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Mother Earth News is pleased to offer a study plan of the beautiful Country Straw Bale Home, created by Living Shelter Design Architects, PLLC. The study plan provides detailed information on this copyrighted home design, including elevation drawings, floor plan, descriptions of design features, the Mother Earth News feature article about the home and information for ordering the construction-ready blueprint.

DISCLAIMER

It is your responsibility to make sure that any project you undertake is safe, effective and legal for your situation. All Ogden Publications study plans are offered AS IS for information and entertainment purposes only. No warranties are expressed or implied. By using this information or this study plan you agree to hold Ogden Publications harmless from any damages or injuries of any kind that might result from errors, omissions or other causes.

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A great overview of green building techniques, materials, products and technologies that are either currently available or will be in the near future. Author Dan Chiras provides practical information for home buyers, owner-builders and anyone interested in building for a sustainable future.

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For more than five years Stone House – A Guide to Self-Building with Slipforms has been the prime source for information on a unique method of stone masonry that affords everyone, regardless of their level of building experience, the opportunity to create walls and even homes of stone.

Stone House focuses on the story of author Tomm Stanley’s own experience of building his house with the slipform method. This book is certainly not your average “how-to” offering; it is more like a tapestry of information and entertainment interwoven with technical advice, diagrams and pictures, tales of the owner builder experience and as the title implies, plenty of guidance on how to build your own stone house using the slipform method of construction. It makes great reading for those that are on their way to becoming self-builders as well as the rest of us that dream of such adventures.

The book has now been revised with two new chapters, digital enhancement to the original images and new photographs.

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Cob cottages are the ultimate expression of ecological design. Made of earth, clay, sand, straw and water, they are their surroundings, literally rising up from the earth. These houses are light, energy-efficient and cozy, with curved walls and built-in whimsical touches.

The Hand-Sculpted House is theoretical and philosophical, but intensely practical as well. You will get all the how-to information to undertake an earth and straw building project. As the modern world rediscovers the importance of living in sustainable harmony with the environment, this book is a bible of radical simplicity.

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This guide brings earth-sheltered construction up-to-date for those who want to build their own underground home at a moderate cost. It covers all the various construction techniques, including details on planning, excavation, footings, floor, walls, framing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation and drainage.

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CLEARANCE ITEM. PREVIOUS RETAIL PRICE WAS $24.95 AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

Yurts are one of the oldest forms of indigenous shelter still in use today. This 150-page book shows you how to build, insulate, ventilate and transport a yurt, plus shares invaluable information on everything from foundations and heating to building codes and floor plans.

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The study plan for this home will give you a close look at its design, which can be modified to your liking. Package includes elevation drawings, floor plan, description of design features and a color copy of the Mother Earth News article.

DISCLAIMER
It is your responsibility to make sure that any project you undertake is safe, effective and legal for your situation. All Ogden Publications study plans are offered AS IS for information and entertainment purposes only. No warranties are expressed or implied. By using this information or this study plan you agree to hold Ogden Publications harmless from any damages or injuries of any kind that might result from errors, omissions or other causes.

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A continuation of Lloyd Kahn's journeys into the creative processes of owner-built homes - their innovative techniques, use of sustainable materials, and essential dedication to the natural elements surrounding their designs - Builders of the Pacific Coast explores the aesthetics and techniques of three master builders in California, Washington state, and the rugged terrain of British Columbia.

The three featured craftsmen - Lloyd House, Bruce Atkey, and Sun Ray Kelley - combine imaginative architecture with innovative contexts: everything from unusual house-boats to sculptural dwellings made of driftwood are included. With stunning color and black-and-white photographs, as well as detailed black-and-white drawings of the homes, this collection of unique and progressive designs creates a template for a future filled with forward-thinking architecture.

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The Earth-Sheltered House is a classic in the annals of sustainable building books, written by a legend in the field of sustainable architecture. Malcolm Wells had a fundamentally different way of looking at the design and building process, and his iconoclastic perspective has never been more apparent.

Wells’ work is revolutionary, but readers will find his message to be pure common sense. Earth sheltering offers superior comfort with minimal energy input, and it is adaptable to diverse terrains as well as a variety of architectural aesthetics.

This architect's sketchbook will show you how you can build underground homes of different styles. Complete with floor plans, elevation drawings and detailed diagrams, this book is a necessary resource for anyone who is considering building green.

An architect by trade, Wells lived in The Underground Art Gallery, in Brewster, Massachusetts, and wrote several books about this subject, which he began promoting in 1964. He was a pioneer of underground building and natural design. His best-selling books include Gentle Architecture and How to Build an Underground House. The Earth-Sheltered House is scanned from his own handwritten and illustrated pages.

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CLEARANCE ITEM. PREVIOUS RETAIL PRICE WAS $49.95. AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

The Green Building Decision Kit — containing prioritizing software and more than 300 pages of information — educates and aids you with the decision-making process of "green" construction: residential or small commercial, new or remodeling. Plus it helps you conduct your own Design Charrette.

The Green Building Decision Kit is the only product you need to get started building green. It takes you step-by-step through each part of the construction process and is organized in the general order of the process. It educates and informs you about green considerations, materials, alternatives and even programs to help you make critical decisions and ensure your priorities are incorporated throughout your project.

The Green Building Decision Kit is designed for ease of use. The presentation of information is broken down into common-sense sections and easy to understand language. Rather than make you search through a massive book or database to find information, the kit incorporates a unique, patent-pending matching tab system that allows for easy retrieval of pertinent details. The Display and Companion Pages are provided digitally in a fully searchable Acrobat Reader format so the user has the option to minimize (or eliminate) what is printed on paper.

The Green Building Decision Kit facilitates the use of a design charrette. The modern definition of a charrette refers to any collaborative session in which the group drafts a solution to a designated problem. It provides a forum for ideas and offers the unique opportunity for upfront planning, feedback and decision-making while integrating the aptitude and interests of a diverse group of people.

The Green Building Decision Kit includes information about traditional construction in addition to various green alternatives. In this way, you have what you need to make comparisons and, therefore, informed decisions.

Additionally, the Green Decision Matrix software included with the kit provides a comparison of options in each area of discussion based upon the user's input. The Matrix software begins with input regarding your priorities (such as costs, living style, embodied energy, environmental impacts) and uses these priorities during the "weighting" process to provide a most favorable-to-least favorable list for each component.

The Green Building Decision Kit Workbook is a helpful tool for keeping track of your priorities. Instruction pages, Display pages, Matrix software and extras are provided on the accompanying CD.