Saturday, 12 May 2012

Eco-friendly homes

The Woodman's Cottage


Absolutely beautiful woodland house in Sussex, UK, built with timber and strawbales, finished with adobe. This is such an inspiration....
- Caroline (ND)


http://www.ben-law.co.uk/

I felt so uplifted after watching this very precious video.
- Bron (NZ)



Uploaded by  on Sep 8, 2009
I felt the need to put this video from Grand Desings, this is without any doubt the best design on the program and aparantly the favorite also to Kevin McCloud. For more information about this house project and the man behind it visit http://www.ben-law.co.uk/

Thanks to EcoHeim Solutions @ ecoheimsolutions.com for information provided on sustainable ecohome solutions.



A HOBBIT HOME IN WALES - 

STONE, MUD, GRASS ROOF

Doesn't this home look like something straight out of The Hobbit?

The "low impact woodland home" exists in Wales. 
It was built by the owner with regard for the environment.  It's dug into the hillside, which means it's probably energy efficient too (see our article on underground homes).  The foundation and retaining walls are made with mud and stone. Straw bales in the floor, walls, and roof help insulate the home.  Reclaimed wood was used for the floor and fittings.

Stoneandmudundergroundhome

To read more about this incredible home, visit the owner's web site at Low Impact Woodland Home.


                   TREE HOUSES

UPSCALE TREEHOUSES ALLOW YOU TO LIVE GREEN


I don't know about you, but I have two fantasies when it comes to building my own home or maybe a vacation home:
1) make it eco-friendly and energy efficient, maybe even able to thrive "off the grid" and
2) make it in a tree!

Treehouses aren't just for kids.  The Treehouse Workshop of Seattle says so.
"The Seattle-based company, which employs seven lead builders, crafts 10 to 15 modern and sophisticated tree-top abodes each year, some outfitted with bathrooms, fireplaces, second stories, and suspension bridges.  Using mostly with reclaimed wood and recycled materials, from the flooring and doors to the paneling and windows, the company uses primarily recovered lumber and timber from old homes, as well as salvaged building products from Second Use Building Materials in Seattle."

If you've ever dreamed of having your very own treehouse (and an eco-friendly one too!), you'll definitely want to check those folks out.
--quote from Treehugger


              HUMAN HAVENS U.S.

I just found this beautiful site today (Oct 18 2011).  There's lots of great pics, beautiful houses, great ideas...  plus :D  ... the company has Ringing Cedars of Russia readers  :D  Great !!!
This is a wee taste ~  there's much much more on the site. It has a beautiful vibration about it  : )   ... and is very beautifully written  : )

"Human Havens is a triple-bottom-line provider of
empowered sustainable solutions for a thriving world."

Empowering you into the new paradigm of thrive-ability…
Providing real solutions to thrive with natural abundance…
Elegantly living in harmony with others and the land…





                      TINY HOUSES

I have always been a fan of living in small functional spaces. I think the tiny (and therefore affordable) housing is a wonderful alternative housing solution too. There are a few websites on the internet and I have also seen some great books on japanese designed tiny houses.

Some tiny houses are designed as emergency structures that can be put together very quickly. Others are designed on wheels. Even the humble but groovy caravan deserves a mention.
There is a small house movement which encourages people to build and design their own tiny houses.
What do you think?
                                   www.tinyhouseblog.com
                                   
             

              


      


Stuck in Vermont 105: Tiny Houses





Bron:  The reasons these people have for going small are mainly about money...  that's a shame...  but so true.  I look forward to the day when money isn't an issue...  and there's wood trees in family domains so people can build a nice spacious houses  : ) In the meantime, staying small and going green sure does save you money : )

Yeah I must admit Megs, I tend to be a Big House girl...  but if you've got land freehold why set yourself up with a huge mortgage for the sake of putting a mansion on it.  I could actually feel myself live in the dome above...  very hobbit'esque and cute...  good for a 5'1" person like myself !!  However, the Man is a dwarf at 6'4" and I know he likes the high-roofed villa i'm in at the moment.  Still...  with being able to build oneself, there could be a cute little dome and a steep-gabled prairie cottage and still come in under budget !!  :D 


EARTHSHIPs


In 2009 I stayed for a week in the Normandy Earthship in Ger, France. (An Earthship is a radically sustainable home made of recycled materials) It is owned by Kevin and Gillian Trott, an English couple and built together with Mike Reynolds and his team and many loving volunteers. Absolutely amazing atmosphere there, like living in Mother Earths womb, with such warmth, kindness and soft gentleness that made me feel very safe. I slept like a baby there. The love of the Sacred Mother combined with the love of the builders was very tangible. It was my first experience with off-grid living and that was a phenomenal and empowering feeling. Amazing and very inspiring. A great way to spend your holiday!








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