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  • From: Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] new article: wofati eco building
  • Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:50:17 -0400

Scott, could you tell us a bit more about your successful earth sheltered houses? In particular, did they follow or contradict the wofati rules?

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada



Scott Pittman wrote:
I built a series of "Earth Sheltered" houses back in the 80's and they have
performed like magic for the past 20 plus years. A big disadvantage, for
realtors, is that there is turn over value since no one moves out. This was
one of the reasons given for not permitting another Village Homes
development in Davis California.

In spite of how great they perform the cost is consistently driven up by
building codes. Certainly you can't use firewood construction or prunnings
in New Mexico unless you are totally off the grid, and I mean totally. I've
always known that you could dig a hole at the ridge of a south facing slope,
set the roofing members on rock piers set back from the excavated walls,
then plaster the interior with mud and move in. We certainly built our root
cellars (storm cellars) this way and they are still there 70 years later.

Giving credit where due Malcolm Wells of Cherry Hill, NJ was the first Earth
Sheltered developer that I ever heard of, except perhaps the early
Troglodytes.
Scott Pittman
Director
Permaculture Institute
www.permaculture.org

[snip]




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