Photo by our friend, French carpenter yogan, of The Church of Colònia Güell, an unfinished work by Antoni Gaudí. It was built as a place of worship for the people in a manufacturing suburb in Santa Coloma de Cervelló, near Barcelona.
See yogan’s blog for many more photos of Gaudi’s work, as well as of other unique buildings in different parts of the world.
Hi friends,
Just thought I would pass along a link to this inspiring 30 min. documentary about Japanese clay plastering. Clay plaster has a long history in Japan and the quality of the work being done is exceptional. This video gives a really nice glimpse into the practice of some current day ‘sakan’ (plasterers) with nice detail.
–Ziggy Liloia
Driftwood beach shack from 64-page book I’m just finishing laying out: Driftwood Shacks Photo by Lloyd Kahn
Photo sent by an anonymous person. Located in Northern California.
Photo by Lloyd Kahn
…The beams are recycled old–growth redwood, and the interior panelling is Port Orford cedar from a forest that is sustainably managed. Plaster on the exterior is a plaster mix with 80% of the sand replaced by vermiculite and fiberglass. The base consists of poured concrete ribs. It’s actually portable…
Photo by Lloyd Kahn
There is something about the idea of a treehouse that truly captures the imagination. For builders, it’s a licence to let their creativity run wild and construct something which is playful and adventurous. For years now the team at Nelson Treehouse and Supply (better known as the Treehouse Masters from their hit TV show) have been doing just that. This week we were fortunate enough to be able to visit one of their latest projects in Seattle, Washington.
The treehouse is accessed by a rustic set of stairs which wrap around the trunk of the tree and curve down to the ground below.
The exterior of the treehouse is exquisitely finished, with spectacular yellow cedar shingles. A large porch area provides plenty of space to relax, entertain and enjoy being up amongst the trees…
Barn on Hwy 126, Oregon Photo by Lloyd Kahn
…Alan did everything himself: carpentry, plumbing, wiring (solar electricity and hydro), and developed his own water supply. He drives a tractor, maintains several miles of roads, makes beer and wine, and raises pigs and ducks. A lot of people have started homesteads since the 60’s, but seldom have they got as far along as this…
The wilderness seaside cabin is 43 miles from the nearest road and is on the westernmost point of land on the ocean side of Vancouver Island. It is 20′ × 24′ and framed entirely from beach wood. All the wall and roof sheathing boards are split from cedar on the site, as is the roofing, which is 3′ long. It was built 1987.
I finished building this sauna in June 2017 with some help from a few friends. All the wood is reclaimed apart from a a few lengths of dimensional timber. The round larch posts are leftovers from previous jobs.The floor, roof planks, internal and external cladding, benches, rafters, tie beams, wall plates, fascia boards, and even the door are made with reclaimed scaffold planks (96 of them!) that I bought from a scaffolding company. The banister and spindles are off-cuts from a job I did many years ago.
Only new items are the (old-looking) hinges, the insulation (aluminum-polyester blanket), the thermometer/hydrometer, and some stained glass. The wood burner was beautifully crafted from an old gas bottle by Ed Osborne from Parp Industrie in Devon.
The dragon heads up in the fascia boards have hollow eyes with embedded red stained glass. When the late evening sun hits the back of them, they shine and make the dragons look alive. Totally unnecessary detail but it really puts a smile on people’s face the first time they see it…
The platform is 3.9m long by 2.2m wide and the interior is 2.6m by 1.8m. It accommodates 7 people in comfort or up to 11 if they are very friendly…
I call the style “Euro folk fusion”. It’s based on the very rich (although a bit forgotten) European wooden building tradition. It’s one part traditional Finnish sauna, a Norwegian wood cabin, a Slovakian log cabin, a Spanish horreo from Asturias region and a splash of Swiss alpine chalet.
All the materials including wood burner, stainless steel flue, glass, screws, hinges, insulation, and timber cost me just over £1000.
–Jesus Sierra
www.sierraecocarpentry.com
Godfrey just sent this photo. After two day’s work. What a fucking genius! He’s getting better.
His combination of Kwakwaka’wakw training and artistic sensibilities from the depths of his soul produce powerful art. He’s in Builders of the Pacific Coast, Tiny Homes on the Move, and throughout this blog, and has been in my life for over 50 years.
He’s more of an artist — wild, productive, joyous — than the world-famous rich artists out there getting all the attention. He’s a Picasso under the radar.
Built with split cedar
Send us material (photos and text) for The Shelter Blog.
