Photos Of Alternative Buildings & Structures

Here is another really cool one from the UK.
These folks are members of a intentional farming-sustainable-community in Wales.

website... http://thatroundhouse.info/
http://thatroundhouse.info/how.htm

will take you to the page about building this house-a book the guy wrote which would be worth it just for info on the roof.

The wall by the way, are cordwood masonry. I think they used cob as the morter.

More pics... including one of the roof being built

Here is some pics and websites for cordwood masonry.

http://cordwoodmasonry.com/Cordwood.html

http://daycreek.com

Cordwood can be as 'alternative' or as mainstream as you want.

A few more cordwood... okay, one more. This is Rob Roy's home and the site of his cordwood masonry school. He has written several books on it and is considered the leading expert on cordwood. The first link in the first cordwood post, is Rob Roy's website. Its way cool... he builds stone circles too.

Here are a couple more.... From 50 Straw Bale House designs

The beehive dome of a bronze-age tholos... thought it an impressive example of early earth-sheltered engineering... I think these things are upwards of 3,500 years old. 






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_tomb

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Thanks for the pic of the bee hive dome, I've always wondered about that

Thanks for this thread.  I haven't seen most of them!!

We're in the process off building so lots off ideas to ponder.  Especially the sod roofs.  Sooooo interested in that.

Thanks again
Keep em coming

Suzie

Hi Suzie,
I'm so pleased that we have inspired you!

Go bdswagger!  Thats what I'm talking about!  Theres a few there I haven't seen.  Thats some great digging!  I,m so excited!

Maybe the gypsy wagon can stop here for a while....nope just checked... 

Any planned trips to Ohio south let me know.  Ernie, are you coming?

One thing I haven't seen to much of on this forum is ferrocement.  Not that I endorse it 100%, but it is useful and fun. www.flyingconcrete.com

I also promise to not reply with mobile phone anymore...last one turned out like I was on the porch with to much rum.

sixnone please tell me more about you opinions of ferrocement??

Dianne Keast wrote:
sixnone please tell me more about you opinions of ferrocement??

Cement takes processing.  Its not the most environmental stuff out there.  However, when thats all you have and you need it to last, it works at that price.

One upside over conventional concrete methods, ferrocement uses less. 

The metal in it is expensive and very sharp.  I scrounge as much as I can, all the time.  it can be done in stages, which is good because I'm a one man crew...%99.9 of the time.  I also can form it any way my mind sees it.  Although it helps to have an understanding of domed, arch, load etc.  Computer models make it easy.

Not only for housing or roofs, but boats, benches, planters, cisterns, water catchment, gutters, portable water, septic systems, pools etc.

I am in the process attaching a cob addition with ferrocement breezeway to an existing structure using burlap(soaked with acrylic and portland cement) over wire frame.  This gets filled with a number of things i.e. cob slurry, paper slurry, cement and foam peanuts, cans can be stacked.  use your imagination.  There is also the fly-ash option.

Wow! thanks for sharing that, I've seen a few pictures but not ever worked with it.

I would love to see pictures of your breezeway when its done.

So is ferrocement more light weight?? how much work is there in maintaining it?

Dianne Keast wrote:
Wow! thanks for sharing that, I've seen a few pictures but not ever worked with it.

I would love to see pictures of your breezeway when its done.

So is ferrocement more light weight?? how much work is there in maintaining it?

Amongst 100 other things to do, I will be sure to fill you in with a pic later. 

Some times,...like your question, (..." please tell me more about you(r) opinions of ferrocement??), it takes awhile to sink in...so heres an answer to think about.  It (cement/limestone substrate) changes the pH of the soil around it.  So my Azalea growing in close proximity may need more -50-.  The soil before was acidic.  good? Bad?  Just depends I guess.  Theres is no doubt  to say many more pros and cons exist. 

It is Strong, lightweight...  If I had more time, the feather would never end.

I would like to see some ferro-cement-cob-straw-bale-rammed earth/tire combos... really any thing I haven't seen.   

Thanks for your answer, I did not think about how it might effect the soil around the structure.

rammed earth in Himalayas video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQudQVUl1E

great video yakkuri

Hi all...

I'm kinda leery of building using tires. If they ever catch fire, its damn near impossible to put out. It just burns and burns and...

I'm planning on using a ferrocement tank as part of a rain cachement system, I ever get my own place. That is an absolutely stunning pic of a cement structure, Diane. Way cool looking.

Leigh

bdswagger wrote:
Hi all...

I'm kinda leery of building using tires. If they ever catch fire, its damn near impossible to put out. It just burns and burns and...

I'm planning on using a ferrocement tank as part of a rain cachement system, I ever get my own place. That is an absolutely stunning pic of a cement structure, Diane. Way cool looking.

Leigh

People build with straw. Its flammable, but stucco'd it has a burn rating higher than most codes require.  Its used in stairwells and firewalls.  Same for tires as long as they are not exposed.  They are filled with dirt/clay and stucco'd.  Anything without air cannot burn.  Its a mental thing for most people, myself included at first. 

Glad to see some interest in ferrocement.  Hope you get your place soon.

A boat house from India

Sorry, I didn't make a note of where this was or what type of structure at the time I downloaded it.
I'm wondering... there is a area in Italy-very dry, very poor-where the vernacular building type is with stone, sort of beehive type buildings. I can't remember the name of the building type. I'll look through my files and see if I still have the info and photos. Anyway, these remind me of them.
Leigh

I also dont know where or what type this one is, but I'm guessing concrete?  Or possibly earth building of some sort.

Here are some more on earthbag building, showing an interior shot.
Leigh

Well, I didn't have those files anymore-I think that must have been either one or two blown up computers back-BUT, I did find them again fairly easily. This is a vernacular building style in the Apulia (?) region(?) of Italy. The Town is Alberobello. I may have the town and region names switched. If so, please pardeon me. Its a centuries old style called trullo-the houses are called trulli. They are built entirely of stone, including the roof. They just keep piling them up-kinda like earthbags actually. I'll see if I can find some interior shots, but if I remember, its kinda like a cave inside. Anyway, here is a website for turists, a little more info.
http://www.initaly.com/regions/apulia/alberobello.htm

And a couple of pics.
Leigh

A photo of the interior of the roof-showing how the stones are stacked-and a neat website with more detail on how they are built. Along with lots of pics.
http://ashfieldhansendesign.blogspot.com/2010/03/yours-trulli-third-in-series-on.html