonder where she lives. I may have to get in touch with her, see what she has to say. There aren't that many folks here in Wyoming, who knows, she could live across the valley. Hmmmmmm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by korinna5555

I would be quite content with one of these:
http://www.unionmiles.org/images/UMDC%20Log%20Cabin.jpg

Not this:
http://www.aboutloghomes.com/ideas/w...me-mansion.jpg
Ugly. Eyesore. BLEHH.

Of interest to me, and probably to you, Johnny Boy.
http://dailycoyote.blogspot.com/

Opteron_Man · 04-05-2008, 03:21 AM

How about an earth covered house? Or a Quonset Hut?

korinna5555 · 04-05-2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opteron_Man

Or a Quonset Hut?

No. Just.. no.
Not to be a bitch, but I could NEVER live in one of those.

Opteron_Man · 04-05-2008, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by korinna5555

No. Just.. no.
Not to be a bitch, but I could NEVER live in one of those.

No? Why not? I was joking about the Quonset Hut though but an earth covered house is actually great. It is really energy efficient. It keeps the cool in during the summer and the heat in during the winter.

What’s the problem?

korinna5555 · 04-06-2008, 01:30 PM

I HATE Quonset huts.
Earth covered houses are FINE.

Jaye Jang · 04-08-2008, 02:44 AM

Interesting thread. Check out some of the structures by Paolo Solari. Originally discovered him (yes, I'm that old) in a book by Alicia Bay Laurel called "Living On the Earth". Solari was originally a student of Frank Lloyd Wright (check out "Falling Water House"), who created a community in Arizona called, I believe either Acrosanti or Arcosanti. He creates houses by basically building a mound and digging out the rooms, windows, etc. to the owner's specs. The end result is a natural structure made of adobe that is warm in the winter, cool in the summer and pretty darn 'cool' to look at. As far as I know, I think Solari is still alive and currently teaches architecture in Boston. (If you truly want 'hippie' architecture, check out "Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth", by R. Buckminster Fuller, who created the geodesic dome).

blackwater1110 · 04-08-2008, 01:19 PM

Wow! Just...wow. I had no idea these things existed. My long-standing dream was to build my own castle, but given how cheap hobbit houses are, I'd probably build that, and live there until I could afford an earthship, which looks absolutely awesome. The dome thing looks cool, too, but I question some of the building materials it said it uses. Now, is it possible to still get a castle-y look with the environmental benefits of these methods...?