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The eco-house, which rose from a muddy hole in the ground and took three months to complete, came in at under US$5,000 (GBP3,000) - demonstrating that you don't need to be architectural school graduate to come up with the goods. There's no need to be envious, however, because Dale will give you the plans and know-how to build your very own.</p> <ul id="gallery_images"> <li><a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/picture/144038/" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/hobbithouse-0.gif" title="Plans for Dale's Hobbit home (Photo: Simon Dale)" alt="Plans for Dale's Hobbit home (Photo: Simon Dale)"/></a></li> <li><a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/picture/144039/" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/hobbithouse-1.jpg" title="Ecovillage plans (Image: Lammas)" alt="Ecovillage plans (Image: Lammas)"/></a></li> <li><a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/picture/144040/" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/hobbithouse-2.jpg" title="Hobbit home window (Photo: Simon Dale)" alt="Hobbit home window (Photo: Simon Dale)"/></a></li> <li><a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/picture/144041/" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/hobbithouse-3.jpg" title="The house has been built from local and natural materials, with a goal of having as little..." alt="The house has been built from local and natural materials, with a goal of having as little..."/></a></li> <li id="view_all"><a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/picture/144038/" class="blue">View all<br/></a></li> </ul> <div class="clear_both"></div> <p>Dale calls himself a "have a go architect" and he is proud of his family home made from local oak wood, stone and mud retaining walls, and straw baling for insulation.</p> <p>"Some past experience, lots of reading and self-belief gave us the courage of our conviction that we wanted to build our own home in natural surroundings" says Dale.</p> <p>The house has been built from local and natural materials, with a goal of having as little impact on the environment as possible. Lime plaster was used to coat the interior walls, which provides a breathable and greener solution to cement. Scrap wood was used for the flooring and fittings, a wood burner has been fitted to heat the house, and the fridge is cooled by underground air flow. A central skylight allows natural light to filter throughout the eco-house, and solar panels are used to generate electricity. Water is pumped from a nearby spring and the bathroom features a compost toilet, whilst rain water is collected from the roof for garden use.</p> <p></p><div style="width: 496px; height: 372px" class="article_img"><a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/picture/144053/" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/hobbithouse-15.jpg" width="496"></a></div></p> <p>Evidently the success of his woodland home is just the beginning for Dale, who is currently building his next project as part of the first authorized low-impact ecovillage in Wales. The ecovillage is an initiative of the<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355/http://www.lammas.org.uk/" target="_blank"> Lammas Organization</a>, which promotes the development of eco-housing and low-impact lifestyles.</p> <p>You can check out the plans to Simon Dale's Hobbit House on his <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355/http://www.simondale.net/house/index.htm" target="_blank">website</a>.</body></html></p>  <div id="bottom_unit"> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </div> </div>  <span class="title">Share</span> <div id="article_share" class="dotsontop"> <span class="as_button"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355/http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="gizmag">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355js_/http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> twttr.events.bind('tweet', function(event) { if (event) { var targetUrl; if (event.target && event.target.nodeName == 'IFRAME') { targetUrl = extractParamFromUri(event.target.src, 'url'); } _gaq.push(['_trackSocial', 'twitter', 'tweet', targetUrl]); } }); twttr.events.bind('retweet', function(){ var targetUrl; if (event.target && event.target.nodeName == 'IFRAME') { targetUrl = extractParamFromUri(event.target.src, 'url'); } _gaq.push(['_trackSocial', 'twitter', 'retweet', targetUrl]); }); function extractParamFromUri(uri, paramName){ if(!uri){ return; } var uri = uri.split('#')[0]; //remove anchor var parts = uri.split('?'); //check for query params if(parts.length == 1){ return; //no params } var query = decodeURI(parts[1]); //find the url param paramName += '='; var params = query.split('&'); for(var i = 0, param; param = params[i]; ++i){ if(param.indexOf(paramName) === 0){ return unescape(param.split('=')[1]); } } } </script> </span> <span class="as_button"><script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355js_/http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=1"></script></span> <span class="as_button"><g:plusone size="medium" count="true" href="http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/"></g:plusone></span> <span class="as_button"><script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355js_/http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js"></script><script type="in/share" data-counter="right"></script></span> <span class="as_button"><script type="text/javascript">reddit_newwindow='1'</script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355js_/http://www.reddit.com/static/button/button1.js"></script></span> <fb:like href="http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/" send="false" width="450" show_faces="false" font="" id="facebook_like"></fb:like><script type="text/javascript">_ga.trackFacebook();</script> </div>   <div id="tags"> <span class="title">Tags</span> <div class="dotsontop"> <ul> <li>» <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/architecture/" rel="tag">Architecture</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/eco-friendly/" rel="tag">Eco-friendly</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/environment/" rel="tag">Environment</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/house/" rel="tag">House</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/solar-powered/" rel="tag">Solar Powered</a></li> <li class="clear_both"></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="bing_unit"></div>  <span class="title" id="comments">User Comments (16)</span> <div class="dotsontop" id="comment_dots">  <div id="comment-83959" class="a_comment"> <p>It is way cool and an excellent way to 'connect with nature' since it is so 'organic' in design. I would not mind living there. The price seems so affordable. :) </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">BigWarpGuy</span> <span class="date">- October 5, 2011 @ 05:16 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84109" class="a_comment"> <p>Very nice and very creative. Only limited by the imagination and time. Rain water recovery assume! We should all build along these line incorporating natural black water conversion and grey water. Any number of heat systems from bio mass, rocket stove. Fridge by under ground air flow, very nice. This way of thinking is an intelligent and practical move forward. A little Jealous i am.. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Phillip L Stevens</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 08:56 am PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84142" class="a_comment"> <p>Didn't dwellings like this used to be called dugouts? There is a collection of photographs from depression era America, some taken in Pie Town NM, one of them a timber house built into a hole in the ground. </p> <p></p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">calders888</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 10:54 am PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84151" class="a_comment"> <p>even if this were just a weekend getaway place, it would be an excellent home. i want one! </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Jay Lloyd</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 12:02 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84160" class="a_comment"> <p>Less than $5000.00? BULLS@*T!!!! You can't buy timber for that to build a teacup, much LESS a house!!! Did he STEAL the wood, or did he already OWN a MILLION DOLLAR forest to cut it from? Where did the the HUGE WINDOWS come from? Melt his own SAND, did he? Where did he get the HEAVY EQUIPMENT to build it with? I'll bet he didn't lift those timbers with his bare hands! </p> <p>And where is the wood for "the woodburner used to heat the house" going to come from? A forest that took 500 YEARS to grow? Yeah, THAT'S real GREEN, alright!!! Burn 1,000 YEARS worth of TREES to heat your HOUSE for a winter!!! </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">James Howard Tennyson</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 01:19 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84190" class="a_comment"> <p>James Howard, fueling a woodstove doesn't require cutting down any trees! You obviously have zero experience in construction or woodstoves! People use dead trees that would go to waste if not used, you don't cut trees down! The timbers used do not require heavy equipment to maneuver, a simple block and tackle is all you would need. The timbers used in this building are not milled therefore can be had relatively cheap! Old windows scavenged from old buildings can be had for free or next to nothing! There isn't any reason that house couldn't be built for 5 grand, if not less! I have been in similar homes that were actually free and even made a profit for the owner who was paid to tear down buildings and haul off the old windows, doors and lumber used to build the home! </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">aaronhero04</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 03:24 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84217" class="a_comment"> <p>Beautifull, warm and inviting design. Love it. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">scooterdave</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 06:23 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84226" class="a_comment"> <p>Very good old lumber and timbers can be had by tearing down old barns , warehouses and the like. You just have to put in the labor to get them much of the time. </p> <p>Many times the land owner just want them gone and as soon as possible. </p> <p>If you use your bargaining skills they can be had for free or even get paid by the land owner to take the buildings down and haul them off. </p> <p>What could be more greener that recycling or re-purposing used things? </p> <p>It would be a bigger waste to just send the stuff to the landfill. </p> <p></p> <p>The underground house has many intelligent and smart ideas built into it. </p> <p>Just look up earth and underground homes and the such. </p> <p>The largest problem with them is the control of moisture or humidity infiltration from ground water seepage and the air quality for control of molds. </p> <p></p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Jim Andrews</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 07:17 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84253" class="a_comment"> <p>A great home, well done to Simon and his dad, but I can't imagine the insects and other living creatures that you'd have to share it with! Anyone fancy sitting down for dinner while mice scurry around the living room? ;-)) </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">agulesin</span> <span class="date">- October 6, 2011 @ 11:12 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84319" class="a_comment"> <p>Agulesin, for the mice get a cat. For the insects just let the stove leak a bit of smoke. This works like those occupied by my ancestors on the Isle of Skye. At certain times of year the area is infested with tiny but ferocious midges. Visitors would scoff at the primitive arrangements in the houses, where a peat fire burned in the centre with no chimney. But as soon as the insects arrived those same visitors were in there like a shot. </p> <p></p> <p>No midges here in West Wales, plenty of other bugs though. Smoking preserves lots of foodstuffs by gently poisoning insects and bacteria, but at too low a dose to hurt humans in the short term. It works for roofs too. Traditionally smoke was allowed to trickle though thatch, but the fire risk is large. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Doug MacLeod</span> <span class="date">- October 7, 2011 @ 04:01 am PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84376" class="a_comment"> <p>Props to him for building this, but... it really doesn't look like it would even last my lifetime. I look at the picture and can't imagine it even surviving a strong storm. :S </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Von Meerman</span> <span class="date">- October 7, 2011 @ 08:23 am PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84487" class="a_comment"> <p>James Howard Tennyson... easy there man.. If the guy has 20 acres of woods, he would be able to cut the trees to build his house and you would have to search hard for the stumps... My father heats a 1,200 square foot house on about 4 riks of wood a winter. that is about 4' by 6' by 4' stack of wood. Not even close to a forrest. He lives in south central Missouri. It gets damn cold there. If you notice the hobbit house is built from limbs, not from lumber, and with the insulation factor of plastered straw, it would cost next to nothing to heat even with natural gas or LP. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">rwalker</span> <span class="date">- October 7, 2011 @ 03:10 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84499" class="a_comment"> <p>We are a so called modern civilization, and yet we build our homes like sails that catch the wind and are very inefficient IE. heating and cooling. Look at the homes by Mr. Dale or the cave homes in Mexico and Spain, hill homes in the southern U.S.A the sandstone and marble homes in the old Roman and Greek empires that kept the cool of night during the day and the heat of day during the night. These homes could be off the grid as much as you want and still have all the so called modern conveniences. Resistant to Storm damage and with simple upgrades uninterrupted electrical power. The grid we all depend on is so out dated, it has not changed in over 100yrs, is susceptible to natural and man made disasters (terror) off the grid or the capability to switch off the grid might mean life or death. Example, the transformers that the electrical companies depend on after the power leaves the generating stations are not protected and are scattered all over the service territory and if a bunch of these were incapacitated the power would be off for months as it takes at least 3mos to build one transformer (in Canada BTW). And the electric producers and distributors don't keep but 1 or2 in reserve be cause of the cost, any way can you imagine the chaos and anarchy this would cause in the cities. Off the grid and self sustainable is the way to go. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">John Sorg</span> <span class="date">- October 7, 2011 @ 04:55 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84520" class="a_comment"> <p>Yes, none of the trees used would be considered usable for lumber by the usual standards. They'd be used for wood chips, if at all. </p> <p></p> <p>I'd have thought local building codes would be the biggest obstacle to building this kind of dwelling in most locations. </p> <p></p> <p>Water proofing would be another big problem, both from above and below. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Wombat56</span> <span class="date">- October 7, 2011 @ 06:57 pm PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-84628" class="a_comment"> <p>Another kind of cooler can be made almost free; nested terra-cotta pots, separated by damp/wet sand, and covered. The escaping moisture thru the outer pot sucks heat from the inner. Can be brought down as low as 40F if desired. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Brian Hall</span> <span class="date">- October 9, 2011 @ 11:27 am PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="comment-85357" class="a_comment"> <p>Theirs also earth bag building, and re purposed shipping container houses. </p> <img src="/web/20111015164355im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/comment.png" alt="comment"> <span class="name">Michael Klegin</span> <span class="date">- October 13, 2011 @ 09:39 am PDT</span> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> </div> <span class="title">Post a Comment</span> <div class="dotsontop" id="comment_form_div"> <div id="comment_form" data-article="20058"> <div id="comments_login"> <form action="" style="clear: both; padding-top: 0px;" name="login_form" id="login_form" onsubmit="return false;"> <p><strong>Login with your gizmag account:</strong></p> <p id="login_status"></p> <label for="email">Email</label><input type="text" class="text" name="email" id="email" value=""/><br/><br/> <label for="password">Password</label><input type="password" class="text" name="password" id="password" value=""/><br/> <div> <input type="submit" style="float: right" id="submit" value="Log In"/> <div id="options"> <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/register/">Register here</a>       <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/new_password/">Forgotten your password?</a> </div> </div> <input type="hidden" id="expired_comment" value=""/> </form> </div> <div id="facebook_login"> <p>Or <strong>Login with Facebook:</strong></p><br/> <fb:login-button scope="email" max-rows="1" onlogin="loginFUser(20058);" autologoutlink="true"></fb:login-button> </div> </div> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <br/> <span class="title">Related Articles</span> <div class="dotsontop"> <div id="related_articles"> <div class="pair"> <div> <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/mits-1k-house-project-first-prototype/19887/" class="image" style="clear: both" title="The design incorporates a modular layout with hollow brick walls, steel bars for reinforce..."> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/pinwheel-1.jpg" alt="The design incorporates a modular layout with hollow brick walls, steel bars for reinforce..."/></a> <a style="clear: both" class="blue" href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/mits-1k-house-project-first-prototype/19887/">MIT's affordable housing project builds first prototype in China</a> </div> <div> <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/go/7843/" class="image" style="clear: both" title="Sustainable House Day 8-9 September 2007"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/7843_220807124900.jpg" alt="Sustainable House Day 8-9 September 2007"/></a> <a style="clear: both" class="blue" href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/go/7843/">Sustainable House Day 2007</a> </div> <div class="clear_both" style="height: 10px;"></div> </div> <div class="pair"> <div> <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/architect-designed-ramp-house/11375/" class="image" style="clear: both" title="Main ramp in living room"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/11375_2040911846_4.jpg" alt="Main ramp in living room"/></a> <a style="clear: both" class="blue" href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/architect-designed-ramp-house/11375/">Architect-designed Ramp House is a skaters dream pad</a> </div> <div> <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/make-architects-underground-house-bolton/18694/" class="image" style="clear: both" title="Planning has been granted for a unique zero-carbon underground house in the U.K."> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/underground-house.png" alt="Planning has been granted for a unique zero-carbon underground house in the U.K."/></a> <a style="clear: both" class="blue" href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/make-architects-underground-house-bolton/18694/">Not your average Hobbit hole: Make Architects' zero carbon underground house</a> </div> <div class="clear_both" style="height: 10px;"></div> </div> <div class="pair"> <div> <a href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/tata-to-build-the-worlds-cheapest-house-20-square-metres-for-eur500-us715/19285/" class="image" style="clear: both" title="Tata is aiming to build the world's cheapest house"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20111015164355im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/tata-worlds-cheapest-house.jpg" alt="Tata is aiming to build the world's cheapest house"/></a> <a style="clear: both" class="blue" href="/web/20111015164355/http://www.gizmag.com/tata-to-build-the-worlds-cheapest-house-20-square-metres-for-eur500-us715/19285/">Tata to build the world's cheapest house - 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