Tag Archives: architecture

The Hobbit House Revisited, in Honor of the Upcoming Film

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After watching the trailer for The Hobbit, don’t you find yourself longing to live (or at least vacation) in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, maybe in the Shire, in a cozy house built under a hill?

What, you dont? Well, even if you’ve never dreamed of hanging out with elves and dragons, you have to appreciate this “Low Impact Woodland Home” (aka Hobbit house).

You’re not looking at a movie set. Simon Dale built this eco-friendly house into a hillside in Wales–all for less than $5,000. Just three zeros–that’s not a typo.

But don’t let its low cost fool you: the home is packed with green features, including locally sourced wood, a composting toilet, a turf roof, and solar panels for energy. Like an earthship, the Hobbit-house is designed with nature in mind. The owners explain:

The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature….Building from natural materials does away with producers’ profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.

Hobbit house interiorThis sustainable approach might not be too far from Tolkien’s vision of the Hobbit’s Shire. While not exactly an environmentalist, the famous author was distrustful of industrialism (he despised automobiles in particular). Tolkien’s Hobbits live in a peaceful, agrarian community, in harmony with nature. Through them, industrialization is presented as a nightmare.

As I wrote in 2009,

The villains of Middle-Earth fell ancient trees and burn them to fuel forges, which are used to build machines and weapons of war.  Orcs ravage the forest indiscriminately, and Sauron, the supreme enemy, is infamous for laying waste to once-beautiful lands.  In TLotR, these actions are portrayed as purely evil, yet they are not so different from the exploitation of nature by today’s industries.

The Hobbit House, under construction

In short, Tolkien would probably approve of the Hobbit house’s philosophy. It’s enlightening to see that sustainable architecture doesn’t require expensive technology or a LEED plaque.

Mr. Dale insists that this style of home is relatively easy to build. He even provides Hobbit house plans and construction techniques on his site, in case you’d like to give it a try.

And why not? If you’ve ever wanted to create your own eco-friendly home, The Hobbit’s new pop culture status should give you a great excuse.

Photos: Simon Dale

California Adopts U.S.’s First Mandatory Green Building Code

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Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

This month, California adopted the nation’s first statewide green building codes.  Dubbed “Calgreen,” these codes are expected to help the state achieve its goal of cutting CO2 emissions by one third by 2020.  According to the New York Times, every new building in California will have to “reduce water usage by 20 percent and recycle 50 percent of its construction waste instead of sending it to landfills… Mandatory inspections of air conditioner, heat and mechanical equipment will be also be instituted for all commercial buildings over 10,000 square feet.”

To help offset the increased construction costs, developers will not have to receive certification from third parties like the U.S. Green Building Council.  The price of a new home will still increase, but since many of the standards save money as well as energy, the codes may result in an overall savings.  They will definitely produce a net drop in carbon pollution — about three million metric tons by 2020.

That California was the first state to adopt these codes isn’t surprising.  Hopefully, they will prove successful, and other states will follow suit.  Since buildings account for a large amount of our energy use, increasing their efficiency is just common sense.

Twitter’s new eco-friendly HQ

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I’m a big fan of stylish green design, so when I noticed that Twitter’s new headquarters in San Francisco was getting attention in both the green scene and the design world, I thought the Green Lens should zoom in on it.

The office space was designed by Sara Morishige Williams.  Her focus was on fun and sustainability: “I wanted to bring the outdoors in, while making the space playful yet useful and sustainable.”  The space uses non-VOC paint, non-toxic furniture, and eco-friendly decorations.  Most of the decor consists of used objects that have been refurbished or reinvented.

Inhabitat has a good summary:

Visitors to the space are greeted by a sign featuring the well-known Twitter logo made from reclaimed barnwood and hot rolled steel fabricated by Lundberg Design and can see the flittering bird motif that runs throughout the office. Inside the conference room is a long concrete table designed by Sara in collaboration with Mark Rogero with Concreteworks, composed of 40% fly ash and 100% recycled aggregates. The base of the table and the receptionists’ desks are made from reclaimed barnwood too. Tree hooks in the lobby were made by John and Live Wire Farm. The couches are custom copies of famous designs from a store called Furniture Envy and the Chiquita stools, by Kenneth Cobonpue, have tops made from natural rattan poles. Last but certainly not least, the in-house DJ booth, which was actually left over by the previous inhabitants, is completely envy-inducing.

The above article, as well as Michelle Kaufmann’s blog and the design blog Abduzeedo, have more info and photos.

Earthships: Sustainable, off-the-grid homes

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The concept of sustainable homes is one of the most fascinating aspects of green living.  So far, the best practical green home style I’ve seen is the earthship.  Mickey Z. of Planet Green writes

An earthship is a passive solar building with thermal mass. It is “made from natural and recycled materials, including earth-rammed tires and aluminum cans.” Powered by renewable energy and using rainwater for its water supply… earthship refers to a “concept, not a set design, and can be adapted for any climate worldwide.

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The idea is to return to the construction habits of our species’ past.  Earths are built from local materials, so they don’t have to rely on manufacturing and shipping.  While these houses still have modern conveniences, such as electricity and running water, they can be completely off-the-grid.

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Temperature is regulated by natural activities; the sun provides heating, while the earth provides cooling.  The energy needed for appliances and electronics is provided by windmills and solar panels.  Water is collected from precipitation and is recycled as much as possible.  The gray water from sinks and bathtubs is cleaned and piped to flush the toilets.  The water can then be re-used in botanical cells.

That brings us to one of my favorite features of earthships: fruits and vegetables can be grown throughout the year in attached greenhouses or “botanical cells.”

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Independent housing makes financial sense, too.  Although earthships cost about the same as traditional houses to build, they will save money in the long run, since utility bills will be virtually nonexistent.

If you are interested in the concept of earthships, but have no clue about how to build them, you might enjoy browsing the website of Earthship Biotecture, a company that builds, rents and sells sustainable homes.

All images from Earthship.net