Simon west, a family man from Wales with a big interest in self-sustainability and an ecological awareness managed to dig out and build his own home and it is one of the loveliest, warmest, most inviting homes you could ever imagine.
He did this for only $4,700 USD.
The entrance couldn’t be more charming than this.
Simon states two reasons why he built the home. First one is: “It’s fun. Living your own life, in your own way is rewarding. Following our dreams keeps our souls alive.”
While his second reason is sustainability in which he says that “our supplies are dwindling and our planet is in ecological catastrophe”.
Simon is also a very talented photographer as can be seen from the photos below.
The only modern tool he used in this entire build was a chainsaw which he used to cut down around 30 small trees. No old trees were used by his family. The tools he focused on were all manual which use his own body for the energy and it took him an amazingly short four months to construct this.
The materials he used in the home are wood, stone, straw and a sod roof. The heat comes from a fireplace and it uses solar panels for power. A big portion of the materials were scavenged and refurbished. The end result is not some run-down shack but a very creative elegant and in fact magical dwelling.
Amazingly, it didn’t take Simon years of experience or planning to construct this home. He actually had none. He’s no architect, no carpenter or an engineer. Simon started this whole thing from zero , he told the Daily Mail: “Being your own have-a-go architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass-produced box designed for maximum profit and the convenience of the construction industry.”
Using only natural materials means that the corporations don’t receive more funds and the carcinogenic cocktail of poisons in modern buildings is gone.
Simon was very lucky in obtaining the piece of land, as it was given to him in exchange of its caretaking.
Simon and his wife Jasmine, and their two sons in front of the dream home four months after starting construction. All photos on this article are by Simon Dale.
The lengths that Simon went to make this home eco-friendly are astonishing. The insulation is straw over a plastic layer. The refrigerator is air cooled form the foundation of the home and because cement has high carbon emissions he used lime plaster for the interior of the walls.
Simon is also a part of the Lammas Project, an organization focused on low-impact building. They are not only committed to building homes but on planting gardens and trees and renewing nature. Here what Simon says on his work in Lammas Project: This building is one part of a low-impact or permaculture approach to life. This sort of life is about living in harmony with both the natural world and ourselves, doing things simply and using appropriate levels of technology. These sort of low cost, natural buildings have a place not only in their own sustainability, but also in their potential to provide affordable housing which allows people access to land and the opportunity to lead more simple, sustainable lives.”
It’s hard to imagine a more appealing, charming and lovable home than this one. This is an amazing way to move into the future of building.
Find more: http://simondale.net
A charming home that looks like a very fine hobbit home.