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| Dreadknot and Two Feathers celebrating my PCT thru-hike finish |
We are about to embark on a long term adventure in creating a sustainable lifestyle for ourselves in Hawaii.
The definition of sustainable living is as follows:"Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and personal resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption, and diet."
This is not a dream that will be realized overnight, it will be a long journey and we invite you to join us and hopefully be inspired to try to create your own sustainable living lifestyle as best you can.
Who we are:
Dreadknot is a Contractor and Carpenter as well as an inventor. He can build houses amongst his other skills. He got his name when we hiked across northern Spain on el Camino del Norte because he wore his dreads up in a topknot and this caused much interest from other hikers we met.
Two Feathers is a Registered Nurse, Health and Wellness Coach, Motivational Speaker and Author of the book " Dream it. See it. Be it. ~ Discovering your potential at the end of your comfort zone."
She got her name when hiking from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail.
What we love doing:
Hiking, backpacking, running, stand-up paddling, scuba diving, chilling on the beach, cooking delicious vegetarian meals (Dreadknot says he's 75% vegetarian and Two Feathers has been a vegetarian for 32 years, five of those vegan).
What we want to do:
~ buy an acre property
~ build a beautiful round house with smaller round "pods" we can use as guest rooms and a workshop.
~grow food: Fruit orchards and vegetables for our own personal use and surplus that we can share and sell.
~we also want to create edible landscaping.
~our water source will be catchment water that we purify with a UV system.
~ our lighting will consist of LED bulbs throughout.
~ our lighting will consist of LED bulbs throughout.
~our waste water will be split into black water and grey water systems, BW into septic, GW will be treated and used for irrigation.
~ our refuse will be sorted: organic material composted and recyclables taken to recycling facility.
~ our refuse will be sorted: organic material composted and recyclables taken to recycling facility.
~our electricity will be obtained from solar panels, and potentially other sustainable means.
~ we don't want to owe big money and tons of interest to a bank. We plan to create this paradise slowly as we can afford it.
Why a "Round House"?
The idea of living in a round structure as our home appeals to both of our sense of aesthetics.
"The oldest forms of indigenous shelter were often round in shape. Good examples are the Hogan houses in SW USA, the Mongolian Yurt, North American teepee and the Greek Tenemos, among others. Why did our ancestors choose to build round? Because the ovoid shape -- eggs, earth, tree trunks, and stones -- is what they saw reflected in the surrounding natural environment. Round buildings are more comfortable, more energy-efficient and safer -- especially if you combine the ancient shape with modern materials."
"The natural thermal dynamics of open-at-the-top architecture round space uses no external energy to circulate temperature. It works like this; heated air naturally rises till it reaches the insulated ceiling, it moves up the domed ceiling till it reaches the center skylight, which is cooler, the air reacts by dropping to the floor where it moves across to the walls and rises again till it meets the skylight and drops again. This action constantly circulates the air and temperatures in the home."
"In modern round buildings using the ancient Yurt design, 1-3 airplane grade steel cables circle the outer perimeter where the trusses meet the wall and hold the natural outward thrust. Because of this combination of a central compression ring at the top of the roof and the encircling cables where the roof meets the walls, long roof spans are possible without any internal support system (like beams or posts). The interconnected tension in the building goes all the way to the ground and uses gravity and compression to hold it together with incredible strength."
"Round buildings use less wall, floor and roof materials to enclose the same square footage as a rectangular structure. 15 to 20% less material is used to create the same square foot building compared to a rectangular design! This means the possibility for a smaller eco-footprint and more living space for less cost. It also means less surface area in contact with adverse weather conditions, which improves the overall durability and energy efficiency of the home.
The acoustics of round space can be out of this world. The curve softens the sounds inside the building making it the perfect place for rest and reflection or for socializing and listening to and playing music (…think long winter evenings of storytelling around the central fire….) The shape also prevents noise from penetrating in from the outside. Sound waves dissipate as they wrap around the building, shielding the interior from loud outside noise."
"David Raitt, yurt builder describes it “Circular living provides a balance of looking inward and outward, looking out at the natural environment and surroundings but then coming in again to the self and the hearth.” You might call it curve appeal."
I found the above information in an article called "Inhabitat" written by Rachel Ross.
STEP ONE: Have an inspired dream.
STEP TWO: Figure out where you want to live and buy a piece of property.
STEP THREE: Come up with a sustainable house design and have plans drawn up.
We'll be discussing these first three steps as the adventure unfolds.
Until then LIVE GREEN for the survival of our planet.
Here are ten tips from the Nature Conservancy:
1. Buy local building products when available, and ask retailers to expand the offerings of regional goods.
2. When home-buying, look for a residence that requires you to pare down and simplify, rather than encouraging sprawl. Larger homes require more resources to heat and maintain -- and more stuff to fill the extra space.
3. A laptop uses just a quarter of the power required by a desktop computer.
4. Contaminants are tracked into homes on the soles of shoes. Consider becoming a shoe-free household. Clever designs for shoe storage near the front door can keep entries clutter-free and indoor air cleaner at the same time.
5. Using cold water can save up to 80 percent of the energy required to wash clothes.
6. Some commercial air fresheners use chemicals that can be harmful to a baby's development. Instead, lightly spritz the place with vinegar.
7. Situating your water heater as reasonably close as possible to the point of highest use (bathroom or kitchen) will save both water and energy by reducing the time it takes for hot water to reach the tap or shower.
8. Choose low-toxic paints that also are low in volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which convert to gas at room temperatures. Outdoors, certain VOCs react with sunlight to create smog. Indoors, VOCs can irritate lungs and cause allergic reactions. Check the paint label for a VOC level below 150 grams per liter. Zero-VOC paints also are available.
9. The average American home contains two televisions, a VCR and/or DVD player and three phones. These home electronics can use more energy than you think. As you replace existing equipment, look for Energy Star models that help reduce carbon emissions.
10. Activities within the home, such as cooking and bathing, produce large amounts of moisture, which can cause structural damage and mold growth. Keep pots covered when boiling liquids, and use ventilation when cooking and bathing. If a bathroom or kitchen lacks mechanical ventilation, install properly sized, energy-efficient fans.
Hope to see you at our next installment. Until then...a hui ho.
The acoustics of round space can be out of this world. The curve softens the sounds inside the building making it the perfect place for rest and reflection or for socializing and listening to and playing music (…think long winter evenings of storytelling around the central fire….) The shape also prevents noise from penetrating in from the outside. Sound waves dissipate as they wrap around the building, shielding the interior from loud outside noise."
"David Raitt, yurt builder describes it “Circular living provides a balance of looking inward and outward, looking out at the natural environment and surroundings but then coming in again to the self and the hearth.” You might call it curve appeal."
I found the above information in an article called "Inhabitat" written by Rachel Ross.
STEP ONE: Have an inspired dream.
STEP TWO: Figure out where you want to live and buy a piece of property.
STEP THREE: Come up with a sustainable house design and have plans drawn up.
We'll be discussing these first three steps as the adventure unfolds.
Until then LIVE GREEN for the survival of our planet.
Here are ten tips from the Nature Conservancy:
1. Buy local building products when available, and ask retailers to expand the offerings of regional goods.
2. When home-buying, look for a residence that requires you to pare down and simplify, rather than encouraging sprawl. Larger homes require more resources to heat and maintain -- and more stuff to fill the extra space.
3. A laptop uses just a quarter of the power required by a desktop computer.
4. Contaminants are tracked into homes on the soles of shoes. Consider becoming a shoe-free household. Clever designs for shoe storage near the front door can keep entries clutter-free and indoor air cleaner at the same time.
5. Using cold water can save up to 80 percent of the energy required to wash clothes.
6. Some commercial air fresheners use chemicals that can be harmful to a baby's development. Instead, lightly spritz the place with vinegar.
7. Situating your water heater as reasonably close as possible to the point of highest use (bathroom or kitchen) will save both water and energy by reducing the time it takes for hot water to reach the tap or shower.
8. Choose low-toxic paints that also are low in volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which convert to gas at room temperatures. Outdoors, certain VOCs react with sunlight to create smog. Indoors, VOCs can irritate lungs and cause allergic reactions. Check the paint label for a VOC level below 150 grams per liter. Zero-VOC paints also are available.
9. The average American home contains two televisions, a VCR and/or DVD player and three phones. These home electronics can use more energy than you think. As you replace existing equipment, look for Energy Star models that help reduce carbon emissions.
10. Activities within the home, such as cooking and bathing, produce large amounts of moisture, which can cause structural damage and mold growth. Keep pots covered when boiling liquids, and use ventilation when cooking and bathing. If a bathroom or kitchen lacks mechanical ventilation, install properly sized, energy-efficient fans.
Hope to see you at our next installment. Until then...a hui ho.
