Work continues at a steady pace at the Earth Shelter Project Michigan. We have been there working for nearly a year and a half now and there is finally an end in site! Being anywhere for 2 years of a person's life can be both challenging and life changing at the same time. I have lived in nearly every corner of the lower peninsula of Michigan over the past seven years and it has been so incredible to have met the people that I have. I thank everyone who took time out of their lives to make mine and my crews lives a little easier and more fulfilling while we lived life on the road!
Up at the Earth Shelter, we are nearly finished with the house dome and the homeowners have been moving their things into the massive pantries that we built. We have a few rooms to paint, a large Japanese soaking tub to build, and the cherry floors to install in the upstairs rooms, then it's done! Only four more domes to finish.
Recently, the weather allowed us to start installing the Velux Sun Tunnels at the Earth Shelter Project. The word 'WOW' is probably not a descriptive enough word for how much light those sun tunnels let in! They make the barn, which was dark as a cloudy night in the deep woods, look like day time! It's so bright in there! Temple Grandin taught us about how animals freak out as their eyes adjust from bright outdoor light to dark dimly lit barns. This 'freaking out' of the animals can cause serious harm to the handlers. Velux Sun Tunnels eliminated this phenomenon!
As you will see in a week or two on the hit Internet series, Earth Shelter Project Michigan, the flashing kits for the sun tunnels fit perfectly on the metal tops that we invented. This will be explained better in the video. I personally installed all of the sun tunnels so far so that I could see how that system would work. I was a little amped up to install the first one because I had no idea if it was going to work with the system that is concreted in place. But, it worked perfectly. I bent the sun tunnel flashing on our bender and it fit perfectly on the first try! I yelled wooo!
Recently, the Earth Shelter Team selected Nova Brik as the exterior of the Earth Shelter exposed wall. I lead this charge, because I felt that Nova Brik was the perfect compliment to the ICFs that were used on the exposed walls of the Earth Shelter. Nova Brik is a mortar-less brick system that installs quite quickly. More importantly, Nova Brik provides incredible strength to that exposed wall. When combined with our specially designed shutters, those exposed walls will be able to take a heck of a hit.
Stay tuned for an in depth look at how Nova Brik is installed and how it compliments the other aspects of the Earth Shelter Project. Given that we can be crazy from time to time, we are currently setting up a test area where we will try to destroy a Nova Brik wall.....oh boy!!
You can catch all of our Earth Shelter Videos at this link: http://vimeo.com/user2393100
Thank you all who keep in touch and keep us motivated. What's next after the Earth Shelter Project? Well, our team is currently setting up a national tour to coincide with the release of the Earth Shelter Documentary and the book that I am writing. I am currently discussing several projects with clients, but the ultimate project that Hybrid Homes will build next will have to be one that continues to push the limits and challenges us. It must be a project that has the ability to keep people interested and thinking. We have a long way to go to get people to think more about their environments, but we definitely have made some progress...stay tuned, things are just getting started!!
Think local,
Adam-"The Hybrid Home Guy"
