Healthy Homes & Folkschool
Together, we can build beautiful, low cost, efficient, non-toxic homes and heaters with local Alaskan materials: Delta straw, local clay, spruce timbers, safe natural insulations. Join workshops or internships to learn how to build this way, and source quality, local, natural and recycled building materials for a long lasting, nurturing home.
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Dream It.
Let us help you with your home design or heater design, including time honored principles around placement, flow, efficiency, beauty and individual expression. Our consultation is free and tailored to your individual site and conditions.
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Learn it.
What do you need to learn to build your home or heater naturally, with local materials, economically and with your own hands? What are your choices? Do you have the tools and expertise you need? How can we help? You can access our workshops again and again as you need to learn more deeply, and there are internship positions available.
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Source it.
Discover low cost plentiful sources of Alaskan straw/clay and straw bale wall insulation, Alaskan grown and milled logs, timbers and lumber for your frame, and local clay/lime plaster finishes of rich colors and textures. Discover how to find rocket mass heater materials; as well as recycled, quality heat efficient, weather proof windows.
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Access it.
Our workshops are for DIY builders of all ages, stages, abilities, and backgrounds. We love to build with moms and grandmoms, youth and those of limited means. We will meet you where you are at, to learn to build your own beautiful and safe, non-toxic, environmentally friendly home.
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Build it.
We will walk beside you as you build your home or heater. We can offer our insights and advice along the way, and you can apply for us to hold a workshop at your home for a boost of building crew power. Our aim is that your sustainable home will be finished within a reasonable time-line and budget, becoming an inspiration for the next home builder.
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Share it.
Homes are for sharing with your friends, in gatherings and visits; and traditonal skills are for sharing with your village, so all can find the ancient satisfactions of building your own home. The Sustainable Home Connection is designed to be a duplicatable model for other Alaskan regions; and so each home that our participants build is part of our demonstration project.