tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39070673765705040292024-03-20T06:17:36.374-07:00mud and musingsReflections on natural building in and out of the cityGeorgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-1385649803306160962013-04-19T09:04:00.003-07:002013-04-19T09:08:03.697-07:00The Canada-wide influence of Duffern Grove Park<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VO1HbsCsMIA/SPlaxaRCThI/AAAAAAAAEaA/IQNlxKKvAeA/s1600/Picture_0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VO1HbsCsMIA/SPlaxaRCThI/AAAAAAAAEaA/IQNlxKKvAeA/s1600/Picture_0706.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my old cob bread oven, now long departed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The influence</b> of the visionary activities at Dufferin Grove Park is felt in spots across the country, including <a href="http://www.parkoven.ca/" target="_blank">this little park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia</a>. Folks there have built a cob oven for community use that serves to bring people together, sharing in work and the rewards thereof.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here's a quote from a recent article published in <i>The Coast</i> weekly newspaper about the oven:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Jeff Overmars and his wife lived in Toronto a few years ago, a Sunday potluck at Dufferin Grove Park's bake oven was part of their routine. The weekly event made a community hub out of the winning combination of public space and good food.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <br />When the pair moved into a yardless condo, they took up a plot at the nearby Dartmouth Common Community Garden where Overmars met fellow gardener Billy Lewis. Lewis, a veteran in food education, told Overmars of a pizza garden project he'd done with youth in Vancouver--- and that's when the wheels started turning.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />"I thought, how great would it be for Billy to do that and for there to be an oven nearby where people could actually take the produce they'd be growing and make a pizza," says Overmars, who then took the idea straight to the area's councilor, Gloria McCluskey. "I met with her just to gauge interest and she was enthusiastic from the beginning."<br /> <br />After McCluskey helped to fund the project, Overmars gathered a small core group of volunteers to brainstorm and make plans, and it wasn't long before the Park Avenue Community Oven became a reality. There was a slight hitch, though. Some park regulars and nearby neighbours expressed concerns about how the project could change the space, and how quickly it was moved along...</span></span><br />
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Read this <a href="http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/all-fired-up/Content?oid=3830697">article</a> to see how it turned out. Hint: it's yummy.<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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More information on the Park Avenue Community Oven can be found at www.parkoven.ca.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-72996083981145580222013-04-10T10:35:00.002-07:002013-04-10T13:12:22.382-07:00The making and UN-making of Dufferin Grove Park<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" src="http://prezi.com/embed/bm9hcawykbu5/?bgcolor=ffffff&lock_to_path=0&autoplay=0&autohide_ctrls=0&features=undefined&disabled_features=undefined" width="550"></iframe>
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<b>I was a</b> frequent park goer for many years, and during that time I was able, with staff's support, to lead volunteers in the creation of an outdoor kitchen made of cob. That free program was just one of many offerings that anyone finding refuge from the city in that 14 acre green space could partake in, regardless of ability, and at almost any time of the year.<br />
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It is amazing to me that the City of Toronto seems to have so much energy when it comes to imposing rules and restrictions, but no resources at all to put towards watching, listening and learning. The visionaries at <a href="http://dufferinpark.ca/home/wiki/wiki.php" target="_blank">Dufferin Grove Park</a> have been sharing their ideas and successes for years – by publishing handbooks, newsletters and a website, and by inviting city managers to come and take a look – but the city seems to take an active disinterest in their efforts.<br />
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I think city staff and managers are probably similar to most people; we all just wish our jobs would go a little more smoothly. When we walk into our workplaces, we are looking for some ease in our transactions with our co-workers, our superiors, the public. I don't know anyone who relishes the possibility that their day is going to be full of cranky customers, stressed-out co-workers or demanding bosses. However, if people actually sat down and read their job descriptions, they would probably find that nowhere on that document does it say "Just get through the day as best you can". Instead, it might say, "Do your job", whether that's providing cable service or designing buildings or running a garbage truck. All of these tasks basically boil down to different ways of helping people. <br />
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A long time ago, I had an interesting experience that put things into perspective for me. As assistant stage manager (ASM) for a student variety show at university, I was tasked with placing and removing props, putting little pieces of glow tape on the stage to mark placement of objects and people, and other related duties. It was my first time as ASM, and I found it to be a stressful and not very gratifying job, filled with high-strung performers running around back stage, invariably in some sort of crisis. <br />
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At one point, a dancer came up to me and asked me to do some little thing for her; I quite forget what it was. I do remember thinking to myself, though, "Geez, she thinks this is all about her."<br />
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I stopped short when I realized that, geez, it <u>was</u> all about her. The audience was there to see her perform; they weren't there to see me move props on and off stage (though I was quick and stealthy so they probably couldn't see me during the black outs anyway even if they had been looking for me, which of course they weren't). My job was to be there for her so that she could be there for the audience, and whatever I could do to support that, was part of my job.<br />
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At that moment, I began to understand that, while it's ok, and even desirable, to find efficiencies in the way I work to make my job easier for me, that must never be mistaken for <i>doing a better job</i>. Only when the customer's cable is restored promptly, or a building is designed to meet a client's and the environment's needs, or the garbage is picked up on time and completely even though it was left out in a box instead of a bag (it would be ok to leave a friendly and educational note, for sure), could the job be seen as done.<br />
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I write all this to say that I think there is a cultural shift required within the city, so that it can see parks and recreation facilities not as places of employment, but as the vital nexus of citizen interaction that they are. Of course they <u>are</u> places of employment, but that in itself does not give meaning. Meaning comes from engagement and facilitation in order to enrich the lives of the citizenry, and make the city a place that people want to be in.<br />
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Do we want a city where citizens see themselves as part of a whole that they want to contribute to and benefit from? To get there requires active engagement from the city; the kind of engagement that Dufferin Grove Park is expert at. Come on, City of Toronto, what are you waiting for?Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-69463965884924862092013-03-19T08:32:00.000-07:002013-03-23T13:21:06.519-07:00OSBBC & NBNE AGMs 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Well, it's been</b> a while, hasn't it? You'd almost think that I'd moved away from the natural building world by my lack of activity here lately. However, the good people of the <a href="http://www.osbbc.ca/" target="_blank">Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition (OSBBC)</a>, as well as my American friends in <a href="http://www.nbne.org/" target="_blank">Natural Builders North East (NBNE)</a> continue to allow me to maintain my memberships, anticipating perhaps that, in between raising children, designing magazines and finding places to live, that I might have eventually something of interest to contribute to the field of natural building. <br />
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We'll see about that. In the meantime, I was pleased to attend this year's AGM weekend for both groups, held at <a href="http://www.campkawartha.ca/index.php" target="_blank">Camp Kawartha</a>, north of Peterborough. Here are some what I heard while there.<br />
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<h4>
Building in a cold climate</h4>
This joint presentation from <a href="http://newframeworks.com/" target="_blank">Jacob Deva Racusin</a> (NBNE) and <a href="http://fifthwindfarm.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Henry Wiersma</a> (OSBBC) talked a lot about issues that concern every builder in colder places, namely how to keep water away from your building: warm, moist air from below, rain and snow from above, and everywhere in between. The problem of animals eventually locating, entering and expiring in a foundation drain pipe that drains to daylight was discussed. Minks are apparently quite susceptible to this behavour (maybe it's a northern Vermont thing, I don't know). When minks plug up your foundation drain, you've got a problem. Building in a clean out to deal with this eventual clogging was suggested.<br />
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Even better, a member of the audience posited, would be to build in redundancy in the system by putting in a couple, or even five, foundation drainage pipes and send them <u>all</u> to drain down hill. It's unlikely that five minks would end up clogging all of the drains at the same time. Problem solved, and no cleaning out of dead minks required.<br />
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My favourite idea from this talk though, was one I myself have had an abiding interest in. Since most natural homes don't have air conditioners nor electric
clothes dryers, a possible target for energy use reduction could be the
refrigerator. Henry asked, why would we have a machine that, in summer, pumps heat out out of an insulated box, only to dump it into our already-sweltering homes? Conversely, why have an energy hogging compressor run full bore to keep food cold in the winter, when we could harness the exterior temperatures to help, and even sometimes replace the compressor's work? Henry has placed his fridge on an outside wall, venting it outside. In his case, he has an expensive, off-grid <a href="http://www.sunfrost.com/" target="_blank">Sun Frost refrigerator</a>, and if I remember correctly, his compressor is located somewhere off in the distance; very wise. He included under-the-fridge, insulated drawers in his installation where he keeps several days' supply of onions, potatoes and carrots. This saves him the daily trek down to the root cellar.<br />
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I am going to be campaigning hard for this sort of arrangement in my next abode, though I imagine that I'll have some research to do as to which fridge might be amenable to working under these conditions. <br />
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<h4>
Other tidbits</h4>
<b>Retrofit</b>: <a href="http://terraconstruction.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Mike Jones</a> and his family gutted a balloon frame century home to do an interior straw bale retrofit, stacking them on edge. He also built a masonry heater using a kit from <a href="http://www.crossfirefireplaces.com/" target="_blank">Crossfire</a> for the core and hiring out the stone masonry. <br />
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<b>Rammed Earth</b>: Tim Krahn from<a href="http://www.nbeg.org/index.html/" target="_blank"> Natural Building Engineering Group</a> showed images of some absolutely incredible rammed earth homes in Ontario that he's engineered.Maybe if you contact him he'll put some pictures up on his sight. You've got to see them.<br />
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<b>Bale barn wrap</b>: Dave Lanfear of <a href="http://baleonbale.com/" target="_blank">Bale on Bale Construction</a> talked about using the Plop-and-Pop method of straw bale construction, and said now fills any troughs at the top of walls – where the bales have sunk – with as-densely-as-he-can-pack-it, blown-in cellulose, instead of fiddling with straw stuffing. <br />
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<b>Miscellaneous</b>: Everybody's using Siga or Proclima tape now, says <a href="http://endeavourcentre.org/instructors/jen-feigin/" target="_blank">Jen Feigin</a> of <a href="http://endeavourcentre.org/" target="_blank">Endeavour</a>. I think that's what she said, anyway. ~ Jacob Deva Racusin has a new book out called <a href="http://newframeworks.com/publications/media/#book" target="_blank">The Natural Building Companion</a> that someone could get me for Christmas. ~ <a href="http://www.chrismagwood.ca/" target="_blank">Chris Magwood</a> suggested that soon, <a href="http://endeavourcentre.org/2013/01/composting-toilet-installation/" target="_blank">composting toilets</a> will be accommodated in the Ontario building code, which is no doubt partially attributable to Endeavour's fine work on <a href="http://endeavourcentre.org/current-build-2012/" target="_blank">Canada's Greenest Home</a>. Some of you may know of <a href="http://dufferinpark.ca/cobcourtyard/wiki/wiki.php?n=CompostingToiletProject.FrontPage" target="_blank">my own struggles</a> trying to get a composting toilet approved for a downtown Toronto park, so this is welcome news to me. ~ Downtown Toronto can now name one straw bale house addition, thanks to Melissa Zytaruk and the <a href="http://www.fourthpig.org/Fourth_Pig.html" target="_blank">Fourth Pig Worker Coop</a>.<br />
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My sincere appreciation goes out to the Peterborough crew who organized this inspiring event and gave us a venue to share information, compare notes, cheer our successes and get help with challenges. I was reminded that it's not just the sustainable techniques that brought me this direction; it's mostly the people.<br />
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<br />Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-75233754802977314682012-08-08T00:30:00.000-07:002013-03-22T09:27:17.152-07:00NBCNY 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>This is the first</b> summer in seven years that I have not gone to the Natural Building Colloquium at Thunder Mountain, in New York state. That's because the Peaceweavers are taking a well-deserved break from the planning and executing of this demanding event. Last summer and fall I got a double dose of natural building community, what with the colloquium in the summer and then the timber framing workshop in September, so that will hopefully tide me over until I can meet up with many of these folks at <a href="http://www.nbne.org/" target="_blank">Natural Builders North East</a>'s annual general meeting this winter. <br />
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<br />Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-72152465042908778892011-06-22T18:15:00.000-07:002011-06-22T18:25:52.634-07:00Natural Building Colloquium East 2011<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5502034355034055569%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNP3ws325-XxFA%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />From my Peaceweaver family:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"From natural building to permaculture techniques to water and energy conservation...from alternative fuels to sourcing your food locally...this event is important for everyone who is concerned about how their lifestyle impacts our Earth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Join us for the 2011 NBC - July 26-30 at Thunder Mountain!</span><br />This year's Natural Building Colloquium East: Building with Spirit will take place <span style="font-weight: bold;">July 26-30</span>, 2011 at Thunder Mountain Peace Sanctuary in Bath, NY.<br /><br />The NBC is a fantastic opportunity to learn hands on natural building techniques from talented instructors from all over the country.<br /><br />Workshops will focus on cob, strawbale, earthen plasters, timber framing and more. Come join us for a spirit filled event in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.<br /><br />Fee: $350 includes all workshops, camping, bathroom & shower facilities, and vegan meals. ($150 deposit due with registration. $200 balance due by July 8th.)<br /><br />Please email the PeaceWeavers at pw@peaceweavers.com or call us at 607-776-4060 to sign up or for more info."<br /><br />My photos from the 2010 colloquium are above.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-20548578515545286642011-06-20T11:30:00.001-07:002013-03-22T09:09:22.663-07:00Earthen plaster workshop<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JL-Qg_HC9-w/TFso-KHbvzI/AAAAAAAAJ0o/FXayirFNUTs/s400/DSCN0516.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JL-Qg_HC9-w/TFso-KHbvzI/AAAAAAAAJ0o/FXayirFNUTs/s400/DSCN0516.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 234px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 176px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Come join us</span> for a weekend of fun and mud in Caledon East just north of Toronto this summer, as we apply earthen wall finishes to a timberframe/straw bale workshop. Topics covered will include sourcing and processing of ingredients, and their mixing and application, with an emphasis on hands-on learning. Tools and materials are provided. Please bring good work clothes and boots and rain gear and prepare for all to get muddy. Fee includes instruction, camping space, and meals. Kids are welcome! There is no separate child care, so please plan to keep an eye on your young 'uns. Contact me at muddygeorgie@gmail.com for more information and to register.<br />
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<b>Workshop details:</b><span id="formatbar_Buttons" style="display: block;"><span class=" down" id="formatbar_CreateLink" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseup="" style="display: block;" title="Link"><img alt="Link" border="0" class="gl_link" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" /></span></span><br />
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<b>Location</b>: Caledon East<br />
<b>Date</b>: Saturday, July 16 to Sunday, July 17, 2011, 9:00am to 5pm each day<br />
- Plan on arrival for Friday night to allow for a quick start Saturday morning<br />
<b>Meals</b>: Provided Saturday and Sunday<br />
<b>Accommodations</b>: Camping (BYOTent and sleeping supplies)<br />
Facilities: Indoor Washroom and Shower<br />
<b>Other activities</b>:<br />
- Saturday night: Communal meal, fire<br />
- Sunday morning: Morning stretch<br />
<b>Cost</b>: $200/participant<br />
<b>Accompanying Children</b>: $20<br />
*Discount of $50 per additional participant*<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Photo by David Eisenberg</span>Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-69764680349962307252011-06-20T11:29:00.000-07:002011-06-20T11:30:30.600-07:00Feasibility study online<span style="font-weight: bold;">Over the</span> winter, City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation hired Spaces by Rohan, Inc. to complete a composting toilet feasibility study for city parks. The completed study is available <a href="http://www.toronto.ca/parks/engagement/index.htm" _cke_saved_href="http://www.toronto.ca/parks/engagement/index.htm">here</a> for download. In case you have forgotten the details, you can read background about the project <a class="tpl-content-highlight" href="http://dufferinpark.ca/cobcourtyard/wiki/wiki.php?n=CompostingToiletProject.FrontPage" _cke_saved_href="http://dufferinpark.ca/cobcourtyard/wiki/wiki.php?n=CompostingToiletProject.FrontPage">here</a>.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-47016198627505065872010-10-28T20:58:00.000-07:002013-03-22T09:10:09.779-07:00Compost toilet feasibility study public consultations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-SS2p4HObPUdGKOlABoDUBG9vBMZHfnmlpNmc83M2IlSbXPLSid3ZEbO_85CYDZe8AYtPy7FAPTDgvoekxPuum3WWq-PNEEM4ZApkyIWeLOdMzYXyBaVgbIryaB4O_psR6uRk-O6I5w/s1600/DufferinGrovePK_FLYERv3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-SS2p4HObPUdGKOlABoDUBG9vBMZHfnmlpNmc83M2IlSbXPLSid3ZEbO_85CYDZe8AYtPy7FAPTDgvoekxPuum3WWq-PNEEM4ZApkyIWeLOdMzYXyBaVgbIryaB4O_psR6uRk-O6I5w/s320/DufferinGrovePK_FLYERv3.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533312753218991154" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 245px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;">Click on the picture to enlarge the image</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />The project</span> to build a community-created earthen building and composting toilet facility in Dufferin Grove Park has been on ice since we completed the earthbag foundation in 2006. The City has recently contracted local architect <a class="tpl-content-highlight" href="http://spacesbyrohan.com/" style="color: darkgreen; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rohan Walters</a>, along with me, some engineers and other professionals, with <a class="tpl-content-highlight" href="http://celos.ca/wiki/wiki.php" style="color: darkgreen; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">CELOS</a> giving guidance, to go through the design and approvals process for the biotoilet project.<br />
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Next week, there will be information about the feasibility study and design proposals posted at the park in the rink house, the playground, and by the toilet foundation (aka Gossip Rock). Come to the meeting and make your voice heard; whether you are for or against, we want to hear what you think. In case you have forgotten the details, you can read background about the project <a class="tpl-content-highlight" href="http://dufferinpark.ca/cobcourtyard/wiki/wiki.php?n=CompostingToiletProject.FrontPage">here</a>.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-39945482424503973742010-09-27T18:46:00.000-07:002010-09-29T08:05:31.692-07:00Timberframing<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.co.uk&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.co.uk%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5521780424140169649%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When I first</span> learned about cobbing, I thought, "Aha, I'll never need to face my fear of wood or measuring again! I'll just cob it until it's right." However, I have found my lack of knowledge and proficiency in this area to be more and more limiting as time goes on. I first faced up to my fear this summer by building a <a href="http://lifelearningadventures.blogspot.com/2010/09/building-solar-dehydrator.html">solar chimney dehydrator</a>.<br /><br />With that under my belt, I was lucky enough to get the chance to return to the Thunder Mountain Retreat Sanctuary, this time to attend a timberframing workshop. Led by Sarah Highland, assisted by Liz Johndrow, and hosted by the PeaceWeavers, this was a week of intense learning, hysterical fun, and blossoming friendships. Sarah's gentle and precise teaching helped all of us (six women and two men or so) gain an appreciation for the wood and a beginning understanding of timberframing. I learned how to see increments of 1/16 of an inch, and how to split a knife line with a (very sharp) saw. Seeing how Sarah ran the workshop, and how PeaceWeavers ran their lives with us in their midst, I am ever more grateful for my natural building family and all they have to teach me.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-61837725893001730242010-09-27T17:39:00.001-07:002010-09-29T08:08:15.002-07:00Yet more plastering in Washington<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.co.uk&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.co.uk%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5521763998753410833%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I say Washington</span>, but it's really Maryland. This was my third trip down, and this time Eric and I did some lime plastering over earthen base coats, on the back side of the strawbale studio he's been building there for the last couple years.<br /><br />We used Red Top Gauging Plaster to speed up the lime set, along with some Set Retarder to slow down the set up of the Red Top. This gave us about half an hour of working time before the material became too firm to spread. I'd never worked with these additives before, but the lime seemed well behaved in their company. Cactus juice and rice flour paste rounded out the mix, making the plaster smooth and creamy.<br /><br />You can read more about this place on <a href="http://breathworkstudio.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Eric's blog</a>, and also in some of my other blog entries below.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-75650829195087983912010-09-01T19:57:00.000-07:002010-09-01T20:38:48.638-07:00Straw/clay toilet wall<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.co.uk&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.co.uk%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5512144472105615617%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Before going</span> full steam ahead on my plan to build a straw/clay partition wall in our house, I thought it prudent to practice somewhere less obtrusive first. Our bucket toilet is due for some renovations, to fix the rather visually permeable partition wall, and to re-do the toilet to make for a more comfortable sit.<br /><br />Sophie and Kat pulled apart the old set up, and we amended the wall frame to work for straw/clay. Once the rather arduous prep work was finally done (lumber's in the barn, tools are in the house, hammer's nowhere to be found), it took only a few moments to stuff the wall cavity. I learned that, for a wall this thin (4"), I'll want to compact the straw more firmly than I did, and will also be more generous with the slip. I had a fair bit it re-packing and patching to do where things didn't hold together to my liking.<br /><br />Slip and base coat plaster went on smoothly, though the plaster shrunk more than I figured it might. For the back side of the wall, I added piles of chopped straw; thought it might offer my sometimes squishy wall a bit more support. We'll see. Finish coat is next, and I'm thinking of using some clay that I picked up in Maryland; it's pink as pink can be.<br /><br />My plaster recipe was:<br /><br />Sand (32, 56 & 74 mesh) 2, 3 and 1 parts respectively<br />Clay (EPK) 4 parts<br />Soaked paper 3 parts<br />Casien 0.125 parts<br />Chopped straw less on one side, more on the other<br /><br />I've been reading Carol Crews' new plaster book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Clay Culture</span>, and I'm finding it to be an excellent resource, full of history, recipes and encouragement. Any questions I had during this process were quickly answered by flipping through her book. I highly recommend it.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-41788241550929995392010-08-07T18:53:00.000-07:002010-08-09T14:51:24.573-07:00NBCNY 2010<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.co.uk&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.co.uk%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5502034355034055569%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNP3ws325-XxFA%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I usually hedge</span> my bets when committing to do something; "I will try to make it" or "I plan to be there", never guaranteeing outright that something won't come up (you parents out there know that something unexpected always does). When it comes to the PeaceWeaver's Natural Building Colloquium however, I am more categorical: "I will see you there, definitely". It has become an important tradition for me, supporting both my practice in building and my practice in being human.<br /><br />The week starts with an opening ceremony where we all come together and the sacred fire is lit. Supper and evening presentations follow, with lots of conversating whenever possible. Mornings begin with a gong (!) at 5:45a, a sunrise ceremony, and a hearty breakfast. Then we all disburse to get involved in the various projects, stopping for lunch, the occasional nap or presentation (sometimes nap <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>presentation) and 5 o'clock swim (the pond is longer when you are in the middle of it than what it looks like when you are on shore). A kick-ass vegan supper is followed by more presentations, with a fire circle afterwards for those who can stay awake.<br /><br />As usual, there was a whole pile of projects to get involved in.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sauna</span><br />Last year, the straw bale sauna was erected down by the main building. With a tarp-covered roof held up by a gorgeous and complex timberframe, it was just crying out to be completed. The single coat of lime plaster that coated the exterior had not fared well over the winter, so the first task was to knock about half of it off to expose the bales, leaving that which was stable enough to remain. Clay slip was applied to the bales, and then a couple coats of earthen plaster, bolstered with Ed Raduozo's shredded government documents, went on over top. The Thunder Mountain crew will likely finish it off with a finish coat of lime before the weather turns. Jim Luckner oversaw the whole operation.<br /><br />Inside, Deanne Bednar led a crew of enthusiastic plasterers in laying on two coats of tawney earthen finish plaster over a base coat of lime. Ready for benches and a fire in the stove!<br /><br />Eric Hempstead and Jim Luckner devised a clever canopy to shade the roof, and then installed battens over the roof substrate. Then crews went to work installing white pine shingles, getting the whole roof done by the colloquium's end. In spite of my intense fear of working with wood, I did succeed in spending a whole entire day nailing shingles onto the roof (and sneezing), and I ended up having a blast. Thanks, John, for your patient teaching.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ceremonial building</span><br />Frank Meyer and David Eisenberg were among those leading the charge to spruce up the plaster on the ceremonial building. Flaky lime plaster was scraped off and new cement stucco applied and coloured. The building's exterior wall plaster also got a face lift in parts, covering over the mottled green exterior with a smooth and sophisticated plaster/fresco combination. Can't wait to try that at home.<br /><br />Inside, Steve Paisley and Kevin Connors went to work, cutting out a hole in the strawbale wall to make room for a Rumford fireplace. Now at last the building will have a heat source and be usable year round.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Birdhouses and tree people</span><br />Ed Raduozo mixed up his sumptuous clay plaster which owes much of its richness to the high paper content: shredded government documents procured from the US patent office. Wattle and daub birdhouses and tree people ensued, much to the delight of children and adults alike.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ger making</span><br />Kylie Baker, fresh off the plane from Mongolia, spent the week leading up to the NBC, and the entire week of the colloquium engaged in building a "ger" (the Mongolian word for "yurt"). She made it all, from the lattice walls and rafters, to the door frame and the smoke hole. Dedicated helpers kept the ger going and it was finished in time to raffle it off on the colloquium's last day. At the same time as she was constructing the frame, Kylie was also leading felting workshops and managed to create several large pieces of felt that will form the door of the ger when they're stitched together.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Timberframe barn</span><br />Sarah Highland designed another treat for NBC-goers: a timberframe barn. I spent a couple sessions using Sarah's ancient drills and chisels to form mortises in a post. At the end of the week, we had a barn raising, installing two of the five bents that will make up the form of the barn. This work requires many hands and lots of focus, and Sarah led the raising with clear instructions, calm demeanour and a sense of humour.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sessions</span><br />In addition to all that work, we enjoyed a number of sessions and conversations including:<br /><br /><ul><li>The high art and subtle science of scrounging: Jim Jutzak</li><li>Zero energy housing in Buffalo: Kevin Connors and Dave Lanfear</li><li>Green Maps: Deanne Bednar</li><li>Process-oriented worksites: Erin Condo</li><li>Codes update: David Eisenberg</li><li>Building and travelling: Sarah Highland</li><li>Desperately searching for gers in Mongolia: Kylie Baker</li><li>Music and open mike: Frank Meyer</li></ul><br />I am so grateful to the PeaceWeavers for creating this space that I where I can <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> every summer, and to my family for supporting me in having this time away.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-84102737359909236132010-05-25T14:30:00.001-07:002010-05-25T19:50:34.582-07:00Bronx Zoo<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w4IhTdG-qfc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w4IhTdG-qfc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="267"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I recently came across</span> this video about The Bronx Zoo's composting toilet facility. As you can see by the video, the opportunities to educate around water use, sanitation and sustainability and are immense. If only Toronto would follow suit and get behind (no pun intended) the earthen building/composting toilet project at Dufferin Grove Park, it could benefit from the kind of extensive publicity and goodwill that New York City generates at its facility. I have hope that Toronto will see its way clear to taking advantage of this opportunity in its own back yard.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-91461168850038451132010-02-18T16:29:00.000-08:002010-03-07T12:09:34.528-08:00Dufferin Grove Park<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5160568610566060945%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCOzu25D5842obw%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In 2008</span>, I wrote a piece about an exceptional project I was involved in about five years ago that involved kids, dirt, and and the approval and support of Toronto's (then named) Parks and Recreation Department. I wrote:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >"That all of this could happen was the result of a fruitful partnership between the City of Toronto Recreation staff and me, the project organizer. The recreation staff took this to be part of their mandate to provide free, drop-in activities. They expanded the boundaries of "recreation" to include activities that draw in many more newcomers, across cultural lines. That made the park so much livelier, and this drop-in activity resulted in a permanent, useful and much-loved addition to the park.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Forming a project around these principles requires something very important from the organizers/administrators: trust. They need trust that people are able to decide for themselves what is best for them, trust that people can be counted on to do good work, trust that people will come and take advantage of an opportunity presented to them.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />A program free of coercion is one that truly honours the participants, and one that will reap benefits well beyond the original expectations of the organizers. Do we have the enough trust in each other to offer this of ourselves and our city?"</span></span><br /><br />Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) is currently in the process of making sure that something this creative and inclusive never happens again. By shuffling Recreation supervisor Tino DeCastro and many other supervisors to new jobs and away from the communities within which they have worked, sometimes for decades, PFR is effectively severing the connection that allowed the kind of collaboration between people and parks that made the cob wall project possible.<br /><br />You can read my original post <a href="http://mudandmusings.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-gotta-be-free.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and you can read more about the current PFR situation <a href="http://dufferinpark.ca/home/wiki/wiki.php" target="_blank">here</a>. If you'd like to add your voice to the chorus of those concerned about these developments, click on that second link for more information.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-86668883189927603032010-02-11T20:25:00.000-08:002010-02-23T14:15:00.313-08:00Rumford fireplace visit<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.co.uk&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.co.uk%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5437208075610192337%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCN2Dib3Aycz5iwE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I am fascinated</span> by the concept of a Rumford fireplace; an open hearth that sends more heat into the room than it loses to combustion air, and one that charges the thermal mass around it to store and release heat radiantly (and conductively, depending on the design) long after the fire is out. I have built an outdoor Rumford, and have helped with another outdoor model and an indoor proof-of-concept retrofit, but I have not yet had the pleasure of enjoying a fire in a full-blown masonry fireplace of this type.<br /><br />Last weekend, my family and I had the chance to visit some folks not far from where we live who have a Rumford fireplace in their off-grid strawbale home. They lit it up for us and, wow, it was a revelation. The room, already comfortably warm on that chilly night, became instantly cozy, with a handsome and robust fire blazing in the hearth. The fire hugged the back of the fireplace, and smoke was whisked up the chimney without straying from the amazingly shallow firebox.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-28331019919303650802010-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:002010-02-04T17:49:28.127-08:00In the paper<div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJmm3uX2oQw7RuP70Lw8K8knbKhSa8vUFO2NGwmTf7Q1pTwnXJdoWuJ6rzqo7nFX8_I_r0Qp54saBKATXblVQ6CG364YNK1vCtwY6F7FVLGnZbe8_YTUY7zUR06_9AJPRCcBiaTad7pk/s1600-h/kimbercote-5433-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJmm3uX2oQw7RuP70Lw8K8knbKhSa8vUFO2NGwmTf7Q1pTwnXJdoWuJ6rzqo7nFX8_I_r0Qp54saBKATXblVQ6CG364YNK1vCtwY6F7FVLGnZbe8_YTUY7zUR06_9AJPRCcBiaTad7pk/s320/kimbercote-5433-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434439653804450402" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo by Bill Henry</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Reporter Bill Henry</span> came by the other day to interview my family about our new "low impact" lifestyle. The resulting article was published today in the <a href="http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2275469" target="_blank">Owen Sound Sun Times</a>. Can it be that my arms are really that long?Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-8332248742713107762009-11-18T13:32:00.000-08:002009-11-19T17:32:15.790-08:00NBCO 2009 Highlights 2<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7423396&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7423396&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7423396">Wood brigade</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user377381">Georgie Donais</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />A few more highlights:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Open Space</span>: Colloquium means "to talk together", and we natural builders had a lot to talk about. To make sure everyone got a chance during the afternoon sessions to have the conversations they were craving, <a href="http://housealive.org/">James</a> applied a process called Open Space. Anyone who had a topic they wanted to cover/presentation to make/question to ask, wrote it down on paper and posted it on a board. Then we were all invited to come read the postings, and put a dot beside the events that we wanted to attend. Then, all events were arranged by venue according to the number of dots; lot of dots meant a bigger venue, fewer meant a more intimate space. I've never seen a process work so smoothly or include everyone so readily. Very impressive.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Law of Two Feet</span>: Directly related to Open Space, this law states that, if you are no longer getting out of a presentation/lecture/conversation that which you would like, then it is your prerogative to (respectfully) remove yourself – with your two feet – and take yourself where you would rather be. No insult implied nor inferred. This reminder to take responsibility for our own fulfillment at the colloquium made sure that attendees were enjoying themselves, finding challenges that were appropriate and interesting to them, and avoided a whole load of potential bellyaching by participants that wished for something different than what they were getting but imagined they were obligated to stick it out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Silks</span>: I struck up a friendship with a couple of attendees who also study aerial silks, and they were only too happy to join me in silking most afternoons. They've been taking classes for much longer than I and so had much to teach me. I had a couple of moves for them too, but mostly they just kicked my butt. Four years older than my own kids, and also unschooled, they were a blast to hang around with and learn from.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Conversations</span>: At one point, organizer and natural builder James asked us, "How many people's most memorable conversations here at the colloquium so far have involved just one or two people?" Many of us raised our hands. Indeed, casual conversation during unprogrammed time is where much of the down-and-dirty sharing of information happens. It's also a chance to connect in with old friends who, like me, have been attending these events for years and count on moments like these to maintain those friendships.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-63304048007489992009-11-02T17:56:00.000-08:002009-11-12T17:54:40.798-08:00NBCO 2009 Highlights<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7422922&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7422922&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7422922">Music at Camp Latgawa</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user377381">Georgie Donais</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>A few of the many highlights of NBCO 2009:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fleming College:</span> I never get to see Chris Magwood and Jen Feigen except in the far reaches of the US, even though they are practically neighbours (well, at least spiritually; I think it would be a five hour drive from where I am to where they are, but at least we're in the same province). They presented on the <a href="http://www.sustainablebuilding2009.ca/" target="_blank">Sustainable Building Program</a> that they run out of Fleming College at or around Peterborough, Ontario. They have so far built something like five public buildings using every natural building technique I have ever heard of and even inventing several while they're at it. Their website is well worth a look, and you can also check out the pictures I took of the building they created in 2008, the <a href="http://mudandmusings.blogspot.com/2008/10/madoc-performing-arts-centre.html" target="_blank">Madoc Performing Arts Centre</a>.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Natural building tip</span>: Looking for a place to relieve yourself on your natural building job site? Consider designating one of those straw bales as the "pee bale". Apparently, it will never smell no matter how much it's peed on. Just make sure that its purpose is clearly indicated; you wouldn't want that particular bale making it into the wall.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Authentic living</span>: In front of the fire in the mess hall, Bill Copperthwaite fielded questions about woodworking techniques, yurt-building and simple living. He also had plenty to say about education and, though he was not familiar with some of the terms that we unschoolers/life learners use, he was plenty familiar with the concepts. He also spoke about the evolution of his carving style, going from mallet and chisel to, eventually, a crooked knife with a toggle on it. And he demonstrated his technique throughout the talk, getting pretty far into creating a bowl by the end of the afternoon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Code writing in Portland</span>: There are a couple of kick-ass things going on in Portland in relation to building codes and natural building. <a href="http://livingwallspdx.com/" target="_blank">Joshua Klyber</a> presented on an organization called <a href="http://www.recodeoregon.net/index.php?title=Main_Page" target="_blank">Recode</a> that is working with the city of Portland to to help it support building practices that are sustainable but not necessarily, at the moment, legal. He is also a member of a city committee called the <a href="http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=48661" target="_blank">Alternative Technique Advisory Committee</a> which "<span><span class="medium">reviews sustainable technologies against building code requirements, to help applicants utilize innovative products and construction methods", which includes natural building.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Earthen floors</span>: <a href="http://www.sukita.com/" target="_blank">Sukita Crimmel</a> talked about her experiences as a professional earthen floor installer. Her gorgeous work has been featured in both residential and commercial applications and range in size from a couple hundred square feet, to a couple thousand. Sukita shared with us images of her many successes as well as one or two learning experiences, including a floor where grains in the straw sprouted to such an extent that the room looked like a spring field planted to wheat. That one was a do-over.<br /><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Elegant Collapse</span>: The subtitle to <a href="http://www.maitreyaecovillage.org/People_Rob.html" target="_blank">Rob Boleman</a>'s presentation was "toward a complete bottom-to-top restructuring of human civilization". These types of presentations can be so depressing, but Rob gave us lots of hope amid the assertion that there isn't much time left for us to carry on the way we are. And then I hopped in a truck to take me to the plane that dropped me off by my car which I drove the rest of the way home. No cognitive dissonance there.<br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="il">F</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">acing code officials in Oakland, CA</span>: <a href="http://www.solarliving.org/workshops/teacher.asp?catid=13&pageid=23" target="_blank">Massey Burke</a> shared with us her adventures in renovating an old stick frame home using natural building methods, and how she is working with code officials to make it happen. Seems like it's a combination of friendly persistence and obvious competence on the part of Massey and her friends, combined with some genuine curiosity on the part of the attending officials. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that her group is also building a collection of little nat-bild sleeping pods in the backyard at the time; not strictly code- and zoning-sanctioned.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Building a strawbale accessory dwelling in Portland, OR</span>: Oh, the things you can do in Portland. <a href="http://www.theflyinghammer.com/" target="_blank">Lydia Doleman</a> and her crew have been building a small strawbale home in behind another house adjacent to hers in her Foster/Powell neighbourhood. Conforming to the look of the main house, the accessory dwelling is designed in the same Arts & Crafts style, and is sided instead of plastered. It is a full-on strawbale building, with earthen interior plaster, earthen floors, straw/clay dividing walls, recycled wood ceilings, and whatever other alternative building technique they could squeeze into this little place. Code officials come and go, finding very little to comment on, showing mostly curiosity and an interest in helping get this project done. As in the California project mentioned above, there is a little building referred to as a "napping facility" in Lydia's backyard that could attract unwanted official attention but, magically, does not.<br /><br />Contrast these experiences with the ongoing tug of war in Toronto over granny suites as evidenced in <a href="http://www.readingt.readingcities.com/index.php/toronto/comments/12765/" target="_blank">this piece</a> written by <a href="http://www.spacesbyrohan.com/" target="_blank">Rohan Walters</a>, a Toronto architect who is doing his part in moving our city towards a more sustainable and more humane future.<br /><br /></div>Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-50858567492614615832009-11-02T17:34:00.000-08:002009-11-20T06:38:18.854-08:00NBCO 2009<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.ca/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.ca&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.ca%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5398846069227762753%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCMqoluCt3_P15QE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I was very</span> pleased to be able to attend the natural building colloquium held outside of Medford, Oregon this fall. A peer-only gathering, it was attended by working professionals in the field of natural building who congregated to share information and new developments in the field, as well as to give and get support to and from colleagues who have become old friends over the years.<br /><br /><a href="http://latgawa.gocamping.org/">Camp Latgawa</a> hosted this gathering, having also been the site of several colloquiums in previous years and boasting the earthen building projects to show for it. Our hosts, Eva and Greg, welcomed us to the camp with open arms and delicious meals, and in return we were to do some new building and fix up some previous projects that required maintenance. However, outside of the three hours a day set aside for building, our main task was to talk to each other and most days were spent discussing, strategizing, laughing, conversating and even, occasionally, crying.<br /><br />I'll talk about the highlights later, but meanwhile, here are descriptions of the various projects as pictured above.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">SITE 1: Rumford fireplace</span><br />We were to create an outdoor fireplace and sitting area in a clearing near the river. This project was led by <a href="http://www.cobcottage.com/">Ianto Evans, Linda Smiley</a> and <a href="http://www.cobcottage.com/node/214">Leslie Jackson</a>. After thoroughly examining all the possibilities for fireplace placement, we got to work on the fireplace, creating it out of old bricks, river rocks and cob. The fireplace will eventually have a removable cap over it to protect it between uses. Project status: completed, except for the cap.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">SITE 2: Children's play area</span><br />The task here was to remove the children's sandbox (used only by cats), fix up the bench, repair the roof and re-do the pole shelter-thingy. Legions of people worked on this one, but I think the leads were <a href="http://livingwallspdx.com/">Joshua Klyber</a>, <a href="http://www.solarliving.org/workshops/teacher.asp?catid=13&pageid=23">Massey Burke</a>, <a href="http://www.sukita.com/">Sukita Crimmel</a> and <a href="http://www.cyberbites.com/dcat/index.html">Tony Novelli</a>, among others (corrections welcome). Status: dragon bench removed, other bench repaired and replastered, roof fixed. Still to do: wattle infill on the pole shelter-thingy.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">SITE 3: Rumford insert for dining hall fireplace</span><br /><a href="http://www.handprintpress.com/">Kiko Denzer</a> noted the inefficiency of the the deep and wide fireplace in the dining hall, and took on the task to create a proof-of-concept Rumford insert. Using forms, window screen, gypsum and earthen plaster, he created a fire-resistant form which he assembled inside the fireplace and then plastered. The value of his work became clear immediately as the fire crackled merrily in front of the new fireback, radiating substantial amounts of heat into the room for probably the first time ever.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">SITE 4: Bamboo roof</span><br /><a href="http://www.deboerarchitects.com/">Darrel De Boer</a> headed up the creation of a bamboo roof intended to shelter the Rumford fireplace. In the end, the roof was, although beautiful, entirely too large for the purpose, so it will find a home at <a href="http://housealive.org/">House Alive</a> instead. Status: Deconstructed and on its way to its new home.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">SITE 5: Traffic re-directing</span><br />Camp Latgawa is a car-free space, so visitors park their vehicles at the entrance and bring their stuff in using convenient little carts. Greg and Eva wanted this set up to be made even more apparent to people driving in, and wanted them to be clearly directed to the parking lot. The crew made changes to the road itself with a clever combination of big rocks and hempcrete, and added a big yellow arrow to direct traffic. It also shored a spot of crumbling road with a rock retaining wall. Status: Looks like it's done.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-82765199479874671342009-10-07T07:24:00.000-07:002009-10-16T04:47:20.214-07:00More plastering in Washington, DC<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5386500954284630049%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCIbhi4PYw-6jvgE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are some</span> more pics from Washington. In these, Eric and I are concentrating on plastering the interior lathe wall on the west side, and giving the other plastered walls another coat of clay paint. Eric had been experimenting with the paint, finding it interesting but having a hard time getting it on without joints appearing. Once it's painted on, it seems as though the window to work it in is quite small, and it was tricky to achieve with just one person. Adding another person (me) meant that we could get all the steps done in a timely manner, resulting in a luminous finish of depth and shine. Little bits of mica added another level of shimmer.<br /><br />For the the lathe wall, Eric mounted screed strips at regular intervals, and then we used them as our guides for the plaster. I put the plaster on as absolutely flat as I could imagine, and then rubbed a leveling board across the plaster, resting it on the screed guides on either side. I found that what I thought was flat, and what <span style="font-weight: bold;">was </span>flat, were two very different things. We opened up the surface of the plaster with a wood float afterwards so that it would dry more quickly; adding cellulose to a mix, no matter how little, seems to substantially change the feel of the plaster (smoother, creamier) but also makes it quite a bit slower drying. A finish plaster will go over this layer when it dries, and then I think that cabinets will cover most of it.<br /><br />As we worked, I could really feel the energetic transition of the studio from a worksite to a being-in space. I can imagine the bench seats, deep enough to snuggle up on and have a nap in the winter sunshine; I can imagine art on the walls and beautiful objects and candles in the niches. It's going to be a place that nurtures and supports creativity, of that I'm sure.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-36058950514549846542009-10-06T16:27:00.000-07:002009-10-06T16:32:08.104-07:00Saw mill<object height="300" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6934508&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6934508&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/6934508">Wood Mizer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user377381">Georgie Donais</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Even though I</span> was a little scared of the thing, Eric insisted I give the Wood Mizer portable saw mill a try. Sam gamely showed me the ropes, and Eric was kind enough to catch it all on video. What an elegant and efficient machine.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-70851628270726762822009-10-05T19:41:00.000-07:002009-10-15T17:37:46.057-07:00Spoons<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5390421374114086129%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCIWsjPS0saSUygE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="267" width="400"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When I was</span> in Maryland, Eric gave me a gift: a spoon he had made from the wood of a sycamore tree from Sam & Kappy's back yard. Here are some images of others he has made; I am struck by the beauty of their shape and their shine.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-56827396627920061772009-09-28T11:58:00.000-07:002009-09-28T12:23:19.924-07:00Oven reno completed<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5386593848361979185%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCMOglra-69G9aw%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I'll post process</span> pictures here when I get them, but meanwhile, here are some images of the finished wall. Jenny did a fantastic job! And the sweet little commemorative mosaic of the fireplace melts my heart.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-54150114967336348202009-09-21T17:55:00.000-07:002009-09-28T07:59:27.887-07:00Plaster day at NEO<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5384085608950866737%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCKfPpczdhPPA1QE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plaster day finally</span> arrived at Niagara Escarpment Organics this last Saturday. Farmer Ryan had chopped up some straw with the chain saw, we had sufficient clay screened, and we now understood that organic spelt flour does not a good wheat paste make.<br /><br />The day dawned bright and sunny, with a dead battery. Once Alan showed me the intricacies of boosting a car, I was on my way, a bag of Five Roses flour under my arm. Several interested volunteers showed up and we got going on the plastering and the roof decking. My big old drill didn't enjoy mixing such a thick and straw-rich mix, quitting several times. We pulled out the wheel barrow and mixed by hand too, which turned out to be just as quick, and probably more efficient.<br /><br />By the end of the day, the interior of the cabin was almost completely plastered! We'll be back over the fall to finish off the interior and exterior basecoat plaster, and then we'll scheme over the winter about finishing plaster options. I'm already excited to get on that.Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907067376570504029.post-10334231352355562852009-09-16T16:29:00.000-07:002009-09-16T17:31:00.235-07:00Chinking with straw/clay<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmuddygeorgie%2Falbumid%2F5382211018803212465%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCN7E06Xi9Meq2wE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I got out</span> my old whole hog drill and made up some quality clay slip using some of the clay I'd screened earlier. It mixed up very nicely and quickly, so I think the screened clay subsoil is going to work just fine, in spite of my wish that I had screened the clay a little finer.<br /><br />I tossed the slip with some straw, and spent the afternoon chinking. In some places, the straw/clay had shrunk away from the tops of the roof rafter, and in others there were gaps where the material hadn't been completely tamped down as intended. It was cold in the shade, so every once and a while, I'd pop out into the sunshine and and screen some clay. I'm kinda getting to like that job.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Ryan continued on the stone work, while Farmer Ryan prepared wood for decking the roof. I expect we'll be ready to plaster by the time Saturday comes!Georgie Donaishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611095968341951805noreply@blogger.com0