In this first entry (Making Home 001), I share the full vision, the personal learning curve, and the call for the mentors and collaborators needed to launch this movement.
-Our Core Concept: Permanent, dignified shelters built for a fraction of the cost. -Our Method: Hands-on teaching so people can make home again and then teach others. -My Commitment: Sharing the raw, unpolished journey—from a beginner learning to build a box to establishing a working nonprofit.
This movement needs wisdom, mentorship, and friendship. If you have skills in building, design, non-profit work, or community organization, please connect with us!
Join the Journey! ➡️ Subscribe to follow our progress and see how housing can be human, affordable, and built right now.
This episode connects the dots between my personal hero's journey and the mission to teach the unhoused how to build their own dwellings.
Join the movement. Follow along as we continue to learn, build, and challenge the status quo of expensive housing.
➡️ Next Up: I'll be diving into the books, inspiration, and initial vision for the project!
In this entry, I'm sharing the research, references, and books that have been early inspiration and guidance for the project's vision. Featured Books & Concepts:
"Living the Good Life" by Helen and Scott Nearing: Learning from a couple who built eight structures by hand using the durable, low-cost Flag method with stone.
"Dwelling" by River: Philosophical and practical insights from the founder of a community that has built homes by hand since the 1970s, including one built by her 12-year-old son!!
"House Building for Children" by Les Walker: Accessible and beautifully diagrammed concepts on design and construction from the public library system.
"Essential Cob Construction": Addressing the crucial need for understanding regulatory and code compliance when working with natural building materials.
We are just at the beginning of this learning journey. If you have recommendations for essential reading, research, or resources, please share them below—your wisdom is needed! Join the movement.
Follow along as we transform theory into practice.
➡️ We Need Your Recommendations! Drop your book suggestions in the comments. ➡️ #MakingHome #NaturalBuildingBooks #AffordableHousingResearch
In this installment, I dive into the strategic answers, sharing a powerful model that makes land acquisition attractive to both private owners and city governments:
The Land & Longevity Model (The 3-Year Deal): We ask land owners to grant temporary access. In exchange, the owner receives a developed plot of land back after three years of housing those who built their own homes. This provides the landowner (private or municipal) with valuable, discounted, permanent housing stock they can utilize for profit or public good going forward—a clear win-win for everyone involved in the community.
I don't have a lot of experience in home improvement or building structures, but I've spent a lot of time building organizational structures. In this fifth installment, I'm doing a guided screenshare of the Making Home project's organizational backbone—built in Google Docs.
Using the metaphor of a house, I walk through the three key "rooms" of the Making Home Index:
-The Fireplace (Hearth): Vision & Overview. The core document where the project's mission lives and evolves.
-The Front Door & Windows: Brand, Story, & Marketing. Where the project's identity, story, and external communication strategies (content calendars, pitch decks, website copy) are housed.
-The Workshop: The Building School. The dynamic learning hub. Here, I document everything I'm learning about small house construction, translating concepts into simple, repeatable steps that participants can follow. The goal: Learn it, Document it, Teach the Next Person—the chain reaction model.