Wikihouse: Open-Source Houses • Hacker News Board

Re: Wikihouse: Open-Source Houses

#221

Post by class3shock » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 5:24 PM UTC

class3shock wrote: post #212

ethanbond wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or perhaps if you're prioritizing things other than maximally efficient use of materials? It seems like they're prioritizing standardization, especially of methods, more than almost anything else. AFAICT we have far more excess material than excess labor, so it doesn't seem particularly crazy to me?

Using a unique block construction system that 99% of builders have never used is not really in the spirit of standardization. As for materials, for a theoretical 2 story 20Wx50Lx20H home (2000 ft^2), you have 1,000 ft^2 of roof (assuming flat) and floor, as well as 20,000 ft^2 of wall. Cheap fiberglass insulation is $1.32 per ft^2 10 in thick (1/10/24) https://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-R-30-Faced-Fibergl... A…

Can't edit it but it should read: "1,000x1.32 + 20,000x1.32x(2/3) + 1,000x1.32x(1/6) = $19K

Re: Wikihouse: Open-Source Houses

#222

Post by westurner » Sat, Jan 13, 2024, 4:22 PM UTC

orthoxerox wrote: post #204

westurner wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TIL about The Liberator: The world's first open source compressed earth brick press. https://www.opensourceecology.org/back-to-compressed-earth-b... A multiple-CEB unit that makes interlocking blocks that don't require mortar could build on work from this project. Add'l notes on CEB, Algae, Sargassum, Hemp in the 2024 International and US Residential Building Code, LEGO-like Hempcrete block: https://news.ycombinator.…

> A multiple-CEB unit that makes interlocking blocks that don't require mortar could build on work from this project. They have a page about interlocking blocks and according to it, they are simply too expensive, as you need a higher share of cement in blocks to stabilize them.

Some interlocking bricks don't require mortar.

There's probably a way.

Are non-leaching bioplastic frames or filler comparatively economical for interlocking CEB?

Re: Wikihouse: Open-Source Houses

#223

Post by throwaway4aday » Mon, Jan 15, 2024, 1:44 PM UTC

mglz wrote: post #157

throwaway4aday wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like it would be much, much slower to CNC all the plywood and insulation and assemble the boxes and then put the boxes together than it would be to just frame a wall, sheet it and put insulation batts in. Having access to and operating a CNC also seems harder than learning to use a skill saw and hammer a nail. It feels like they're trying to apply abstraction to construction where you just have one unit that…

> It feels like they're trying to apply abstraction to construction [...] As is tradition :)

We can fix anything with another layer of indirection!