I am, by nature, a “Green”, “Crunchy Granola” kind of person. Although I am a firm meatasaurus, in my house anyway, I am the Eco-Warrior. Much to Carleens annoyance at times - I follow her around, turning off lights, reach around her to turn off the faucet the second a dish is not under the stream of water. Recently, I’ve started recycling, even though Bartlesville has no recycling program (we take our stuff to Tulsa, a 40 minute drive, but Carleen is there once a week for Yoga anyway). I even had a manual reel mower (you know, one of those old fashioned kind) for a while until the crabgrass that grows so profusely in my backyard, beat it into submission. The next car I own will be a Hybrid; I have Compact Fluorescent bulbs in all my lamps; I clean with only vinegar and baking soda; I have a compost pile; the list goes on. But I am nothing, nothing compared to these people. My house is a toxic waste dump compared to them. They are my hero’s. It’s a Low Impact Woodland home, build with oak timbers and walls of hay bails covered in Lime Plaster.
Combine that with the fact that I’m a huge Tolkien fan, with a strange love of Hobbits (of all the Fantasy races out there - I’m probably most like a Hobbit, god I’m such a Geek…), adds up to me with a desperate need to build this Low Impact Home. Check it out:
It was built by myself and my father in law with help from passers by and visiting friends. 4 months after starting we were moved in and cosy. I estimate 1000-1500 man hours and £3000 [about $6000 USD] put in to this point. Not really so much in house buying terms (roughly £60/sq m excluding labour).
Now take a look at some of the main features of the house:
- Stone and mud from diggings used for retaining walls, foundations etc.
- Straw bales in floor, walls and roof for super-insulation and easy building
- Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture (compared to cement)
- Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings
- Anything you could possibly want is in a rubbish pile somewhere (windows, burner, plumbing, wiring…)
- Woodburner for heating - renewable and locally plentiful
- Fridge is cooled by air coming underground through foundations
- Skylight in roof lets in natural feeling light
- Solar panels for lighting, music and computing
- Water by gravity from nearby spring
- Compost toilet
- Roof water collects in pond for garden etc.
The main tools to build it? A chainsaw, hammer and a 1 in. chisel. I want a Hobbit Home. I’d even make a round door, painted yellow.
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