Wired Science

Here's an interesting problem to the simple folk. What if were possible for someone who has an income of a walmart employee at the low imcome bracket to actually afford getting a home (whatever size)? How would this impossible ecomonic problem be solved? Sort've like University students and graduates finding it affordable to get an education. One solution is simple; but would be hated by the right; barter the resources and effort required for the tasks to make it happen and you'll find that ignoring present monetary and ecomomic comparisons, present day costs of living have not changed that much and should have been easier compared to the past. If not true, them most humans in the USA were all conned without knowing it. If this is a load of crapola, then the old are basically saving enough to hopefully make you young folk try to work for use for us in spite of not wanting to do things for the old. The real solution to a lot of problem is make old age go away... Good with that.

We have built a straw bale house, without doing financing, all work by ourselves, and occasional family and friends. This is just one of many simple and relatively inexpensive alternatives to conventional(and usually more expensive) housing solutions. It would be nice if building codes could be somewhat reworked to allow owner-builders more latitude in methods and materials.

Dr. Sinclair, I appreciated the new innocations in archicture for the downtrdden. I'd like more information abut the 8 dollar house, and connectors for the bambo/branch shelters. Thanks for you for your fine presentation!

HEY THERE DOC.I'VE BEEN A BUILDER IN THS SOUTHWEST,TX/NM SINCE1977.WHAT CAN I DO IN THE SAN ANTONIO TX.AREA,I REPEAT A ''BUILDER'' NOT AN ARCHITECT.CHEERS AND GOOD BUILDING

Stumbled onto your program just tonight. The interview with Mr. Sinclair was beginning. This is a marvelous opportunity to reach beyond the selfishness of just going to work and paying the bills. Thank you for the exciting possibilities to put us all into the action. Will be considering what I can do. And I will be telling others, this is the future!!

What material is the UN tunnel tent made of? What are the dimensions. What is the cost?

hello mr. sinclair. i totally love that you and ms.stohr have found a way to use your profession to profoundly affect the lives of so many. human kind needs more of this. thanks for being such good stewards.

Thanks very much for the good and usable information. I'm very interested in the 8 dollar house and what plastic it is used for it. Also about the connectors for bamboo shelters. Where can I find more info on it?

Just happened to turn to the station when you were being interviewed. Love what the organization is about. I am no architect but have a strong interest in functional creativity and the effect of design on quality of life. Will be thinking and watching.

Dr. Sinclair -

I'm an engineer interested in utilizing the exceptional tensile strength of bamboo. How can I get information on obtaining the connectors that attach the structural members and the cover material?
Thanks!

These look like the connectors:

http://www.shelter-systems.com/gripclips/grip-clip-pro-1.html

no details though on how to build the dome.

Mr. Sinclair's interview was inspiring. The dramatic concepts far beyond usual practice give us hope. I'll surely read the book.

I'm interested in knowing if your ideas are adaptable to housing for low and mid income support people ( medical personel,teachers, police/fire, city admin. support personel, etc.)in a city of high income retirees. High ground cost has forced most support people out in to rural areas.Your ideas can make a bright future for our children. Thanks

I recycle or reuse everything I can but unfortunately in my city plastic bags are not recycled. Do you think it would be possible to build houses with bales of plastic bags? Or could the plastic bales be used to make retaining walls. I was really interested in your interview tonite, it's good to hear of innovative ways of building. Thanx

@Sieglinde: you need a bunch of <a href="http://shelter-systems.com/gripclips/">grip clips</a> to make the $8 house.
<a href="http://blogs.sun.com/downstream/tags/afh">downstream on AFH</a>

I just happened upon your program interview tonight and it was inspiring. I am particularly interested in the fact that traditional cultural shelters were constructed using modern materials and technologies that improved the structures, were able to be built by the people (refugees) and improved their lives (water off the lightweight concrete roofs in Africa) while maintaining the cultural designs.
I am an architect and designer in Hawaii and would like to know how I can get involved and use alternate solutions for our people in the US.

As a college student in environmental sciences I am truley inspired by the aspects of helping others by something so simple that would have a low impact on the earth as well. It's an exciting day.

This is an important topic and it was great that you all broadcast the information about this organization.

In Chicago a big part of the problem of affordable housing is the grip that unions have on the cost of labor in building. Chicago is a union town in an era of globalization.

A good concept would be...if neighborhood people earn $7 an hour...their houses should be built by $7 an hour labor...with of course the stipulation that it is quality and satisfies local building code.

What we have now is a formula where poorer neighborhood housing is built with $50-$100 an hour labor...which of course displaces anyone not rich enough to afford that pricetag (wage rate quoted includes all costs including payroll tax, workmens' comp, insurance, sick days, vacations etc) It is an insane model.

Dr. Sinclair,

I'm kinda tired of designing brick and block buildings (30 yrs.)! It's time for me to uncluttter, lay back and design the common folk (low -class) person to how affordable home

I'm also interested in where to obtain the structural clips. Can someone provide more info? The clips other folks here posted are not the same...

Thanks!
Phil

I needed to see this segment. It made me feel better to know there are a few people out there that care enough to help others without the greed factor. I smiled the rest of the night and am looking for the book.
Thanks for sharing your talents.

I am very interested in the grip clips mentioned in your interview. Any information would be appreciated.
Where do I submit shelter designs for your project?
Thanks

Where could I get more information on the $8 house.

Where do I find the clips?

Where do I find instructions.

Can I purchase the clips in the US?

Why not do a hour long program so more information can

shown and dicussed. I find this particular portion of

the program to be vague. I"m refering to the $8 house

section of Wired Science.

Good work Keep it up for the sake of us all!

pls. show us some build low cost housing thanks ...

Hi all,
I've been on the road a few days and it's great to see a lively debate going. Just to clarify, I'm not a doctor (although I guess I can play one on TV).

The Grip Clips that I spoke about are available from Shelter Systems at - http://shelter-systems.com/gripclips/ A review of this is found in Design Like You Give A Damn, the book we wrote last year.

Our work can be found at www.architectureforhumanity.org and we are currently building homes on the Gulf Coast and on the Hopi Nation, community centers in India and health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

If you feeling inspired you can certainly enter the Open Architecture Challenge - http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/challenge - to develop a technology facility in the developing work. The winning design will be build and you will be the architect.

Cheers
Cameron Sinclair.

una inspiracion para el resto del mundo tendria que hablar en la onu para que todas las naciones lo ayudaran muchas gracias

Where can I get more info and instructions on the $8.00 House, and parts?

I have often thought about these issues "affordable housing" for the poor and/or displaced persons. Even now there are, in the event of natural dissaster, a huge problem within every big city if water and sewage treatment are made disfunctional due to earth-quake. I feel that disease will run rampant because people will not properly disposse of thier waste. And, to hear the ideas of most people I have talked to, that in such an event, many would also swarm around ponds, lakes and rivers. There in, polluting those areas and spreding desease. All that may be needed to avert such a thing would be national and world wide education on the ideas of cleanliness of those waterways. I hope someone with some influance could and would do more to avert this great potential epidemic.

I saw your segment on kcet's wired science. Thank you for refocusing my view. I was wandering in an architectural wilderness. Truly uplifting.

what about Dennis weavers's rammed earth and old tires?

This was a very interesting interview. People are quite capable, when given basic tools, to create living spaces within the limitations of their own environment. As the global climate changes, we should all be well aware of what disaster can bring upon us and how we can compensate utilizing the nature around us.