When you think of the Lord of The Rings or The Hobbit, you think of fantasy, magic, and the magnificence of wizards and the wonderful mysteries of the Hobbits and Aragorn. You’ve probably seen the Hobbit houses in the Shire, in Middle Earth and thought, “That is a cute little house. I’d love to live there.”
Well, Simon Dale of Wales, UK has brought the Hobbit house to life. Literally. And he did it for less than $5000 (£3000)!
The house is dug into a hillside and comes complete with a wood stove, solar power system, refrigerator, and a composting toilet. It took Simon and his friends over 1000 hours of labor to build the Hobbit house.
The primary tools used to build this home were a chainsaw, hammer, and chisel. Simon had very little building experience before tackling this project, proving that anyone with creativity and tenacity can build something to be proud of.
The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gave us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. It housed our family whilst we worked in the woodland surrounding the house doing ecological woodland management and setting up a forest garden, things that would have been impossible had we had to pay a regular rent or mortgage. – SimonDale.net
Some key points regarding this build:
- Stone and mud from digging the home into the hill were used for retaining walls, foundation, etc.
- The frame was built using oak thinned from the surrounding woods
- The floor, walls, and roof were constructed using straw bales
- Lime plaster on the walls is breathable and requires lower energy to manufacture than alternatives
- Reclaimed wood was used for the floors and fittings
- Heat is provided by a wood burner
- The flue passes through a big stone/plaster lump to retain and slowly release heat
- Solar panels provide enough power for light, music, and a computer
- Water is gravity-fed to the home from a nearby spring
Hobbit House floor plans:
Simon has a great website full of content for those interested in sustainable building techniques and permaculture. You can see more pictures of this beautiful home and others, or read more about his work at SimonDale.net. There is a ton of valuable information there for anyone looking to make a life off grid.