Mother's $10-per-square-foot Earth-sheltered House

Enlarge Image Image Gallery

We're here to demonstrate, one more time, that energy-efficient housing can be inexpensive.

PartV

Is it possible to achieve food and energy independence on one acre? Well, with imagination, hard work, and the right one acre, we think it can be done... and that's what this project is all about. Of course, providing most of the basic needs for four people from such a small piece of ground is a tall order. Still, we think it's a goal worth pursuing, and we're hoping that in this series of articles about our low-cost homestead we'll be able to help some of you in your struggles to increase your self-reliance... by doing some of the experimenting for you.

In previous installments, we discussed our initial plans for the project, the construction of the building's shell, its waterproofing and insulation, some special energy-related "extras," and construction of the handmade kitchen cabinetry. This time, we'll again focus on the interior appointments by detailing a practical and inexpensive bunk bed set for the children's bedroom.

A truly rewarding game to play when planning an affordable homestead is cost avoidance... and when it comes to furniture, shucking the store-bought suites in favor of simple and functional owner-made substitutes can net a handsome return. This is especially true if you're able to purchase rough-cut air-dried lumber or, better yet, are in a position to harvest your own. Even if you have to buy your wood at a mill or a lumberyard, though, you'll be able to realize a healthy saving and still enjoy a quality piece of work with only a moderate amount of expended effort... if you respect a "simplicity in design" rule of thumb.

The bunk beds on these pages—created by Eco-Village staff member James McGinnis and former staffer Dean Davis—represent a successful marriage of elementary construction techniques and attention to craftsmanship. Though you won't be able to duplicate the achievement with just a handsaw and a block plane, it shouldn't take more than an enthusiast's moderately well-equipped shop (which would include a table saw with combination and dado blades, a router and a router table, a belt sander, a circular saw, a drill with common-size wood-boring bits, and the ubiquitous assortment of clamps, hammers, chisels, sanding blocks, and measuring tools) to make great inroads toward that end.