Also see: Tiny House Design and Tiny House Map
Here’s an introductory post discussing some of the basic concepts for using a shipping container for housing.
“Many people are turning their attention toward shipping containers or cargo containers as they look for ways to create affordable housing. Shipping container house plans or floor plans are readily available on the internet.”
Continue reading about Homes Made From Shipping Containers.
There’s a lot of construction work going on at the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. Ziggy reports on the progress:
“Just like building our cob house, the living roof of our new straw bale house has had me thinking for hours, and quite honestly, it’s been the source of a lot of anxiety throughout the entire construction process. Gobcobatron was a breeze in comparison — single story, low to the ground, not a huge roof area.”
Continue reading about Building Our Green Roof | The Strawtron Living Roof Design Details.
Cody (Wranglerstar) continues working on his timber frame cabin. You can also now follow along on Facebook.
“Episode 10 of the DIY Survival Cabin For Economic Collapse will cover fitting all four corner joints of the sill plate timbers.”
Timber framing seems to be making a comeback – and I can see why.
“Shown is one way of finishing our 8 1/2′ x 11′ timber-framed mini-barn. We are selling a kit for the frame of this mini-barn as well as plans for 2×4 construction of the same size cottage For more information, people can go to our website: www.stilesdesigns.com“
via Relaxshacks.com: A NEW timber-framed cottage/cabin/tiny house from David and Jeanie Stiles.
We have disclosure! We now know why extraterrestrials make all those crop circles! Flying saucer are made from corn cobs! Just kidding 
“StAndré-Lang Architectes was inspired by the corn dryers of Alsace to create this unusual housing prototype clad in a cage of corn cobs.”
via Tourner Autour du Ried is a 20-Square-Meter Home Made of Corn Cobs!
Here’s a single container building used as a sports center that could easily be a small home. I really like the second metal roof. Shipping containers are water tight but a second roof like this can keep it cooler on hots days and help lengthen the building’s life.
‘safmarine container sports center’ is a recycled shipping container transformed into a communal athletic space in piketberg, south africa by cape town-based tsai design studio.
via tsai design studio: safmarine container sports center.
Image credit to Tsai Design Studio.
In this episode of his 12×16 timber frame cabin video series, Cody (Wranglerstar), shows us more about selectively harvesting trees for lumber.
“Are you doing it right? This video will cover the tools needed to fall timber and the best chainsaw chain for your Saw. I cut this White Fir tree down with a Stihl MS441 PRO saw using a full skip chain. The fallers belt includes a hand file for sharpening my saw, a chainsaw tool, three plastic wedges, and a 50″ spencer logging tape.”
via DIY Survival Cabin For Economic Collapse Episode 6 How To Cut Down Big Trees – YouTube.
Cody (Wranglerstar) continues to describe how to work with the raw material in this timber frame 12×16 cabin project. In this video he talks about how to work with a pitch pocket in a log, shares some basic circular saw tips, prepares to fine-tune the fit between timber frame members, and you’ll also see more Alaskan chainsaw mill action.
Inspiring preservation work. Lots of sweat equity is required but proving to be a workable path to a mortgage-free home.
“Today’s One Minute Tip comes from Historic Preservation Carpenter Paul Cutting in Decorah, Iowa. He recently won an award for documenting log homes from pioneer times.” - Apartment Therapy
Read more about Paul Cutting: How to Get a Free House
One Minute Tip – How to Get a Free House from maxwell gillingham-ryan on Vimeo.
Making adobe bricks is hard work but so simple almost anyone with a strong back can do it with this age old low tech approach.
“It is (was) June in the southwestern USA and as is typical it is hot and very dry-what better time to make adobe bricks because they also like it hot and dry.I had a pile of adobe dirt that I wanted to get rid of and knew I would need these bricks for a future project.”
See the entire brick making process at Alt. Build Blog: Making Adobe Bricks.