Homemade houses!

[tufftie]

Has anyone any experience of making houses - environmentally friendly ones?

When I've WWOOFED and learned a little more about self sufficiency etc I'm going to buy a little bit of land and build a house Thought of a wooden yurt or straw bale typr one or maybe even a hobbit hole. Going to build an outdoor bread oven too - in the shape of a.......squirrel (surprise, surprise!)

Just wondered what experiences anybody has had of this sort of thing?

[Paul mabbott]

I think you should start on the oven before moving on to a house. Hopefully the oven might be about grey squirrel pie sized
Let us know how you get on .....

Originally Posted by tufftie

Has anyone any experience of making houses - environmentally friendly ones?

When I've WWOOFED and learned a little more about self sufficiency etc I'm going to buy a little bit of land and build a house Thought of a wooden yurt or straw bale typr one or maybe even a hobbit hole. Going to build an outdoor bread oven too - in the shape of a.......squirrel (surprise, surprise!)

Just wondered what experiences anybody has had of this sort of thing?

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

I think you should start on the oven before moving on to a house. Hopefully the oven might be about grey squirrel pie sized
Let us know how you get on .....

Okay so i'll live in a bender and make the oven first yes!

Now who said anything about grey squirrels - was going to use red earth if i can get it..

[Paul mabbott]

Nothing personal, you'll realise
No, I've been tempted to build a sort of barbie-cum-oven but am using all my material and skills at present building an enormous compost heap. Priorities, you know .....

Originally Posted by tufftie

Now who said anything about grey squirrels - was going to use red earth if i can get it..

[tufftie]

None taken! There's a really good book about building earthen bread ovens - you can make them into all sorts of shapes and eve put seating into the design too!

I see so now before my bread oven i've got to make a compost heap?! Guess a compost loo might help too then?!!!

[Paul mabbott]

Oh my word, yes - that is serious stuff and would be the salvation of the World but it isn't half tricky. The big problem is with heights and inclinations, angles of descent .... and if you get it wrong you could be up to your neck in ... well, you know ...

Originally Posted by tufftie

..........! Guess a compost loo might help too then?!!!

[tufftie]

i'll make sure it flows in the direction of the tax office! Guess i'd better have a well too - upstream obviously!

[Paul mabbott]

Sensible - but make sure it's upstream of anyone else as well.
Personally, I have no complaint about Yorkshire water ... which is more than can be said for the stuff that comes out of London taps (need a smiley for "-yuk-vomit-nasty" and worse ...)

Originally Posted by tufftie

i'll make sure it flows in the direction of the tax office! Guess i'd better have a well too - upstream obviously!

[tufftie]

I'm sure Yorkshire water's very nice Paul - compared to Eastbourne chlorinated stuff! Only was heading more for Orkney, so...!

By the way - where exactly am i building my house now all the essentials have been built?! Maybe a house on stilts? (make the compost loo easy!)

[nightshade]

The earth closet will help with your garden/compost and save water
On-line: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

PS a google search turned up some cartoons as well

[tufftie]

Thank you! Will be able to grow some huge veg then! lol Will look up cartoons tomorrow!

[tufftie]

Somebody was telling me that they thought if a yurt was a canvas one (double skinned and about 15'ish) then it wouldn't be necessary to apply for planning permission - does anybody know how true this is?

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by tufftie

Somebody was telling me that they thought if a yurt was a canvas one (double skinned and about 15'ish) then it wouldn't be necessary to apply for planning permission - does anybody know how true this is?

sadly this aint entirely the case - ben laws experience at prickly nut wood was that yurts are considered to be a tent and although tents and temporary structures are exampt from planning permision in the conventional sense they can only be errected for a certain length of time in one spot - he was forced to move out of his eco freindly yurt into a less freindly caravan (see gelerts thread on buying woodlands for more info) - though he now has a self built eco house ( he was the guy on grand designs self building in a chestnut coppice woodland) - his book "woodland way" is well worth a look if you are considering taking on the complexities of planning law. Plus of course your composting toilet will require a permanent structure ( unless you were planning on doing your business in the open and exposed to the elements

there is also the issue of change of use of the land - e.g if you are pitched on what used to be agricultural land , you need "planning permision" for a change of use to a "campsite" even if you only have the one "tent" .

as regards your original question take a look at the low impact living initiative website (lili.org.uk I think) they do courses in straw bale building, building with timber, building with rammed earth, yurt making and lots of other cool stuff.

[Carole]

Hi Tufftie,
I too have dreamt of a yurt studio at the top of the garden but was put off by the idea that the canvas might need changing every two or three years if it is under shade - as it would be. Apparently planners vary from area to area as to how they look at yurts. I was told informally that if it can be demonstrated that it can be taken down in a short time it might be deemed to be a 'temporary' structure. Not really one to take a chance on if it is your main roof.
There are a couple of sites that give advice about building your own straw bale house.
How to build with straw bale
offer a video with instructions.
But if you really want to dream take a look at
Cae Mabon
Hobbits eat your heart out.
Good luck,
Carole

[tufftie]

Thank you for that you two! I've not seen those programmes eeyore but will see if i can get hold of the book, sounds like i might need it!...and yes i will be using a garderobe (i'm shy that way!) That's a really silly law, isn't it, it's a campsite even if only 1 tent?! I'll have a look at the websites you both mentioned too.

A yurt might do me while I'm building a permanent structure though? Just hope I don't end up somewhere with a jobs worth planning officer!

[eeyore]

technically its not so much a change to campsite as a change in use from agricultural to residential ( there are exceptions if you can demonstrate that you need to be onsite for agricultural purposes)

[Paul mabbott]

This would rather depend on the planning department apparently. In most areas you can build extensions to your house with minimal planning details as long as they are only one-story and don't have water or electricity supplies - which is when they become deemed 'permanent' and (quite rightly) need more detailed planning examination.

I reckon the yurt would be okay but the well and toilet could be a problem!

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

This would rather depend on the planning department apparently. In most areas you can build extensions to your house with minimal planning details as long as they are only one-story and don't have water or electricity supplies - which is when they become deemed 'permanent' and (quite rightly) need more detailed planning examination.

I reckon the yurt would be okay but the well and toilet could be a problem!

That would be true if you were putting up a yurt in the garden of your house as your garden is already classed as part of your dwelling so no land use change is required only permision for actual structures

however when you are dwelling permanently or semi permanently on a piece of land not zoned as a residential such as a field or woodland then different rules apply and you need permision to live there regardless of what you are living in - and this permision is notoriously hard to get unless you can demonstrate that you need to be on site 24 /7 - such as a Charcoal Burner needing to attend their kiln.

of course another option is to squat with out permission- as at tinkers bubble - however then you are living under the constant threat of someone moving you on which isnt everyones cup of tea

[tufftie]

Are the Scottish and English laws the same regarding this? Squatting - no! in some areas i'm happy go lucky but in others i need security! sounds like i'm going to need this year wwoofing to sort it al out!

[Venger]

You may find this site interesting:

Earthship Biotecture :: Hybrid & Custom Earthship Biotecture

[tufftie]

Thanks for that - looks an interesting site! Will have a better look over the weekend...(very long 12hour split shifts at the moment and too brain dead to take anything much in)