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Alternative Energy & Architecture

Solar Panel Wire and Voltage Charts

Aug 27th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

To connect the components of a Solar Energy System, you will need to use correct wire sizes to ensure low loss of energy and to prevent overheating and possible damage or even fire. This chart shows wire distances for a 3% voltage drop or less. These distances are calculated for a 12 volt solar power system but can be applied to 24 and 48v systems. I’ve also included a voltage guide so that you can better understand how to gauge your current battery power.



The Borderless House

Aug 27th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

I’ve found a short film which is very amusing. Nice little plot and cinematography, with no speaking and some very nice space saving ideas that you might find interesting. Check it out! A short movie about alternative architecture! Who’da thought?



Little House on the Trailer

Aug 16th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

The Little House on the Trailer is available in slightly more spacious versions up to 400 sq ft. Although essentially a mobile home, these structures are beautiful. With a much higher attention to detail than is normally found in traditional mobile homes, The Little House on the Trailer is more like high-end construction.



Ten Tips For Decorating a Small Studio Apartment

Aug 10th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

Studio apartments and small houses can be difficult to decorate because everything is basically all in one big (or not so big) room. Sometimes this small space has to accommodate several different activities: sleeping, entertaining, cooking and an office area. Here are ten tips for decorating a small studio apartment or tiny house…



Textures of Time: A Vanishing America Told in Pictures

Jul 26th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

All across America, a familiar type of landscape can be found: empty buildings, decaying storefronts and deserted streets. They’re not ghost towns, but rather the remnants of a different time. Main streets which were once booming centers of commerce are now often populated with the imagined ghosts of a time when super-stores and corporate chains were still on the far horizon.



Residential Reservoir: Huge Water Tower-to-House Remodel

Jul 21st, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

The sheer mass of this structure is astonishing: the cylinder is over sixty feet in diameter with an interior that is nearly four stories tall, rounded out by reinforced concrete walls that measure about three feet thick. The design solution makes the most of both the existing open-plan layout and shelter of the massive cylindrical form; bedrooms, bathrooms and other private areas are lofted inside, suspended from the sides toward the top with views out to the rest of the larger interior space.



Quick Update on the Homesteading Experiment

Jul 19th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture, Blog, Editorials & Conspiracies

I know it’s been quite some time since I posted a story about my homesteading attempt, so I figured it was time to sit down and share a few pictures! With the extreme heat (113 degree heat index!), we’ve been working at night mostly.

The cabin plans are 14′x24′ with 10′ 8″ ceilings. It will have a very slightly sloped roof, almost flat, and high windows spanning the top portion of the southern wall (passive solar heating for the winter).

Hit the link for pictures!



The New Homesteaders: Off the Grid and Self-Reliant

Jul 7th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture, Emergency Preparedness & Survival

You may have heard about them: Off-the-gridders living in radical opposition to modern amenities by growing their own food and cutting themselves off from the rest of society. Not so. Sure, more people are choosing to cut their dependence on the power grid, the grocery story and fuel pump. But these new homesteaders are hardly radicals — they are simply DIYers who, for a variety of reasons, revel in self-reliance. This is their story.



Do You Really Need That Much Space? 10 Examples of Tiny Houses

Jun 11th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

Tiny houses have never truly gone out of style. From the very early days of home building, when the construction was done by hand and usually by the people who would be occupying the home, small homes have been built out of necessity. But today many people continue the trend for the sake of simplicity or the environment. Living in a minuscule home definitely encourages you to rid your life of all types of clutter and get back to what is really important. These truly tiny homes – some modern, some classic – exemplify the best of space-saving architecture.



Compact Living Ideas – Lofted Beds

May 20th, 2010 | By Kevin Hayden | Category: Alternative Energy & Architecture

It’s a sad fact that smaller living areas like apartment and flats usually limit furniture ideas and arrangements, hence why a large bed might be a problem. But worry no more, as we just laid our eyes on a lofted bed collection that will solve all your space crunch problems.