A Visit to an Eco Constructed House

One of the unexpected joys of the Wild Studio Retreat was a visit to the eco house on the property that Sarah Nicholson co -owns with the owners of the eco house. This house has been constructed of hay and lime with very thick walls and a central cool store in the middle of the house that keeps food fresh by constantly bringing in air from outside and redistributing air from the cool room to the outside. This central system divides the house into a number of specific partitions with walls that have been constructed to take in shelves and interesting textural elements. The photos below show more of the interior of the house.

In addition to main house there is a circular structure made the same way for cool storing winter vegetable. Squash and pumpkins are stored on elevated bamboo platforms to keep them away from pests. in much the same way as the Maori patika would have worked. Modern appliances have been incorporated into the house but the heating/cooling aspect of the house is structural and integral to the unit.