December 14, 2004

• Johnny... a very neat web page featuring Fuller's Dymaxian House (now at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI).. (flash) Neat house, nifty web page...
• Modular housing is so cool (I like going to MocoLoco to stare at the cool modernist houses, which are often modular). But I'm still trying to figure out how to fit the modules into my 750 sq foot apartment.
• Surviving Hurricanes and Tornadoes During Hurricane Ivan, a reporter was stationed in it and broadcasted live about the storm's strength (which you may be able to linked on the web).
• Wow... sweet. I knew various simians would come through with even more. Whoooot!
• I actually know a woman who lived in a home that was built into a hill, essentially. Not sure if the hill was pre-existing or not. Anyway, it looked super-cool, and it is about the tallest hill around as the terrain is fairly flat around these parts. I was a bit concerned about the lack of light inside the home, and the thought of some sort of leak in the ceiling worried me. However, I understand that they have not had leaking problems. They certainly saved a bundle on heating and cooling the place. But the absence of light did not excite me too much.
• thomcatspike: the dome homes fascinate me. Using really big balloons as forms for shooting on concrete seems a nicely whimsical approach. And what I've read about them leads me to believe they have some advantages in keeping utility bills down. In fact, I want the mickey mouse head house, with some modifications.
• Have a cousin who decided to construct a home in the country out of salvaged items, especially empty glass bottles, which were used for window panels to admit light -- because of back-breaking labour involved in merely transporting items to the site through uncut north woods, all room (only 4 or 5) in this house were on the tiny side. Place had dirt floors and inadequate roofing, a second rather flimsy storey, and one day after a lots of heavy rain, a section of the kitchen wall collapsed causing major damage to the upper floor, which sagged badly. Sheer luck no one was in the house at the time: his lady walked out and never came back, and I could hardly blame her -- the lack of indoor sanitary facilities and also of running water were a couple of further drawbacks, and how the poor lady managed to keep anything clean was a mystery. Cooking was and clean-up after were daunting, I thought. The project was abandoned shortly after this. Another friend built a small shed/shack-like place in Upper Michigan and later managed to burn it down trying to keep it warm one winter. There was a strong back to the land, back to more 'natural' living, impulse among many younger people during the late sixties and the seventies. People I know who have successfully handled unconventional housing have had architectural assistance or experience and have been able to integrate elements such as solar power/wind-driven turbines etc into a more conventional design. Most geodisc domes are too leaky and seem to requitre continuous maintainance to stay dry in rainy climates.
• We've been discussing building a straw bale house if we ever do decide to sell our current home. My wife's family is flush with contractors and other home tradespeople, and they're all fascinated with the idea of building a straw bale house. If and when it happens, I'll post about it here.
• beeswacky, your list of dismissals regarding unconventional housing reminded me of Resume, by Dorothy Parker: Razors pain you; Rivers are damp; Acids stain you; And drugs cause cramp. Guns aren't lawful; Nooses give; Gas smells awful; You might as well live. To be on topic, amend the last line to read "You might as well live in a cookie-cutter monstrosity built by minimum-wage slaves overseen by crooks, pirates and demolition-crew trained crackpots who disappear into the wind with your money like fog and insincere 'I-love-yous', as you're probably an unimaginative drone with no sense or style or capacity to care about the effect of your existence upon others and you deserve to live in a boring beige box". Forgive me, I haven't had my tea today....
• And, yet, coppermac, those crooks and pirates and crackpots can build a house that's really welcoming, if it designed right. Tight-built and just the right size. And, my experience is similar to bees' - some alternative housing can be pretty cool, but often, when it's done by people with little experience or knowledge of engineering, who choose not to go to an expert, it can be a nightmare. Maybe always is. And, tea or no tea, your rancor toward bees is completely unwarranted. I should probably delete that admonishment, but what the hell, mehitabel. Many of us seem to be going for the throat these days. What sort of box do you live in?
• Actually, path, my 'rancour' was intended as a joke (which was the impetus for the last line in my post, which I thought made it obvious that I was joking). As for your comment, I'd agree that anyone building or modifying a home who has little experience or knowledge of engineering is likely to create a nightmare. However, I think that applies to both cookie-cutter housing and alt-homes. Having contractors in the family has shown me that honest, experienced tradespeople are becoming rarer and rarer as the bottom line has become the sole focus of the financial overlords governing so much of our lives. My 'box' is a small, yet sprawling brick house built in the early 1900s with some conversions. It was made well, by people who obviously cared to have it stand without structural flaws for so long, and has withstood my (and my family's) improvements.
• Sorry, mac - I read it in the wrong tone of voice.
• btw coppermac, good to see you back in the monkeyhaus.
• No worries, path. We all make similar mistakes at times. (sob) Thanks, shinything. Now the vacation is over, and I'm stuck here in the snow.
• Coppermac: You hit the nail square on the head. My family (myself included occasionally) has been involved in laying ceramic tile as a subcontractor for two generations now. We primarily work in large, expensive, housing developments. These houses, which cost upwards of half a million, are some of the worst houses you will ever see. Nothing is level, sometimes by a magnitude of inches. People cut corners everywhere. It is a mess. It is what happens when people want to maximize profit. They take the lowest bidder regardless of skill.
• Dome Houses to Protect You from the Dark Future