The following are incredible
resources for further study, research and
inspiration... but as we all know, inspiration
without action is sortof useless. It’s a
temporary high... Go to these web sites, subscribe to
these magazines, buy the books, join the councils and
organizations and jump on the Sustainable AND
Affordable Housing bandwagon!
— The Editors
New
Village Journal, ADPSR
(Architects/
Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility) has
successfully launched New Village, publishing the
first two issues of this non-profit journal that
covers the emerging field of community building.
New Village
speaks to a broad and diverse audience of citizen
activists and community development practitioners.
The journal showcases on-the-ground examples of
economic, social, and physical turn-around in some of
the most distressed urban neighborhoods. Each issue
gives voice to issues not represented in the
mainstream media, offering hope, compassion, and
“how we did it.”
Lynne
Elizabeth, Editor
New Village Journal
2000 Center Street, Suite 120
Berkeley, CA 94704
510.845.0685 / fax: 510.845.9503
editor@newvillage.net
www.newvillage.net
Builders
without Borders
“We are
an international network of ecological builders who
form partnerships with communities and organizations
around the world to create affordable housing from
local materials and to work together for a
sustainable future. We believe the solution to
homelessness is not merely housing, but a local
population trained to provide housing for themselves.”
119 Main Street
Kingston, NM 88042
505-895-5400 / fax 505-895-3326
mail@builderswithoutborders.org
www.BuilderswithoutBorders.org
Development
Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT)
For 10 years,
DCAT has been working on identifying barriers to
straw bale construction, how to work sustainability
in to the building codes, and how to work with local
governments to encourage appropriate technology and
sustainable development. There is tons of work being
done on “retrofitting” the building codes
now, mostly being done by David Eisenberg of DCAT (www.azastarnet.com/~dcat) [see article in this issue!]. For a
surprising report, visit http://www.eren.doe.gov/.../strawbale.pdf, and you can download a copy of the
U.S. DOE and HUD report on “House of Straw,”
built on a native American Indian reservation. This
is the DOE and HUD, mind you, talking about the
energy efficiency and affordability of straw and
adobe. Although its from 1995 (outdated in straw bale
terms), it’s a landmark report in my opinion.
— Alison Pernell
Free
Garage Doors
The company
with free garage doors is:
Botta’s
205 West Clark Ave.
Santa Maria/Orcutt
805-937-6620
Light-Gauge
Steel
These
projects are the last word in up-to-date technology.
Lighter than wood, termite-proof, and basically
fire-proof, these structures are the wave of now and
the future. These are ideal structures for high-risk
environments subject to rot, corrosion, high
humidity, etc. In terms of cost, steel and wood
usually run neck and neck. Which is more economical
is usually determined by the cost of wood on a
particular day. Labor-wise they are practically
identical.
http://www.onestopdesignbuild.com/
constructions_steel.html
Habitat
for Humanity
www.habitat.org
Check out their Green Building Initiative and their
good selection of sites and data on national programs
and over 50 Re-Stores that sell recycled building
materials.
Buckminster
Fuller Institute
www.bfi.org
This website has wonderful links. Buckminster Fuller
believed housing was the key to a just society.
Books &
plans for
Underground Houses & Buildings
by innovative
architect Malcolm Wells. Plans for A Tiny Underground
House (320 sq ft), and A Bipad Solar Earth Shelter
for two people, just $10 each for floor plans &
construction drawings. Contact:
Malcom Wells
673 Satucket Rd
Brewster, MA 02831
Earthaven
Forestry Cooperative
www.earthaven.org/fc/fc.htm
a natural building cooperative or (828)664-1732.
The
City of Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Department
and Global Green USA has published two good
publications:
1. “Sourcebook
City of Los angeles Sustainable Building Program
Residential Rehabiitation” focussing on
affordable single- and multi-family housing.
2. “Guidebook
City of Los Angeles Sustainable Building Program
Residential Rehabilitation” contains products
that fulfill the requirements of sustainability for
each feature listed in this Guidebook (site,
structural frame, plumbing, electrical, roofing,
insulation, windows, hvac, renewables, finishes,
operations & maintenance).
These are
free; check their websites: www.cityofla.org/ead
and www.globalgreen.org
or call EAD 213/580-1040
or GG at 310/394-7700.
Of course,
Los Angeles Eco-Village does public two hour tours
(213/738-1254 or crsp@igc.org for reservations. A $10 donation is
requested.
ReStore
Bargains
galore at ReStore - doors, windows, lighting
fixtures, sinks, and more. A demolition happened last
week, netting a large gas fireplace, red clay roof
tiles, cabinets and fixtures. Great items now
available at ReStore. Located across Highway 1 from
Cuesta College, ReStore is open every Saturday from
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for donations and the 3rd
Saturday of the month from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for
sales. ReStore still needs volunteers with trucks who
can pick up donations of building materials. If you
can help, give Dixon a call at 594-1369.
Suggested
Web Sites
www.greendesign.net (newsletter)
www.chelseagreen.com (publisher)
www.strawbalecentral.com, www.caneloproject.com (strawbale)
www.cobworks.com, www.deatech.com/cobcottage, www.cntinet.net/~sequoia (cob)
www.calearth.org,
www.ok-ok-ok.com (earthbag)
www.earthship.org (earthships)
www.cordwoodmasonry.org, www.sagemountain.org (cordwood)
www.yurts.com,
www.nbyurts.com (canvas yurts)
www.halcyon.com/abs (bamboo)
www.certifiedwood.org, www.ecotimber.com (wood, links)
www.buildingforhealth.com (materials)
www.oikos.com (resources galore)
www.gaia.org (eco villages)
www.ecobuilding.org,
www.rmi.org,
www.naturalstep.org (organizations)
www.sfia.net,
www.yestermorrow.org (schools)
My favorite
workshop is
Build Here Now
June 10-17 in Taos New Mex.
www.strawhomes.com
505.895.5400
— Becky Kemery
Archetype
Design
by Vishu
Magee, (he applies psychological insight and
spiritual practice to siting and building design).
T HOUSE
WEB SITE
www.TonysTHouse.com
Simplicity. Minimum consumption. See photos of
various designs of simple dwellings; cheap simple
construction can be shipped to Bali, Hawaii
Web sites
for sustainable and affordable housing
www.state.nj.us/dca/dhcr/sdhome.htm
www.state.nj.us/dca/dhcr/sdawards.htm www.eeeee.net/sd03099.htm
www.mcgill.ca/fgsr/ott/tech/92012.htm
www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/
affhousing.shtml
www.sustainableusa.org/proceedings/
LS310.CFM
www.cplusga.com/page29.html
Dan Smith
and Associates
have designed
a lot of fine (some affordable) strawbale in
California and elsewhere: 510 526- 1935. Kelly
Lerner is another local architect who has built
affordable strawbale in this country and recently in
Mongolia and China.
510 525 8582
klerner@1-world-design.com.
Build
green checklist
For a
checklist on what it takes to build green:
www.builtgreen.org
303-778-1400
1400 S. Enerson St.
Denver, CO 80210
(based on literature presented by the SBCCC www.webconx.com/shelter.htm).
DSNI
www.dsni.org
Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative is an
innovative grass-roots neighborhood initiative to
provide affordable housing and promote social equity.
Virgina
Center for Housing Policy
www.caus.vt.edu/caus/research/vchr/vchr.html
The site provides a comprehensive approach to housing
policies in an attempt to get cities to address all
aspects of the housing market, and to help them
develop much more multi-faceted policies to approach
housing problems. Be sure to check out their Housing
Policy Matrix.
U.S. Green
Building Council
www.usgbc.org
Learn what’s happening at the forefront of green
building! This site includes information on the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
rating system, state and local green building
initiatives, conferences, and much more.
Environmental
Building News
www.buildinggreen.com
EBN is the leading newsletter in environmentally
responsible construction and design. Visit this site
for information and a general discussion of green
building.
City of
San Jose’s Green Building Program
www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/esd/gb-home.htm
Learn about efforts in the heart of the Silicon
Valley to implement green building policy. Check out
their monthly newsletter (PDF format), and learn
about upcoming lectures and training.
www.azstarnet.com/~dcat/
Rocky
Mountain Institute (RMI)
www.rmi.org
RMI offers cutting edge information on sustainable
development, ecologically intelligent water
treatment, green building, energy efficiency, local
economic development, and more.
Cob
Cottage Company
www.deatech.com/cogcottage
Cob buildings (olde English for lump or rounded mass)
provide an exciting means of providing affordable,
beautiful housing that is energy- and
resource-efficient using abundant natural materials:
sand, clay, and straw.
Earthship
Construction
www.earthship.org
One of the more innovative recycled building
technologies, Earthship construction, utilizes old
tires, bottles, cans, stabilized earth, roof-top
water harvesting, and renewable energy technologies
to create a completely self-sufficient dwelling with
unique and beautiful aesthetics.
Rammed
Earth
www.rammedearthworks.com
Rammed earth buildings utilize an abundant resource
– dirt – to form wall systems that utilize
properties thermal mass provided by earth.
Straw Bale
Construction
www.moxvox.com/surfsolo.html
Straw bale construction has become an increasingly
popular method of construction utilizing wheat or
rice straw, an agricultural by-product that is
otherwise burned. Straw bale buildings are extremely
energy efficient and are cost-effective when costs
are amortized over the building’s life cycle.
California
Institute for Earth Architecture
www.calearth.org
Superadobe architecture is an earthen construction
method that has been pioneered by the Cal Earth
Institute in Hesperia, California. Using stabilized
earth bags and barbed wire to construct vaults and
domes for under $5,000, superadobe buildings offer a
tree-free, zero-waste, energy-efficient building
technology. Make sure to take the virtual tour! (see
article in this issue).
Natural
and low cost alternative building Resource
www.dirtcheapbuilder.com
for all types of books and videos for natural and low
cost alternative building.
Charmaine Taylor
Taylor Publishing
PO Box 6985
Eureka CA 95502
707-441-1632
Nomadic
Housing
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam17/
Nomadic_Housing.html
Poetry in
Brick and Mud
An excellent
article that was first published in Mother Jones and
then reprinted in Utne Reader is “Poetry in
Brick and Mud” by Adams Hochschild about the
life of architect/builder Laurie Baker using India’s
traditional architecture to create affordable, energy
efficient and beautiful homes and buidlings. For the
full story, go to www.utne.com.
SLO
Sustainable Building
A group of
building professionals dedicated to the sustainable
use of land and resources in SLO County has been
created. They call themseves the Sustainable Building
Council of the Central Coast (SBCCC). See their ad in
this issue. They have monthly meetings and sponsor
various workshops about sustainable building.
Paul Rose
sbccc@calinet.com
7360 Suite D, El Camino Real
Atascadero, CA 93422
805-466-6737.
There is Ken
Haggard and Polly Cooper of the SLO Sustainability
Group, 805-438-4452, http://www.slosustainability.com/, and contractors Greg McMillan and
Turko Semms at 805-238-4820. John Swearingen of
Skillful Means Builders BALEHEAD@delphi.com.
Natural
Builder Network
For
interested natural building people from San Diego to
Santa Cruz a Natural Builder Network listserv has
been created to keep the networking alive and well.
It is based on Gary Duncan’s work with his
smartshelter.com in Colorado, a networking web of
builders, designers, architects, code officials,
contractors... to strengthen the natural building
movement. To get on the listserv, simply email to majordomo@omnipost.com and type in “subscribe NBN”
(without the quotes).
