Green Building Design and Construction Home Page Skip to: Content | Footer | Accessibility A-Z Index Green Building Home Page Program Highlights... Sustainable design or building "green" is an opportunity to use our resources efficiently while creating healthier buildings. Check This Out! Program Information and Activities Last updated: September 13, 2011 Back to Top | Help | Contact Us | Site Index | Conditions of Use | Privacy Policy ©1995, 2014 California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). Environmentally-Friendly Houses "QUANTUM SHOT" #233Link - article by Joshua S. Hill and Avi Abrams Most ecologically friendly house designs This article is co-written by our guest blogger Joshua S. "A Low Impact Woodland Home" by Simon Dale Now I had originally intended to take you on a tour through all the wonderful ecologically-clean houses that exist in our wonderful world, but it turns out that as a group, those who tend towards these houses apparently disdain the creation of a decent website, and even further hate actual content. Simon, with his wife, father in law and two young children spent 4 months building what they have termed a low impact woodland home, which is now their family home. Simon, who is more than willing to tote the fact that he is in no way an architect or certified builder, believes that a house of this scale is within the reach of any able-bodied person. The house, which was built with a maximum regard for the environment around it, is dug soundly into the hill around it. See more photos here
Stone Sculptures, carving marble, limestone, soapstone, alabaster That's the million dollar question. There are a number of ways. I took an art class in college and there was an art student that had finished a piece in stone. It was so beautiful that I had to try it. So you have a number of choices to make. 1) Take an art class in college. 2) Ask the local colleges if they are going to have a stone-carving workshop. 3) Go to the library and take out a book on stone carving and use the resources at the end of this page to get your supplies. Stone Availability of carving stone Depending on where you live, you can probably find SOME kind of stone to carve within driving distance. Kinds of stone to carve From the softest to the hardest; 1)Soapstone Available in many different colors and textures. Tools These are available from a number of resources and I have listed some (Check the Internet for more). Sandbags You MUST have sandbags before you start carving to support your stone on while carving. Personal protection The how and whys of carving. Sanding Polishing
Yurt Buildng Here is a free copy of my book Build your own yurt, written in 1995, It has been used by a great many people who have built their own yurts. Our designs have progressed enormously since 1995. For a much more comprehensive guide see The Complete Yurt Handbook or see the rest of our website A complete guide to making a Mongolian Ger by P.R. Third Edition Fully revised and expanded for 1998 Internet Edition Jan 2000 The Yurt The English word Yurt comes from the Russian Yurta describing a circular trellis walled framed tent. The Kirgiz yurt with bent-wood roof poles and crown and a domed overall shape. The two tiered yurt with a pointed roof and two layers of wall section placed one on top of the other. The Mongol or Kalmuk ger with straight roof poles, a heavy timber crown, often supported by two upright poles, and fitted with a wooden door. This proven design is equally well suited to the many uses for moveable dwellings in this country. Figure 1.
Supplier of tools for masons and carvers, construction and mining, Toll Free in NA: 1 866 683-1285 Old Garage turned Mini Dream Home! | Hello there! It’s been a busy week with a trip to Seattle for the Picasso exhibition and a drive out to the coast but I knew I had to share this amazing remodel with you before the week came to a close. Everyone loves good makeovers and the ones involving tiny spaces, creative design and ingenious solutions are my all time favorites! Check out how Seattle artist, designer and welder, Michelle de la Vega, created this beautiful little 250 sq. ft. haven… The before… This lonely little detached garage is just begging for some love. The after! A cozy, light filled sleeping loft is so perfect for the space. The kitchen is well organized and accessible with open storage solutions. The rustic wood burning stove becomes sculptural in this room along with Michelle’s own art installations. The glass boxes housing pillow forms are actually a tribute to Michelle’s father. You know I am a big fan of great bathroom design and this one delivers. How many of us have garages that only house our junk!?
How to carve stone | Architecturals.net How do you get started? That's the million dollar question. There are a number of ways. So you have a number of choices to make. 1) Take an art class in college. 2) Ask the local colleges if they are going to have a stone-carving workshop. 3) Go to the library and take out a book on stone carving and use the resources at the end of this page to get your supplies. Stone Availability of carving stone Depending on where you live, you can probably find SOME kind of stone to carve within driving distance. Kinds of stone to carve From the softest to the hardest; 1)Soapstone Available in many different colors and textures. Tools These are available from a number of resources and I have listed some (Check the internet for more). Sandbags You MUST have sandbags before you start carving to support your stone on while carving. Personal protection These are the most important sculpting supplies there are. The hows and whys of carving. The first step is roughing out the stone. Next comes the file. Sanding
Smaller Than Your Living Room: 7 Of The World's Best Nano Houses | Co.Design Studio-apartment dwellers may feel reasonably content living a small-scale existence. But if transplanted in the country, how many would opt for a similarly sized house? Driven by a commitment to reduce energy consumption and built space, there’s a growing trend among the eco-conscious to build tiny homes. Will they inspire “real housewives” of Beverly Hills to abandon their McMansions, short of a foreclosure notice? Check out the slideshow of 7 houses from the book. How-To Read Runes If you do not believe in the paranormal or metaphysical please do not leave mean or rude comments on the Instructable, thank you. We're new to Instructables but not the world of the paranormal. Reading Runes is one of the most popular methods of Mancy (Divination). There are different kinds of Rune stones depending on which alphabet you choose to follow; Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, Cirth, Elder Futhark, Gothic Runes, Hungarian Runes, Turkic, Younger Futhork. Elder Futhark is the emerging Rune alphabet in popularity; it is also known as the alphabet with the "blank". What is the best way to use your runes? Method #1: With your runes in their pouch close your eyes, concentrate on what you want an answer for (past situation, present situation or future situation) and chose a rune from the bag as your answer. Method #3: Lay the runes out in grid and let your hand pass over the runes slowly while concentrating on what you want an answer for (past situation, present situation or future situation).
Vinegar from scratch. | Henriette's Herbal Homepage Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs From: ewhitevhp.aol.com (EWhiteVHP) Date: 10 Nov 1995 18:45:29 -0500 Subject: How to make REAL vinegar 3 pgs How to make REAL vinegar These directions show how to make vinegar at home using readily available ingredients and supplies. In the late 1800s chemists learned to make acetic acid. It takes good alcohol (wine or beer) to make fermented vinegar. {*style:<b>General Directions </b>*}Winemaking suppliers list acetobacter as "mother" or vinegar culture. Vinegar should contain at least 5% acid as required for preserving or pickling. Acid test kits, sold by winemaking suppliers, are used to determine the acidity of vinegar. {*style:<b>Sanitize </b>*}Sanitize utensils and containers that will touch the vinegar by soaking them for 20 minutes in a solution of 2 tablespoons chlorine laundry bleach to 1 gallon water. {*style:<b>Vinegar Method I </b>*}3 measures beer, ale or vinegar stock (5.5 to 7% alcohol) 1 measure vinegar culture with active bacteria wine yeast
Recipes: Basic Kitchen Products from Scratch Earthnotes Cookbook Basic Kitchen Products from Scratch Have you ever looked at a stick of butter and wondered how it was made? Oh yes, you probably knew it involved churning and maybe you got awfully close to the real thing the last time you overdid the whipped cream, but is that it? Is there anything else involved in the process? Brown StockYield: about 2 quarts Tip: Stock can be frozen in amounts you plan to use for individual recipes. Cut bones into pieces and brown them in a preheated 350°F oven. Brown Sugar In a pinch you can make your own by combining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp molasses. Butter Making If you have access to a cow, let the milk stand until the cream rises to the top. Tip: When making your own dairy products, scrupulous cleanliness is important. Cheesemaking If cheesemaking appeals to you, then you can work with milk products from cows easily enough. MILK CHEESE: 4½ cups milk heated to 99°F. CREAM CHEESE: Same as milk cheese, but use heavy cream. Chicken Stock Diastatic Malt