Evaluation
Goals Evaluation
I think all my short term goals have been met, those were:
We have also distributed our free time as we wanted, taking vacations when we have seen it convenient.
Anyway we never had enough money to reach the minimum, so always it has been the minimum money expended.
Trought the need experience, we have learned a lot about of how to catch and produce heat, and how to store it.
Exploring energy systems for our house, we also learned about photovoltaic systems, especially Nim as you can read your diploma by clicking (here).
-Natural building
-Eco-Restoration
We have made indoor and outdoor natural plasters with good results, the roof was well restored with mostly natural elements and old time´s local techniques. We had used lots of recycling materials to do the upstairs floor, 100% reycled materials to do the toilet, and Nims has used all recicled materias to do our furniture. Most of the water catchment system is made from recicled materials as most of the things we have done.
There are some of my Long term goals that had been meet and an others still in progress
After changing some beams and fixing the ceiling, now we feel we can say that we have a shelter.
Safety (thieves will be always a threat)
Comfortable(accomplished)
- Have a free rent house
- Have fun and joy
- Have a place were I can feel free
We have also distributed our free time as we wanted, taking vacations when we have seen it convenient.
- Have a minimum cost investment
Anyway we never had enough money to reach the minimum, so always it has been the minimum money expended.
- Expand my knowledge and skills in Eco-housing
Trought the need experience, we have learned a lot about of how to catch and produce heat, and how to store it.
Exploring energy systems for our house, we also learned about photovoltaic systems, especially Nim as you can read your diploma by clicking (here).
-Natural building
-Eco-Restoration
We have made indoor and outdoor natural plasters with good results, the roof was well restored with mostly natural elements and old time´s local techniques. We had used lots of recycling materials to do the upstairs floor, 100% reycled materials to do the toilet, and Nims has used all recicled materias to do our furniture. Most of the water catchment system is made from recicled materials as most of the things we have done.
There are some of my Long term goals that had been meet and an others still in progress
- Cover my family needs (accomplished)
After changing some beams and fixing the ceiling, now we feel we can say that we have a shelter.
Safety (thieves will be always a threat)
Comfortable(accomplished)
- Make home products from our land (non accomplished)
- Sell our products to the local market (non accomplished)
Reflections
The thinks that I plan to do in one day is normally end with three, same happen whit weeks, months…, it´s always happen something unexpected that was not in my schedule that delays to finish the job. That's especially the first year were we observe and learn what's going around for first time.
To fund some expenses and labor in the house restoration, I have analyzed which needs can be covered by organizing courses and workshops. But because of being new in the country and not having a sufficiently developed network, the promotion has not been large enough to attract enough participants to perform successfully a course in here.
Once again with a minimum budget to survive economically, at the last of my savings I had to put aside some of my dreams.
I had and have really eager to share knowledge and experiences related to permaculture, I think now is a time when many people have heard about permaculture, and they are very needy to know and live a more conscious experience. We have enjoyed and shared lot's with the volunteers and visitors who have passed through our project having a good experience.
Since the beginning of the project we have not stopped going at a steady pace accelerated, maybe I'm a little ambitious and I like to push my margins, but is reaching a point that the need for help is imminent if we want that all our aims do not fall from exhaustion.
To fund some expenses and labor in the house restoration, I have analyzed which needs can be covered by organizing courses and workshops. But because of being new in the country and not having a sufficiently developed network, the promotion has not been large enough to attract enough participants to perform successfully a course in here.
Once again with a minimum budget to survive economically, at the last of my savings I had to put aside some of my dreams.
I had and have really eager to share knowledge and experiences related to permaculture, I think now is a time when many people have heard about permaculture, and they are very needy to know and live a more conscious experience. We have enjoyed and shared lot's with the volunteers and visitors who have passed through our project having a good experience.
Since the beginning of the project we have not stopped going at a steady pace accelerated, maybe I'm a little ambitious and I like to push my margins, but is reaching a point that the need for help is imminent if we want that all our aims do not fall from exhaustion.
Ethics
Earth care
It was very good that almost all the materials that we have used in the restoration and construction of the house were recycled or extracted from renewable local resources.
We have in mind to create our own energy from clean renewable resources, we reuse our grey water, we reused all metal and tools we have found at the house, and we have made a compost from our humanure, by doing this we have generate much less pollution.
We have in mind to create our own energy from clean renewable resources, we reuse our grey water, we reused all metal and tools we have found at the house, and we have made a compost from our humanure, by doing this we have generate much less pollution.
People care
The experience in this project has been somewhat isolated from other people, because we have lived in a remote location we have spent many hours in family and we have learned much to treat each other.
Also non having electricity brought us to be more connected, as we all know that being absorbed from our computers and mobiles is a difficult issue in our modern times.
We have very good relationship with friends and neighbors in the area, and we have helped a lot each other in difficult times. As we all live in very rural poor conditions, sometimes these relationships have been crucial to follow ahead physically and mentally.
Also non having electricity brought us to be more connected, as we all know that being absorbed from our computers and mobiles is a difficult issue in our modern times.
We have very good relationship with friends and neighbors in the area, and we have helped a lot each other in difficult times. As we all live in very rural poor conditions, sometimes these relationships have been crucial to follow ahead physically and mentally.
Fair share
During this time we have hosted volunteers in exchange of food, accommodation and Permaculture learning through experience. We have tried that they can feel comfortable in the place, providing work and activities in a way that may meet their experience needs, and the feedback was always positive.
We also exchanged land products with friends and neighbors, and by doing this we have improved the relations between us.
We also exchanged land products with friends and neighbors, and by doing this we have improved the relations between us.
Project Reflections
I have to admit that this project has been a great challenge. There are so many things to cover when it comes to organising a home, that initially I did not know where to start.
My first step was to make two mind maps to organise all the ideas that was dancing in our heads, and define better which processes and methods I wanted to use, so I have done one mind map for the survey and another for the analysis. This helped me a lot to get an overview of a big pattern with which I could focus after on the details. As you can see at the survey mind map, to have more knowledge and understanding of the place I have planned many things that I wanted to know and put in my database, but much of the information about the house was appearing over time after living there, and after a year still I was receiving new things that were introduced in my survey. In the analysis I have focused on a number of elements that together could made the place as more sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible, covering our basic needs and being consistent with the permaculture ethics and principles.
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I have used SADIMET because I think is very appropriate to do physical designs, and for the same reason I also have used Sector. Do a Shadow mapping has helped me to see how distribute the elements inside the house.
Personal Reflections
As this was a project to create a place to live with my family, was very important to me and I have wanted it to be meticulously thought. But because we started the project with the immediate need to move to the implementation we haven´t had much time to think, we went with haste to cover a number of minimum basics to start living in the house and be minimally sheltered and safe.
After having covered a few basic needs (including child proof) we had more time to think about the analysis, but there were some things that had not been planned in advance like water catchment, and others that has made to live day to day as a challenge.
Working under pressure has brought all kind of mood faces from excitement to frustration, stress and joys,... but I think we have been strong enough to overcome this pattern of ups and downs and we has persisted to meet our dreams.
After having covered a few basic needs (including child proof) we had more time to think about the analysis, but there were some things that had not been planned in advance like water catchment, and others that has made to live day to day as a challenge.
Working under pressure has brought all kind of mood faces from excitement to frustration, stress and joys,... but I think we have been strong enough to overcome this pattern of ups and downs and we has persisted to meet our dreams.
Professional Reflections
After this project I feel much more prepared than before to do land designs, I can recognize better which are the key points to focus first and having a clearer and "more realistic" mind to see them.
With this project definitely I have improved my skills in many aspects such as natural building, appropriate technologies, ...
The experience that I have won the most has been land and building regeneration. But still I do not feel confident enough to advise others on how to invest high economical resources in big land projects.
With this project definitely I have improved my skills in many aspects such as natural building, appropriate technologies, ...
The experience that I have won the most has been land and building regeneration. But still I do not feel confident enough to advise others on how to invest high economical resources in big land projects.
Time Reflections
The estimate time I have invest in this project is incalculable, almost I can say that has been twenty four hours per seven days a week during the first year, it has been a complete dedication.
Being living for and into the project has made that my personal time has been summed to do only this.
The initial intention was to devote one year to complete this project, but finally I decided to keep going till I have left the site, almost two years in total. After this large time period I have felt more satisfied with the final project results.
Being living for and into the project has made that my personal time has been summed to do only this.
The initial intention was to devote one year to complete this project, but finally I decided to keep going till I have left the site, almost two years in total. After this large time period I have felt more satisfied with the final project results.
Tweaks
Romanticism is very beautiful but I think the next time that I have to make a house design, I will be more practical and honest with were are the time, economic and save margins.
Because it has been my first house project, it was full of fails and things in the wrong order to implement. If I had to start again, I would make sure that I have at list the money saves to survive (food, transportation, basics...) half a year without salary. And the money saves to implement the water, heat and electricity system before to move in.
This time we had just trust in life believing that we was going to find a job and money incoming on the way, so we have jumped into the adventure, and finally didn't happened.
I'll ask more information to the neighbours or at the town bar, to know better the story and characteristics like thieves, climate, labour situation in the region, etc.
And I'll try to have a solid design before to go to live into the house, to be much more realistic where my boundaries are and which will be the next step to archive.
Because it has been my first house project, it was full of fails and things in the wrong order to implement. If I had to start again, I would make sure that I have at list the money saves to survive (food, transportation, basics...) half a year without salary. And the money saves to implement the water, heat and electricity system before to move in.
This time we had just trust in life believing that we was going to find a job and money incoming on the way, so we have jumped into the adventure, and finally didn't happened.
I'll ask more information to the neighbours or at the town bar, to know better the story and characteristics like thieves, climate, labour situation in the region, etc.
And I'll try to have a solid design before to go to live into the house, to be much more realistic where my boundaries are and which will be the next step to archive.
Resources used to edit this project
Software
VUE
Weebly
Windows 7
GIMP 2
Camera
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20
Some internet resources are:
Network:
Documentation:
VUE
Weebly
Windows 7
GIMP 2
Camera
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20
Some internet resources are:
- google.com
- maps.google.com
- Cartographic Institute of Catalonia
Network:
- facebook.com
- permacultura-bcn.org
Documentation:
- translate.google.com
- youtube.com