strangeloop Hatfield

cheers

just like any other house ---  keep crumbs accessable garbage to absolute minimum and cats

Speedfunk...  One more link you might find worhtwile reviewing is www.zeroenergydesign.com  Especially checkout how he does his roofs with rigid insulation with reflective material on the underside of the roof.

AArrrgghhh, sorry about that  -  www.thenaturalhome.com  NOT 'house'  He calls them Zero Energy High Thermal Mass Homes,  so googling that will also get you there, but the link should work now.

Speedfunk-  Thanks for the link - I will definitely be following your progress  - I'm sure I will have a few questions also, but for now I want to ask you if you are familiar with the HTM concept - again found at; The Natural Home web-site?  It is a very similar concept to yours ie: dry-stacked blocks, earth-bearmed, passive-solar design.  With a few added features that you may want to consider, ie: round-wood roof system, interior planterbeds, and earth-tubes.

Thanks for the links, both are great...  and VERMIPONICS!!!  (which can be found at the redwormcomposting site)  Wow!  Some people are so clever, that is something I am definitely going to keep my eye on as the inventor says it is still in prototype phase.

What I am doing,  well I am in Europe right now travelling around living and working at various eco-projects.  I will be going next week to Belgium next week for a 6 weeks to help a guy build his low-impact/strawbale dwelling - www.lowimpact.rymenams.org  - Very interesting website (lots in english) describing his difficult journey and his vision.  So I want, as a side project, to build him a vermicomposter while I'm there.  I think, in keeping with the spirit of the place I will build it using small diameter wood found in the surrounding forrest.  But other than that I have never done this before a want something attractive ie: no or as little plastic as possible yet low maintenance.

Check out: 'Little Three Points'    -just outside of Atlanta.      I was there about 5 years ago, it is the Haight-Ashbury of the East.  Artists, outdoor community theatre, and so much more.  Everybody has taken their fences down to enjoy a common natural area.  It's  really a magical place

I would like to bring to everybodies attention the incredible work that is being done at Factor e Farm in Missouri.  Found at: www.openfarmtech.org

"dedicated to the collaborative development of tools for replicable, open source, modern off-grid "resiliant communities"  By using PERMACULTURE and DIGITAL FABRICATION together to provide for basic needs and open source methodology to allow low cost replication of the entire operation, we hope to empower anyone who desires to move beyond the struggle for survival and 'evolve to freedom"

VERY IMPRESSIVE STUFF!

I'll be building a vermiculture station next month....  Any suggestions?

Check out: www.thenaturalhouse.com  He simply puts a rigid insulation 'skirt' around the whole structure.  With the help of french drains and plastic to keep everything nice and dry, you are essentially using the soil under your house as a giant thermal mass!  Brilliant!

I've wondered about using ICF's but using Cast Earth to fill the center instead of concrete.