Build Your Own: Use What you Have to Create What You Need: Harrison Gardner
For me one of the truly inspiring leaders in Ireland right now is Harrison Gardner. I was a founding board member of his nonprofit organisation, Common Knowledge, and wrote the forward to this wonderfully comprehensive guide that empowers individuals to construct and maintain their own homes using readily available materials. I built my own strawbale house in 1997, and this is the book that I would most have adored to have at the time. It delves into fundamental construction principles and offers practical techniques such as plastering, earth moving, basic demolition, insulation installation, building internal walls, and attaching cladding. Gardner emphasizes the importance of reviving traditional building skills to foster a more harmonious relationship with the environment. ~ Manchán Magan
Harrison Gardner is an Australian eco-builder and sustainability designer based in the West of Ireland. Harrison is co-founder and executive director of Common Knowledge, a not-for-profit that aims to empower people with the skills and solutions for living a sustainable life. With over ten years' experience designing and managing the construction of conventional and off-grid buildings throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the USA, Canada and South America, Harrison’s focus is on constructing community spaces, teaching individuals how to build and maintain their own homes, and sharing core construction principles and techniques. He built his own home and has taught hundreds of people to do the same.
For me one of the truly inspiring leaders in Ireland right now is Harrison Gardner. I was a founding board member of his nonprofit organisation, Common Knowledge, and wrote the forward to this wonderfully comprehensive guide that empowers individuals to construct and maintain their own homes using readily available materials. I built my own strawbale house in 1997, and this is the book that I would most have adored to have at the time. It delves into fundamental construction principles and offers practical techniques such as plastering, earth moving, basic demolition, insulation installation, building internal walls, and attaching cladding. Gardner emphasizes the importance of reviving traditional building skills to foster a more harmonious relationship with the environment. ~ Manchán Magan
Harrison Gardner is an Australian eco-builder and sustainability designer based in the West of Ireland. Harrison is co-founder and executive director of Common Knowledge, a not-for-profit that aims to empower people with the skills and solutions for living a sustainable life. With over ten years' experience designing and managing the construction of conventional and off-grid buildings throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the USA, Canada and South America, Harrison’s focus is on constructing community spaces, teaching individuals how to build and maintain their own homes, and sharing core construction principles and techniques. He built his own home and has taught hundreds of people to do the same.
For me one of the truly inspiring leaders in Ireland right now is Harrison Gardner. I was a founding board member of his nonprofit organisation, Common Knowledge, and wrote the forward to this wonderfully comprehensive guide that empowers individuals to construct and maintain their own homes using readily available materials. I built my own strawbale house in 1997, and this is the book that I would most have adored to have at the time. It delves into fundamental construction principles and offers practical techniques such as plastering, earth moving, basic demolition, insulation installation, building internal walls, and attaching cladding. Gardner emphasizes the importance of reviving traditional building skills to foster a more harmonious relationship with the environment. ~ Manchán Magan
Harrison Gardner is an Australian eco-builder and sustainability designer based in the West of Ireland. Harrison is co-founder and executive director of Common Knowledge, a not-for-profit that aims to empower people with the skills and solutions for living a sustainable life. With over ten years' experience designing and managing the construction of conventional and off-grid buildings throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the USA, Canada and South America, Harrison’s focus is on constructing community spaces, teaching individuals how to build and maintain their own homes, and sharing core construction principles and techniques. He built his own home and has taught hundreds of people to do the same.