Idaho modern oldtimer builds underground & solar $50 houses
Mike Oehler lived for over 30 years in an underground home that he built for $50 (and expanded for $500) on his land in Northern Idaho near the Canadian border. Now in his seventies his arthritis keeps him from hiking up to his home, but he continues to “write and proselytize” In 1968 like thousands of other San Franciscans hoping to go “back to the land”, Oehler bought property and began to build a homestead. After spending a winter freezing in a small cabin, he designed a home that would use the earth as insulation. With his first attempt he fell into the easy errors of what he calls a “first thought house”: a hole cut into a hillside with south-facing windows. Gradually he began to innovate with subterranean design, creating better ways for letting light in: among them “the Hollywood Wing”, “the Royer foyer”, gables and most-importantly the “uphill patio” (which also provides space for an earth-sheltered greenhouse). He also created an inexpensive, low-tech approach to basic design with what he calls PSP or Post/shoring/polyethlene. Mike Oehler's "$50 & Up Underground House Book": http://www.undergroundhousing.com/
Comments
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I believe a steel container will be the right choice for underground more stable for Earthquakes more Seal for water
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Amazing
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what!? for this hole under ground?? hahaha !!
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It's totally Not underground. Hmmm.
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Thanks for the video, Kirsten, I just ordered his book. It's very nice to be able to support him, and get an education at the same time, for just a few bucks!
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I've wanted to do what he's done, build a house close to or in the mountains, that's self sufficient, electrical power, water source with pressure and heat, a means of growing and storing and cooking food, maybe some livestock (I like eating meat). Biggest problem how does one get to a point in life that they can do all this, time and money? Were so connected to the grid of civilization it's seemly impossible to disconnect fully. Most of the jobs we work hold no direct bearing to our life, we buy food we didn't have a part in growing or producing, we live in a house or apartment we had no stake in building. Food and shelter are the only things in life we really must have. But how many of us could provide those things if we were left to our own devices?
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So I guess you would have to own the land you build on, right? Otherwise, you could be forced off.
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He is a great man! I want to live in a house like that!
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You can tell he was a child of the 50's with his preoccupation with nuclear fallout! LOL! However, these days again, who knows?
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È un dispiacere vederle ridotte così male.
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Thanks for the video
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So cool ,thanks
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i am soo amazed. this man is awesome
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just die old man, lol jk
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why don't we do all homes like this? answer, America wants all your money tax this tax that. you go buy a house got to pay property tax , what the fuck government should be paying us for having power lines going over our land paying us for pipes under our land but noooo we buy a home but never really own it for you have to pay that tax still for life fuckin dick heads tax these nuts dammit you do.
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Mr. Oehler has quite the imagination, and it serves him well. The new house looks like it's going to be beautiful.
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GOD bless you lovely man .
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oh my god. how do I do this.
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this dudes living Minecraft IRL
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Alls good till a satchsqatch eats him
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