This website shows our work here at Rancho Los Quijotes in Baja California Sur, Mexico, just south of the state capital city of La Paz, near the small farming and fishing community of San Juan de Los Planes.
Central to our efforts here is the strong desire to reach the people with less $$$ who are in need of economical, efficient housing. We have good ideas.
Also included here is much general information about green and alternative building, showing structures in other areas besides our ranch. We hope the scope of this site expands your range of understanding of what's possible in green building.
Our fine and noble leader, El Quijote.
Here, on our historic old 670 acre cattle ranch at the edge of the valley, we enjoy great freedom to experiment in building and invite the people of the world to expand their knowledge of building possibilities, exploring this site.
"Bajareque" construction---mud on sticks.
The search for a better way to build houses leads one through a cornucopia of methods utilized by man. My concentration has been to seek out the way in which the common man can help himself acquire shelter that is durable, economical, thermally efficient, and not too difficult to bring to completion.
Also being central to the theme is to be environmentally
friendly ( "green" ) at the same time. The road is a twisting, at times
confusing, bumpy thought course of value comparisons, compromises, and local adaptations,.....based on personal preferences, material availability, seasonal climate differences, and local labor cost.
friendly ( "green" ) at the same time. The road is a twisting, at times
confusing, bumpy thought course of value comparisons, compromises, and local adaptations,.....based on personal preferences, material availability, seasonal climate differences, and local labor cost.
Cordwood construction.
Restrictive building codes have held back the expansion of new concepts for structures more than can be measured. The goal of protecting the public has actually nearly stopped progress completely in the area of experimental structures built by owner-builders.
Some progressive builders who are in close contact with the situation speak of a moratorium on codes to allow more rapid development of society's knowledge base in alternative and green construction methods.
In a world drowning in discarded resources that suffers from an acute lack of affordable housing for those who have less, wouldn't you think we could come to a compromise about codes and not be so closed-minded in designs and materials like most parts of the country are ?
The reality is there are quite a number of options in forms of construction when one is allowed to explore them....we just need to be sure those designs aren't potentially dangerous or lacking in good hygiene. That should be the actual intent of codes, rather than to restrict, intimidate, and smother new ideas in forms of building....simply to keep society safe and nothing more.
People no doubt thought cement block was absurd when it was invented and now everything here in Mexico is built with block. Who knows, if we could but fathom what an asset tires are, the millions of them thrown out in the dumps of the world would be able to provide shelter for the masses with what we now stack in refuse disposal centers like unusable material at considerable cost to taxpayers.
The same rubber carcasses that held up a 2-ton vehicle throughout their 5+ year life span with the millions of jolts they receive are capable of forming quality walls after leaving the wheels of a car....they are still strong!!
We just fail as a society to understand the true value of discarded tires.
Abundant resource awaiting use.
