Build a dream fairytale-house with these 8 books

Tiny Insights from the countryside.

No.014 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 4 minutes

We believe building a humble shelter is a spiritual process.
It is a challenge and pleasure that everyone should experience in one’s life.

Constructing a shelter requires self-reliance and resourcefulness. 

It forces individuals to rely on their skills and creativity, fostering a sense of independence and confidence.

Building a shelter can reconnect individuals with nature. It encourages mindfulness and living in the present moment.

It can be a catalyst for personal growth.

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There is some of the same fitness in a man's building his own house that there is in a bird's building its own nest. Who knows but if men constructed their dwellings with their own hands, and provided food for themselves and families simply and honestly enough, the poetic faculty would be universally developed, as birds universally sing when they are so engaged? But alas! we do like cowbirds and cuckoos, which lay their eggs in nests which other birds have built, and cheer no traveller with their chattering and unmusical notes. Shall we forever resign the pleasure of construction to the carpenter? 

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

You don’t need to be an architect to build a house.

Being architects we had to unlearn a lot of stuff that was taught in the institution to get back in touch with our intuition and build with common sense.

If Animals can build it you can too.
You can read our previous post on what we can learn from animals, insects, and birds.

These 8 books had a profound impact on our journey. They played a big role in helping us build our dream hand-sculpted fairytale house.

  1. Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau spent two years by the Walden Pond. He built a small cabin on land owned by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. This book is a classic and inspired us to go into the woods.

Our key takeaways:

  • Creating uncluttered living spaces, echoing Thoreau's call for simplicity.

  • Harmonizing and integrating the shelter with natural surroundings.

  • Building a natural shelter with mindfulness and spiritual connection.

  1. Mud Ball - How I Dug Myself Out of the Daily Grind by Atlulya K. Bingham

Atulya shares her journey of building a new life and a new home out of mud in Turkey's mountain wilderness. It gave us the courage to escape the everyday monotonous life and start building a shelter.

  1. The Hand-Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage by Ianto Evan, Michael G. Smith, Linda Smiley

This book is a perfect gateway for beginners to start their natural building journey. It starts with the philosophy and covers all the technical aspects of building a hand-sculpted cob house.

  1. A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander

It teaches us the language of building structures with timeless beauty through self-aware design and a meaningful process.

  1. Build Your Own Earth Oven: A Low-Cost Wood-Fired Mud Oven, Simple Sourdough Bread, Perfect Loaves by Kiko Denzer, Hannah Field

Building a small project such as a cob oven is ideal for the learning curve one requires to build with a cob.

  1. The Simple Roundhouse Manual by Tony Wrench

This book put a roof over our heads. Literally. The detailed information helped us build a reciprocal living roof over an amoeba-shaped building.

  1. The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes by Cedar Rose Guelberth, Dan Chiras

A comprehensive guide for earthen plastering for first-time builders.

  1. Earthen Floors by Sukita Reay Crimmel

We are currently in the process of laying our earthen floor and this illustrated guide explains every part of the process.

We managed to find free PDF versions for nearly all the books and put the links in this handy spreadsheet

These books are a great way to start your journey when clubbed with your intuitive sense and followed by action.

Have a “read a good book” Sunday!

Raghav and Ansh

One question we are pondering this week -

If you could pick a house from a fairy tale movie to live in, which one would it be?

PS: We’d love to know what you thought of this newsletter, feel free to click reply and let us know!

Jon is a leader in bringing the natural building movement to Thailand and is the founder of Pun Pun Center for Self-reliance, an organic farm outside Chiang Mai.

“ If you learn to be an architect or engineer, that means you ruin more. The more these people work, the more mountains will be destroyed… and good land in Chayo Praya Basin will be covered with concrete more and more. “

Artist and builder working with earth and fiber in Scotland and beyond. She is the founder of Rebearth. Listen to the heartwarming conversation between Becky and Jeffery Hart, the host of Building Sustainability Podcast.

What you can read - We have already shared an extensive list of books to read ;)

P.P.S. - Our new podcast drops today at 6 PM.

Listen and Subscribe to our YouTube, and Spotify channels

Thank you <3

Also, today is the last day to order Hybrid Calendar Planner 2024, use TFF24 for a special discount.

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