Hare-brained – or essentially sane?

Is it the same hare, or are there several? As we drive round our new section we are continually lapped by the cute critters as if in some crazy relay race.

We are here to discuss Project New Build, Matthew – my husband – and I.

Three years ago, on New Year’s Day we visited a neighbouring hill-top suburb, Horokiwi, near Wellington in New Zealand, with the idea (or so I thought) of gaining information in case we were going to subdivide our current site.

Change was obviously in the air because, three days later, we were up there again in the teeth of a howling gale with our long-term friend and eco-architect Alex.

“Yes Matthew,” he agreed, “once the pines have been cleared, this could be the ideal site for your dream earth-covered home!”

We pulled out our savings and bought the land a few weeks later on 18 January, Matthew’s birthday. There’s no stopping my husband once he is grabbed by an idea.

Now, in February 2016, we are pursuing building consent from Wellington city council for our Green Magic Home, the first in New Zealand and one of the first few in the world!

It has been an exciting and unexpected ride…

Following the logging of the pines and the selection of the ideal house site, we worked with Alex to draw up plans for our new eco-home. It would be set into a ridge line, with wild views of the harbour to the east and south, and gentle views inland to the north and west. While our ideas grew steadily into form, there seemed to be no way we could have the earth roof of Matthew’s dreams.

Then, as we were obtaining quotes from builders for a conventionally clad house (informally christened ‘Gallery-Garage-Alpacas’ after the outbuildings), Matthew spotted the new ‘Green Magic Homes’ website. This innovative building method, originating in Mexico, involves locking together pre-moulded glass-reinforced plastic modules into a structure, then piling the earth back on top. Excited by the idea, he quickly forwarded the link to Alex who felt this was the building method he, as an eco-architect, had been looking for! Immediately, Alex applied for and was successful in being granted the Australasian Distributorship.

The interest in these eco-dwellings has been so strong that I have asked for, and been granted, time off work to assist Alex in handling the enquiries and moving on with our own build which, if successful, will become the first show home in Australasia.

There is still much problem solving to do. We will be off grid and off mains water, so a dilemma will be how to collect solar energy and rainwater with an entirely grass covered roof! The current, anticipated solutions are collection of runoff water from earth roof, and erecting the solar panels as a sort of fence to keep the alpacas out of the garden. Yes, our small herd of animal friends will be moving with us, and we have hope they might be feeding off the walls and possibly the roof in due course.

All very experimental – and exciting!

My dream? To share this magical earth-covered home with my husband and… to cultivate the ‘green’ in ‘Green Magic Homes’. Following a significant birthday a few years ago I signed up for a permaculture design course followed by an organic agriculture course, both of which were inspirational.

I’m now hoping to use this opportunity to create a food forest and orchards in amongst the regenerating bush on the margins of the section. I’m also keen to explore the possibility of a permaculture garden on the roof and walls – complete with espaliered fruit trees! I have realised that it will be possible to vary the soil types on the roof and walls, and gaps in between, so that there’s the potential to grow a much greater range of plants than those at home in the iron-rich clay of the garden.

And I’ve found that when I mention the project to people they immediately become excited, and ask me to keep them informed so they can consider doing it too. I have been wondering how to do this. I used to teach, and it will be great to have people visit when we have something to demonstrate. I’m also looking at starting a blog, when I can find someone who isn’t IT phobic to advise me on this.

And when I saw about your competition, I hope you might be interested in hearing about it too!

Best regards
Katrina Lloyd