ISSN 2631-326X
MARCH 2020
“Dare to be Different!” Tiny Living - For those who live outside the box. Follow us on www.facebook.com/tinylivingmagazineuk and www.instagram.com/tinylivingmaguk
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SPRING 2020
Send Us Your Photos!! Are you living in a tiny house, a narrowboat, a studio or other small space? Your story can help inspire others to follow their dreams! Email us at: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
Contents A House Made From the Earth – For the Earth … Page
03 10 11
Change of Address … Page
Forest Enchantment … Page
On the cover, a tiny house built and designed by Tiny Eco Homes UK.
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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Photo by Greg Nunes
House Made From the Earth - For the Earth 03
The Earth’s soil can be used in a variety of ways for building, including as a plaster covering over brick, in combination with straw bales, and as a mixture called cob that can be shaped into a plethora of shapes. The thick walls and earthen mixture are a natural insulator, keeping a home cool in the summer, and radiating warmth in the winter. -Earthen materials are natural, organic and may be healthier for us than conventional homes, considering they don’t contain potentially dangerous, manmade chemicals. Houses made from cob can last hundreds of years, but they can conversely be dismantled, and returned to the soil with much less effect on the land, producing far less waste. This is not some new age method of construction design however. It’s an ancient building technique that’s enjoying a strong resurgence globally. Cob may have originated in England as early as the 13th century. If you’ve ever visited Devon, you’ve
The home was built almost entirely of recycled items. -Photo by KahlumG
no doubt seen the picturesque houses of cob overlooking the coast. If you’ve ever admired the simple, yet exquisite architecture of traditional Greek island homes, then you’ve experienced the beauty of natural Earth-building. A friend recently asked me, “So you want to live in a mud hut?” After showing him some photos of some breath taking homes made from this ‘mud,’ he quickly changed his tune. -But what are these homes made from exactly? Whether it’s plaster, straw bale or cob, all three mixtures are fairly similar. Some homes are constructed of brick, and then covered with plaster that’s made with a mix of clay, water, sand and sometimes lime is added. The lime can inhibit the growth of bacteria which can help prevent mould, although an ordinary clay plaster is mould resistant as well. Natural dyes can be added to the mixture for different colours.
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Cob and plastered houses require maintenance. And this ancient house has been recovered many times as the different layers of plaster reveals. -Photo by Yiannis Magkas
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A house plastered with natural earthen materials. -Photo by Pawel Czerwinski. With straw bale building, the actual structure is formed by stacking bales of hay to the desired size and shape, and then applying a similar mixture of clay, sand and water, completely covering them for a permanent dwelling that’s fire resistant. There is much less timber used since there’s only a wooden or metal frame, with the straw bales forming the actual walls. Finally, with cob, or ‘clom’ in Welsh, a combination of subsoil and water is used, and the straw is actually added into the mix, where it adds tensile
strength, allowing the structure to expand and contract with weather conditions and age. Lime is also sometimes added to this recipe as well. With cob, you can let your inner artistic child off the leash! Any shape of structure can be formed, the walls can be textured or sculpted into works of art, and furniture such as beds, sofas and cabinets can literally become a part of the house as they are formed of cob. Tiles, glass or even recycled coloured bottles can be inserted into the cob for artistic effect and to add light.
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An interesting use of bottles to add colour and light to the room. Also, the cabinet for the sink itself is made from cob. -Photo by Magnus Manske
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All homes require some maintenance and straw bale, cob and plastered homes are no exception. One of the most important things is to consult a cob or plaster repair expert the first time, even if you plan on doing the work yourself. Another important point is to use natural materials for the repair work. Modern day materials with chemicals do not mix well with traditional building materials and can degrade them. Another concern is if your home will be insurable. Cob is considered a non-standard building material. But don’t despair; timber-frame homes are also considered non-standard, as are several other types of construction, and yet they can be found in abundance. There are insurers who will cover non-standard structures, but the premiums may be somewhat more expensive. It’s unlikely that the premiums will negate the savings from a self-build home with natural materials however. As the demand for traditional building continues to grow, there are many builders and artisans who can turn your ideas into 3D reality!
For more inspiration on self-building with cob, read our article about artist Heidi Vilkman, who built her own cottage and studio with no prior building experience: www.issuu.com/ tinylivingmagazine/docs/tiny_living_magazine_ november_2018 If you want to discover more about building your own home with natural materials, check out the links below for classes and workshops! Rebearth School of Mud – They build as well as teach classes and have decades of experience. www.rebearth.co.uk/school Low Impact- A directory of classes all over the UK, including one in straw bale building that’s online. www.lowimpact.org/about/our-online-courses In Mainland Europe - ECVET This organisation offers courses for every level of Earth builder, and is supported by the Leonardo da Vinci Programme of the EU. www.ecvetearth.hypotheses.org
This whimsical ‘built-in’ bench shows how creative you can get with cob. It was a custom creation by Rebearth.
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The Tiny Homes Event! If you have an interest in tiny houses, co-housing or self-builds, then make plans to attend this groundbreaking event on 22nd March, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the ‘Cheese and Grain’ venue in Frome, Somerset.
Visit our website at www.tinylivingmagazine.co.uk Follow us on www.facebook.com/tinylivingmagazineuk and www.instagram.com/tinylivingmaguk
Sponsored by the non-profit, Fair Housing for Frome, it is designed for people who want to explore the potential of affordable and environmentally sustainable living spaces. It will include inspiring speakers, exhibits, films and a group planning session. Free copies of Tiny Living Magazine will be available for the first 50 attendees. For more information on this event, visit www.fairhousingforfrome.org.uk
SPRING PRINT ISSN 2631-3251
SPRING 2020
On sale now!
St. Albans
Sustainability Festival! St. Albans is a lovely town, steeped in history and located about 20 miles north of London in Hertfordshire. The city and its neighbouring villages, will be the site of a sustainability festival, held from 23rd May – 7th June.
Our Spring issue is available across the UK, mainland Europe and North America at:
www.Newsstand.co.uk
With two weeks of events planned, which will focus on the health of our planet, you’re sure to be inspired by SustFest2020! For more information and updates as events are added, visit sustfest.org
A Tiny Living Promotion
Change of Address Life is always changing… We grow up and leave home, finding a place of our own. Then, sometimes we find a partner and everything changes and we morph into a family. Sometimes we have to travel for work, but if our job changes, we may find we need to settle into one spot. Then when we retire, we may suddenly hear the call of the open road again, and want to explore new places. -Instead of buying a new home every time our lifestyle changes, we need homes that can transition with us. Tiny houses can fit a variety of lifestyles, with options to be either mobile or static. A tiny house that has spent years on the road, can be sited on a foundation, and fitted with conventional plumbing. A tiny house that was
once a primary dwelling, can become a family holiday home when children are growing and need a place to play in the countryside. It’s important to purchase a house that is of quality construction that can last throughout the years for all the things that you need your home to be. Tiny Eco Homes UK can work with you to design a home that’ll give you the versatility you need to live your life, whatever your situation. There are also finance options available! Tiny Eco Homes UK is featured on our cover, and found online at www.tinyecohomesuk.com/ contact-us
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Forest Enchantment Is there anything more calming and restorative than a forest? It’s an enchanted place that feels a world away from our daily lives that seem continually focussed on our computer, the beeping message on our mobile, or the latest terrifying developments in AI. The forest is cool and quiet, with only the sounds of a few birds, who have no knowledge or use of the electronics that so dominate our world. It’s as if the quiet of the trees growing silently around us, allows us to quiet our own minds too, and restores the ability to see beauty from a distance of more than ten inches away. Besides just conserving forests, we need to take the time to love and appreciate them as well. Our symbiotic dance of trading carbon dioxide and oxygen is more than just a chemical exchange. There is a deep and unbreakable connection between us and them. When we find ways to build smaller homes, requiring less timber, we’re helping to preserve them. When we plant more trees, we’re helping them to thrive for future generations. When we commit to using responsibly sourced paper we’re helping to protect them. Small, individual commitments can have a massive global impact. The lives of trees and people are so interconnected, one cannot flourish without the other.
Enjoy our magazine. It’s printed on responsibly sourced paper.
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DID YOU KNOW THAT... - a ccording to the Canal & River Trust, 26% of the UK’s 33,000 boats are used as primary residences? - thousands of people in the UK are already embracing small-space living in studio flats, student accommodations, and small terraced houses? - there are over 80 shepherd hut building companies in the UK? - prices for a well-designed tiny house fitted with kitchen and bath starts at £26,000? - according to Popular Science, human beings are hard-wired to like tiny things? www.popsci.com/why-do-we-think-tiny-things-are-cute
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Tiny Living Magazine Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk www.tinylivingmagazine.co.uk