Book reading
The Resilient Farm and Homestead
Ben Falk
Pages 370 to 408: Shelter and household energy, including passive design, comfort, and system choices
Book access & editionsModule 14 / 25
The Built Environment
The home-system module considered how household activities relate to a site. Here the focus turns to the buildings themselves: their location, purpose, comfort, materials, and energy use. These choices connect shelter with the climate and the daily life of the people using it.
Begin with the shelter reading and use the videos to examine building and home-energy examples. The later readings invite you to consider those examples in relation to climate and site conditions, preparing you to explain the purpose and placement of structures on your plan.
Topics
- Siting of structures relative to climatic conditions, elevation, functions
- Building design for comfort and function; appropriate materials; passive solar heating
- Natural building vs. Green building; energy sources and standards
- Energy uses, efficiency, and retrofits
- Examples of different natural building techniques
What you’ll learn
Learning goals
- Address design for function: Energy conservation, shape and placement, materials, utility elements and aesthetics
Read, watch & explore
Getting the books · access & editions
Use your own copy, buy the book, or borrow it through a library when possible. If you are local to me, contact me about borrowing a copy. You can also contact me for information about digital or other access to assigned readings.
If your edition uses different page numbers, contact me and we can match the correct section.
For articles, excerpts, videos, and other resources, use the links in the lesson. If a video player does not load, try its source link. If you cannot access a reading or media resource, or it has no link, contact me with the module number and resource title.
Ask about books, readings or media access ↗Shelter, comfort, and energy
Watch
Permaculture Shelter Design
YouTube
Watch for the relationships among a building’s location, its functions, and the climatic conditions around it.
If the player does not load, use the source link.
Read
Oregon State: Shelter
Oregon State University
Open resourceUse these building readings to compare approaches to the questions raised by the shelter material: where to place a structure, what it needs to do, and how climate and energy use affect the choice. Apply those questions when explaining the structures on your own plan.
Read
Permaculture principles and buildings
permaculturenews.org
Open resourceRead
Buildings through the lens of Permaculture design
lowimpact.org
Open resourceWatch
Home energy systems
YouTube
Use this example to consider household energy needs alongside the shelter and comfort decisions in the book reading.
If the player does not load, use the source link.
Watch
How To Build A Permaculture-minded House
YouTube
If the player does not load, use the source link.
Read
Do Earthships work in cold climates?
ecohome.net
Read this as a closer examination of climate suitability, following the building examples and their design choices.
Open resourceStructures in your design
Use the shelter and home-energy videos as examples. Show the location and purpose of relevant structures on your plan. Check current building requirements and suitability for your climate. Identify questions for the local authority or a qualified building professional before implementation.
Readings & resources
- The Resilient Farm and HomesteadPages 370 to 408: Shelter and household energy, including passive design, comfort, and system choicesIn lesson ↑
- Permaculture Shelter DesignWatchIn lesson ↑
- Oregon State: ShelterReadIn lesson ↑
- Permaculture principles and buildingsReadIn lesson ↑
- Buildings through the lens of Permaculture designReadIn lesson ↑
- Home energy systemsWatchIn lesson ↑
- How To Build A Permaculture-minded HouseWatchIn lesson ↑
- Do Earthships work in cold climates?ReadIn lesson ↑