Customer Reviews

Building with Awareness: The Construction of a Hybrid Home DVD and Guidebook

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the TOP 2-3 resources I have come across for an owner/builder that wants to see ALL STEPS of the construction of a house using adobe and/or straw. While the primary envelope of this small house is straw bale, it includes a mass wall of adobe and the project included a workshop built with adobe. It is disappointing that they did not include the construction of this workshop from the ground up in the detailed video presentation.

The video and the small format book (the size of a DVD case) are packed with information and detail. From the layout of the foundation, digging, forming and pouring of the grade beam and ALL other parts of the construction of the house this is a great way to get a complete understanding of all the parts of building a house. Straw bale builders will probably get more info from this since you see the post and beam structure of the house raised and framed the infill of the walls with bales, wiring, and scratch and finishing color plaster ideas. They show the construction of a rain collection system using a buried plastic septic tank for non-potable use (don't know why this limitation).

For the price ($24 at the time of this writing) this is better than 99% of other resources I've come across. For adobe construction, Tibbets' Earthbuilders Encyclopedia CD has much more detail on adobe construction, but does not have any video like this item. FIVE STARS only because I can't award six!

The pairing of the excellent dvd and a companion guidebook. The book shares the same high-quality production as the dvd, and goes into a bit more detail here and there on topics that the dvd doesn't. Worth a few extra dollars.

DVD shows how to build a straw bale house step by step. This DVD and guidebook make me easier to understand the process of the building.

I highly recommend this resource if you are thinking of/are building with straw or other alternative materials. Ted Owens fuses practical functionality with green design that ends up being both beautiful and environmentally friendly! The product comes with a paper back guide book that details the construction of the strawbale/adobe house (that is very photo rich), as well as a DVD of the building process that is very detailed, yet doesn't drag out - despite it's 2h 45min length! Additionally, there is another audio track on the DVD that you can select to gain Ted's own further commentary on the various parts of the building process. The book, the DVD and the DVD's second audio track provide an enormous wealth of information, especially for the price for which it is listed. His project is only 800 square feet, but his principles can be utilized and maximized for a larger family dwelling. He also details rainwater harvesting & grey water recycling systems that are very informative. I have watched this video 3 times already and have enjoyed every minute. Strawbale, Adobe, Post & Beam construction, water systems, photovoltaic systems, plumbing, wiring, earth plastering, and concrete work are all highlighted in this book and DVD. I would consider this resource a "first place to start" if you are interested in learning about or are undertaking a strawbale home. Excellent all around product in every way, I have not been disappointed!

Great transaction, when notified that the product was faulty company was quick to apologize, return money and send RMA. Would do business again..

This is a great resource for anyone considering building their own home from alternative building materials. Although the emphasis is on construction of straw bale walls, the use of adobe for both interior (for heat storing mass) and exterior walls is covered in detail. Additionally, the use of earth-based plasters and mortars is demonstrated. The use of a rubble footing is demonstrated. Rainwater collection for non-potable use is covered in some detail. The use of sun powered electricity for an off-grid installation is also covered, but with a little less detail. I like the fact that a couple of the building techniques did not go exactly as hoped for, and the author was honest about how he fixed them, and how he would have done things differently. I also appreciate that the author admitted he was not an authority in certain building/electrical/framing areas, and for these topics he recruited experts who do a great job of explaining and demonstrating their areas of expertise. The amount of detail and information is almost awe inspiring. I know that last sentence sounds a little cheesy, but I live off-grid in a self-built home of tires and compacted earth, so I have some appreciation of what the author of this DVD accomplished. Not only did he build a home of mostly sustainable materials, but he was able to demonstrate and explain how and why he did things in ways the average viewer can understand.

The production quality and editing are outstanding.
And here's something interesting about the DVD...if you hit the "audio" button on your remote control, you can hear a second track of audio, which explains stuff in even greater detail! A great value!

I don't understand some of the other some what neutral or negative reviews, we are in the process of building a straw bale home and this book/dvd has proved to be priceless. Ted takes you meticulously thru every phase of construction with nothing left to the imagination. Do not build until you watch this video and read this book! We have read other books but this is in a class of it's on.

The combination of a book that summerize skills and a DVD that shows how to do in details, is the best I know to learn any skill.

I watched the video last night and it was excellent - very professional production and content. I don't normally write reviews but was inspired to do so on this occasion since my expectations were far exceeded.

It was so helpful to be able to see how to build a green home from start to finish. It gave me so much hope that I will be able to do this for myself one day.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is something everyone should see.