Build your House like your Wedding Dress

Tiny Insights from the countryside.

No.012 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 4 minutes

We all (including us) now live in boxes.

Not because we like them but because it is cheaper to build.

Builder gets more value per square foot.

Convenient to hang the 55” TV on rectilinear walls.

Illustration: Michael Kirkham

Truth is we all are tired of living in the box.

Most houses today are monotonous, uninspiring, soulless, and emotionless, kill our creativity, and are driven by the modular dimensions of materials available in the market.

It seems that most architects, engineers, bankers, developers, code writers, and local building officials are all part of a giant tacit conspiracy to fill one another's pockets at the expense of the householder and of our hard- pressed environment. The system works best for them if we buy their rectilinear, industri- ally processed building components.

Linda Smiley, Director, Cob Cottage Company

Building and living are both spiritual processes. It is not one size fits all.

Wedding dress is personal.

Measured and made to fit your body.

Unique and customized.

Comfortable.

Reflects your personality.

Like your wedding dress, the house is like a breathable second skin that wraps around your daily life and activities.

A living sculpture that evolves with your needs. It should reflect your personality and nurture your daily routine and hobbies.

Every element in the building should connect with one's self.

The built environment should be a space that is a source of joy and connection, choreographed to live and not only to impress.

WIP photo of our Hand-Sculpted House in Rishikesh

Our ancestors did not require Neufert, a building standard to follow.

They built according to their anthropometric measurements, using common sense.

Unlike the conventional architecture practice, which often follows a rigid process—

Bubble diagrams→Rectilinear shapes→Concept→Design→Drawings→

Material Selection from existing vendors→Execution.

Natural architecture embraces a more intuitive approach —

Materials→Sample testing→Design→Drawings→Design evolves during Execution

The natural materials dictate the shapes, textures, and colors.

Natural materials whisper.

If you listen carefully,

A stone tells you where it wants to be placed.

A ball of Cob tells you how it wants to be sculpted.

Everything in nature is unique.

Although there is logic and geometry nothing exists as rectilinear. It costs extra energy and money to take a round tree and make it into a square.

A funny tweet we came across -

Image courtesy: Green Humour

Natural homes elevate the spirit and help you create your fairytale.

If you later in life design your own house from scratch, envision it like your wedding dress.

Have an “Out of the box” Sunday!

Raghav and Ansh

One question we are pondering this week -
If you won a lottery, what activities or tasks in your life would you stop doing?

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

What you can watch - Inspired By. . . SunRay Kelley

"My architecture really is about raising human consciousness.”

Sun Ray Kelley is our hero. He is known for building whimsical handmade castles, yurts, temples, spirit lodges, tree houses, pavilions, and structures.

Also, considered to be the Master Builder of the Counterculture.

Kelley called the woods of the Pacific Northwest, “God’s hardware store,” and made buildings using windfall trees, gnarled branches, mud, rocks, and boulders.

Unfortunately, he passed away this year at the age of 71 but both the man and his work will inspire us forever.

Sun Ray Kelley at his 9-acre Farm

Aarti is an architect, with a deep interest in ecological design and the visual arts. Her interdisciplinary practice - based out of a small village in Uttarakhand in the Central Himalayas of India - explores interconnections between ecology, design, climate, culture, and social identity.

In this conversation, we explore what building beauty means and how we can connect with our intuitive sense.

If you have the same question, read the full thread.

P.P.S. - Our next YouTube video drops today at 12 noon.

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Tiny Farm Friends Newsletter.
Every Sunday, we share tiny valuable lessons to help you transition to the countryside and build naturally.