Ideas for a building next summer

56K Natas · Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:50 pm Post subject: Ideas for a building next summer

I'm planning on building a chill out room at the end of the garden next summer. I have been looking at buildings made with earthbags or earthships using old tyres. I have also had a good look at the hobbit house in wales which I really like, I just can't seem to decide what would be a better job for our climate.
Has anyone ever tried any of these types of building here in Ireland, where it's cold, wet and damp alot of the time ?

56K Natas · Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:10 am Post subject:

Heres a pic of the Hobbit house...
http://jimramseysf.typepad.com/.a/6a00e5521b31ca883401156fa9b9ce970c-800wi

And where is one of the earth bag buildings which I must say is the one I have been thinking of doing just a different shape....
http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploadedImages/articles/issues/2009-08-01/MEN-AS09-earthbag-lead.jpg

56K Natas · Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:40 pm Post subject:

Anyone ???
Over 200 views...

kindredspirit · Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 7:02 am Post subject:

Never seriously considered building a hobbit house as

Cons?
For children really,
No view out,
Would need a dehumidifier on all the time as it would get damp.

They look good though!

inishindie · Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:48 am Post subject:

How about a willow dome structure?...plenty of ventilation in those....

56K Natas · Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:54 pm Post subject:

Ventilation hopefully will not be a problem but I won't know for sure until it is built, There will be a few windows and vents in it to try and keep it aired. I'm building it next to a stream so was thinking of putting a fan into the top of the structure that will run constantly to circulate the air in it. Hopefully I can power the fan from the stream ?
I'll also have a small wood burning stove in it to warm the place when needed.

As for willow dome structures, I want something a lot more permanent and sheltered.
Has anyone ever seen anything like the sand bag buildings in ireland ?
All the ones I have come across are in warm countries so they don't have to worry about it getting damp.
It would be good to see one here just to see how they got around this, but as I said I won't know till it is built and up for a year or two.

inishindie · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:38 am Post subject:

How about cob? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cob_%28material%29

Type "cob houses" into your search engine images.....loads of ideas there.

ormondsview · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:14 am Post subject: is it a root cellar

What was old is new again. People are building root cellars to store their produce during the winter. My mum always put her geraniums, potatoes, jarred goods into bags in the basement at the farm, which was basically stone bottom. In Ireland, where no one has basements, a root cellar can be made into the side of a hill, can be banked up so as to make it less ugly, and have a door put on it. Here's a site that explains the conditions under which your produce is best kept. http://www.hobbyfarms.com/food-and-kitchen/root-cellars-14908.aspx
Here's a book http://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-complete-root-cellar-book-building-plans-uses-and-100-recipes.do
If you go to google books and punch in the title, you can sometimes get portions of the book for free before you buy. Amazon the same.
I remember that's where she kept the fermented berry juice which turned to something quite potent by January. It's a good idea to have a root cellar if you have the quantity of produce you want to save and it saves running into town for those in rural areas.

kindredspirit · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:20 pm Post subject:

There used to be loads of mud houses around here.

One, a quarter of a mile away from us, only disintegrated about 5 years ago. Another one in our locality was knocked down 20 years ago for a modern bungalow.

When the thatch falls in, they slowly decay then, and then the cows finish it off by walking all over it.

I'm sure there must be some still standing in Co. Limerick.

inishindie · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:56 pm Post subject:

These types of houses stood for a lifetime..... Images from the Navan centre....

56K Natas · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 11:07 pm Post subject:

Would love a thatched roof on it but I don't think I could figure that one out.
I'm hoping to have a grass roof or else a small round slated roof

Sunny · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:38 am Post subject:

Here are a few pictures of a cob building I helped my cousin build a few years back, down in West Cork. Unfortunately I don't have any good photos of it but you get the idea.
Almost all the material used to build it were collected from the surrounding farmland. This oval shaped cob and stone building with a sod roof was built as a yoga practice room.

Sive · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:39 pm Post subject:

What an amazing little building Sunny, wouldn't our countryside look so much better with this kind of structure ? It just looks as if it has grown naturally....and from what you say, it actually has.
It wouldn't suit the "Look How Much I can afford to Splash out on my House" brigade though.....but the planners should have been far stricter in the last decade.....too late now, we're stuck with the results.

medieval knievel · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:00 pm Post subject:

how much work went into that? looks fabulous.

kindredspirit · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject:

That building is brill.