Wikipedia disclosure

I am an avid fan of Wikipedia, and will frequently include links to Wikipedia entries for readers interested in additional info. The dynamic nature of the content (frequently and rapidly updated), as well as Wikipedia's accessibility (web-based) and usability (clean interface without advertisements or embedded tracking software) all appeal to me. In addition, I believe the crowdsourcing aspect, which relies on multiple content authors with potentially different perspectives, generally results in relatively balanced content.

Unfortunately, the nature of Wikipedia makes it susceptible to vandalism and content authors intent on promoting a personal or corporate agenda. As a result the primary complaint often seems to be Wikipedia's reliability. However, a 2005 study by the publication Nature indicated that Wikipedia scientific entries had a higher, but generally similar rate of "serious errors" as Encyclopaedia Britannica. I might even suggest that at least some of those inaccuracies are easy to spot because individuals promoting a specific agenda often do so with limited use of subtlety. While Wikipedia may not be the definitive source of knowledge, it is, in my opinion, often a good place to start.

Design Elements: Planter seat

As a boater and a tiny home enthusiast I appreciate anything that successfully serves multiple purposes such as this simple but effective planter bench seat (though the seat itself could be a little deeper). Relatively easy to construct with salvaged wood or inexpensive wood from your local lumber yard. One could even imagine storage under a deeper bench for tools and supplies used to maintain the integrated garden flora (ideally native species that require minimum energy and inputs). Google "planter seats" images and you'll see a variety of interesting designs.

While thinking about fertilizer for the planter flora it struck me that one could design an outhouse where human excrement is composted and then directly used as fertilizer in the integrated planter (containing non-edible plants to be safe). A multifunctional closed system containing an integrated outhouse (with rain catchment), composting system, and planter (with a few pungent plants) where use of the outhouse helps adjoining flora thrive.

Salvaged/Reclaimed building materials

Salvaged and reclaimed building materials can be found in a wide variety of places including salvage yards, job sites, craigslist and weekend garage sales. With enough time spent searching one can locate some amazing deals. Architectural salvage yards with their wide selection of building & landscaping materials can be a good starting place to get an idea of what's available, or if you simply don't have the time to search for that killer bargain. And you can generally drop off surplus/unwanted building materials there too. Here are a few of my favorite salvage yards in Northern California. I'll also post these in the Resources section, and I encourage others to send me suggestions including those from other regions.

• Building REsources (San Francisco): Good selection of salvaged doors, windows, sinks, tubs, toilets, etc. Nonprofit that also hosts workshops. Also has funky recycled glass for which I may someday find a use.
• Heritage Salvage (Petaluma): Great selection of reclaimed wood of all types. Also has doors, windows, etc. and plenty of oddities. Their web site does great job of listing inventory. Located in So. Sonoma County.
• Ohmega Salvage (Berkeley): Good selection of various building materials with an emphasis on "vintage" architectural materials. Web site does great job of listing inventory. Has an interesting collection of large carved stone deities.
• Urban Ore (Berkeley): Bay Area landmark whose 3-acre facility is split between an enormous warehouse with furniture, clothes, books, household items, etc. and an outdoor area with large selection of doors, windows, sinks, tubs, toilets, wood, etc. Close to Ohmega so it's easy to hit both.

Design Elements

While walking through my neighborhood recently I was intrigued by the simple yet relatively unique design of these exterior window shutters. They seem to fit in well because the design is similar to what your mind expects.

Mike Reynolds is far more than a "Garbage Warrior"!

I recently saw and thoroughly enjoyed the 2007 documentary film Garbage Warrior about the visionary architect Mike Reynolds, who developed and has been building "radically sustainable" earthship homes for decades. While his designs consistently and ingeniously employ "garbage" throughout, reuse is only one of the important aspects of his amazing work.

Of course, reuse of frequently discarded items is an integral part of earthship design, minimizing footprint and cost, as well as required construction skills. With the help of concrete, used cans and bottles become both structural and aesthetic elements, and used tires rammed with dirt from the site help form strong walls and act as thermal mass to store passive solar heat gain.

In addition to reuse, Mike Reynolds fully recognizes that properly designed homes can actually help actively sustain their occupants while simultaneously reducing costs and ongoing impact on the planet. Earthships are incredibly self-sufficient, providing their own power, heat, water (rainwater harvesting), sewage treatment, as well as year-round (indoor) food-growing capabilities. It's amazing that since the early 1970's Reynolds has been thinking, designing and building outside the box, literally and figuratively, of conventional architecture and homes, which generally seem inanimate compared to earthships. Through years of experimentation and design evolution, he and his company Earthship Biotecture have remained focused on structures which may look unorthodox, but are very deliberately designed to meet the needs of the occupants as well as the planet itself. I encourage you to see this film.

Deconstructing the home

Except for Oscar the Grouch and possibly a few others, most people have no desire to live in a dumpster. Nonetheless, it can be enlightening and informative to, as Gregory Kloehn does in this video, "deconstruct" what a home is and then incorporate only what is specifically required to function efficiently and be happy. Everyone has different requirements so this exercise can yield very different results, but you may find that your notion of what a home is has been largely shaped by "traditional" homes on the market and under construction. By focusing on individual needs rather than familiar patterns, you very well may find that a smaller, more unconventional home meets most or all of your needs, significantly reduces invested time and money, and, while not necessarily the case with this dumpster home, is actually more aesthetically pleasing.

My first wooden barrel!

This week I proudly welcomed into my home my first wooden barrel. Of course, humans have been making barrels for more than 2,000 years, but I find these oak barrels, still widely used for aging beverages such as wine and whiskey, to be a marvel of design and craftsmanship: curved wood, significant mobility given size, and watertight without caulking or glue!

I can think of several uses for an oak barrel including water catchment (rain barrel) and plant potter. However, I purchased this one, a ~60 gallon French oak cask made at Tonnellerie Rousseau in France and used locally by a friend to produce Pinot noir, because I hope to miraculously transform it into an ofuro (Japanese bath).  I'm not entirely certain at this point how that's going to happen, but I know I want warm/hot water, ideally solar-generated, and at least some circulation, while absolutely minimizing new holes in barrel, ideally utilizing only existing bunghole. I also need convenient, well-designed ingress and egress. Please feel free to comment as I am open to any and all ideas.