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[bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

You are so right gene, I have many family members that are owner builders.  
The problem , many times, is building inspectors stomp on creative ideas.  I 
know they are there to make sure the habitat is sturdy and safe, but they 
tend to bind you to ways of which they are familiar.

Why do you think, even in expensive neighborhoods, so many houses look alike. 
 To me anymore, most neighborhoods, regardless of price, are "ticky, tacky 
houses" (I forget the name of the song).  In rural and off-the-beaten-path 
areas, sometimes you can be more expressive.  I much prefer the look of an 
old farmhouse, to the look of houses in modern surburbia.

A house should first and foremost fulfill its primary function --shelter.  
After that, then individualism, climate, inexpensive material, etc, should 
all be things to consider .....bobford


--- On Fri, 10/24/08, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:

> From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
> Subject: Re: [Homestead] Lloyd Kahn's latest
> To: "Homestead" <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: Friday, October 24, 2008, 3:41 PM
> On Oct 24, 2008, at 12:50 PM, Don Bowen wrote:
> 
> >  The latest book by Lloyd Kahn “Builders of the
> Pacific Coast” is  
> > filled with fantastic pictures of owner built homes
> and the builders  
> > mostly from Vancouver Island.  Homes built of found
> materials and  
> > whole logs from the woods.  Homes that are eclectic
> and funky, homes  
> > that I wish I could build.  A great book.
> 
> 
> Here is a great slideshow of photos from the book:
> http://www.shelterpub.com/_builders/BPC-book.html
> 
> Seems to me that most anyone can build homes such as these.
> All you  
> need is tool skills and some way to rid your brain of
> restrictive  
> beliefs and hangups.
> 
> I think everyone is creative but most suppress it--just one
> of the  
> many losses from minds that have closed doors.
> 
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