Richard Flatau, Cordwood Homebuilder
Name: Richard Flatau
Occupation: Director at Cordwood Construction Resources LLC (cordwood consulting, writing, workshops and building); Retired elementary special education school teacher
Place of Residence: Merrill, Wisconsin
Background and Personal History: Richard and his wife, Becky, built their mortgage-free cordwood home in northern Wisconsin in 1979. Since then, as directors of Cordwood Construction Resources, the couple has written books, conducted workshops, organized the 2005 Cordwood Conference and helped facilitate Conferences in 2011 & 2015. They continue to provide consultation for cordwood builders.
There are three cordwood projects (not including their home) that Richard and Becky consider highlights of their careers in cordwood building: The Cordwood Education Center, a classroom and nature center for our school district, in Merrill, Wisconsin; the White Earth Reservation Cordwood home project in Naytahwaush, Minnesota; and the Cordwood Chapel at the Kinstone Academy of Applied Permaculture near Fountain City, Wisconsin.
This year Richard and Becky are running a full slate of workshops and private mortar training sessions throughout the country. They continue to research and experiment with new and better ways to make cordwood accessible as a viable choice for “wannabe” homeowners.
Current Projects: Richard is currently working on a Cordwood Home Building DVD to compliment his other cordwood books. He has completed cordwood building projects at Kinstone Cordwood Chapel and at Stomping Moose Farm in Idaho. He’s also written articles for New Pioneer and Owner-Builder Magazine and is working on a chapter for a book on the uses of cedar in home construction.
Other Fun Facts: When Richard and Becky built their cordwood home in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, in 1979 they were the first to build with cordwood in the area. Four decades later, there are 27 cordwood homes and buildings. They hosted the well received Continental Cordwood Conference in 2005 at the Merrill High School that drew 227 participants from all over the world.
More Places to Find Richard on the Web:
Cordwood Construction on Facebook
Cordwood Construction on YouTube
If you Google Richard Flatau, you will find many other links to articles and posts he has written.
