Topic: Portable materials & energy-free building methods?

Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

I'm planning to build an additional sleeping room adjacent to our existing bach.

The catch is that the site is only accessible by an uphill walking path. It's not too steep, but it has bends and trees close-growing trees. Also, there is no electricity even vaguely nearby.

I'm therefore interested in:
a) building materials/methods that use highly portable or site-sourced materials. Anything we use onsite has to be carried up that path, so it can't be too big/long (too awkward with the trees and corners) or too heavy (I'm no weight-lifter). The fewer trips we have to make up and down the better too!
b) building materials/methods that don't require electricity. No electric drills, saws or sanders. No electric concrete mixer.

There is a workshop at the bottom of the path (no electricity there either of course), with a builders bench, vice and lathe.

The soil is primarily clay, some rocks here and there but not lots. Tree cover primarily manuka and other regenerating natives (not touching those, but the manuka's fine). There might be a bit of bamboo at the bottom of the path (though we've managed to mostly eradicate it as it was invasive).

One more thing: bonus points for building materials/methods that are easy to make rat-proof. The place is in the bush, and the rats are keen to get in to places that are warm and dry and might have food in them. Also bonus points for materials/methods that are fire-resistant.

And of course as low-cost as possible.

Does need to be safe for me, but I'm not planning to bring any building inspectors through, so strict accordance with building regs is not required.

Will be interested to see what ideas people have!

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

Like this? He hasn't got electricity.
www.thebesthut.blogspot.co.nz

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

That is the coolest thing I have ever seen. Obviously the council up there dont watch Sainsbury!

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

Yes, lovely, but:
- I don't have a team of builder friends to call on to work at night to make it happen;
- Larger items could be lifted to the Tree Bach site by a pulley system. This is not an option for our site.
- The access to the hut is completely clear of trees (and may even be a road).
- It looks to me as though the majority of materials used in the Tree Bach are traditional building materials (plasterboard, wood structural beams, board and batten cladding, corrugated iron roof).

Indeed, I may have to accept that the only realistic option (though not a cheap outlay) is to have a whole lot of supplies helipcoptered on to the site. However, I'd like to be sure I've investigated all other alternatives first.

My other working assumption is that the most likely workable solution is to do earthbag walls (bags are light and fill can be sourced onsite), though it's not as rat-proof as I'd like. I could put some chicken wire on the outside but suspect rust would make it ineffective at key points.

For the roof, again some sort of green roof would be ideal, but I assume with the weight it would need a strong support structure, which would mean heavy beams, which would make it less doable.

The floor would also be a challenge, and could be where I have to accept a whole lot of heavy trips up and down the path, though that still doesn't answer the question of what to use. I could use some locally-sourced bricks, with damp-proof course paper on top, as bearers for something, but what? Ideally some sort of small interlocking flat timber squares.

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

Plan well ahead and stack materials that can be left out in the weather near the start of the track. Each time someone goes up the track they must carry one item. This makes a big difference.
Athfield used this method to get concrete blocks down the hill site of his house. Others have used this method to get soil to roof gardens.

Hire something like this (http://www.hirepool.co.nz/Hirepool-Equipment/Equipment/Lifting---Handling/Dumpers) when you have a lot to move at once, or heavy things that require more people than you can organise. It just requires walking track access, and if you organise things well, you can do a lot of moving in a short time to minimise hire time.

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

Should add - something like a smaller version of this: http://www.simondale.net/house/
could work, but with earthbag walls instead of straw.

However, as noted, I'm interested in any other suggestions.

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

Thanks for the dumper recommendation! There are parts of the path that are not currently wide enough for it (and have steps), but widening to 800mm could be manageable, and boards used for navigating steps. Excellent!

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

Oh, it's only the tray that's 730. Path would need to be 900mm I think for an 850mm wide dumper. Hmmm. Will have to inspect path next time I'm up there to see if that's feasible. Would allow use of concrete blocks, which would be a bonus.
Yes, agree about the stacking and carrying every time someone goes up.
Athfield (and everyone else on our piece of land) was smart and built his place downhill of the road...

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

If you get a large enough dumper, they can span a few steps and can cope with them fine. They are skid steer so go around reasonably tight corners if you don't mind a chewed surface. If loaded carefully they go all sorts of places. DOC use them in very challenging terrain, but they can be tipped if you are careless or try to go too quickly. They are fantastic on steep uphill terrain but be wary of their balance, especially downhill.

Re: Portable materials & energy-free building methods? 

id just get a chopper. it costs a lot per hour,but can lift a huge amount,and its all done in no time.if you have to pay labour youll use a lot of money,as well as paying for the dumper rent.youll probably find the chopper can do 3 loads in half an hour.
or sponsor a rugby team to cart stuff up your track for the day.