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The only "landed on the wrong planet" moment of the
weekend was the Builders’ Forum, led by David Eisenberg. Apparently,
even in this group, "Owner-Builder" means you hire an architect, get a
mittful of permits and utilize people like electricians, plumbers, and
contractors. I showed up with our plans on graph paper, hoping to
get pointers and ideas on how a big guy with health concerns, a pear
shaped old hippie-chick, and a 7-year-old boy can physically put together
a comfy, earth-friendly residence using shovels, leverage and
salvage-gleanings. However, the first three subjects covered were
zoning, financing, and insurance. Go figure. Normally, I would
not have been afraid to interject my own questions, but the time allotted
was limited, and most of the attendees needed to know about what was
already on the table, so I approached David afterwards and he was very
supportive and is willing to give us pointers and whatnot as we do our
actual building.
Not a problem for me personally, as I am terminally "time challenged", but
worth mentioning, is that the times listed on the Day’s Schedule board
were at best Loose Suggestions. Hey, creativity, learning, and
thinking defy rigidity.
At the opening Morning Circle, we were encouraged to make a Prayer Flag
sometime during our stay. They hung these multicolored butterflies
of thought all around the amphitheatre- waving jewels of emotion and
dreams. Alec sat long with his ink pen, staring at the blank piece
of cloth, before his heart told his fingers what I feel is the epitome of
why we were there:
Our homes are shelters for our bodies, and safe places for our "stuff."
As residents of Mother Earth, if we are fortunate enough to have the
opportunity to build our own, we should try our level best to practice the
following:
-Use the smallest amount of materials as possible
-Use natural and/or salvaged materials wherever we can
-If we must cause disruption by our building and living, to make sure it’s
as tiny as it can be, and to compensate Mother Earth’s other residents
accordingly
-Build using as many passive/alternative sources of power as we can,
always remembering that eliminating things that NEED power is the most
effective way to save
-Strive for self-contained food and water systems, stressing local plants
and animals that don’t require a lot of chemical intervention to produce
well, and even if literally surrounded by fresh water, to cherish it, for
it is our greatest treasure.
Our personal goal is to build by hand, quietly and slowly, using materials
inherent to our region: earth, stone, and logs. A shelter should be
as individual as the family that lives in it. "Houses" have Resale
Value, "Homes" have Value Without Measure.
In our society “Everything has a price”, but truly wealthy families know
that some things are irreplaceable and are not for sale. People to love
and who love us back cannot be bought, meaningful employment sometimes has
no paycheck, and Home should welcome us and shelter us from whatever the
rest of the human world throws at us.
What better escape is there from a culture full of speed, pointy things,
plastic, mass production, and noise than an embrace of earth, logs, straw,
fiber, and stone - every inch an individual spirit, formed with care by
your own hands and the hands of your loved ones into one…big…giant…hug.
Natural building. An age-old idea whose time has come. Again.
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