Equinox Sheltermaker Sept. 2011
| ECO-BUILDING ON A SHOESTRING: |
| SEMINAR |
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HOW TO DO IT +MORE
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| Where? 592 Muckleford-Yapeen Road, Yapeen, Castlemaine Directions |
| When? 11am – 1pm on Sunday October 16th 2011 |
| How Much? $25 |
| Limited Places - booking essential |
| Booking |
| Or, book and pay by Direct Deposit to:
Bendigo Bank |
| Or, by Money Order to: |
| Peter Cowman, 18 McKinnon Road, Dunolly, Vic 3472 |
| Can’t make the Seminar? |
| Then come to the Open House from 2pm – 4pm in the afternoon and experience first-hand an amazing eco-building handbuilt for $5000 |
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| By Donation |
| LIVING ARCHITECTURE IN NEW ZEALAND |
| TALK, CHALK & WALK THE WALK |
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| TALK 7-9pm Friday October 28th Christchurch ‘Architecture & The meaning of Life’ |
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| CHALK 11am-4pm Saturday October 29th |
| The co-creation of a mandala ‘The World As We Know It’ on a vacant Christchurch lot |
| In association with Gapfiller, Christchurch |
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| WALK THE WALK 1.30-5.30pm Sunday October 30th |
| A hands-on workshop exploring the dynamics of creating and living the architecture of our dreams. |
| New Brighton Community Gardens, in association with New Brighton Project |
| Further details of these Events are being finalised and will be published under LIVE Courses on this website over the coming weeks |
| ARCHITECTURE+PHILOSOPHY |
| A talk delivered by Peter Cowman as part of RMIT Architecture+Philosophy 2011 Programme Melbourne, Australia September 16th 2011 |
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| Change is the real challenge of Sustainability, particularly meaningful change in respect of how we live our lives. The role which architecture plays in this is significant. |
| In the false economy of endless growth buildings have become the repositories of status and wealth, serviced by overworked homeowners lured into debt by false promises, trapped in a cycle of endless consumption from which there can seem to be no escape. |
| Such situations arise because people have sold their time, the very source of their life energy. |
| To free oneself from such a burdensome life it is necessary to reclaim ownership of one’s time and consequently one’s space, to learn to balance the head and the heart, to find accord with natural cycles and rhythms, to learn the vocabulary of the invisible in order that we might communicate and give voice to what we feel inside. |
| Just as we have an invisible world inside us, buildings too have an invisible world inside them. It is the harmonisation of these two worlds which empowers us to live the fullness of our lives. |
| To read more … |
| DOWNLOAD COMPLETE ARTICLE .pdf
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| FINANCIAL MELTDOWN |
| In this first episode (of four) of Meltdown, we hear about four men who brought down the global economy: a billionaire mortgage-seller who fooled millions; a high-rolling banker with a fatal weakness; a ferocious Wall Street predator; and the power behind the throne.
The crash of September 2008 brought the largest bankruptcies in world history, pushing more than 30 million people into unemployment and bringing many countries to the edge of insolvency. Wall Street turned back the clock to 1929. But how did it all go so wrong? |
| An excellent documentary from Al Jazeera |
| HITTING THE BOTTLE HARD IN THE PHILIPPINES |
| Every now and again a simple idea comes along which brings a smile to all of our faces … |
| An environmental group in the Philippines has developed an innovative way to create larger and cheaper school classrooms for children while remaining environmentally friendly.
My Shelter Foundation has helped build rooms using recycled plastic and glass bottles in the northern Philippine province of Laguna in an effort to mitigate a growing climate change problem. |
| ANDY SMITH’S ECONOSPACE |
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| Andy is building this EconoSpace in his back garden using the EconoSpaceMaking DVD. |
| He has also been making good use of the EconoSpaceMaking Forum as he progressed. |
| Pretty tasty looking, huh? |
| He is now preparing to infill the frame with clay-straw. |
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| Touching the Spirit of Place |
| Friday November 18th, 6.30- 9pm |
| Port Macquarie NSW |
| An introduction to Environmental Dowsing with international geomancer and author of seven books, Alanna Moore.Includes a short session of introduction to the practical use of the pendulum, then a slideshow presentation taking you visually into the geomancer’s world. |
| Fee: $15 Bookings: see below |
| Divining Earth Spirit |
| 1-day Workshop |
| Saturday November 19th, 9am -4pm |
| Port Macquarie NSW |
| Introduction to energy dowsing for environmental energies and enhancement of homes and gardens.
Discover the energetic fabric of nature, the spiritual qualities of the landscape and how to enhance plant growth energetically, with the ancient art of dowsing. A hands on, practical training day. |
| Fee $125 |
| Attend both of the above events for $130 |
| Booking |
| Maggie Adkins
Phone 02 6559 4564 or, 0420 314 837 Or, email her at earthwomandreaming@bigpond.com |
| Earth Dowsing & Energy Gardening |
| With master dowser Alanna Moore |
| Saturday October 29th, 10am – 4pm |
| Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand |
| A day of practical dowsing to develop sensitivity to environmental energies and learn how to harness them for benefitting plant growth, animal wellbeing and harmony of place |
| Fee: $85 |
| Booking |
| David Baird Phone 03 453 1239 Or, email trees99@actrix.co.nz |
| Next Sheltermaker: November |
July 2011 Sheltermaker
| Solar Powered Sheltermaker |
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| This is the LAC’s new home located in the town of Dunolly, central Victoria, Australia. We’ve just had a bank of solar panels installed, feeding solar generated electricity into the grid. |
| The house is strawbale, passive solar, designed and built by Alanna before I was even dreamed of. Now it is home to us both as we plot our way forwards in this rapidly changing world. Even on a frosty morning (it is winter here) the internal temperature never varies much. Very impressive. |
| We can walk into the centre of Dunolly in 5 minutes where banking, internet, public transport, toilets and postal services are available as well as a mobile library. We get ‘Daly Dollars’ at the hardware shop when we spend more than $15. There is also an excellent bakery in town! |
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| Daly Dollar (The poor reproduction is to prevent counterfeiting. Ed.) |
| During the Gold Rush Dunolly had a population over 30,000. Nowadays there are less than 1000 residents and there is no evidence of any kind of rush! |
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| The parcel of land we are living on is almost 3 acres and is perfectly flat. Alanna and I are in the process of developing a plan for the property based on the concept of small mortgage-free houses with integrated food production and waste management facilities. |
| Integrating geomancy, permaculture and living architecture is already producing interesting results. What’s emerging is the clear need to address the impasse which currently bedevils many ‘sustainable’ initiatives. |
| This is where things are a bit stuck right now – lodged in Transition Land, stuck between past and future times. Luckily this place is easily accessible and has a name – it’s called the ‘Here & Now.’ |
| In the Here & Now everything is possible. Dreams can rendezvous with reality and space can indulge its love of time. |
| At the moment we are preparing for the spring planting – setting out and constructing raised beds for potatoes, millet, squash, silverbeet and whatever else takes our fancy. |
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| Growing food and constructing shelter love the Here & Now. Before you know it you’ve been sucked in and its lunch time. Nothing for it but to satisfy your hunger with some greens from the garden and some homemade bread. |
| This kind of simplicity is scary. Your entire life flashes before you repeatedly. Its like discovering oneself naked inside a freshly baked world. |
| The shelter component of the ‘Dunolly Plan’ (working title) will be informed by the experience of constructing the mini-EconoSpace. |
| Mini-EconoSpace Update |
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| The mini-EconoSpace has now been painted with ochre paints which I made under the (remote) direction of my good friend Gerard Greene. The walls look good enough to eat. |
| The Swedish Mud paint on the exterior woodwork is particularly enticing. |
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| I’ve also constructed a lean-to at the back using the type of truss which I have developed on the Irish EconoSpaces.
The trusses are connected to the roof rafters and to the wall frames. This eliminates the need for a post to support the outer edge of the roof – a real bonus. |
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| These cantilevered trusses span 2 meters! |
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| More lean-to with trusses in Leitrim … you can clearly see here the benefit of not having posts in the way! |
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| I’ll put a laundry sink under this lean-to and a compost toilet. |
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| This charming little building has so far cost less than $4000 – about €3000. |
| Localvores |
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| In keeping with cutting edge sustainable living practices we are becoming ‘localvores’ – that is, people who eat food produced within a short radius of where they live. |
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| This is our Localvore Store, located in the nearby town of Maldon. |
| World Environment Day |
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| We did our bit for World Environment Day on June 5th, helping out at the Maryborough Sustainability Group stall at the nearby Carrisbrook Market. |
| Pictured below are Terry and Richard enjoying a break from the large crowds who mobbed the stall … I don’t think! |
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| Richard astride his homemade grain grinder during a lull in proceedings |
| Sustainable Fun & Games in Sydney |
| I’ll be in Sydney in August.
I’m putting it out there to give a presentation and/or workshop on the topic of Sheltermaking and its relevance to sustainable living initiatives. This article - ‘Inside Zone Zero’ – gives a taste of sort of thinking that will be on offer. |
| I’m looking for a bit of a challenge, to connect with people who want to move beyond Transition Land to someplace more real and exciting. |
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| I’ll be free for sustainable fun and games in Sydney on the weekend of August 26/27/28th 2011. Waiting to hear from you here! |
| Gasland |
| Observe the latest madness in earth violation techniques.
Watch Gasland and be appalled. I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff in my life but this fracking has to be the worst madness ever.
Coming to a shale deposit near you – soon! |
| Far North Queensland |
| Just back from a stimulating trip to FNQ, taking a break, convening workshops and picking up the vibe. |
| In sustainable circles, as elsewhere, Transition Land Rules.
There’s also interesting stuff happening, such as The Digger Street Post Consumerist Arts Coommunity. |
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| We hunkered down after a communal meal and I did my thing exploring the inside of architecture. |
| This had peculiar relevance to the Digger Street Community who have torn down the boundaries separating 3 adjoining properties and made food gardens. They have also torn out partitions in the houses to make more creative use of space and are poised for stuff to happen. |
| I enjoyed myself and even had my boundaries pushed a little! Someone asked my why, if I was so against stereotypes, was I promoting a stereotype i.e. The EconoSpace. |
| Excellent question. But really, a cheeky one, I thought. I haven’t had to break into a sweat for a while. But I liked the stimulus, the challenge. Honest and direct.
If we don’t get pushed a bit we get stale. Too much hugging and not enough pushing. If we’re giving birth to a new eco-era then pushing is where its at. And my answer? The EconoSpace is a staging post on my way to somewhere* else. |
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| On my way to somewhere else … architecturally speaking |
| *This somewhere else looks like being Dunolly where I can indulge in some post-sterotypical post-consumerist sheltermaking in peace. |
| Spirit Houses |
| Post-stereotypical, post-consumerist notions inevitably were part of the Spirit House Workshop which wrapped up the Architecture & The Meaning of Life Programme. |
| The workshop fulfilled its promise from the beginning. |
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| On an early evening stroll we discovered that the summer floods had marooned a wealth of timber in the trees by the creek. |
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| We salvaged a load of this. Perfect spirit house material reflecting the eternal cycle of life. |
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| Spirit House Dedication |
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| Part of our Here & Now |
| The Architecture & The Meaning of Life Programme was a great buzz and has pushed me forwards in ways that I can only be thankful for. |
| I am keen to get stuck in even deeper than before such is the promise of what I am feeling. Watch this space! |
| DreamSpace |
| I as fortunate on my visit to FNQ to visit the Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival. |
| This made me feel alive in ways I will remember forever. |
| White fella culture has nothing to compare. |
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| Chillin’ at the Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival |
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| Open House – traditional aboriginal shelter |
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| Sustainable materials … branches, leaves, fiber, bark, love, time |
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| The end can easily be closed in … |
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| Bark acts as an external waterproofing layer |
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| The inside |
| Mona Mona |
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| This is another aboriginal design which I am lucky enough to have become involved with.
A Meeting Place for All People. |
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| This is my feeble effort to isolate the geometry of the structure so that it could be set out on-site. |
| I also got to a chance to witness The Dream which inspired it courtesy of the designer George Reilly.
His vision is to make a meeting place, centered on the fire, to allow people gather and share. The structure will be located at the Mona Mona community near Karunda, north of Cairns. |
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| Modelmaking. George, right, Ramon, centre and Robert, left … ponder The Dream in miniature. |
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| Laying The Dream upon the Earth. Geometry meets The Real World. |
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| The work crew. From left to right - Jay, George, Alanna, Lisa, Peter, Ramon and Robert. |
| Further details of this on-going project will be detailed in forthcoming Sheltermakers |
| A 100 % Ecological Demise |
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| WHEN SWEDISH eco-minded entrepreneur Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak departs this life, she will be turned into compost to help grow a shrub she has already selected .
“It is the Rhododendron Cunningham White, a delicate pink shade when it opens, later turning white. I can think of no better way to continue the circle of life than to return to the soil and nurture it,” she says. |
| Walnut Books |
| This news is a little sad.
A message from Nora: |
| Well folks it’s been a tremendous adventure but I’m sorry to announce that this Summer will be the last hurrah for Walnut Books, as we will be packing up our shelves and closing at the end of July. The decision to wrap things up reflects no loss of love for the business but times have changed and the kind of books and information we supply are now much more widely available than when we started out almost 15 years ago – great news for sustainability awareness generally but tough for tiny independents like ourselves to compete. I must send huge and heartfelt thanks to all our enthusiastic and lovely customers, suppliers, authors, and friends – dealing with and meeting all of you has been the best part of the whole enterprise and I have loved every minute of it.
Now is a very good time to grab yourself a bargain as we will be clearing our remaining stock with discounts from 20% -70% over the next month or so! Have a look in the Specials section on the website or drop by the shelves in Andina to stock up on all sorts of rare and wonderful titles before we go. Wishing you a productive and happy Summer, Nora Gaffney Walnut Books donates a portion of the price of every book sold on our website to EcoLibris, so for every book bought one tree gets planted! Further details here |
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| WWW.WALNUTBOOKS.COMWalnut Books ,9A Castle St ,Cork ,Ireland
tel: 00353 (0)21 4340348 email: info@walnutbooks.com Find us on Facebook here! |
| Next Sheltermaker …. late August/September |
