Erin Woodward, who runs the blog Sutton Grace, has created a fabulous play kitchen for her daughter out of an old entertainment center. You know, the kind you see for sale at almost every garage sale you’ve ever been to in the burbs. Although the one she used in her reuse project was a bit […]
Our pal Derek “Deek” Diedricksen, of Tiny Yellow House and RelaxShacks.com, sent us a video tour of his 100% indie-produced, “trash-funded” book, Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts, and Whatever Else We Could Squeeze in Here. The book is a hoot and an inspiration, crammed with Deek’s designs — from practical […]
Then again, if Calla lilies replaced each new brick on the planet, it would reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by at least 800 million tons a year. But we’d also be living in a world without useful new bricks to build stuff with. It is probably reasonable to expect that Dosier’s “Bacteria Bricks” will fare better as a construction material than Calla lilies, but whether they are truly comparable to conventional masonry in mechanical properties, durability, and weather resistance still remains to be proved. Also, her bricks take weeks to harden, compared to traditionally-fired bricks which can be manufactured in two days.
Although they could probably use some more exciting branding, Concrete Cloth from the UK’s Concrete Canvas company is a pretty cool idea. The cloth, which is draped over forming members and then set by exposure to water (as, for instance, from rain), has a projected lifespan of 10 years.
Peter Maltzan is building a passive solar straw-bale house, and has been at it since October of 2008. He’s done a great job of documenting the construction process, which is now nearly complete, in photographs. Highly recommended if you want to get a feel for how it all goes together. Thanks to MAKE subscriber Pete Marchetto for suggesting the link.
Imagine pulling up to an empty lot with a CNC-controlled ShopBot router, a rubber mallet, and a pile of 600 sheets of plywood. Add in some unskilled labor and a few days, and you could end up with a livable, permanent structure. Ok, you will need to add electricity, plumbing, and lighting, but thanks to […]
Here’s a beautiful greenhouse that’s like a wish list of sustainable construction: rammed earth, recycled plastic bottles, straw bale, and rainwater harvesting. Check out the Blue Rock Station site for books describing the greenhouse and their other projects. (via Ecofriend)
