Monthly Archives: August 2010

Cal-Earth Superadobes

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Michael Janzen

The California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture is a charitable non-profit organization that was founded in 1986 by Nader Khalili (1936-2008). They focus on developing truly sustainable earthen architecture. Their primary building method, nicknamed superadobes, uses long sandbag tubes … Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged adobe, Cal-Earth, earthbag, earthen, Nader Khalili, sandbag, superadobe | 1 Comment

100% Nasty Free – Punkle’s Farm

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Michael Janzen

If the story of Heimo Korth, the trapper that lives in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, was a bit to extreme for you, as it was for me at times; you’ll appreciate this trailer for a movie about Punkle’s Farm. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Living, Video | Tagged canada, ontario, Punkle's Farm | 1 Comment

Heimo’s Arctic Refuge

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Michael Janzen

It’s always fascinating to me to run across the story of someone who lives off the land in remote places. One of my favorite stories is of Dick Proenneke, a man in his 50′s that moved out into the woods … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Living, Video | Tagged alaska, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Heimo Korth | 3 Comments

Exploring Land Bargains for Tiny Houses

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Michael Janzen

The internet is brimming with cheap raw land for sale and many of the deals seem too good to be true. Land can also be very difficult to finance. This is because it’s difficult for lenders to really assess the true … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Living | Tagged cheap land, Classic Country Land, land, property, real estate | 12 Comments

Cabin Fever – ZIP Cabin

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Michael Janzen

The folks at Cabin Fever have a new design that is just 10′ by 12′ and goes up quickly. It’s called the Zip Cabin and can be configured in a number of different ways. I like this dogtrot-like variation with … Continue reading →

Posted in Kits / Prefab | Tagged cabin fever, kit, prefab, zip cabin | 4 Comments

Fold-away Shed

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Michael Janzen

One of my readers sent me a note about an idea she has for a fold-away shed she wants to attach to the side of her own shed. She was having trouble drawing a picture of it, but sent me … Continue reading →

Posted in How To | Tagged fold-away, shed | 5 Comments

Locating Land for Tiny Houses

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Michael Janzen

One of the most common questions I hear centers around where people can live in tiny houses legally. The challenge is that in many communities the definition of what qualifies as a residential home has been too tightly defined. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Living | Tagged building codes, building permits, land for sale, property, real estate | 17 Comments