Homes made from Plastic Bottles + Greenhouses, too!




plastic bottle house



plastic bottle house



plastic bottle house
Eco-Tec's Ecoparque El Zamorano, Honduras.
Ecological House: Constructed with 8,000 bottles with composting toilets and a solar water heating system. The green roof can weigh 30 tons when wet and has been supported by the walls without any extra reinforcement. It is the first house in the world made from PET bottles without using cement in the walls.



plastic bottle house
The same home seen from the inside. For design effect some bottles were left slightly exposed. Above the door the tops of the bottles face in, the bottoms face outside -- see second photo above. www.eco-tecnologia.com




plastic bottle house
Eco-Tec's Casa de la Fe.
Used vehicle wheel rims make up the foundation and some of the pillars.




plastic bottle house
Casa de la Fe (Faith House) Honduran Foundation for the Rehabilitation and Integration of the Handicapped. The texture of the outside surface depends on which way the bottles face. www.eco-tecnologia.com




plastic bottle house
Eco Tec's Sky Field House under construction.




plastic bottle house
Eco Tec's Sky Field House: The first vaulted ceiling using PET bottles.
All Eco-tec projects have a strong social focus. Most of the PET bottles used are recovered in clean-up campaigns and recycling drives. The community then fills them with sand. They train the unemployed and handicapped in their construction methods. They build water tanks, schools, community centers, urban benches as well as homes. Andreas Froese, Eco-Tec's inventor hopes to also build some PET homes in Haiti utilizing construction debris. Most of the PET bottles used are recovered in clean-up campaigns and recycling drives. www.eco-tecnologia.com




plastic bottle house
An Eco-Tec home in Bolivia. PET bottle bottoms on the left.
Wine bottle bottoms on the right.

plastic bottle house
This home in Bolivia incorporates lots of wine bottles as well as PET bottles. Here they used concrete pillars instead of PET columns. See more Eco-Tec construction photos at bottom of page.




plastic bottle house
Eco-Tec Africa - solving Nigeria's housing shortage. www.ecotec-africa.com & www.physorg.com




plastic bottle house
Eco-Tec Africa - solving Nigeria's housing shortage. www.ecotec-africa.com & www.physorg.com

plastic bottle construction
Taiwan's plastic bottle building -- EcoARK Exhibition Hall.
Not just a bottle picked off the street. Polli-Brick from Hymini is made from recycled PET bottles. The building can be disassembled and then reassembled elsewhere. Looks like that might take a bit of time though as the building is 85 meters long (279 feet).

plastic bottle construction
Polli's self interlocking plastic bricks are translucent thereby allowing the play of natural light to shine through. The manufacturers add they are good thermal and sound insulators and can withstand hurricane force winds. No BPA, but wish they could make the fireproof backing curtain for walls out of something other than PVC. Can be used for walls, greenhouses, roofs, etc... www.miniwiz.com




plastic bottle construction
Inside -- optional LED lights fit inside the bottles...Reuter's Photo, www.miniwiz.com





plastic bottle house
Ecological Bottle House, near the Iguazu Falls, Misiones, Argentina.
Alfredo Santa Cruz and his family built this house and matching play house out of used plastic bottles, Tetra Packs and CD cases. They used 1200 PET plastic bottles for the walls, 1300 milk and wine Tetra Pack boxes for the roof, 140 CD cases for the doors and windows, plus 320 PET bottles for the furniture. www.sites.google.com

plastic bottle house
200 PET bottles hold up the bed.




Photo credit: Xinhua/Martin Zabala
Love the bottle cap curtains!





plastic bottle house
The family will instruct anyone who is up for a visit, or if you pay for their travel expenses, they will come to you. www.sites.google.com





Water bottle wall in Danone office, Tokyo.

Great idea as partitions in an office!




Water bottle wall
The Morimoto Restaurant's bottle wall in NYC is composed of 17,400 half liter plastic bottles filled with mineral water and then backlit with LED lights.




Water bottle wall
The wall is two stories high.

plastic bottle greenhouse
Back outside...





Plastic bottle greenhouse on Blue Rock Station, Ohio...bluerockstation.com (info below*) This one sits on old tires and is made from 1000 2-liter plastic soft drink bottles. Flickr photo by ticticticticboom





Plastic bottle greenhouses are all the rage in Europe. Picasa-Cudlees.





Plastic Bottle Greenhouse
Owlsoup Photo on Flickr




Plastic Bottle Greenhouse




Photo by bryanilona on Flickr





A Danish plastic bottle shed. Flickr photo By christof



*********************

More Eco-Tec Plastic Bottle Construction Photos...



Plastic Bottle Construction
Eco-Tec in Uganda.





Plastic Bottle Construction
Sand.



Plastic Bottle Construction
Cement.




Plastic Bottle Construction
Adobe.




Plastic Bottle Construction
Eco-Tec in Bolivia

Plastic Bottle Construction
Eco-Tec builds many cisterns/water tanks...




Plastic Bottle Construction
How to make an arch...






A painted wall.





Eco-Tec's aquaduct...

Plastic Bottle House

 

References, Further Info and How To:

• Eco-Tec's website www.eco-tecnologia.com
• Eco-Tec How to booklet: docs.google.com
  See Eco-Tec's proposal to train Haitians to re-build their infrastructure.  www.scribd.com
  
• 
  *Blue Rock Station in Ohio sells an illustrated booklet on
  How to Build a Plastic Bottle Greenhouse here: bluerockstation.com
  The Warmkes also give alternate building workshops on their farm in Ohio.
  
  Instructions on how to build your own greenhouse.  www.squidoo.com

A Pdf "How to Build a Plastic Bottle Greenhouse" from REAP Scotland:
www.reapscotland.org.uk

See also the Plastic Bottle Schools page for different construction methods...
www.inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bottle-schools







According to Time Magazine, the U.S. produced 28 million tons of plastic waste in 2005-- 27 million tons of which ended up in landfills. www.time.com

Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (www.nevadarecycles.gov)
gives degradation times in a landfill as follows:

Tin can 80-100 years
Aluminum can 200-500 years
Plastic 6-pack rings 450 years
Plastic jug 1 million years!
Styrofoam cup Unknown? Forever?
Glass bottle Unknown? Forever?

Of course, the figures above are not accurate as they will change upon conditions present. We (in our lifetime) will never know how long today's petroleum-based plastic bottles take to break down in the environment.


Did you know, that many new 'eco' polyester pillows are stuffed with shredded plastic bottles? keetsa.com
 
 

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Showing comments 1 to 50 of 190 | Next | Last

Karthik
Posts: 190

Plastic Bottles
Reply #190 on : Tue February 07, 2012, 03:47:18

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hi

Garnet Anger
Posts: 190

Bottle Theology
Reply #189 on : Mon February 06, 2012, 15:56:03

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I would rather have a Bottle in front of me than a frontal Labotamie

ABDUL MUTTAQI KHAN
Posts: 190

plastic bottles
Reply #188 on : Sun February 05, 2012, 10:24:57

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Fantastic rather it seems unbelievable but it is fact which can save us from so many problems because used bottles are thrown into streets, on roads who block the sewerage system also. This is very constructive and right usage of the used bottles.

Cari
Posts: 190

Jusst LOVE this
Reply #187 on : Sat February 04, 2012, 08:12:32

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This is inspirational - wow! You make me want to get out there and do some of this. In 3 years time I'm taking a year off to building work exchanges and I'm really hoping to work on some bottle buildings. Thank you for inspiring me. I've built out of cob, but what I love about this is that it actually utilizes what others just throw out! Great stuff.

Keiren
Posts: 190

Hi Dhunveer,
Reply #186 on : Thu February 02, 2012, 09:39:38

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Have you also looked at the http://inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bottle-schools.html page?

There is a 'how-to' at the bottom of the page. The organization Hug it Forward helps schools and non-profits build plastic bottle buildings.

dhunveer
Posts: 190

techniques for construction
Reply #185 on : Wed February 01, 2012, 00:17:14

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hello,o
i would be very much grateful to have contacts of people who may help me in techniques of building house with plastic bottles

Regards

Dhunveer

Wendy KMatzke
Posts: 190

Want to build
Reply #184 on : Fri January 20, 2012, 12:41:02

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Are there plans available to help build these wonderful places.?

Reinoud Kempen
Posts: 190

Earth ship (water) bottles
Reply #183 on : Tue January 10, 2012, 19:02:46

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Are the any water bottling companies that shape their bottles for later use as building material?
When taking further use of the bottle into account in proper design it would greatly improve its versatility as building material!
Have a bottle designed by http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm

b. Pittman
Posts: 190

plastic use
Reply #182 on : Fri January 06, 2012, 09:06:36

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thank you

rambabu.G
Posts: 190

about plastic pet bottels
Reply #181 on : Wed January 04, 2012, 05:11:06

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this is an intersting thing i like very much i have improve this thing into another way if any one intersting in my way those are also partiscipate how to introduced the pet bottels in concret mixing and controle the harm full gasses or reduced that gasses maximum 50%

Joe
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #180 on : Wed December 07, 2011, 17:13:37

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Too bad, nothing this creative is allowed in the U.S. tyrrany.

TERRI TURNER
Posts: 190

recycled artists unit
Reply #179 on : Tue November 29, 2011, 17:40:38

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yes yes ....creative solutions of this level can only come when someone realy does care and does want solutions...they call on the creative realm and things us creative souls did not know are always given answers...thank you for all your caring and love of humanity and their home...I am a recycle fine artist... check out some of my early experiments...my flicker page link is @ www.flickr.com/photos/man_is_like_unto_a_tree/sets/72157628093690218/....thank you Terri

Harry Warner
Posts: 190

Thank you!
Reply #178 on : Tue November 22, 2011, 20:13:41

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What a great display of ingenuity!

Bill in NC
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #177 on : Sat November 19, 2011, 17:37:05

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Problem not solved ... only delayed. Buildings also have a life-cycle and when it is over, the building will be destroyed and the bottles re-exposed. The only real solution is to stop making the plastic. Period.

Even if all building converted over to this method overnight, (and it does not seem suitable for multi-story commercial buildings) it would only hide the scope of the problem.

So long as there are customers for fluids in plastic containers (oil, gasoline, water, soap, soda pop, milk, paint and so on and on), the problem will remain.

Jose de la Cruz
Posts: 190

Eco Tec water cisterns and tanks
Reply #176 on : Sun November 13, 2011, 08:47:47

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This is great! We are considering the use of this technology as we are thinking of constructing reservoirs for capturing rain and spring water for use during summer. We will continue to use bamboo for other construction as it is lower carbon footprint than cement, but this is certainly something that we can apply in our project www.ecofarmasia.com

Mr. de la Cruz

Saul Hernandez
Posts: 190

Design of PET Bottles
Reply #175 on : Thu November 10, 2011, 12:19:49

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Why not encourage mfg to design PET bottles so that when they are done being used for drinks that they can interlock like Lego Blocks to allow for stronger and easier assembly in a ECO friendly application?

Keiren
Posts: 190

reply to Joseph
Reply #174 on : Thu November 10, 2011, 09:46:02

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Hi Joseph, I would be cautious in an enclosed, hot space - like the inside of a plastic greenhouse. But if the bottles are covered over with plaster - then they will not break down and release noxious chemicals. When you think about how much plastic is in our seas degrading and offgassing, that is scary. Best, Keiren

Joseph Zakrzewski
Posts: 190

Plastic bottle homes
Reply #173 on : Wed November 09, 2011, 12:17:25

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Does the off-gassing of the plastic pose any health problems?

Justin Harrison
Posts: 190

Eco Building and my project (Ethos)
Reply #172 on : Wed November 09, 2011, 07:32:54

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I'm about to start on an exciting eco self build in Thailand and would love to hear from anybody who is interested in helping or has any ideas or contacts here. I have built a website to explain the project and my goals: www.myethos.weebly.com. please contact me if you have any interest in permaculture, living self sustainably or any other reason connected with building somewhere that is in harmony with nature...

Mary Russell
Posts: 190

Trash to Treasure
Reply #171 on : Tue November 08, 2011, 17:56:27

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These photos are inspirational! I want to add a new bedroom and bathroom onto my house, and now I have an inexpensive way to do it! Thank you.

Cassandra Thompson
Posts: 190

Building with plastic bottles
Reply #170 on : Tue October 25, 2011, 13:37:43

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Thanks Keiren for your response! Our plan was to start with a trench a tad larger than the jugs and start with a level of gravel. Then a layer of concrete. We were thinking it would be wise to fill the jugs with sand and give the outside of the jug a coating of watered down cement and sand so that the outside of the jugs would bond with the cement. From that point we would layer jugs and concrete mixed with sand while giving each side of the wall a good layer of cement. And yes, we were planning to tie the bottles together with some kind of twine. Since, I wrote last I have been trying to research building codes in our area. I am not sure if this sort of building would be allowed. ( I really would like to build a house!) Then, I had thought. We would build a wall or two, document when and how the walls were built and allow some time and our Houston weather to pass. Then present our building plans to our Structural Inspection Division and show them the walls. I want to do this by the book. I also believe that it can be done, even in the good ol' U S of A. Any thoughts?

tara
Posts: 190

off gassing?
Reply #169 on : Tue October 18, 2011, 07:41:37

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What about off gassing from the plastic? I love this idea and would love to build my home out of it but what about off gassing from the plastic--I don't know much about this but I tend to not use any plastic products because I have heard that harmful chemicals leach from it. I don't know if it would be worse than what is already used to build homes....just curious! Keep up the awesome work!

Thanks!

kamran
Posts: 190

how to construct plastic bottle home
Reply #168 on : Sat September 24, 2011, 08:30:30

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i am highly impressed with this innovative idea of your......

jaclyn molto
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #167 on : Sat September 24, 2011, 02:26:50

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hello again. is it possible to build a bottle house in the Philippines? we are always devastated by typhoons.

Keiren- Admin
Posts: 190

reply to abi
Reply #166 on : Fri September 23, 2011, 12:42:45

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I have been pondering your challenge and cannot say I am an expert on concrete mold, so slow in coming to a solution. But, just read this: "added a cup of borax laundry booster to prevent mold and mildew" from this page http://www.greatdetermination.com/page3.html They are papercreting an earthbag home...but sounds like a potential solution for you too. :)

Craig van Zyl
Posts: 190

Plastic Building blocks
Reply #165 on : Thu September 22, 2011, 09:23:46

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I have designed and made a recycled plastic building block that inter locks. I need an investor help me develop and mass manufacture the bricks to start building houses. If anyone has info please let me know.
thevanzyls@telkomsa.net

abi
Posts: 190

inulation
Reply #164 on : Thu September 22, 2011, 04:35:52

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Hi, I'm planing to exterior insulate a concrete wall in wet rural Ireland, I am concerned that the wall may go mouldy behind the PET bottles, and wondering what is best to join them so that there are no cold bridges. I intend to clad the outside withe either timer facing or render. Does anyone have any experience with this type of building? Thanks for your help and all the lovely inspiring photos.

Keiren
Posts: 190

Reply to jaclyn molto
Reply #163 on : Tue September 20, 2011, 12:57:34

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Hi Jaclyn,
Sorry to hear that you do not feel you can afford to build a plastic bottle house. If you are associated with a non-profit and desire to build a structure for a school or community organization - the people at www.hugitforward.com might be able to help. If for yourself, I would start slowly by collecting bottles...and when you have enough, maybe friends and volunteers will offer to assist you. Best to you!

jaclyn molto
Posts: 190

interested in making a bottle house
Reply #162 on : Mon September 19, 2011, 23:21:57

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hi.. im jaclyn molto from the philippines. i am very much interested in making a bottle house and of course to help our environment. but i do not funds to use to make the said house a reality.. please help. thanks

Keiren
Posts: 190

reply to Cassandra
Reply #161 on : Thu September 15, 2011, 16:09:43

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Hi Cassandra,
Thanks for writing. Too bad we are not yet building 'only' green construction.

I would think that if you were going to fill those bottles with a slurry, that will harden and become cement-like, then the project would be structurally sound. If bottles were then tied together and the exterior plastered. But, if you were considering leaving them empty- then that would be problematic, as all that empty space would be subject to collapse, if any weight (or strong wind) was applied. I guess it also depends on load and how you would connect the bottles. Can you be more specific? Best, Keiren

Cassandra Thompson
Posts: 190

Alternative Building
Reply #160 on : Thu September 15, 2011, 13:40:39

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My husband is certified in green construction but, had to take a job doing something else for financial reasons. We still wanted to exercise his skills by starting with something small, like building a carport. I wanted to know if it is just as feasible to use one gallon milk/OJ jugs and one gallon vinegar jugs as it is to use water bottles for alternative building. See, we don't buy water but, we buy a lot of milk, OJ and vinegar. We would deeply appreciate an answer. Thank you.

Erica
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #159 on : Tue September 13, 2011, 10:55:59

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Check out this glass version I visited, built in the 1950's
http://www.kootenayrockies.com/attractions/glasshouse.html

Umar mohammed
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #158 on : Wed September 07, 2011, 10:17:17

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Creative thinking.

KarthikeyanB
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #157 on : Tue August 23, 2011, 08:14:05

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nice

v
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #156 on : Fri August 12, 2011, 08:30:01

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great idea

chris cox
Posts: 190

plastic UV issue?
Reply #155 on : Wed August 03, 2011, 10:33:48

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UV degradation could be a serious problem. Our local Solar Village built in the late 70's used thousands of DHPE milk jugs as water/solar storage. After 20 years there was a multi thousand gallon problem. Not sure about PETE. Several plastics are stable but not usually the "throw-away" type of products. Fill the bottles with local stabilized mud/adobe?

Susan Gesslein
Posts: 190

Transmutation
Reply #154 on : Wed August 03, 2011, 10:12:24

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It's encouraging to see the ingenuity and forward thinking ways that will bring us all into a new beginning...taking the negative and turning it into something positive. Kudos!

Autumn
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #153 on : Mon August 01, 2011, 03:13:26

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I don't know if this is on the website, but is there anyway I could get involved in something like this? I could get people at my school just to give their bottles to me rather than throw them away.

gabriele
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #152 on : Sun July 24, 2011, 03:20:15

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fantastic!
i guess this will be the futur of architecture, we have to make something out of this huge heap of waste that we leave here on this planet.
very inspiring.
just have a question about the pet-bottles witch are under suspicion to interfere the hormonal balance.

Faith
Posts: 190

plastic & paper
Reply #151 on : Fri July 22, 2011, 10:58:59

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These are great! I am a papercrete fan and want to try plastic with papercrete! I had thought this would be ideal for areas that don't have clay. We have used papercrete with just a lime wash coating in Wisconsin and it has held up very well! Also Paper plaster, spreads like butter!

Kal Sandhu
Posts: 190

Simply awesome
Reply #150 on : Thu July 21, 2011, 21:35:40

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Simple ideas are always the greatest ideas. I would love to have a green house and furniture made of recycled plastic bottles. Thanks.

L Willey
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #149 on : Wed July 20, 2011, 13:59:08

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Great pictures and ideas! I love that people are using their heads to figure out ways to use all the 'junk' humans leave behind.

preeti
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #148 on : Wed July 13, 2011, 10:10:39

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excellent work congrates

MatlakyeiKualli
Posts: 190

plastic bottle garage in maine?
Reply #147 on : Mon July 11, 2011, 05:44:39

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I want to build a garage in Maine--heavy snow and freezing winter weather--anybody got ideas of experience with this?

H K Litchfield
Posts: 190

Eco-builds...in plastic
Reply #146 on : Fri July 08, 2011, 23:41:26

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What a marvelous way to save the earth from waste it doesn't need and to give people around the globe a way to reconstruct their lives. I'm impressed!

D
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #145 on : Fri July 08, 2011, 15:57:18

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Location, location, location.
Once you've got a place to build where the humans won't attack you it's easy.

Anonymous
Posts: 190

Glass Unknown?
Reply #144 on : Mon June 27, 2011, 16:20:10

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Glass gets crushed and eventually becomes sand again.

Anonymous
Posts: 190

Re: Plastic Bottle Homes
Reply #143 on : Tue June 14, 2011, 17:32:40

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wont work in norway, since we get money back from the store when give the bottle back

Uncle B
Posts: 190

Canada
Reply #142 on : Sun June 12, 2011, 16:15:14

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ca construction techniques like this, even double walled, yield fire-proof, cheap high R value walls for Northern Canada, the native and white popultions their, alike? We have 'Stackwood" from University of Manitoba files, using old rail road ties, We have Straw Bale up and working well, but we need more! can the bottles be filled with cheap expanding foam, for better ridgidity, higher R value, so important in our very cold winters? Can native Canadians redeem themselves? House themselves? even if only to build garages? Storage sheds? Outside the nortoriuosly corproate protective civil building laws? I wonder.

ignacio valdes
Posts: 190

me encanto super lindo
Reply #141 on : Tue May 31, 2011, 14:23:20

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hermoso me gustaria construir una en una isla en chiloe

Showing comments 1 to 50 of 190 | Next | Last