More Progress on the Walls

Happy Are Those Whose Walls Already Rise

I forget which one of those old greek guys said it, but it sure is nice to see the walls going up. This is our first attempt to build a wall with the lego blocks so we're a little messy on the mortar joints. We have done a test wall before so we know the bond we're getting is super solid. Looks like we're going to need about 1,200 blocks total based on this first half section.

Construction of New Room Underway

It's been a while since the last post because I have been busy with getting a new structure done. First task was to get all the blocks done and then the foundation. I've decided to go with a common local build technique using rebar reinforced columns at intervals. This is very standard except for the substitution of brick for CEB. Walls will be going up next week and then we're going to try and get a concrete slab roof on before the rains start.

Some Help from a Friend

Many thanks to Nathalie from BC for ALL the help during her visit. Besides providing first rate support making blocks she also brought with her a water purification unit. With this important piece we can now check off the 'water' in the 'food, water, shelter' list. She also brought a great variety of heirloom seeds so we can improve on the 'food' goal.

Scouting Mission to Ometepe

Thinking we may want to start building on Ometepe we decided to go on a little scouting mission. The island was everything we had hoped in terms of potentially doing a small development with the blocks and renewable energy. We liked what we saw and will be moving toward the island with the project.

Another Roof Section Added

Here you see another section of zinc roof added on to the front. This was the first of two expansions to allow us more dry space to work under when it's raining.

Making Blocks in the Rain

This was our first attempt at making blocks while it was actually raining. It's very important that we are able to keep production going while it's raining so that we don't lose time during the rainy season (about 7 months). We could obviously still use a larger space but will have to add-on as resources allow. The rain was unusually strong. It flooded town and turned the farm into a lake for a few hours. We were forced to pause the block making while we built a quick berm around the work area. This was enough to prevent the water from coming in and allow us to keep working.