Update on the CEB Microhouse Build Project as of January 7th 2020
This (edited), message received from OpenSource Ecology on 7th January 2020
"We have 20 people signed up already, and we look forward to seeing you all for the February 2020 CEB Microhouse build in Belize. Here is some followup detail and logistics info. This coordination process is collaborative, as we welcome participants to meet and greet, and coordinate travel or activities outside of the workshop. For this, we are capturing all this information in a Google Form. This includes information from all instructors and assistants. All workshop participants will be able to view the responses for coordination purposes, otherwise - we respect your privacy.
1. Arrival. You should plan on arriving at the Belize International Airport the day before (this will be Friday 21st February 2020), - and we will pick you up in a van or bus. Usually flights arrive before evening - so we will plan on leaving the airport around 6 PM - or as soon as the last arrival occurs. So please arrive the earliest in the day that is convenient for you.. The trip to Copper Bank to our site is 2 hours long.
2. Housing. The first 12 people who signed up are staying at the Bamboo Beach Resort - you probably know who you are. (that includes us!!),
3. Visiting Belize and Coordination - Ready to snorkel, dive, or tour the country? Here are the top places to see if you'd like to travel before or after the workshop.
4. Transportation - The public transport system is not well-developed in Belize, so if you want to visit places, a car rental is most reliable. Expect to pay about $82 per day on average according to Kayak. But - for those who are renting cars - please consider offering a ride to others if you have space.
5. Build Site - Foundation is prepared and blocks are ready to be pressed. We are pressing 2400 blocks for the event - we are waiting for the soil to dry right now. See some pictures of the build site -
6. Machines - machines are ready. On top of this, we have designed a new Soil Mixer - but not sure if we can build it in Belize as we are having trouble importing parts. But here's more about it - as it's too good to keep to oneself. The design at https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Soil_Mixer_2019
shows a hammermill-based mixer/doser which injects a controlled amount of cement to the soil mix to get high quality, stabilized block with consistent and measurable cement percentage. (this link is for the really technically minded), While you can build with raw block - stabilization makes the blocks waterproof - so they can literally function with the durability of cement block. Our soil mixer design is unique: only one person is required to operate the block pressing operation by loading the mixer with a tractor and adding bags of cement to the mixer. The mixer feeds automatically into the brick press - with 2 people stacking pressed block on pallets. The soil mixer machine itself costs $3k in materials. Auroville is the world's leading authority on CEBs - and their machine - for comparison - costs $48k for a similar product but with a different type of workflow - and requires 15 people to run... So I think we are innovating here on low cost, accessible, high performance design. We'll see when we'll be able to build it.
7. Safety equipment and tools - Do you have work gloves, glasses, earplugs, hard hats, or cordless drills? Bring them - the more tools we have available the better.
8. Internet - do not expect massive internet access. Bamboo Beach Resort does not provide internet. Your best option is a pay-as-you-go internet card. If you have an unlocked phone, or if you unlock your phone (call your provider, get a new SIM card - we will send more details if you like). Or, if you have international data - you're all set. Scott will be providing more wi-fi access details.
9. Learning goals - please share your learning goals so we can serve you better. We will have detailed build instructionals and CAD - so that anyone can replicate our design easily anywhere in the world."
So things are progressing apace and the bricks, themselves may well be ready when we get there. Now there are twenty of us (we thought there would only be twelve), we should have many hands to help. Our name appear first on the list!!!!
Now we will have to decide what else we will do during our time in Belize. We arrive on 21st and will be occupied with the house until the end of the day on 26th February. Then, I expect we will go back to Belize City and stay around there of the days we have until we leave on 2nd March 2020, making day trips to interesting places. All this still to be arranged.
This is a rather dizzying time-lapse video of the building of a CEB MicroHouse:
Time Lapse Video of a CEB Microhouse
"We have 20 people signed up already, and we look forward to seeing you all for the February 2020 CEB Microhouse build in Belize. Here is some followup detail and logistics info. This coordination process is collaborative, as we welcome participants to meet and greet, and coordinate travel or activities outside of the workshop. For this, we are capturing all this information in a Google Form. This includes information from all instructors and assistants. All workshop participants will be able to view the responses for coordination purposes, otherwise - we respect your privacy.
1. Arrival. You should plan on arriving at the Belize International Airport the day before (this will be Friday 21st February 2020), - and we will pick you up in a van or bus. Usually flights arrive before evening - so we will plan on leaving the airport around 6 PM - or as soon as the last arrival occurs. So please arrive the earliest in the day that is convenient for you.. The trip to Copper Bank to our site is 2 hours long.
2. Housing. The first 12 people who signed up are staying at the Bamboo Beach Resort - you probably know who you are. (that includes us!!),
3. Visiting Belize and Coordination - Ready to snorkel, dive, or tour the country? Here are the top places to see if you'd like to travel before or after the workshop.
- #1 natural jungle areas - https://www.travelchannel.com/destinations/belize/articles/belizes-10-best-jungle-lodges and https://www.islandexpeditions.com/belize-vacations-blog/8-unique-things-see-and-do-belize-rainforest,
- #1 coral reefs - see our FAQ at https://www.opensourceecology.org/ceb-microhouse-build-in-belize/#faq ,
- #1 Mayan Ruin - https://www.belizeadventure.ca/mayan-ruins/ - and Cerros happens to be about 1/2 hour from our build site, and
- Other #1 locations you must see - https://www.touropia.com/best-places-to-visit-in-belize/.
4. Transportation - The public transport system is not well-developed in Belize, so if you want to visit places, a car rental is most reliable. Expect to pay about $82 per day on average according to Kayak. But - for those who are renting cars - please consider offering a ride to others if you have space.
5. Build Site - Foundation is prepared and blocks are ready to be pressed. We are pressing 2400 blocks for the event - we are waiting for the soil to dry right now. See some pictures of the build site -
6. Machines - machines are ready. On top of this, we have designed a new Soil Mixer - but not sure if we can build it in Belize as we are having trouble importing parts. But here's more about it - as it's too good to keep to oneself. The design at https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Soil_Mixer_2019
shows a hammermill-based mixer/doser which injects a controlled amount of cement to the soil mix to get high quality, stabilized block with consistent and measurable cement percentage. (this link is for the really technically minded), While you can build with raw block - stabilization makes the blocks waterproof - so they can literally function with the durability of cement block. Our soil mixer design is unique: only one person is required to operate the block pressing operation by loading the mixer with a tractor and adding bags of cement to the mixer. The mixer feeds automatically into the brick press - with 2 people stacking pressed block on pallets. The soil mixer machine itself costs $3k in materials. Auroville is the world's leading authority on CEBs - and their machine - for comparison - costs $48k for a similar product but with a different type of workflow - and requires 15 people to run... So I think we are innovating here on low cost, accessible, high performance design. We'll see when we'll be able to build it.
7. Safety equipment and tools - Do you have work gloves, glasses, earplugs, hard hats, or cordless drills? Bring them - the more tools we have available the better.
8. Internet - do not expect massive internet access. Bamboo Beach Resort does not provide internet. Your best option is a pay-as-you-go internet card. If you have an unlocked phone, or if you unlock your phone (call your provider, get a new SIM card - we will send more details if you like). Or, if you have international data - you're all set. Scott will be providing more wi-fi access details.
9. Learning goals - please share your learning goals so we can serve you better. We will have detailed build instructionals and CAD - so that anyone can replicate our design easily anywhere in the world."
So things are progressing apace and the bricks, themselves may well be ready when we get there. Now there are twenty of us (we thought there would only be twelve), we should have many hands to help. Our name appear first on the list!!!!
Now we will have to decide what else we will do during our time in Belize. We arrive on 21st and will be occupied with the house until the end of the day on 26th February. Then, I expect we will go back to Belize City and stay around there of the days we have until we leave on 2nd March 2020, making day trips to interesting places. All this still to be arranged.
This is a rather dizzying time-lapse video of the building of a CEB MicroHouse:
Time Lapse Video of a CEB Microhouse
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