INTRODUCTION
WRITING DOWN THE BLOCKS
Bricks 101
One Viga
A Year Later
Decking the Roof
Floor Plans
WORKSHOPS
It's 9 AM and Ed joins us for coffee in the living room. The sun is shining. Trenlin is in her shorts. The dogs are hyper. Ed isn't. I'm a little worried since we'd arranged for him to work with me on the house. The plan was to build some bricks for a few hours. After the coffee he's ready if not quite keen.
We walk up to little hill to the building site. I carry buckets of water. Ed carries nothing. As I start to explain we need to do, he realizes he wants his gloves. They're down the hill in his car.
Whilst he's gone, I set up. Two shovels. Two buckets. Cement. Water. There on the wall to the east corner is where we're building, I hope. There's a post we need to brick around it so it can't move in any direction. The beam across its top is going to be bearing the weight of the roof.
It's windy. May usually isn't windy, but to be honest, I don't mind as it keeps it cooler than normal. No shorts for me today. Ed is back and we're ready. "45 shovels of dirt, 3 shovels of cement and add water until it holds itself together," I explain. He knows this already as he's helped my neighbors, but I figure a little reminder is good for all. We dig. It's hard work making the mix as it just gets heavier and heavier. When it looks goods and moist I fill a bucket and climb up to the side of the east wall. It's hard to explain, but the house is built into the hill and the walls at the east, west and north sides are being built upon the rock. To complete the semi-circle is a straight stretch of the south- facing wall. This wall will be built of straw-bales.
Anyway I climb up the hill to the back of the house and prepare to make my first brick of the week. The grain bag is open and in place. I empty the mix in to it. Ed brings me another bucket of mix, and that's enough for the one brick. I fold the top of the bag and tip it horizontally. Then with my hands I shape it into a rough semblance of a brick. Last summer when I started this process Dave lent me his metal tamper until Flip welded this one for me. It's the perfect size and weight to stand above and drops onto the horizontal surface until I feel the mud-cement compact. It has this 'thud' sound that tells me it is solid. I thump, thump, thump till I thud. Ed takes the empty buckets to refill for me. I balance on the wall (we build the bricks in place) and kneel down so I can spend some minutes with a fired-brick in my hand that compacts the sides and edges. I test it with my hand. It feels solid. Resting back on my haunches I look around. This is my house. The second thought is, "I'm tired now."
As Ed passes me more mix I set about the next brick. "How many bricks do you think you'll have made by the time the house is built? Two thousand? More?" We both stop and look for any excuse to rest. "Less I think. Trenlin said she counted the bricks in her studio last winter and it was over two thousand even before it was enclosed…" "You could work it out," he suggests as he passes the full bucket up to me with a grunt. "I could…but I probably won't," I grunt back. My God that man fills his buckets…
Soon the first batch is used up, three bricks are made…time for a break. This is definitely a labor-intensive building method. Yet somehow it suits me. "Good honest work" I had explained to Alberto last year. His response was; "It's a long time since I heard that phrase, but I know what you mean."
I look at Ed and grin. "Good honest work."