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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17124
[Environmental]
Date Posted:
1/23/2007
8:36:49 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 8,795
RSS: 21,001
Comments: 13
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Eco-Friendly Housing, Frodo-and-Sam Style
Author: Caroline McCarthy Source: Crave (blog)
Title: ECO-FRIENDLY HOUSING, FRODO-AND-SAM STYLE
When I first saw the pictures of this house on Make Magazine's blog, I thought they were straight off the sets of one of the Lord of the Rings movies.
But, no, it's actually a "low-impact woodland home" in Wales that was built at a total cost of 3,000 pounds (a little under $6,000) and 1,000-1,500 man-hours over a period of four months. The end result is not just environmentally friendly, but also lovely to look at.
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Community Thoughts: There are 13 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| "Berm House" | Jan 25th. at 2:51:31 am EST
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Sorana (Iasi, Romania) - Email Me
Google "berm house" and take a look at the results - some of them don't look the same as cosy as that in the "Frodo and Bilbo" story, but with a little bit of imagination, interior design shouldn't be a problem!
Since a lot of these present-day "hill houses" are in the British isles, I wonder where Tolkien got his inspiration? Ancient models of them, maybe? Or is it that the builders of today have read "The Hobbit"?
Local building regulations are extremely important - unfortunately. In the village I hope to relocate to a.s.a.p. (my in-laws have a small plot of land there) , any new building is required to have at least two floors above ground (which is not at all the traditional style of the place, that being just one floor + a low attic) ; no haybarn allowed, no stable - although the traditional household complex included them, in an L-shaped construction (in Romania, haybarns aren't the airplane hangars one sees in America, they're taylored to the needs on one household and ususally no taller than the house) . More like a suburban home, for people who go to work outside the household. Useless, when 90% of the population lives off the land in those places...
There are no regulations as far as I know about building UNDER-ground! Fingers crossed! :)
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| Wow... | Jan 24th. at 5:57:54 am EST
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Mirage (Kokomo/Indy, Indiana) - Email Me
An awesome house....
I'd love to live in a house like this in the middle of the woods. And it's eco-friendly!
This gives me ideas....
Now all I need is some wooded land and some friends to help build it...
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| Fantasyland | Jan 24th. at 2:00:28 am EST
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Lady GoldenRaven (New Castle, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
I have always dreamed of owning a log cabin on at least 20 acres of land--mostly wooded. This may have just changed my mind.
I am seriously considering this option. Mainly because it is so friendly to Mother Earth. She helps with the supplies, we add the work.
How many wytches would love this place? How many tea parties with the woodland faeries could be possible?
I am sooooo loving this idea.
I know it would be warm in winter and cool in summer. After all, I camp in a cave remember? I have stayed in my cave for up to a month at a time. Yes, even in the depths of winter. It is nice and toasty in there, so I can imagine this would be as well.
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| LOVE THAT HOUSE! | Jan 23rd. at 5:11:07 pm EST
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
wish I could have one.....
Love to all
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| Lots Of Advantages. | Jan 23rd. at 12:55:11 pm EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Ever since I read "Lord of the Rings", I thought such a house would be really neat. And -built properly would be eco-friendly, Warm in winter, cool in summer. One other bonus. An underground home could also be a good shelter in tornado country.
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| In 1979 | Jan 23rd. at 12:08:55 pm EST
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Lynette (Roanoke, Virginia) - Email Me
My in-laws built an earth-sheltered. passive solar 2 bedroom, house. It's spacious, well lit and the heating/cooling bill for the YEAR is usually within a few dollars of $150.
The only work they do on a daily basis is open the drapes in the morning and close them at dark. Passive solar works.
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| Not Enough Windows | Jan 23rd. at 11:50:35 am EST
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
Solar Panels are also a bit of expensive Technology, involving Florides and Maintenance. I'd use something like an Ericsson for Power, as that burns Wood... [Web LINK]
I also failed to note the bedrooms for the Growing Inhabitants.
Gardening atop the Thatch doesn't seem permanent. I'd go more for a Geodesic Stone Foundation, surmounted by Vinyard, with room enough for Library and Ballet Studio, then stick a White Picket Fence about the Sky-Light, for Tax Purposes.
Of course, I'd want a Water Tower Room, with a Nifty Telescope, and Gatling Gun for Post Apocalyptic Purpose, but why go into personal taste.
Roof-Top Gardening is known to protect a structure from the Elements, but you'll want Windows at some above grade level. [Web LINK]
I've an idea, that a Plastic Bubble could greenhouse an area, making pseudo-exterior gardens comfortably liveable, as they were in Siberia, a few millenia ago.
For those wanting a more conventional Hobbit Hole, [Web LINK] but a bit of your own Architecture might produce something of fewer imports.
Arawn
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| Looks Like A Place For Me | Jan 23rd. at 10:53:28 am EST
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Michi (Rohnert Park, California) - Email Me
Ever since I was young I've been in love with the idea of living in a Hobbit-Home. True, there are certainly some inconveniences: electricity, running water, etc. but I imagine as a "getaway home" it would be perfect.
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| In FL | Jan 23rd. at 9:50:09 am EST
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Lady-hearted Mojo (Irving, Texas) - Email Me
There is a house just like this in FL. It is built into the side of a hill near a beach. While not very big (about 750 sq feet) it looked quite charming and cozy.
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