Crumbling Stone Barn Renovated Into Rammed Earth Ihlow House in Germany Ihlow House-Roswag Architekten – Inhabitat
A historic stone barn in Ihlow, Germany has gotten a second lease on life with the addition of a new home and reinforcement of the existing structure. The barn renovation was designed by Roswag Architekten who crafted a rammed earth addition for the home. The rammed earth and hemp fibre insulation compliment the original stone structure. Meanwhile passive solar design, solar hot water heaters and rainwater collectors minimize the impact of the Ihlow House.
House made up of Reclaimed Wood. Source: Superior Hardwoods & Milworks
Timber can be reclaimed from old farm barns, urban factories or warehouses or deconstructed lumber and wood products such as reused planks and siding. This rustic material can be restored and mixed with new wood and other materials or it can be left rough, giving the building a recycled and sustainable appearance.
via Five Recycled Materials for Eco-Friendly HousingDesignBuild Source.
Recently featured on Tiny House Talk, tiny home builder, Hobbitat, was started just over a year ago by Maryland custom home builder and historic restoration specialist, Bill Thomas.
Since 1995, Bill and his wife, Sue, had been designing and building homes as Blue Sky Ventures and, in 2011, they began constructing little buildings with reclaimed materials and decided to shift focus with Hobbitat when they began work on thirteen cabins for the Blue Moon Rising eco-tourism retreat on Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake.
Initially called “Hobs,” the rental cabins have been dubbed “Waldens” after Henry David Thoreau’s masterpiece. Prefabricated off-site using materials that are local and sustainable, reclaimed, or recycled, each Walden is distinct in personality and design.
via Try Before You Buy: Tiny Cabins by Hobbitat at Ecotourism-Friendly Blue Moon Rising.
Reclaimed Wood is one of the hottest eco-friendly trends to come out of the interior design world. With products like reclaimed wood flooring and veneer paneling, the options and uses available with this type of lumber are limited only by your imagination. By learning more about this type of eco-friendly material, you can make educated decisions about the home design products you choose.
What is Reclaimed Wood?
On many occasions, old lumber gets discarded simply because a person or company doesn’t have a use for it. The truth is that much of this lumber is still usable – and in many cases, it is stronger and more durable than virgin wood. When someone makes the effort to collect the used lumber and fix it up for repurposing, it becomes reclaimed wood.
The Wood Reclaiming Process
The reclaiming process starts by collecting discarded lumber that’s no longer needed. These sources can include:
- Abandoned buildings
- Old homes and barns
- Shipyards
- Gymnasiums
- Crating materials
- Wine casks
- Water tanks
After harvesting the wood, salvage crews separate it from other materials, such as nails. They recycle the products they don’t need to keep waste at a minimum and sort the wood according to quality. Low-grade wood becomes bio-fuel or firewood, while the premium pieces get processed.
Processing involves cleaning the lumber, drying it in a kiln and milling it so it looks beautiful. At this stage, the reclaimed lumber is ready for installation and finishing.
How You can Incorporate Reclaimed Wood into Your Home or Office
If you can build something with virgin wood, there’s a good chance you can also build it with reclaimed wood. Some of the more popular uses for reclaimed timber in homes and offices consist of:
Flooring. Reclaimed wood flooring comes in several different blends – from light to dark and refined to rustic – so you’ll always find something that matches your style.
Tables. Tabletops made from reclaimed lumber are gorgeous, durable and affordable. The characteristics of the wood are so interesting to look at that you won’t want to use a tablecloth. Reclaimed lumber is also great for counter tops.
Decking. Some blends of reclaimed wood come from tropical forests, so they naturally withstand water, humidity and the sun’s heat. This strength means they’ll have no problem enduring heavy foot traffic. Look for a company that offers reclaimed wood deck boards with eased edges or a hidden clip system so installation is a cinch.
Veneer paneling. With the veneer-making tools available today, a reclaimed lumber specialist has no problem making veneer wood paneling from this eco-friendly material. Use veneer panels for cabinetry, walls, desks or the front of a reception counter.
Benefits of Using Reclaimed Wood Compared to Virgin Wood
In the U.S., the norm is to buy products and materials that are new, but choosing reclaimed over virgin wood offers the following benefits:
- Less landfill waste. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of wood are sent to U.S. landfills each year. Choosing reclaimed wood helps reduce waste.
- Less deforestation. In a single year, a professional wood reclaiming company can save more than 9,000 Douglas fir trees that are 40 feet tall each.
- Durability. Reclaimed wood is generally harder than virgin wood, so choosing this sustainable material can give you a better-quality product.
- Appearance. When you want a truly unique-looking product without the effort, reclaimed wood is the way to go.
If you’re looking to purchase reclaimed wood instead of sourcing it yourself, look for a company that’s certified by the Rainforest Alliance and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). With these certifications, you can trust that the company sells products that are genuinely green and that the materials were harvested using sustainable methods.
This post was contributed by Viridian Reclaimed Wood, a company that is owned and operated in Portland, Oregon and provides eco-friendly, unique and affordable reclaimed wood flooring, veneer, paneling, tables & counters across the nation.
Image credit: Tony Faiola via photopin cc
The Night Heron Rogue Theater is getting lots of press due to their sneaky tendencies. This time in an abandoned water tower in Chelsea, NY.
We’re not advocating trespassing or “illicit” behavior of any kind, but folks next time send us a watch!
Inside was a round wooden space no bigger than a freight elevator, filled with about a dozen people sipping whiskey cocktails. Couples sat at five petite tables built into the cedar paneling. A young woman mixed drinks behind a bar. Above people’s heads, a two-man band – accordion and upright bass – serenaded from a platform.
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This was life inside the Night Heron, a decidedly illegal nightclub run by a group of adventure-minded artists in a water tower atop a vacant building in Chelsea for eight weekends in March, April and May.
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Mysterious helpers led guests through one decrepit building into another and up 12 flights of stairs to the roof. The watches were taken at the door, but guests were given the chance to buy watches at the end of the night if they wanted to continue the chain of invitation.
The Heron’s architect was N.D. Austin, a 31-year-old artist known for what he calls “trespass theater.” “It’s about making the invisible visible,” he said of his philosophy.
Mr. Austin located a suitable water tower by scouring Buildings Department records for violations with egregious scaffold fines. That can indicate a neglectful landlord, he said, which meant it might be a vacant building ripe for adopting as one’s own.
Oh don’t miss the entire article via Illicit Nightclub in a Chelsea Water Tower – NYTimes.com.
Tiny Texas Houses is proud to announce that we will be hosting weekday building classes at our facility in Luling, Texas this summer. Every evening from Monday thru Friday (5pm-9pm) we will be working on building projects in and around our facility.
The projects will cover a wide range of subjects. The exact project that we work on will be determined by participant turnout and manpower, but our project list is as follows (in no specific order):
Finish out the interior skins of our central building of the SalvageFaire Market property
Build a deck and awning around the central building for the SalvageFaire Market
Build Rows of Vending Booths on the SalvageFaire Property
Landscape and plot the layout of the Salvagefaire property
Build public restrooms on the SalvageFaire Property
Everyone who signs up will have the opportunity to work on at least one of the projects listed above. We will be using strictly salvaged materials from Brad Kittel’s 30,000 sq foot warehouse to build all of these additional structures.
Participants have the opportunity to work hands-on with salvaged materials under the supervision of Brad Kittel and the Tiny Texas Team. No experience is necessary! We are asking for passionate, dedicated individuals who are interested in working with salvaged materials and helping us develop the beginning stages of our SalvageFaire Market.
via The 5 Day Summer SalvageFaire Building Workshops | Tiny Texas Houses.
