A Relentless Flow of Change

little meditation space

Though the title may suggest some profound topic, this micro-post is of a simple nature. Change is a force I'm trying to learn to contend with; to know when to fight on, when to retreat and regroup, and when to endure with faith.

The design process for my little hut has been a learning experience. As I previously stated, I began grandiose (as far as micro-structure built out of other people's trash can be), then began to pare down bit-by-bit, model-by-model, all the while trying to get a feel for what it will be like to reside in these tiny boxes for a couple of months. Finally, I created the simplest, most affordable space I felt I could inhabit. I eliminated windows, using clear roofing for light, and sized everything down. I got a little pallet cube. In all areas of consideration it should have been perfect, but when I looked at it, it was just a shed, I could not foster a connection with it.

Alas, I found inspiration! Inspiration in the heart of the very epitome of excess; at a palace! I went to the largest, and most famous palace in Seoul, and looked carefully at the structures -as I always do in such historical places- trying to feel what it would have felt like to be there in the time of use. I was struck by the fact that it wasn't the great or the larger than life elements of the place -which royalty used to mask their utter humanness- but in the simple spaces that are under all of the dainty furniture and pomp that the beauty lay for me. Many of the rooms were actually very similar to the widths I have been using, only a bit longer. As I peered inside, I realized the size space I really wanted to be in for 2 months. Also, important was how much more inviting the landscaping, and situation of the structures in relation to the nature around them was than the places themselves.

These things sent me back to the track-pad to put life into my micro-dwelling, and to bring my life into the natural world. I made a new structure that I believe will not make me feel like a prisoner when inside, but encourage me to be outside most of the time. I created some little ideas to make the land around me become a large part of my dwelling.

the minimal- essentially a shed

hopefully my last design

 

 

 

(above) side view, (right) great little solar light I found on northerntool.com

 

 

 

 

A Cabin, a Hut, a Shack, a Shed, or a Micro Dwelling...

The important thing is not so much what I label this place in the woods I plan to build, as the function it serves for me.

In the last few years I've been realizing more and more that the uncertainty this world forces upon all of us is a great source of stress to me. So, due to the fact that there is some uncertainty as to the future of our family holding onto this property, my little place in woods will be a limited structure. I will work within the confines of that reality, using it to my benefit, rather than seeing it as a burden. This will force me to work on a few of the personality traits that I find less than desirable in myself. Such as my eagerness to abandon undertakings which seem to present a good deal of difficulty in the future, and not trusting that things will work out regardless of my worrying about them, and finally my reluctance to let any project stay modest, (rather, I usually let ideas and projects stew in my head until I have built them up to some massive scale that is more often than not, unnecessary). 

So, I have set out these conditions to work under;

A) $200 budget firm
B) Use mostly salvaged materials
C) Keep it simple (something I can mostly do by myself, with a hand here and there.)
D) Create a space that will encourage (or perhaps force) a way of life that will help me heal.
E) Get the building done quickly, so I can do the living, but do things with great care and respect.

So onto the stuff that is probably more interesting to anyone who may actually read this drivel.

The details:
I've been on a little quest to get some materials rounded up, so that when I get to Maine, I'll have a little heap of material to get started right away. My staple material so to speak, is going to be the shipping pallet. These things are easy to get a hold of in large quantities, and since getting in better physical shape is a goal of this experience, the labor involved in turning these into usable, and even ATTRACTIVE lumber is not a cause for concern.
Another material I plan to use a lot of, is used and/or broken furniture such as the entertainment centers, desks, coffee tables, etc. that our society makes in gargantuan quantities out of cheap MDF covered in pseudo-wood plastic. I'm going to scour the area for these things, rip them into uniform strips, and make a poorman's sort of tongue-and-groove out them. This I will use as wall and floor covering materials for indoor finishing.
Dimensional lumber I will try to acquire from construction company waste, Craigslist and Freecycle waste. A family member is also being a great help with that. Thanks!!!
I'll also try to get some bricks for free where ever I run into them, to make a a brick grill/cooking area.
I will buy new roofing panels made of PVC/Poly, and galvanized steel, as I am not keen on a leaky roof, and my knowledge of/ experience with roofs is fairly limited.
I predict I will also need to buy some longer pieces of dimensional lumber for framing. I spent a good amount of time on the internet, and found a lumber company that is local, harvests their wood sustainably, and I'll be happy to spend what I can afford to support such a business.

I spent about ten thousand years designing structures on Google Sketchup over the last few months. I have created so many structures, only to decide that they fail to meet one on of my requirements. Perhaps a dozen that I drew up piece by piece, until I found some reason it wasn't feasible.  As is usually the way, I have been moving in a more Spartan, simple direction with each structure over the last month. To give an idea of the last stretch of design mayhem, (which involved several marathon 5 hour Sketchup sessions), I'm posting a few pictures of some of the ideas. Unless by chance I have some plethora of free materials fall into my lap, I believe I will go with a simple camp setup constructed of mostly pallets, with a simple outdoor solar shower, a solar oven, and brick grill to cook with wood, and a composting toilet in or outdoors. I've found a great little solar light that will be my primary lighting indoors, and I'll find the cheapest little patio solar lights that I can for the deck area.

For purposes of Building codes and obscene rural bureaucracy, I am building a "shed" that I will "camp" in part time. Among friends, I prefer to refer to it as my little hut or dwelling, simply because that suits my tastes more.

Here are some the simplest designs that are contenders for the title of zen-lumberjack micro-dwelling;

small cabin idea

pallet pod

Pallet camp structure. The top part of this is taken from Derek Deek Diedricksen's "UB 30" structure he built in VT. His site Relaxshacks.blogspot.com is a frequent stop on my daily website carousings. http://relaxshacks.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

MDF ripped from furniture into tongue-and-groove like boards with a table saw

offset pallet box-wedgie like idea

A Pursuit in Reclamation (Overview)

To begin
I have considered sharing this part of my life carefully. My feelings regarding the era we live in -where information is king, and privacy is lost- causes me more than a little discomfort. However, one reason we all choose to lead digital lives, however congruent or disingenuine they may be, is that humans seek to be understood. I am no exception, and I hope that the people I care about may understand my rather hard-to-swallow disposition a little better if they give this blog a read. Perhaps as well, strangers who may stumble upon this will share similar sentiments, and either find solace in the knowledge of others who feel the same, or be able to share in my pursuits. I am never opposed to connecting with people of a similar mind.

Background
I was raised in a rural part of Maine. My personality being what it is, in youth I resented the quiet and the boredom. I ran to Boston, seeking more populated places until a decade later I landed in Seoul, South Korea, one of the most heavily populated places on earth. Then, I began to grow very weary of people, of cement, of excess, of the lack of connection our society offers.

My pursuit
So, inspired by some of my greatest interests; Transcendentalism, sustainable living, the small house movement, the Zuni, Zen, and more,  I am in pursuit of reclamation. What I seek to reclaim is essentially myself;
*The direction of my life
*A space in my native land (the woods of Maine)
*My wellness (bodily, emotional, spiritual, intellectual)
*Materials -which are so wasted by our society

I have made a serious decision to stick to the personal, lifestyle, and social elements of the world, and avoid the political -which I simply feel is more appropriately discussed face to face. Here is the summary of my dilemma.
I feel that human society is deeply flawed, I find no peace in the current manner of "acceptable" living. I have a great distrust of humans in large groups, and I believe there is a better way (at least for myself) to live.
My goal; to begin the process of creating a better way for myself to live in this world, to set out on that path, learn skills to give me freedom, and connect with others who share my misgivings, and are traveling in a similar direction.

I have a set a few tasks for myself to begin. There are as follows;
* Re-connect with the people I love.
* Build a small cabin on family land in the woods of Maine to....
[Spend a couple of months there healing body, mind and soul.
Enjoy the process of creating.
Re-connect with the natural world.]
* Spend time at D-acres Organic Permaculture Farm & Educational Farmstead to...
[Learn anything and everything I can about sustainable agriculture, forestry, green building, clean energy, community, and friendship]
* Read and write like a fiend.
* Move to an urban environment bringing these skills, feelings and a healthy state of mind in order to determine if I can live there with MUCH less impact on the planet, without sacrificing my happiness, and subtly spread these ideas.

until next time