Protection from weather, animals and fire.Use stone from excavation to make hearth, chimney and thermal store.Use soft, non-square materials for other components (walls, roof etc.).On site,plentiful supply of otherwise useless oak thinnings (4"-9").įiddly to integrate square components (eg.
Lower embodied energy than sawn timber.Sandwich membrane with heavy duty plastic then straw.Aesthetic, low visibility and natural harmony.See how it goes, what works and feels goodĪnalysis from basic functions to solutions basic function.Zoning, relationships of activities and requirements.Site survey (slope, features, aspect, access etc.).Analysis of functions > elements > materials.The design of the house comes mostly from the combination of the following considerations: Spring, mud on the roof, plastering and whitewashing done, landscaping nearly finished, beer brewing, bread in the oven. All tools lost, snowing outside, no doors, plastering
#Hobbit house blueprint windows#
Windows in the holes, stuff straw into any gaps then chainsaw trim the balesĪnd tool bench, 4.30am.
Pallette floor ready for floorboards on top. The bales are stacked on roughĭry stone wall and staked together with hazel sticks. Straw bale wall inside, a fun and quick job. Plastic, other bales inside, quick before it rains. Cotton sheets then straw bales on the roof and cover it up with Palettes on the floor to take insulating bales.ĭelivery. Logs over the top and palettes on the floor. Together and continue until no longer wobbly. Or so small trees and a bit of chainsawing later. Roof water collects in pond for garden etc.Ĭlick here for plans of the house The Building Processĭug and level, post positions marked out, dry stone foundation walls down,įirst retaining wall built against front bank.Solar panels for lighting, music and computing.Skylight in roof lets in natural feeling light.Fridge is cooled by air coming underground through foundations.Flue goes through big stone/plaster lump to retain and slowly release heat.Woodburner for heating - renewable and locally plentiful.Anything you could possibly want is in a rubbish pile somewhere (windows, burner, plumbing, wiring.).Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings.Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture (compared to cement).Plastic sheet and mud/turf roof for low impact and ease.Straw bales in floor, walls and roof for super-insulation and easy building.Reciprocal roof rafters are structurally and aesthaetically fantastic and very easy to do.Frame of oak thinnings (spare wood) from surrounding woodland.Stone and mud from diggings used for retaining walls, foundations etc.Dug into hillside for low visual impact and shelter.Some key points of the design and construction: My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverence and a mate or two to give a lift now and again. This kind of building is accessible to anyone. I was not a builder or carpenter, my experience was only having had a go at one similar house 2yrs before and a bit of mucking around inbetween. The main tools used were a chainsaw, hammer and 1 inch chisel, little else really. It housed our family whilst we worked in the woodland surrounding the house doing ecological woodland management and setting up a forest garden, things that would have been impossible had we had to pay a regular rent or mortgage. The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gave us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Not really so much in house buying terms (roughly £60/sq m excluding labour). I estimated 1000-1500 man hours and £3000 in materials. 4 months after starting we were moved in and cosy. It was built by myself and my father in law with help from passers by and visiting friends. This is a house I built for our family in Wales. The Permaculture Design Companion is a practical 190 page workbook that uses permaculture tools to bring your project to reality.
0 kommentar(er)
