Hi Lloyd.
I am sending you a photo of the last sweat lodge i installed in Australia last winter. It is actually the one that was in the studio here in La Minerve , the one in "Builders of the Pacific Coast" to which i ended up adding a roof and an exterior finish for a new above ground version.
The adventure/challenge started with having to take it all apart , label and number the hundreds of pieces, put them into crates and pallets. It practically filled a 40ft. container. I flew to Byron bay area to install it as it arrived there on the boat after 3 months journey on the ocean. ( And then, not the least through fumigation and customs.)
Now this is during the floods that they had there last winter ( their summer) So it arrived over there in a high humidity environment which made me quite worried that the high moisture level in the air would make the wood swell , twist and warp.
We set up a big tarp to work under as it rained practically every day some times heavy (west coast way more), flooding Brisbane just an hour away from where I was.
I ended up having to stretch my stay over there to complete the work and fire the sauna at least once. So after all my concern for the dampness and after 20 and some days of work it all came back together nice and tight, no misssing or extra parts. And on the last day. The hot Australian sun came out for the pictures.
Down under, now sits a Chapel of the Whale, in between two magical mountains near a beautiful
river with great swimming hole and with the care of a good community of people...
5 comments:
Wow, that is one amazing structure!
I don't want to detract from the masterful crafstmanship displayed in the design and construction.
Although, I have to question the inherent wisdom of the small and local movement of shipping this around the globe instead of finding some local alternative and tapping into local vernacular/skills.
This is so pre-peak oil-fossil-fuel-dependent thinking.
Craig.
Craig - While I don't know if this was the reason the builder did it this way I bet it's because he has a job and can't take off work long enough to build it in place which would take WAY longer to source and gather/cut materials on site. So he built it near his home in his spare time and had it transported.
How can you comment on other people carbon footprint without posting your own?
An amazing structure! Wish I could build one someday.
Solar Burrito,
Just for the record, my family of four emits approximately 20 tonnes GHG/year. Which is the average per capita in Canada. We are trying to do our part, living as local and sustainable as we can, we live in a strawbale house, have a family cow, chickens, I work out of a solar powered office I built with wood off my land. Now, there is much more we could do, but this is a journey...How about you?
I would guess that most people (even well meaning ones) have no idea of their own carbon footprint.
I stand by the fact that this not in keeping with the local/small movement. It feels more like a trophy sauna than something in keeping with the spirit of this website.
Craig
Craig.
The spirit of this website is not just low GHG and small homes and natural materials. It's also about ART and creativity. This lovely building will bring joy and better health (saunas) and better community spirit to many people for many years in its transplanted location.
Llyod,
Point taken...sorry if my comments trended in the negative direction. Like I said in my first comment, I think that sauna is an excellent example of master craftsmanship and is definitely a piece of art.
Craig.
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