4 ms·

I'm interested in this too and also for monetary reasons rather than the eco thing. Mostly what I've looked at so far are cob/straw houses. With these you are

by djm 16y ago

I'm interested in this too and also for monetary reasons rather than the eco thing. Mostly what I've looked at so far are cob/straw houses. With these you are basically looking at a rubble/concrete base (which you can hopefully scavenge for free), clay/straw/sand for making the cob, and wood for the roof/window/doorframes etc. The best budget option for a roof seems to be turf, although that cuts down on the amount of rain water you could collect if you wanted to independant from a water company. The biggest obstacle in the UK seems to be finding suitable land and getting planning permission etc. I don't really know any solution to that. Over the past few weeks I've been reading 'building with cob: a step by step guide" which covers both the technical and legal aspects of building one of these structures in the UK. It's a great book.

ErrantX 16y ago
I know this is self promotion :) but I recently blogged about my reasons for wanting to do this here: http://www.errant.me.uk/blog/2010/07/why-i-want-an-eco-house/ http://www.errant.me.uk/blog/2010/07/why-i-want-an-eco-house... The best budget option for a roof seems to be turf What I have in mind is something of a sunken/earthworks house - so yes, turf roof which I would try and double as a grass terrace etc. cob/straw looks like a useful material from my research too - coupled with the sunken aspect for insulation reasons. The biggest obstacle in the UK seems to be finding suitable land and getting planning permission etc. I don't really know any solution to that. Most of the "first generation" examples I have seen build first and sort planning later. But there are newer projects that have applied successfully - and that is the route I prefer. I think planners are becoming more open to self sustained housing, thankfully :) Thanks for the book recommendation! I will track it down from Amazon.
exline 16y ago
I actually live in a stawbale house. It looks completely normal, except for 2' thick external walls and the stained concrete floors. I absolutely love it. My dad/brother built it. One practical piece of advice, keep any walls that you are going to hang cabinets on standard framing walls. This will save you an huge amount of time and effort to get them to hang properly and look good. Also be careful how /where you run your water pipes. Straw (and probably other materials) really don't like water if you get a leak.

by djm 16y ago

ErrantX 16y ago

I know this is self promotion :) but I recently blogged about my reasons for wanting to do this here: http://www.errant.me.uk/blog/2010/07/why-i-want-an-eco-house/ http://www.errant.me.uk/blog/2010/07/why-i-want-an-eco-house... The best budget option for a roof seems to be turf What I have in mind is something of a sunken/earthworks house - so yes, turf roof which I would try and double as a grass terrace etc. cob/straw looks like a useful material from my research too - coupled with the sunken aspect for insulation reasons. The biggest obstacle in the UK seems to be finding suitable land and getting planning permission etc. I don't really know any solution to that. Most of the "first generation" examples I have seen build first and sort planning later. But there are newer projects that have applied successfully - and that is the route I prefer. I think planners are becoming more open to self sustained housing, thankfully :) Thanks for the book recommendation! I will track it down from Amazon.

exline 16y ago

I actually live in a stawbale house. It looks completely normal, except for 2' thick external walls and the stained concrete floors. I absolutely love it. My dad/brother built it. One practical piece of advice, keep any walls that you are going to hang cabinets on standard framing walls. This will save you an huge amount of time and effort to get them to hang properly and look good. Also be careful how /where you run your water pipes. Straw (and probably other materials) really don't like water if you get a leak.