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Thursday, May 14. 2009How to Build in a Recession: #1Trackbacks
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Hi, Tedd, I want to make a house out of Danielle Steele novels.
It occurs to me that pulp fiction—ratty old paperbacks—could be wired together in such a way as they would act much like straw bales and could be used to build homes. I bet you could figure out how. I am also questioning this whole idea of tying oneself to both a big tax bill and a mortgage for thirty years; I would love to see a way that people of moderate or even minimal means could have a home of their own without signing away their lives to some mortgage company.
You know, that's a pretty good idea! It might be the highest and best use of pulp fiction. Perhaps we could get our cellulose supplier to specify Danielle Steele novels instead of recycled newspaper.
But your last point is real. The biggest thing is to find a way for people with motivation, energy and minimal financial means to be able to provide for their own shelter. That ability and right seems essential...as it has been since the dawn of civilization.
Tedd-
When I lived in rural WV, housing could be built very cheaply- no zoning, building inspectors or permits, and home value varied little with location. However, each year I spent countless hours and a small fortune driving (30-35k miles). I also had numerous near-death experiences on those roads! I would gladly trade a less expensive house for a walkable neighborhood and time otherwise spent behind the wheel. Just one more viewpoint, Karl
I learned your name through the TOH Weston project. I “Googled” it and arrived at your Web page, and subsequently your Blog. I have read most of the past entries and admire your dedication to your profession and family, and generally your outlook on life.
Although I have read much that supports your opinion, frankly I see little evidence of people living a sparer and more self sufficient lifestyle here in suburban Long Island. Lawn services are still the norm for yard care, and ride-on mowers cut ¼ acre plots. Rarely do I see a vegetable garden. Are people eating at home, or are they just going to lower priced restaurants? On the subject of home construction, I am a fan of Wendell Berry, and he points out the environmental cost of replacement, even if the replacement has a higher energy rating. Was it necessary to demolish the Weston home, that seemed to be structurally sound, but in a style not to the owners’ liking? Do they really need a media room equipped with its own kitchen area so they could make snacks to eat while playing video games? Please find time to continue your Blogs, you have an avid reader.
Walter,
You raise several points, which I'll try to address: 1. I don't know about Long Island, but there is good evidence about the movement to garden again from the seed companies, who just had a record year. On the other hand, the fast food chains are faring pretty well too, so not everyone is responding wisely to the belt-tightening situation. 2. I'm a fan of Wendell Berry too. On this point, I don't think it helps to be dogmatic; each situation is a little different. The existing home for the Weston Project was pretty poorly built. As the owners wanted more space for their family, it would have been nearly impossible to get that space into the footprint without rebuilding and, if you could, it wouldn't have made much sense to pile a big investment into a structure that was so inherently compromised. We tried hard to make use of the home. The big plan was to donate the home to an agency that works with mentally challenged people. They wanted to use it as one of their group homes. We found a piece of land down the road and planned to move the house there. At the 11th hour, the person we were working with got quite sick and couldn't continue his financial negotiations to make the land purchase. Therefore, we found a group to dismantle the house so the parts and pieces could be reused to build new, affordable homes. It wasn't a bad resolution..under the circumstances. Also, the new home, despite being larger, will consume far less energy for the next 100-200 years, so I'm sure if the calculation to keep an energy sieve in place always is the better ecological decision. 3. Regarding the media room: you TOH viewers are tantalizing to companies the make cool amenities. They are quite willing to donate equipment and materials to display their wares to you. Sometimes this must look pretty excessive. The owners, however, are very normal, down-to-earth people who definitely don't require all that stuff to be fuel their sense of well-being. 4. I apologize for the gaps in my blog posts. These are stressful times in the building business and I find myself wearing many hats and working way too many hours and days. It is sometimes hard to find the time for writing the blog, which is something I very much enjoy. Thank you for tuning in and I'll try to write more frequently.
Thanks for the coherent reply to my somewhat disjointed comments.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Neither did I understand that the Weston house had structural problems, nor did I know of your attempts to make good use of it. I am sensitive to the temptation in times of skyrocketing land values to demolish modest homes to make way for mini-mansions. I jumped too quickly to a conclusion. I guess self sufficiency varies by location for many reasons. Many suburban couples work and commute long hours to maintain their lifestyle. If they have children, weekends are spent with organized sports. Time becomes a precious commodity, and self sufficiency takes a back seat. Also, the ready availability of cheap labor in the form of day workers tilts the balance toward services. Finally, there is the “super” syndrome Joe mentioned for some, not all, of previous apartment dwellers. I am not saying I agree with the lack of self sufficiency. I don’t. It’s just that I can understand it. My fear is reliance on services will only intensify from generation to generation. Walter
I can understand the lack of self-sufficiency too. It's a pretty fast paced world we live in. On the other hand, one's living space is so personal and has such an important impact on life that it ought not be given over to the control of others. Its important that architects and builders find ways to give homeowners more say in the outcome, and more opportunities to affect the decisions and the work directly. It's not a slight on homeowners that they are sidelined in the process; it's a slight on the homebuilding industry for not finding ways to give homeowners more control and more ability to customize on their behalf.
Hiya Tedd,
Saw you on This Old House last week. Great stuff. Afraid I have to agree with Walter on the hope that self reliance becomes more than a quaint memory. Here on Long Island, taking care of minor needs like gardening, house painting, car/motorcycle/jetski maintenance brands one as an oddball. Worse, speaking as a transplanted Manhattan-ite our old neighbors can't imagine the horror of carrying a grocery bag or changing a lightbulb. Believe it not, when we lived in a rent-controlled apartment (Nixon was president) a neighbor came visiting and found me on stepstool replacing a lightbulb... "Don't you know that the landlord is required to do that?" So rather than spend 15 cents for a 60 watt bulb, I should live in the dark until the landlord sends the super? Good grief. See ya later. I have to take care of a small rust spot on my 15-year-old car.
I guess as a rural Yankee I'm more familiar with the concept of fixing things oneself. I was raised on "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without," and the frugality in that statement is evident, but I think some people don't understand that there's freedom in not having to rely on others to do the fixing, and in not needing a lot of possessions.
I suspect people are beginning to get what a prison credit card debt is, for instance; we're ripe for a new paradigm in terms of how we live our lives, and I am hoping that that will translate into new concepts in terms of providing housing. |
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