Selfsufficienish homes not Wilcon
Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:25 am
Imagine a world with selfsufficientish homes instead of the ugly, tiny shoe box homes that you see whenever you are on the outskirts of every UK town and city. (my aplogies if you happen to live in one)
What shape would sustainable housing take? What would you need to set up a real housing scheme and with all the talent on here could we actually set up a self build project? - how much real cash do you need and how much money can you get from the government.
I have spent some time day dreaming about my dream home. It would be made from a combination of used car tyres, straw bale and wood. Self build in a brown field site in Bristol - or at least the south west. I would like to build it at the same time as a group of other people are building theirs so that we help each other and form a sense of community.
There would be a central growing area and also room on the roof for growing crops. Rain water would be harvested, a few turbines would power the houses - although each would be fitted with various energy saving bits and bobs (here is where my knowledge lacks) so that the needs would be far lower than of a regular home.
The toilets would run off into a reed bed. There would be a selection of vechicles all powered from hydrogen fuel cells charged up by a turbine for use for everyone in the project. Obviously cycling would be encouraged as a means of transportation whenever possible, but as not everyone wants to get around like this then an alternative would have to be there.
Now if I can just get my hands on a few million we can get started
What shape would sustainable housing take? What would you need to set up a real housing scheme and with all the talent on here could we actually set up a self build project? - how much real cash do you need and how much money can you get from the government.
I have spent some time day dreaming about my dream home. It would be made from a combination of used car tyres, straw bale and wood. Self build in a brown field site in Bristol - or at least the south west. I would like to build it at the same time as a group of other people are building theirs so that we help each other and form a sense of community.
There would be a central growing area and also room on the roof for growing crops. Rain water would be harvested, a few turbines would power the houses - although each would be fitted with various energy saving bits and bobs (here is where my knowledge lacks) so that the needs would be far lower than of a regular home.
The toilets would run off into a reed bed. There would be a selection of vechicles all powered from hydrogen fuel cells charged up by a turbine for use for everyone in the project. Obviously cycling would be encouraged as a means of transportation whenever possible, but as not everyone wants to get around like this then an alternative would have to be there.
Now if I can just get my hands on a few million we can get started
