finger lakes | Dacha Project

July 23, 2009

For Ten Dollars, a Bag of Clay

LeaLSF buildings, DIY, video alternatives, bank, building, community, construction, contest, cottage, credit union, dacha project, DIY, earthen plaster, entry, finger lakes, ithaca, shack, shed, straw bale, strawbale, stucco, teaching, tompkins, top coat, truth window, video, workshop 3 Comments

Here is our video entry into the Pay It Forward Contest, held by our local Alternatives Federal Credit Union.

Alternatives gave out ten dollars to whoever wanted it, and those people were supposed to give it to someone else in the community, an organization or an individual.Then, the giver of the ten dollars is encouraged to make a video or write an essay about their recipient, and in it illustrate what they can do with it that would benefit the community. Afterwards! A committee at Alternatives picks ten or so videos they like the best, and set them loose into the public, where anyone can vote on which entry they think should get the grand prize-oh- $500.

Taking advantage of some beautiful footage our friend Shira took of us, plus friends, plastering the straw bale cottage, I put together this doo-hickey.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKYrn9NQ9O0&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1]

June 18, 2009

The Dacha Gets Plastered

russiandollfigure buildings, Uncategorized alternative, alternatives to vinyl siding, building, cottage, dacha project, earthen plaster, finger lakes, group, homestead, lime, photos, shed, straw bale, strawbale, stucco, sustainable, tompkins county 0 Comments

Since our straw bale shed has been upgraded to the “Winter Palace,” it is time to plaster the structure and to fossilize our work for future archeological findings. We put on our clay covered uniforms and head out to work. Our main sources of power for mixing the sand, straw and clay are our hands and feet. And to prove that there really is straw under all those layers of plaster, we built a truth window.

The Truth Window

March 12, 2009

Winter Palace Pt 4- Frame by Frame

LeaLSF Uncategorized building, dacha project, DIY, finger lakes, framing, green nettle dacha, intentional community, region, stick frame, straw bale, strawbale, sustainable living, tompkins county, video 1 Comment

Filmed in September 2008, edited some time later by Lily G, and myself. Please enjoy, “Frame by Frame” the framing of our straw bale cottage. This short film is a moving after school special about some folk who engage on a journey of building a stick frame only to find themselves doing just that.

Next to come: Winter Palace Pt 5- Stacking Straw Bricks and Goofing Around, a thrilling drama showing the real life context around the building of straw bale walls.

[vimeo 3583444]