Dear editor,
This is a grateful and heartfelt thank you to all those who participated in BC Alternative Housing Society’s first workshop.
We are a non-profit dedicated to the promotion and education of the many natural building alternatives, such as cob, straw bale, stackwall and Earthships. Some of these have been around for hundreds of years, have stood the test of time, and have a potentially small ecological footprint.
Our aim is to work with builders, local governments, existing and potential home-owners, and anyone else that is interested. We provide information, organize workshops and will build housing that is truly affordable.
Some of these methods cost a fraction of conventional building, and are ideally suited to help those that simply cannot afford conventional housing.
I would like to thank Ian Deslisle from Hancock for helping us source logs, and Jamie of Yeomans Enviro Developments for help in getting them to us. Thanks also to the landowners, Terry and Valerie Beaton, and Michael Kelman for allowing us to build our demonstration stackwall on their property.
You can see the first part of it at their entrance on Lake Trail Road — it’s on the right just beyond the Trail Bikes store going out of Courtenay. Do take a look, as we will be building the second half there at our next workshop on Sept 15.
Finally, thanks to Ed Wishart for his inspiration, Brad Hoffman for his dedication, and Ted Birch Engineering for their contribution. Without you, it would not have been possible.
If you want to find more about us, or our workshops, visit our new website at althousing.org, or send us an e-mail at althousing@live.ca.
Richard Drake,
Comox Valley