Greening the Cube – 100 Mile Housing
I recently had the opportunity to review a DVD called Greening the Cube – 100 Mile Housing and wanted to share my thoughts about this unique idea of building ones home from sources only available to you within 100 miles.
This is a feature length documentary film that covers the efforts of Canadian green-builders Pete Matheson and Sean Sands as they construct homes from sustainable products that are near by.
They look at taking natural resources that are near you and creating a home using those materials. They also take into consideration different approaches in combining food production, meeting energy needs, responsible management of the waste stream and other considerations that are pertinent to our homes and lifestyles.
I think that we as tiny house enthusiasts can learn a lot by looking at these alternatives. If you would like to purchase it and learn more about you can go to greeningthecube.com or buy it on amazon.
13 Responses to “Greening the Cube – 100 Mile Housing”
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FYI:
from their website “Of course, this kind of self-sufficient construction – the way we humans sheltered ourselves for 99.9% of our history as a species – is now technically illegal.”
I wish it were otherwise.
Absolutely 100% right.
We are not allowed to shelter ourselves unless it meets Government imposed standards designed to benefit the .01%.
I tried to get an experimental permit to build a house for myself and my wife using non conventional build materials and methods.
I even granted it would be non grid and I was willing to go one mile from the nearest access road. No way you follow the regulations.
I own 500 acres of land in one block, have my own sawmill, have operated a sawmill for 40 years and made my living for several years build houses and other commercial building so what I build will be safe.
So much for a free Canada.
Keep up the struggle,
Charles
Absolutely right Charles.
I am in the same pickle where I live. I’ve got 40 plus years of building experience and reams of environmental knowledge, but these so-called experts, provided with lifetime job security and fully paid health care, working in an air conditioned bubble, never having got their hands dirty, have the power to control your life and stifle the kind of innovation this planet needs if it is going to outlive these b——ds.
There are still plenty of counties here in West Virginia with no building code requirements. Although some of the houses are a little scary as a result But we appreciate the ability to try alternative methods
Build it on your 500 acres move in, if anyone ask its your hunting lodge. END OF STORY
I like this idea – but this would mean I would live in a sod house/shanty – with no whitewash.
While the images selected for the trailer/clip and the stills used show homes utilizing exclusively natural materials (cordwood, cob, etc) the concept also envelopes the use and reuse of demolition, construction and waste material, too; as someone who works in landfills and solid waste, I can attest to how much useable building material gets landfilled! As a designated paint recycling depot, hundreds of gallons of usable paint comes through monthly, as do doors, windows, fixtures and the like. So the thrust of the film and 100-mile housing, while they do feature a fair bit of natural material, is to work with any usable material from within the bioregional area, including manufactured goods that have “ended up” there. So no need to leave out the whitewash if that’s what you’re keen on!
I love this, but what do we suggest for the 3.5 billion people living in cities?
Well…….. if they want to live like this they will have to move out of the city! But that would totally ruin it for those of us who have done it for generations. Just sayin……
I love this~ it is AWESOME~ Wondering what you use to hold it together?
This might be of interest:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/all-i-wanted-to-do-is-build-a-house/article4346687/
There is a film now about this:
http://www.mongrelmedia.com/data/ftp/still/stillMONGRELIZEDpresskit.pdf
What about home that are built from straw bales seen that in Alberta
Just wondering how long they last and the upkeep? wood does rot over time and there are termites have they come up with solutions to these problems? I still think it is a great idea!