Shelter for Soul Communities

Gary

The Cosmic Force
FOTCM Member
I am striving to work out how I may of Service to Others, what can I DO? I have been contemplating this question for awhile now, and know it is time to begin ‘filling my lamp with oil’, as much as I can given my current level of knowledge and being.

Upon reading the Principles of the Fellowship of the Cosmic Mind, and particularly the section on Soul Communities, I have continually pondered on what ’rebuilding soul communities’ may mean from a physical, as well as spiritual/psychological sense. I know it is the soul that matters, and I have some understanding that it “who we are and what we see“ that counts. We speak much on diet, canning, breathing meditation, networking, self Work etc to prepare for the coming Wave. But what about shelter?

We all need shelter to live in - whilst we are still here in 3D. Just as we still need to eat and breath; yet by having applied knowledge (by critical thinking and examining true Science), we now have Paleo/keto diet and EE. Invariably, our homes are is filled with toxins, built by strangers with no ‘loving intention’, are supporting pathological systems such as financial institutions, big land owners and governmental bodies - planning restrictions/building regulations etc. So, what about applying knowledge to our homes / shelter; arguably the most important aspect being - protection from the elements!

This post is an attempt at reviewing our concept of ‘shelter‘, in terms of application of knowledge - and personally for me to gain more clarity in what I can DO. My ideal life and individual aim, is essentially to aspire to Live as part of a real life soul community and to contribute as much as possibly to the overall aims of our network here. I am ‘steward’ of a couple of acres in Portugal, where I have always envisioned sharing with collinear folk - if/when that would be appropriate; striving to put into practice much of what we are learning here. A recent ‘shock’ which I have shared in the Psychology section, has helped to guide me from striving to DO more, rather than contemplate.

As there is no specific mention of ‘shelter’ within the aforementioned Principles, and little on the forum, I have felt reticent in pursuing this line of thinking. But then how else can I learn if I don’t ask? I feel my current home/shelter is not ‘fit for purpose’ with stormy times ahead, even if I move it South. Although I am a qualified Architect with passion for natural building, I am currently working as a social carer, but feel increasingly drawn (no pun intended) to the design and building of simple shelters based on my current level of knowledge. If we are facing an extinction type event (as evidence suggests) as the Wave approaches, should our shelter be part of our ’preparedness’ checklist? As much as we may be undergoing genetic mutations on a cellular level, in becoming a more ‘optimal human’ for survival within this Living System, perhaps our dwellings or ‘hurricane shelters’ need ‘adapting‘ or reviewing, to be more ‘optimal‘ also? Based on Intelligent Design - not from any fear based emotional mentality. The butterfly prior to metamorphosis has a ‘cocoon’ that seems to have been designed ‘evolutionary adaptive’ for that species at that time.

At the Barcelona Conference, Laura mentioned Bryrant Shiller (author of The Origin of Life: The 5th Option) who takes an engineering approach to studying the Living System. This “concerns itself with form, the structure, pattern, organization or essential nature of anything, the outward appearance of something that distinguishes it from what it is made.” After viewing a Gaudi exhibition that weekend also, I began to think more about taking an architectural (or engineering) approach to dwelling or shelter design, as a potentially important aspect of how to ’be prepared’. My brief to myself has been basically: what type of dwelling or shelter is optimal for survival based on my current intelligence / awareness.

It is the earthbag dome.

They can be ‘earth change’ mitigating, really affordable (dirt cheap!) and because they are labour intensive are suited to group cooperation. An Iranian architect, Nader Khalili, is widely acknowledged as coming up with the concept which he calls ‘super adobe’ (sandbag and barbed wire) technology. It is patented in the US, and has passed strict Californian Building Codes for being ‘earthquake proof.’ (Personally, irrespective of design and construction details, location of any building is an extremely important consideration) The website is _www.calearth.org

“We must also prepare ourselves for the inevitable disasters. One of the best ways to shield against fire, flood, and storm may as well be with earth, water, air and fire. Nature does that itself. The equilibrium of the natural elements are the natural balancing acts among these universal elements. To build simple emergency and safe structures in our backyards, to give us maximum safety with minimum environmental impact, we must choose natural materials and, like nature itself, build with minimum materials to create maximum space, like a beehive or a sea shell. The strongest structures in nature which work in tune with gravity, friction, minimum exposure and maximum compression, are arches, domes and vault forms. And they can be easily learned and utilize the most available material on earth: Earth." - Nader Khalili

Another couple of good websites are:

_www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles/honey house

The Honey House is a 12-foot (interior) diameter corbelled earthbag dome built in 1996. The earthbag work was constructed in 19 days. The plastering was an ongoing summer project. Cost of all materials was about $1500 (US). Included in this price was professional backhoe service to dig the foundation, all reject soil delivered, bags, barbed wire, window and door forms, manufactured windows and custom-made door.

_www.earthhandsandhouses.org

I attended one of Paulina’s natural building courses a few years ago.

“The circle is seen as a symbol of reciprocity and cooperation as opposed to the pyramid which is seen as a symbol of hierarchy.”

Circle and pyramid people - Cass Glossary

I am intending to design and build a small prototype shelter, an ‘earth ark’ at the farm where I currently live in my caravan. After which I could begin to help others practically if there was a need, perhaps by offering courses or assisting small groups where they live. I live off-grid a lot, but could still contribute or share my experiences/knowledge here too.
Before I expend time, money and energy on pursuing this potential path, I would greatly appreciate some feedback.

I just want to share some thoughts Laura has expressed in her book The Noah Syndrome.

“My search for the true meaning of Love, Salvation, Faith and Eternal Life was, essentially, a search for the meaning of the Ark.
Metaphorically speaking, there is not better expression of this search than the story of Noah and the Ark. All of the quests of life and love and existence can be expressed in this story of a man, faced with the destruction of his world - and in this case, it was literally destruction of the entire world, or so the story goes - and he set about building an Ark.
Clearly, ’building an Ark’ was considered to be an aberration in this time of Noah. His behaviour was obviously looked upon askance by those around him. A syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that collectively characterize or indicate a particular disease or abnormal condition, and I thought about this in two ways: first, the signs and symptoms of our reality that tell us that the body of the cosmos is not well; and second, the signs and symptoms of those individuals who are, in a microcosmic way, reflecting this same syndrome.
In another sense, a syndrome can also describe certain insects who, when they have achieved a certain stage of growth, begin to manifest a group of signs and symptoms that cause them to ’build a cocoon’ in which metamorphosis takes place. Those who feel that the reality is ’right’ or ’well’, will naturally think that those who believe otherwise are ’diseased’ in their minds or souls. And such ’infected’ people, who undertake to act in terms of ’building an Ark,’ whether it is spiritual or material will most definitely be seen as experiencing the syndrome of the cosmic disease in themselves. It will not be recognised that their extreme discomfort and dissatisfaction with the world, as it is, is the syndrome that precedes cocooning. Thus, the Noah Syndrome characterizes both the conditions of the planet as well as the experiences of those who ’sense’ the impending Metamorphosis.
This issue of ’clothing’ was also brought up in Matthew 24, when Jesus notes, “Let him who is in the field not turn back to get his overcoat.” John expands on this issue by talking about those who are ’naked’ and have no spiritual ’clothing.’
The question then becomes, exactly what is this process of Metamorphosis, and exactly what constitutes an Ark?” (pages 12,13)

“…while the Israelite slaves survived, due to the simple fact that the former [Egyptians] lived in grand houses of stone which collapsed on them, while the latter existed in ‘earthquake-proof’ flimsy wooden huts in a marshy area.” (page 110)

“As for those who are ‘left behind:’

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that what we se was not made out of things which are visible….by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [faith] he passed judgement and sentence on the world’s unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness.”

This faith is the Noah Syndrome. (page 228)

For me, the ‘earth ark’ may be a physical symbol of knowledge application; another representation of other ‘Arks’ we are ‘reverently constructing’ on higher, spiritual levels.
 
Hi dreamrider,

I personally think it is a great idea. We need to prepare on many levels and that could very well be one of them. I certainly think that it might be a nice skill to have and I would be interested in the technique. However I live on the other side of the globe, but who knows, maybe it can be arranged somewhere in the future.
 
Think dreamrider, doing these things:

I am intending to design and build a small prototype shelter, an ‘earth ark’ at the farm where I currently live in my caravan. After which I could begin to help others practically if there was a need, perhaps by offering courses or assisting small groups where they live. I live off-grid a lot, but could still contribute or share my experiences/knowledge here too.

would very much help others who need this experience and knowledge, especially with structural architectural abodes. Having a look on the sites you refer, there are some nice examples of earthen type dwellings that can be assembled with help fairly quickly. Having detailed building plans, material lists and instructions to create these things is worthwhile having and knowing should it ever be needed; which may well be. Remember in North America there was a magazine called 'Harrowsmith' that featured methods to do, make or buy item's for essential living - off the grid style. The magazine is no longer published, yet there are other publications that can be referred; some of the magazines dealt with animal husbandry topics, forging, milling etc.

Presenting or attending workshops on these things can be beneficial for many to help knowledge spread. I've heard of some cooperative builders who will travel around and help assemble specific (efficient & inexpensive) homes for people that register. Can't remember the name, but the homes were made of concrete (and other) and could capture and retain heat/water/sunlight for living and be capable of withstanding considerable adverse weather events. As recalled, the team would arrive and with ones help, finish the home in 30 days, give or take.

After viewing a Gaudi exhibition that weekend also, I began to think more about taking an architectural (or engineering) approach to dwelling or shelter design, as a potentially important aspect of how to ’be prepared’. My brief to myself has been basically: what type of dwelling or shelter is optimal for survival based on my current intelligence / awareness.

Hope to hear your thoughts on what could be "optimal".
 
I love the idea of natural building, this is another methos that might be worth checking out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeRlCwWbTUM
 
nicklebleu said:
Hi dreamrider,

I personally think it is a great idea. We need to prepare on many levels and that could very well be one of them. I certainly think that it might be a nice skill to have and I would be interested in the technique.

I second this.
And like voyageur I would also like to hear your thoughts on what you think is optimal. :)
BTW, I looked at the earth, hands and houses site and loved what they were doing. The other link was dead?
 
Hi dreamrider,

If I understand you correctly, you're sketching an idea to create a shelter, a group of earthbag houses in Portugal?
Well, it could certainly help forum members in times of necessity. It may not be the ideal location for people to move into right now because the situation there is bad. And I mean BAD. No jobs, wages being cut big time, taxes increasing, and blatant corruption. If you have another source of income, then it is viable.

I'm Portuguese (living in UK ) and would be happy to contribute to a fruitful idea. Both mine and my husband's families are in Portugal, so we travel back home often. I also have some land in Portugal, and even though I don't yet know how, perhaps we could somehow join efforts?

This has been discussed elsewhere, but just to give everyone the context, this past Christmas my father told me that he has a good stretch of land that both me and my brother will inherit, although I could probably start using a little portion of it. Having grown up a farmer who eventually moved and made his life in the city, my father kept his land and has throughout the years been expanding and profiting from it by planting and selling pine trees.

Both me and my father have talked a fair amount about it, although I have no desire to continue to plant pine. Pine trees were imported from Australia and are not native to us, so the end result is a "pest" that is depleting the soil at such a speed and degree that we have basically lost nearly all of our Mediterranean typical forest. I am yet to contact permaculture associations in Portugal in order to get some guidance on what to do with a stretch of land that has pine, and that is also surrounded by pine, but having read your post this issue has again surfaced to my mind.

Since Christmas I have also been toying with the idea of building a "natural" home there, or making use of the old mills my grandmother owns that are now in ruins by the river. I don't really know how to go about it, but I'm just throwing it out there, as perhaps something might result from this exchange.

If you don't mind me asking, whereabouts is your land?
 
Thanks for you all for your feedback.

Nicklebleu, it seems that earth bag building is most widely being used now in the US, but there are folk all over the world experimenting with it. With a good book and a lot of enthusiasm, anyone, anywhere can build a dome, for use as a meditation area, study, shed or emergency shelter perhaps. For ‘habitation’ purposes, prevailing planning and building authorities will probably (almost inevitably from my experience in England - which I will expand on below) oppose these unconventional dwellings perhaps largely because of the positive attributes I have already mentioned.

Voyageur, yes there is a lot of great information about earth building and simple living out there. By running courses I could also spread info about SOTT, EE etc. You know, get people thinking more, by offering alternative solutions for housing / communities etc.

Meager1, thanks for the link, cob looks great, but it does not have the same structural strength as earthbag domes. I have found another link to the honey house, which is similar in size to my proposed first design.

_www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles/whywebuild.htm


Mariama, when I refer to ‘optimal’ I mean:

from a structural/energy efficient perspective;

I am intending to berm or bury my dome in the earth, with the ‘thermal mass’ (thickness of walls) making it possible for little or no space heating necessary. It is possible to have small domes that are joined together, for different functional requirements, as it is a modular building system.

“Nature is more than a structural engineer; she is also an expert in energy efficiency. A round wall uses the least amount of materials while providing the maximum amount of space. By trading corners for curves we fortify the structural integrity of our architecture while rediscovering out intuitive understanding of nature’s dynamic engineering principles.”

The Magic of a Circle, page 239
Earthbag Building by Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer

Also for survival; from what I consider ‘highly probable’ earth changes/extreme weather (global and local) - earth bag domes are to my knowledge the simplest, cheapest form of shelter that can best mitigate against such increasing phenomena. Last year a mini tornado hit only a few miles from me in the English Midlands (I took some photos of a small wood flattened from it) and several caravans, like my home, and cars were wrecked from golf ball sized hailstones. It was a ‘once in a lifetime’ event apparently - or was/is it!? It was a sign for me, of how vulnerable my present shelter is; but I am not fearful, just thinking as rationally as I can, and I intend to build a small shelter here I could move to if/when necessary .Until I build one myself, I can only pass on information gained from others who have. The ‘earthquake proof’ (or earth change mitigating) structural nature of these domes coincide with what I would consider a pragmatic design consideration based of what is occurring and may occur. Should my children (and others) have the opportunity to buy or build a house, my intention is to at least offer them a viable alterative option to conventional - system controlled - housing.

Gertrudes, I am open to possibilities of how best to develop my land in Portugal generally, but I am intending to build an ‘earth ark’ there, bermed into the south facing slope. There are far less restrictions on planning there as you know (In England you cannot even live in a yurt or in a caravan all year on your own land!) and I cannot afford a conventional cottage now anyway, so designing /building such a dwelling is a ‘creative necessity.’ Perhaps by sharing the effort/time/knowledge it may inspire others, or at least give folk an alternative option to consider. I have invested what I can; I had a 200ft borehole drilled(no pump yet), and bought a second hand yurt. It is 2 acres of land, some fertile, bordering a small river with a huge diversity of wildlife, a mile or so from a friendly village. I have children here (shared care), so am doing what I can, when I can - yet I always knew it was a facility for sharing.

Regarding your land, the trees imported from Australia would be eucalyptus I believe. Yes, they are a pest! There are groups that do land based volunteer work, on organic farms for example, normally though there need some existing basic facilities in place. I do understand what you say about the economy there etc. Yet a year ago (I guess things have gotten worse since) I was living for a week under the stars at my place, with my bush craft mate, and befriended some locals in the village. We both observed the sense of community spirit that was in evidence, and they still have rural skills like hunting, animal husbandry, making and mending etc and in my opinion, a healthy scepticism for local and national government! - they still recall how to care for each other! Sadly I have seen this vital attribute diluted considerably in rural Ireland where my family live. The considerably less ‘mechanized’ farming methods in rural Portugal, due to terrain mainly, is the main factor for this difference in my opinion.

Also, Portugal is not as chilly as here! I don’t want to possibly build igloos here in the future :)
My land is relatively near the hilltop village of Monsanto (the Knights Templar built a castle there) in central Portugal close to Spanish border. I would be very interested in exchanging ideas for sure Gertrudes!


Just to add some further info to expand on some points I mentioned (hope it’s considered relevant and not noise).

When I completed my Architectural degree several years ago, my thesis was on: Low Impact Developments, the Planning System and ‘Sustainable Development‘. It was very interesting, but not surprising that when interviewing planning officials (Authoritarians) their fear of ‘setting a precedent’ in relation to LIDs (sustainable, affordable, energy efficient dwellings/smallholdings) was a repeated mantra. I believe I did prove academically that their version of ‘sustainable development’ was really ‘smoke and mirrors, and in reality keeping the status quo was all that mattered, with a few ‘eco’ projects thrown in to keep green voters happy.

I was invited that same year to attend a UK Back to the Land (before I knew of the ‘psychopathic’ nature of control systems, I considered access to land, the big factor in preventing any degree of individual sovereignty, and still feel it is highly significant) meeting. After questioning the prevailing accepted norm of having to buy land (at prohibitively expensive prices) financed by banks (robber barons), when surely it is our ‘birth right’; I was ignored as if I was a crazy person! J Yes, this was before I knew about Strategic Enclosure, Vectoring and psychology etc.

Anyhow, I was prepared to sell my home (my narrow boat after downsizing) to buy some land locally and move on and build a log cabin at that time. There was a planning loophole I discovered that would have meant I could move on ‘legally‘ albeit they could have dragged me through courts and made life generally unpleasant (which is a common ploy from my research) but after selling my home to finance it there was a legal issue! So I downsized again to my caravan where my girls and I currently live, and bought land in Portugal that I had always dreamed of; by Faith and synchronicity or ‘instinct and imagination.’
 
its nice to see other people thinking about this too!! Thanks for the info guys, very interesting ideas on the shelter building options :)
 
Hi dreamrider, nice to see you continues with the same motivation ..
Really built superadobe ecodome is something.. is so nice, so right.. (I think :zzz: ) that becomes like an addiction.. :-[ ( for a builder passioned like me) You never make just one... you will see ;)
anyway, I'm in the project n° 5 with earthbags , the 4 st ecodome.. (as I said you in an other thread here..)
something push me really in my back, since end of 2009 (the prototype), and who know why and how.. but I put the seed here in this small village-town.. we have today 6 dome, and 4 are our(my) projects.. two more are made of my second client.. close to my second project..
here just for continues with the slide show of my job, you can find now a 3 st one , this second real project, and second dome..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odeq3t1SxQ0

the 3st project was not a dome was a square house and on three level/step ..
The 4st is the 3st ecodome built, our d('h)ome.
The 5st, I'm uploaded right now an actualized slide show.. so you can see too , is the more expensive one that I built..
and de 6 st project, the next one, if I have the job, will be octogonal house with a dobble-roof.. the possibility to mix technics are indefite and innumerable, COB, adobe inside, superadobe, concret balcone on top and so on.. with experience that's become a game.. earth- sand- lime, and depend for what, cement too.
For the earthquake proof.. is right.. but less at 8° on the RS in the test , if I remember good..
For this reason I use now dobble bag walls if the dome is more of 5 meters diametre.. you have also with this technics walls of 1 meter thick.. it's nicer in the window's holes and all the structure is definitively more solid..

However , after making this since close to 4 years, almost every days.. I'm sure that the best shelter in the end, is inside one self.. you know :cool:
when your project will start.. you can count on me for anything.. it's my job today.

ps: just something more about the doors.. if somebody can translate this with a good english.. will be nice ..

Les dômes sont aussi souvent considérés comme des portes, ils représentent le passage de la terre au ciel, c'est par le trou du dôme que passe l'Axe du monde, le sommet de la tête est symboliquement associé au trou du dôme qui donne accès au Royaume des Cieux (à ce moment vous pensez peut-être aux rituels qu'on peut faire pour se recharger en énergies ou se purifier par les énergies de la Source etc). http://entite-energie.over-blog.com/article-symbolisme-de-la-porte-87420913.html
greetings
 
Wow, I was aware of these building technologies. It seems far out of my reach now, and I live in the US, but to me it would be a great honor and privilege to live in such a home.

The type of home I have been aware of, and which I have been hoping to have built if I ever have my own land and the money/resources, is a Monolithic Dome.
_http://www.monolithic.com/topics/benefits

They are insulated domes made of rebar-reinforced concrete with insulating foam covering the outside (and then of course whatever coverings are appropriate). They are fire-, lightning-, tornado-, and earthquake-proof, as well as being quite flood resistant and very energy-efficient (possibly as little as 1/4 the typical energy required for heating/cooling, due to insulated thermal mass), according to what I've read.

Here is a good video that summarizes monolithic domes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yJfcnIFYqg

I really like the idea of closer-to-earth homes like those described in this thread, however. How do they compare to the durability and lightning-/tornado-proofness of the monolithic dome design?

Just my 2 cents. ;)
 
HowToBe said:
Here is a good video that summarizes monolithic domes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yJfcnIFYqg

I really like the idea of closer-to-earth homes like those described in this thread, however. How do they compare to the durability and lightning-/tornado-proofness of the monolithic dome design?

Just my 2 cents. ;)

I like these - notice that the fellow in the video talked to a search for reducing dome size over the classic geodesic. But in comparison to an underground design, I would say:

1) Labor intensive and probably much more expensive
2) Does not use the earth heat sink (except through the floor)
3) Not as indestructible as a fully underground design
4) Obtrusive to the landscape
5) Difficulty with blockouts for windows and doors
 
HowToBe said:
Wow, I was aware of these building technologies. It seems far out of my reach now, and I live in the US, but to me it would be a great honor and privilege to live in such a home.

The type of home I have been aware of, and which I have been hoping to have built if I ever have my own land and the money/resources, is a Monolithic Dome.
_http://www.monolithic.com/topics/benefits

They are insulated domes made of rebar-reinforced concrete with insulating foam covering the outside (and then of course whatever coverings are appropriate). They are fire-, lightning-, tornado-, and earthquake-proof, as well as being quite flood resistant and very energy-efficient (possibly as little as 1/4 the typical energy required for heating/cooling, due to insulated thermal mass), according to what I've read.

Here is a good video that summarizes monolithic domes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yJfcnIFYqg

I really like the idea of closer-to-earth homes like those described in this thread, however. How do they compare to the durability and lightning-/tornado-proofness of the monolithic dome design?

Just my 2 cents. ;)


Personally, after reviewing all types of 'affordable' shelter, and seeking to design/build a humble, natural home that is as 'earth-change' mitigating as possible - I still think the earthbag dome ticks the most boxes. Clay is natures cement - so there really is no need for concrete imo, for small structures.
 
the question is... where do we build these shelters? what kind of times are we really looking at? having a base or area with shelter and other supplies seems crucial, but we almost have to think of how we would get there in worst of times ie: war, martial law, em flairs that could potentially stop all electronics including vehicals and things like that. If anyone has ideas I would love to hear them :)
 
big-picture said:
the question is... where do we build these shelters? what kind of times are we really looking at? having a base or area with shelter and other supplies seems crucial, but we almost have to think of how we would get there in worst of times ie: war, martial law, em flairs that could potentially stop all electronics including vehicals and things like that. If anyone has ideas I would love to hear them :)

Hi big-picture, not sure if you were able to listen in on the SoTT Talk interview with Dmitry Orlov. If not, he may be able to give you a few clues based on his experiences and observations during the collapse of of the U.S.S.R - and you can network further about these things. One thing to note is that between then and a future now, change will not be the same, as the societies themselves did not function on the same societal/economic level - they were and are very different.
 
Hi big-picture. I agree with Voyageur, the Orlov interview is very interesting, and he places alot of emphasis on forming 'resilient communities'. Other ways of preparing are discussed in various places on the forum - but essentially working on self and networking seem to be of prime importance. :)

The Cs also said, "it is not where you are, but what you SEE and DO that counts" or words to that effect.
 
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