The Columbia Gorge ReBuild-it Center pointed out this great Ted Talk by Dan Phillips which shows examples of thecreative houses he has built from reclaimed stuff that would have ended up in the landfill. Along with inspiration for being creative and individualistic, his talk gives us some interesting insights about the houses we live in and why they are the way they are. Dan’s company Phoenix Commotion in Huntsville, Texas builds affordable homes for single parents, artists, and families with low incomes, creatively and with reclaimed material! Sources: Gorge Rebuild-it, Phoenix Commotion, Ted Talks
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Local Sources of Reused Wood
Compiled by Gary Munkhoff As the demand for wood and products made from wood increases, the world’s forests will, at some point, no longer be able to sustainably grow all the fiber consumed. Reducing our demand for wood, reusing wood products that already exist, and recycling the disposable wood products such as paper and cardboard are all steps that must become the norm. In the Portland area there are numerous businesses that offer wood products that have been in use at one time and are now available for reuse, often in a totally different way. Columbia Riverwood This company’s wood is derived from classic “boomsticks” that made up the perimeter…
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The Painted Hills Go Green
The Park Management Team at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument successfully pursued building an unconventional, state-of-the-art zero-energy home as a replacement for the ranger residence at the remote Painted Hills Unit The goal, which is to make the park’s Painted Hills Unit carbon neutral and energy self sufficient in housing, administration and transportation, was close to being realized with the completion of the new residence. This house, built at a cost comparable to standard construction, not only eliminates utility costs to the ranger in residence, but it also exposed local contractors and the public to a building method far more energy efficient than anything they were familiar with. The…
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Earthen Hand
The Local Application of Traditional Building Techniques According to Scott Howard, founder of Earthen Hand Natural Building, the materials and methods in natural building construction are highly sustainable because they are readily available and easy to use. Structures built of earthen materials are more likely to last for many centuries in contrast to a few decades for most contemporary stick-framed buildings. Wood-framing remains the most popular way to build homes in the Pacific Northwest where plentiful forests were once thought of as monstrosities to be cut into submission. The popularity of wood construction over time is a contributor to deforestation worldwide. Some estimates state that we have used 90% of…
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Earthen Hand – Building Sustainably by Teaching Construction Techniques
Artist Scott Howard is a community resource whose sculptural architecture is often finished with earthen paints and plasters.
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Portland Garden Cottages – Intimate Spaces from Recycled Building Materials
There’s an ongoing debate in my house over what constitutes a “too small” dwelling, so I’m always on the prowl to bolster my position that we can live well in small spaces. Evidence: The Portland Garden Cottages designed and built by Jeffrey Gantert and Brad Bloom. Gantert and Bloom built two small, (364 square-feet) cottages from mostly used building materials. The cottages took advantage of an empty lot in the Mississippi Historic District of the upper Albina neighborhood of Portland. They are designed to fith with the history and character of the neighboring structures, a mixture of ordinary working-class homes and ornate Victorian-style architecture. From the outside,…
