Minding the Manor: A Cast Earth Home in Texas

[1Ladybuilder]

Absolutely beautiful. Love the stained glass door!

[Engineer245]

The mags were Home Power, Solar Today and Mother Earth. While I commented on the editors reply email I would never post the emails since this would not be good bussiness moving forward. As you noticed I do not hold back my opinions. I have even recieved many replies back from both congressman and senators alike regarding American Vanity. Free and cheap credit has created home owner real estate investers. This has caused the current economic situation.

[manat8888]

Nonsense. "Good business" has nothing to do with publishing an applogy if you really received one. If you can mention their names you can give the text as well. I notice that you didn't receive one from the magazine that published this article like you implied in your earlier email. Care to give the names of the congressmen and senators? Or do you want to hide their identiy too?

[Engineer245]

The average home in the usa has doubled in size since 1970. And the average family size has shrunk. Hum, after thousands of years of human home has become and reprsentaion of the male genitiles. Vainity prevails !

[Engineer245]

Just an addtional note. I personally wrote letters to the editors of each of the "so called" grean magazines for their promotion of vanity homes as green. I recieved applogies from each agreeing with me but stating that ehy are profit making businesses and this is the only way to stay solvent ! There ya go !

[manat8888]

How about posting these so called 'appologies?' Including the names of the magazines and editors who responded to you.

[Engineer245]

One person needs only 650 sq ft. Two people need no more than 800 sq ft. then about 100 sq f for each additional person with 1200 being large enough for a family of four with room for a guest or two. Anything more is vanity! IF you are totally off grid then go ahead build a million sq ft home. It is the fossal or nuclear fueled vanity of utilities that are the issue !

[manat8888]

You pick these numbers out of thin air, they have no basis in anything other than your personal preferences. If it works for you, great but it doesn't work for everyone. To call the rest of the world vain because they want something different from you is at best arrogant, at worst dictatorship. Maybe this guy & his wife have home businesses, needing the room for workshops or offices. In which case they are saving money & energy by not paying for business space.

[Engineer245]

I agree that 1500 square foot is okay for 3 to 4 inhabitants but not just one. We live in a 780 square feet home. We lived in a 1200 sqft with two children for 20 years and it was plenty large. It is a armature built ferrocement. I agree that adobe and adobe strawabale and rammed earth are more natrural. If we build again it will be ones of these. We are completely off grid with only 12 volt solar and wind. Suplimented with American natural gas !

[manat8888]

Another person who didn't pay attention. The man is married, so there are at least 2 people who live in this house. I totally disagree about the space needs of the average person. I grew up in a 1500 sq ft house, family of 4 . It was awful. We were constantly in each other's way and there was no privacy for anyone. I had a bedroom the size of a prison cell (literally) could barely fit a twin bed, much less a dressor school desk. Gods forbid we have overnight or even dinner guests! Never again!

[imagesof9]

Check out the City of Austin's Green Building Program to see how green this five-star rated house truly is.

The City of Austin's Green Building Program has been consistently rated as one of the top programs in the country.

[biblionymph]

A lot more time could have been devoted to showing construction details rather than this this architect. Very poor video production. Who wants to see his English anitques when the house is the main story, or should be.

[manat8888]

Perhpas the idea is supposed to be that this particular architect is promoting green building concepts that can be used in traditional style homes, not just in the ultra modern designs. As far as the antiques are concerned, try looking past them at the architectural details where they are housed.

[Engineer245]

It is too bad it way to big and more of a vanity house. A lot of taliing and not the walking !

[manat8888]

Did you even listen to the description? You consider a 1500 sq foot, one bedroom house too big? I've lived in apartements that size. And what exactly is a vanity house anyway? The owner simply built a house that reflected his needs and tastes. Perhpas you think we should all live in tiny bleached white cubicles with no individuality or personality.